Pencils4Kids brightens Quickstep
Charity group installs solar systems, refurbishes St Elizabeth community and school badly damaged by Hurricane Beryl
Published:Saturday | August 3, 2024 | 4:51 AMAndre Williams/Gleaner Writer
A month of darkness following the passage of Category 4 Hurricane Beryl has been unbearable for the residents of Quickstep in St Elizabeth. But they are now expressing gratitude for the intervention of New York-based Pencils4Kids for lighting up their community.
Over the past few days, the charity organisation has installed 12 solar systems at strategic locations to illuminate the district during the dark nights.
Additionally, Pencils4Kids provided care packages for the elderly, along with cash and muscles to repair the damage done to Quickstep Primary School, just in time for the beginning of the new school term. They have also initiated a programme to get much-needed supplies for the students.
“Originally, we came to Jamaica for the Quickstep Primary School graduation where we presented two scholarships, but there was no electricity and no form of communication so we purchased some generators and solar lights to make the graduation itself possible,” Randy Griffiths, founder of Pencils4Kids, told The Gleaner.
The charity group shipped in two XP13000E generators and a dozen solar lights and panels.
The last of the shipment was cleared on Friday.
NOT WAITING ON JPS
The rural community, which borders the parish of Trelawny, was among the worst hit by the Category 4 storm on July 3. Due to the extensive damage, four weeks later it is still without essential utilities.
In spite of the directive from the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) that the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) restore electricity to all its customers by August 12, Pencils4Kids said they were compelled to take action because the light and power company failed to meet earlier deadlines.
The OUR said if JPS failed to meet the August 12 deadline, it will be forced to take action, but the charity organisation said it was not about to take any chances and wait, so they went about installing the solar systems in the community.
“I have to see that to believe it. We were absolutely not waiting (on the August 12 deadline). Some political representative should have come there and figure out what’s going on, but nobody came up there, so we are not waiting on no one to do the work for Quickstep. The children are studying in darkness using flashlights to read,” the certified fitness trainer lamented to The Gleaner.
“I am just a visitor and I am feeling it, so I can’t imagine how hard people living in the community must be feeling. There is no fridge, no fan or air conditioner, nothing. Once 6 p.m. comes they shut down. Between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. everybody has to lock in. No internet. It’s a survival instinct right now.”
“We installed solar lights in the community. We did care packages for the elderly, the kids; and helped fix some damage to the school,” Griffiths said, adding that the generators would help to power up the school if JPS was unable to restore electricity in time for the start of the new academic year.
STUCK BY THE SCHOOL
The Ministry of Education had sent a team to Quickstep Primary to assess the damage done by the hurricane. Pencils4Kids did their own assessment and got the ball rolling.
Principal Alicia Gilzene Black was grateful for the intervention and quick action by Pencils4Kids.
She had high praises for the charity organisation that has stuck by her school over the years.
“I want to thank Pencils4Kids for the assistance to fix our school. They came the Tuesday and by Thursday repair works were completed,” Black shared with The Gleaner.
Griffiths said it took cash and the commitment of volunteers from the community to get things done smoothly.
“We orchestrated it all from the jump and asked the community and the principal to get involved and let us know what they needed to get done. They said they needed material and other stuff, so we found the labour, bought the material and just got it done,” Griffiths said.
“We are focusing on the kids. We are trying to get as much supply as possible to the kids in Quickstep. We are doing a wish list on Amazon to get school supplies and all these other things for the kids because back to school is right around the corner.”
The philanthropist added, “Pencils4Kids is trying to do as much as possible for the community.”
To date, a total of 223 schools have not yet been reconnected to the JPS power grid since the July 3 hurricane, representing approximately 22 per cent of the island’s institutions.