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GoodHeart | Danny Williams School For The Deaf gets $500,000 support

Published:Saturday | May 7, 2022 | 12:06 AM
CB Facey Foundation executive director Anna Ward (right) presents a cheque for $500,000 to Danny Williams School for the Deaf chairman, Dr Keren Cumberbatch (back row second left), recently while visiting the facility. The funds are earmarked for roof re
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CB Facey Foundation executive director Anna Ward (right) presents a cheque for $500,000 to Danny Williams School for the Deaf chairman, Dr Keren Cumberbatch (back row second left), recently while visiting the facility. The funds are earmarked for roof repairs at the school. Sharing in the moment are acting principal Heidi-Ann Mitchell-Dillon (back row left), along with students from the school.

STUDENTS AND administrators at the Danny Williams School for the Deaf will worry less about leaky roofs in the coming weeks. The school, located in Papine, St Andrew, received a $500,000 boost from the CB Facey Foundation (CBFF) to assist with the much-needed repairs.

“We, the Danny Williams School for the Deaf family, are very grateful for the continuous assistance and support from the CB Facey Foundation, and it makes us extremely happy that we are a step closer to providing these special and amazing children with the best learning experience,” said principal of the school, Heidi-Ann Mitchell-Dillon.

School officials said that it was difficult for both students and teachers to deal with the current faulty roof, which created a very uncomfortable teaching and learning environment. Mitchell-Dillon described the uncomfortable heat in the classrooms and how lessons are constantly disrupted due to leaks during rainy weather.

HEARING IMPAIRMENT

The Danny Williams School for the Deaf opened in the 1970s, with the aim of fostering and educating children who were faced with hearing impairment. Today, the school has 99 students.

“With a new roof, the students will be able to focus more on class and be more comfortable in their learning environment,” Mitchell-Dillon said. She also shared that the teachers are grateful for the improved classroom experience.

The CB Facey Foundation, the charitable arm of PanJam Investment Limited, has been supporting projects and programmes at the Danny Williams School for the Deaf for 37 years.

“This support is another step on our journey with Danny Williams School for the Deaf. All students deserve a comfortable learning environment, and we know that the repairs will be for the benefit of the entire school and the community,” said CBFF executive director Anna Ward.

Additional funding was received from the school’s patron, Danny Williams, and matching donations from Chris Williams, chair of the Jamaica Association for the Deaf and the Sagicor Foundation. The Danny Williams School for the Deaf is still in need of $600,000 to complete the project.