From rags to riches to giving back

It has become the norm for alumni of Jamaica’s high schools to contribute financially to the improvement of their school’s physical plant.

And Radcliffe Kerlew, managing director of MO7 Maintenance and Construction Company Limited, is the latest to make a donation of $500,000 towards construction of the Eva May Wright Auditorium at New Forest High School in Manchester.

He presented the cheque at the second annual Spring Soiree fundraiser in Graham Heights, St Andrew where a total of $1. 2 million was collected with pledges for more still coming in.

The highlight of the evening, however, was Kerlew’s rags to riches story.

Born and raised in New Forest, Manchester, he told guests how, being the middle child of nine, he used to help his mother to sell scallion in the market to help take care of them.

“But, it’s not where you are coming from, it’s where you are going,” he said.

“Every human being was born with talents and we all have trillions of dollars in our brains, but we have to execute to get those dollars into our hands, by making use of our talents,” he told the audience.

Kerlew, who learned Spanish in primary school, was so fascinated by the subject, that he bought the text book 501 Integrated Verbs and taught himself. Today he is also fluent in Dutch, Mandarin and French.

He told The Gleaner that he began as a labourer with a hotel in the RIU chain, and early in the job he overheard the boss desperately trying to communicate in Spanish about a measurement to another worker.

Seeing the challenge, he translated for them and he is still doing so today.

He said that, with the influx of Spanish and Chinese nationals in Jamaica, it’s good to understand their language.

Kerlew, who established his own company in 2018, worked on several hotel projects in the early to mid-2000s, at one point moving from labourer to supervisor to assistantmanager in under a month.

“The idea to start my own company came when I realised that since I was being hired to do these jobs with some regularity, it would be advantageous to register my own company and sell my services to these hotels. I am based in Falmouth, Trelawny, but I will go across the region wherever the job takes me,” Kerlew said. His next assignment will be in Costa Rica for six months.

“We are never out of work because of our high quality,” he added.

Kerlew was not daunted by the lack of a high school or tertiary education. He recalls accompanying his mother to the market with a huge bale of scallion on his head. He ignored the jeers and taunts of classmates because she was able to provide him with all he needed for school daily, including his ‘box lunch’, unlike many of his detractors.

“That experience also taught me how to do business,” he said.

“I decided to give back to New Forest High because I was born and raised in the community, and, although I did not have the opportunity of further education, it’s my duty to contribute to where I am from,” he said.

MO7 Maintenance and Construction Company offers waterproof roof membrane, 3D Sheetrock designs, 3D wallpaper designs, tiling, masonry, carpentry, plastering, plumbing, molding, commercial ceiling and more.

Meanwhile, Principal Arnaldo Allen said the rough drawing for the auditorium is almost complete and, once it has been scrutinised by the National Education Trust, it will be officially done. He said last year’s launch was boosted by National Bakery’s $500,000, and with other contributions, to date there is some $2.8 million in the bank. He thanked everyone who has contributed.

Allen revealed that, a few months ago, Kerlew returned to the school to reconnect with his grade-nine Spanish teacher because the only Spanish he’d learned prior to what he taught himself was taught to him by his New Forest teacher and he wanted to show his gratitude.

“I then took him to the spot where the auditorium will be built and asked him to give back. He agreed and here he is today keeping his promise,” Allen said.

Meanwhile, chairman of the school board, Trisha Williams-Singh, said the target for the project is $100 million, so all donations are welcome.

She expressed gratitude for all contributions to date. “Every donation of $500,000 and above is highlighted on our donor wall. It would be great to have 192 such donations to meet our target but, in the interim, we will host the Spring Soiree annually towards our goal,” she said.

Pledges were made by Café El Centro, Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority staff, and the law firm Tavares, Finson, Adams. Dane McLean donated $100,000 and Nari Williams-Singh donated $50,000 from the estate of his late father, Kenneth Williams-Singh. Donations can be made to: NCB Junction, St Elizabeth branch, chequing account: 881033739 - New Forest High.