Chester Castle Basic and Primary School gets a fresh beginning

Thanks to a grant from the German Embassy, Chester Castle Basic and Primary School in Hanover has begun to breathe again after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. The school lost its entire roof, rain poured in on every floor, flooding classrooms and destroying books and materials.

Afterwards, the entire building had to be washed down with bleach to address mildew and mould. What was once a place of learning became a site of loss.

Responding to a grant proposal submitted by Professor Opal Palmer Adisa, who has adopted the school, the German Embassy in Jamaica provided funds to repair the roof and fence. Equally important, the railing, which once protected children from falling into the nearby river and was blown away by the hurricane, was also rebuilt.

German Ambassador Jan Hendrik van Thiel visited the school. Despite everything they have endured, the children offered a stellar performance of Caribbean Christmas songs and scripture. Their voices carried joy, faith, and resilience – reminding all of us why this work matters.

“The reality, however, remains heartbreaking. Seventy-five per cent of the children lost their homes. Some are still living in shelters; others have been relocated as far as Kingston,” said Palmer Adisa. “The school itself essentially lost everything and remains without electricity. It needs everything. One teacher shared that the clothes and shoes she was wearing that day were gifts because she, too, lost her home in the hurricane.”

Ambassador van Thiel commended the students on their behaviour and performances. He praised their strength and resilience and congratulated Principal P. Palmer for the work that she and her staff were doing and had done to get the school up and running, despite the severe damage.

Chester Castle is an indigent rural community, like so many others that have been neglected for decades. This is not unique to one parish or one school.

“I am enormously grateful to the German Embassy and Ambassador van Thiel for showing up, for witnessing firsthand the children’s performances, and for standing with this community. Because of this support, when school resumes in January, the children of Chester Castle Basic School will be able to return. But returning is only the first step,” Palmer Adisa said.

The school still needs furniture. It lost its only computer lab and urgently needs computers and tablets. It needs books of all kinds.

Professor Palmer Adisa called on Jamaicans of means, and all who care about the future of this country, to adopt rural schools like Chester Castle. “Our children are resilient, talented, and hopeful. What they need now is our collective action to help them stand tall and thrive,” she said.