Orange Bay Basic School Renovation Project

Friends Of Jamaica recently assisted one of our members with a project to renovate the Orange Bay Basic School.  The following story is shared by this member.  Pictures of this effort are available here.

As you many of you already know, the Orange Bay Basic School underwent a facelift in July.  My name is Sara Reinke and I’d like to share with you our story of volunteering at the Orange Bay Basic School.

I have been going to Jamaica for a number of years now and each year I leave, I experience an empty feeling like I need to be giving something back to Jamaica and its people for all the wonderful experiences they have given me.

In March of 2006, I started to work with Marcia Burke of Friends of Jamaica to find a project that would fill that feeling.  Marcia and I narrowed our options to a small school, one that would be suitable for me and two friends-coworkers (Sue Michael and Kari Miller) who were interested in sharing this experience with me.  After exploring several options, Marcia paired us with Orange Bay Basic School.  Since there was only going to be the three us, we needed a job that wasn’t too big but yet one that truly needed help!

Over the next couple of months, we organized a number of fundraising events within our company ranging from selling FOJ’s KIDS Cards to raffling off gift baskets at a department outing.  We work for a truly amazing company (GMAC-RFC) and with an extraordinary group of individuals who truly embraced our efforts and helped us make this all happen.

Our journey was about to begin and Marcia made sure we had a contact in Jamaica that was able to oversee the project, arrange for supplies and to work with the contractor before we even got there.

In July we set off for Jamaica with suitcases full of school supplies and a phone number for our contact!

On Monday morning we were picked up at our hotel by the most amazing couple, Brad and Elaine Bradley.  Brad and Elaine were our contacts in Jamaica.  They picked us up with a car full of paint and painting supplies.  The ride to the school was about 20 minutes and in that short amount of time they gave us a lot of helpful insight on what to expect at the school. 

Left to Right - Brad Bradley, Negril Rotary; Kari Miller, volunteer; Elaine Bradley, Negril Rotary President; Sue Michael, volunteer; Sara Reinke, volunteer and project coordinator.

When we arrived at the school, we were greeted by Mrs. Cole, the teacher.  We were amazed to see the condition and the size of the school since there are approximately 50 children who attend on a regular basis.

Mrs. Cole gave us a quick tour of the school and the grounds.  We wasted no time and quickly started painting the outside of the school.  Within a couple of hours, we had a number of onlookers observing our undertaking.  It didn’t take us long to put paint brushes in their hands and they were helping us! 

Some of the work crew, the project volunteers, the Orange Bay cook (3rd from right), and Ms. Cole, the principal (2nd from right).

While we were painting the outside, the roofing contractors were there removing the bad parts of the zinc roof that had been badly damaged by the hurricane and Mrs. Cole and a couple of other ladies that work at the school were on the inside cleaning and making lunch for all of us.

This first day was a day I’ll never forget; we built great relationships with everyone there, shared lots of laughs and had a Red Stripe or two during our breaks.  By the end of day one, we had completed painting the outside of the school, developed friendships and had commitments to help us again on day number two!

The morning came very quickly on day number two.  We were again picked up by Brad and Elaine and driven to the school.  When we reached the school the roofers (who worked later than us on day #1) were almost complete with the roof and were ready to start working on replacing doors.  We again started right in painting but today we were doing the inside.  We finished the small classroom in the back of the school in no time and started right in on the main room.

Day number 2 brought us two more volunteers which we had recruited on the way down to Negril from the airport.  A gentleman and his teenage boy from New York who were in Jamaica for a couple of months thought it sounded like a great experience and had volunteered to help us.

Again today, we shared many laughs and joked back and forth with all.  It was quite funny that the Jamaican men would go over what we had trimmed in when meeting the top and bottom paint colors…..they were very particular on this!  They also thought it funny when we’d jump and squirm when we saw a cockroach!

We finished all our work on the school on day number two and distributed to Mrs. Cole all the school supplies we had brought with us.  We exchanged our good byes and appreciation’s.  I am now looking forward to visiting the school again in January!  I truly believe we have made a difference in the education for the children who attend Orange Bay Basic School.

The last volunteer event we did in Jamaica was to attend the weekly Rotary meeting in Negril with Brad and Elaine.  What a great organization!

I hope the attached pictures will give you a better idea of the work we did and the friendships we made.  I can’t share enough of what this experience was like and I encourage anyone who has the desire to volunteer, to go for it.  The experience is something you will never forget.  There is so much to share that’s hard to put down on paper….no matter what you do, how big or small, you will make a difference!

At this time I’d like to thank FOJ (especially Marcia Burke), GMAC RFC, Brad & Elaine Bradley, The Negril Rotary, Negril Hardware, Sonny the Contractor and his workers, Mrs. Cole and all the volunteers’ from Orange Bay that came to help!!