GoodHeart | Pencils 4 Kids invests $200m and counting in St Elizabeth
Published:Saturday | December 17, 2022 | 2:04 AM
For the past eight years, the charity organisation, Pencils 4 Kids, has been investing heavily in the community of Quickstep, St Elizabeth, executing projects, such as levelling the primary school’s playfield, donating a school bus, building a school library, scholarships, and this month they returned to build six bus stops and kick off a farming programme.
Founder of the charity, Randy Griffiths, who hails from the community, shared with The Gleaner that the projects carried out have amounted to more than $200 million so far.
“It will always be a work in progress as the needs are many. Right now, we have a fundraising campaign targetting US$50,000, which will strengthen the already existing programmes, such as the scholarships, a breakfast programme and the running of the farm,” he shared with The Gleaner.
Griffiths has just returned to the United States following a mission trip with a group of American volunteers from Kay Pacha Initiative, a non-profit that does work in the Amazon Rainforest, who came to give their expertise on the farming project.
“We have started the farming project, which will strengthen the breakfast programme at the school,” he shared, pointing out that the hope is that the students will be a part of the planting and nurturing process in harvesting healthy food to sustain the breakfast programme.
“This programme will provide a meal to any child in need. Some students come to school on an empty stomach. It is vital to have the sustenance and energy a breakfast provides in order to properly maximise learning,” he opined.
Over the course of the two-day mission trip, he said local and international volunteers worked alongside the Quickstep Primary teachers and students to implement the farm.
“In a cleared field in the community, we planted corn, peas, bananas and broccoli. Local volunteers and the school will continue to plant and gather [the] bounty throughout the year.”
He said while the expected crops will service the programme, he expects some will go to select community members and some to be sold,l with the money going towards taking care of some of the expenses.
Part of the mission also entailed establishing a bus route and stops to provide safe passage to and from school for the children. Expounding on the catalyst for the project, Griffiths said it is dangerous for young students to walk miles along narrow mountainside roads without any kind of guardrails.
“During the week, we prepped by getting iron bus stops made. Then volunteers assembled and secured the six bus stops. We had a backhoe tractor clear designated areas to accommodate waiting students. The finishing touch was to have a local artist spruce up each bus stop with signage and artwork,” he explained.
Looking ahead, he said next on the agenda will be finalising the installation of the Internet for the school.