JN Foundation, HEART/NSTA sign MoU for training in water harvesting

The JN Foundation has forged a partnership with the HEART/National Service Training Agency (NSTA) Trust, which will facilitate students enrolled in the institution’s construction and plumbing programmes to be trained in rainwater harvesting and grey-water recycling.

The partnership was formalised with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the JN Foundation and the HEART/NSTA Trust on July 9 at the JN Financial Centre on Belmont Road, St Andrew.

In signing the MoU, chairman of the JN Foundation, Parris A. Lyew-Ayee, Sr, said that the collaboration was a most welcomed partnership for the JN Foundation.

“Like the HEART/NSTA Trust, the JN Foundation is also passionate about contributing to the developmental needs of Jamaica; and one of our focus areas is to improve environmental sustainability, and in particular, addressing our water needs,” he said.

Lyew-Ayee noted that the JN Foundation believes that for Jamaica to be much more resilient to climate change, the subject of water management should also be institutionalised within its education system, and that is why this partnership is so important.

Novelette Denton-Prince, acting managing director of the HEART/NSTA Trust, in welcoming the partnership, said the economic and social shock brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic requires a collaborative and coordinated approach to overcome and rebound stronger.

“The agency has positioned itself to rise to the challenge and lend its corporate social responsibility efforts to being part of the solutions, to the issues brought about by this crisis,” she said.

She underscored that the JN Water Project is a much-needed intervention to address water management issues arising from climate change, which she said is a serious threat to sustainable development of small island developing states such as Jamaica.

“Having persons trained in these areas will improve their ability to apply their expertise and overtime, this will have positive benefits that will ultimately excite,” she said.

Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation, said water adaptation and climate change are issues which the foundation is passionate about, and she is happy that HEART/NSTA Trust was receptive to the collaboration.

“I’m excited about this partnership and how it will be manifested in the HEART environment, in classrooms and being able to one day find a certified plumber who can come into my home to show me how I can save on water, based on what they learned from the course,” she said.

The MoU will also allow for research to be conducted, particularly in the areas of sustainable development, climate change, energy efficiency and related areas associated with water, housing, and land management. This include drainage systems, natural storage of water; and irrigation techniques which would mitigate both drought and flooding problems.