Getting Serious About Education in Jamaica
Fr. Colin King, OFM with a few of the young children he wants to be able to educate in the new and expanded school.
A Jamaican man who gave a gift for the Revival Infant School at a small fundraiser told the volunteers, “People come and go making promises all the time, but when I saw Fr. Colin here, I knew this was a serious thing.”
Fr. Colin is very serious about educating all children. Colin was a special education teacher for seven years in Ohio before becoming a Franciscan Friar. He understands the critical need to reach children at an early developmental age. For children living in poverty, these difficult circumstances can be detrimental to their mental health. There is a lot of stress with getting their basic needs met and exposure to violence. Students in poverty do not have access to the same support systems as other children.
Franciscan friars along with the support of the children’s parents are trying to change that. Keeping kids busy in school will keep them off the streets and likely out of trouble while providing hope for a better future.
The area planned for the school is currently a field of rocks and overgrown grass, but during the pandemic, a lot of planning and collaboration took place between many key people over Zoom. This helped get the ball rolling, and people in the community are now very excited.
“We were in a holding pattern, but we are finally seeing progress,” says Fr. Colin. “We received the renderings from the architect.”
Can you be part of the support system for these kids? They need you! 100 percent of every gift will go directly to this project no matter how large or how small. You can learn everything you need to know about this project by visiting stanthony.com/revival/
PS. We understand not everybody can give a gift during these difficult times, but if you could take a moment to say a prayer now for the children of Jamaica and the success of this program, we would be most grateful. The power of prayer is amazing.
Posted in: Revival School Project
