On Thursday, January 10, All Hands and Hearts officially handed over two new buildings to accommodate the students of the Morne Prosper Primary and Pre -Schools.
The Morne Prosper Primary School was one of 62 schools which suffered severe damage during Hurricane Maria. All Hands and Hearts launched a relief programme in April 2018, focused on restoring the island’s schools.
Parliamentary Representative for the Roseau Valley constituency Hon. Dr. John Colin McIntyre thanked the volunteers of All Hands and Hearts for their hard work and commitment.
“I had the opportunity to visit where they lived in Copthall and I must say they are ready for the future, they are soldiers, they are resilient” McIntyre applauded the volunteers saying “I put my heart out to you; to leave your country and come here to help us in Morne Prosper… that really touched me a lot.”
The new structure will provide shelter against future storms, both for students and the local community. The walls are also reinforced with vertical and horizontal steel reinforcements, making them more resistant to seismic activity.
Meanwhile, Minister for Education and Human Resource Development Hon. Petter Saint Jean noted that aid from organizations such as All Hands and Hearts has provided an added boost to Dominica’s rebuilding efforts.
“As a small state with limited resources, interventions from organizations such as All Hands and Hearts, indeed boost our efforts to provide our children with a safe space for learning.” The Education Minister added, “We are indeed humbled by the show of support from this group of volunteers who have toiled day and night to make this a reality.”
Hon. Saint Jean further expressed his gratitude to the organisation and its sponsors who contributed to the initiative. “We extend our deepest appreciation to these entities who have invested heavily in the wellbeing of our children the future of our beloved country.”
With the organisation’s efforts focused on rebuilding schools and repairing residential roofs, All Hands and Hearts has already begun its third school project at Charlotte’s Preschool in Newtown. Working closely with the Ministry of Education, other Non-governmental organizations (NGO), the schools and local communities, their efforts will create much safer homes and more resilient learning environments