Restored reading centre gives Alligator Pond children a safe place to learn

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A damaged roof following Hurricane Melissa brought classes to a halt, leaving children who always looked forward to spending Saturday mornings at the Alligator Pond Reading Centre in Manchester without a vital learning space. With support from the JN Foundation and JN Circle, the reading centre has been restored, clearing the way for classes to resume in September. For Omar Robinson, president of the JN Circle Junction, getting the centre back up and running was personal. When he visited shortly after the hurricane, he saw a ceiling badly damaged by the storm, said a release from the JN Foundation. This was one of the first places I came to because I know how important this space is for the development of my children in literacy,” he said. The damage was more than an inconvenience. It was a safety risk. With the ceiling compromised, Robinson and the volunteers made the difficult decision to suspend classes until repairs could be completed. I would not want to have them in a space where the ceiling was halfway down. Safety is crucial,” he stated. Help came through the JN Group's ISupportJamaica Hurricane Relief Fund, which forms part of the foundation's ongoing commitment to help communities recover and build resilience in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. The centre was nominated through the JN Circle because of its importance to the community and the Circle’s long-standing involvement with the facility, including support with books and furniture. Hakeem Atkinson, member relations supervisor at the JN Group, said the decision reflected the centre’s potential to create lasting impact in the community. "The Alligator Pond Reading Centre is a space that we have supported through various initiatives over the years, and when we learned that it had been damaged, we felt it was a very deserving nominee for the grant,” he said. “We recognised that this is a place that has been and will continue to be an important part of community development, and supporting its restoration is another way we can help the community to grow.” Since opening in February 2025, the reading centre has steadily grown from a handful of children to approximately 30 students attending Saturday sessions by the end of the year. The programme is deliberately structured around each child's ability. Students complete reading assessments before being placed in groups according to their reading level, allowing volunteers to provide support without overwhelming or frustrating them. According to Robinson, the need is significant as reading remains a major challenge among children in the communities surrounding Alligator Pond, New Forest and Prospect, with the difficulty often spilling over into other areas of their schoolwork. The centre has therefore become something of a lifeline, attracting children from neighbouring communities whose parents are willing to make the trip because there is no similar programme in that section of the parish. “The results are beginning to show. Children who entered the programme reading at Grade One level have progressed to Grade Three and Grade Four,” he disclosed. He highlighted Skyla Fraser, a former student of Bull Savannah Primary School and one of the centre’s standout achievers who was placed at Hampton High School. “What makes her story particularly special is what she does after finishing her own work. She goes back to help younger children. Instead of simply completing her Saturday lesson and leaving, she moves down to the Grade One to Three group, helping students who are still finding their feet,” he related. Robinson describes her as an ambassador for the centre and a young person to watch. For him, Skyla represents exactly what the programme hopes to produce: children who not only improve academically but develop the confidence and willingness to lift others along with them. “Her story is one of several success stories emerging from the centre, where parents and volunteers see tangible improvements in children’s reading abilities,” he said. Robinson pointed out that the work is powered largely by community spirit. JN Circle members help to operate the programme, joined by community volunteers, a teacher and parents who stay to assist rather than simply dropping off their children.