Quick Step not moving fast enough, laments donor
Published:Monday | December 7, 2020 | 12:14 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
Jabs were thrown at a handover ceremony for a bus to a primary school last Friday, as the head of an international charity lamented the lack of progress being made by stakeholders to develop the community, with the lack of Internet access chief among his gripes.
Handing over the brand new bus to Quick Step Primary in the hills of St Elizabeth North Eastern, courtesy of his Pencils 4 Kids charity, Randy Griffiths stressed to the gathering that a united approach was best to move the community forward.
“We are going to try to do our best to do anything for the community. I am from this community, but the thing is that if we make religion and politics separate us, it’s not going to work. We have to come together as one,” he said to much applause.
He expressed disappointment that having built a school and community library since December 2019, there has been no Internet access to date.
“What is the problem why Quick Step can’t get Internet?” he asked. “Every kid should have a tablet right now, but they don’t have it because there is no Internet.”
His utterances seemingly did not sit well with the political representatives in attendance.
Councillor Everton Fisher and James Mitchell, councillor caretaker who was representing first-time Member of Parliament Delroy Slowley, left the stakeholders meeting abruptly, one after the other.
This greatly affected the proceedings as many topics brought up in the question-and-answer session did not unearth adequate responses.
Principal Alicia Gilzene-Black pointed out that she had been in touch with education ministry officials, who informed her that the matter of Internet service was being addressed.
In his address, Fisher had blamed industry leaders Digicel and FLOW for the lack of Internet access, saying that when it comes to remote areas, their “service is so poor, irrespective of which government (party) is in power”.
Turning to Griffiths’ comments, he said, “I’m a politician, of course, and I hear Mr Griffiths licking the politicians and I am not afraid to take some of the licks, but Mr Mitchell will tell you, as my counterpart, that sometimes if we get people like Mr Griffiths to cooperate and work with us, then our jobs will become easier.”
There was great appreciation all around for the bus.
“This is indeed a wonderful gift and we are very appreciative of it,” Principal Gilzene-Black told The Gleaner. “We thank Pencils 4 Kids tremendously, wholeheartedly for having come through for us another year. Students will be taken to and from school as well as to other educational excursions. It’s mainly for improving student attendance.”
Parent Colington Griffiths was beaming with joy.
“Me see what taking place and me feel very comfortable ‘cause the pickney dem and taxi, dem have it hard a evening time fi come home,” he said. “When rain fall, the youth dem wet.”
Griffiths, the president of Pencils 4 Kids, said the idea of donating a bus predates the pandemic as children have to walk miles for school.
“I think it will take a lot of pressure off the parents. It is not a question of if it will work. We already brought it here, so if everybody join together, the community, it will work,” he told The Gleaner, adding that their next project would be to build a multipurpose sport facility there if granted permission by the Forestry Department.
In 2018, Pencils 4 Kids paved the entire front court of the school and installed perimeter fencing. Last year, the charity completed and outfitted the Quick Step Primary and Community Library.
Griffiths told The Gleaner that through a political representative, he was introduced to an independent contractor who he can longer locate.
“He was to bring Internet into the community and this individual took a $170,000 from me, and I can’t find him right now. He is hiding. It’s very discouraging when you buck up on people who promise you things and don’t deliver,” he lamented.