As grade-six students across the island make their final preparations to sit the 2022 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Ability Test; students of Port Maria Primary received an extra dose of confidence by way of support from the neighbouring JP Farms.

Determined to uplift students, parents and teachers recovering from widescale flooding at the start of February that damaged the school’s electronics, classrooms, storage facilities and other furniture – JP Farms recently provided restorative assistance to the school valued at more than $150,000.

The meaningful outreach by the fresh produce conglomerate included: printing and assembling of PEP Mock Exams for 140 grade-six students; and laundering the school’s Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) costumes that were soiled during the flood.

Mario Figueroa, general manager at JP Farms, noted that while the company was aware that the Ministry of Education and Youth was in the process of providing assistance for the larger scale damages from the recent floods, JP Farms wanted to offer assistance with addressing any immediate concerns that the school had.

“Extending a helping hand to Port Maria Primary was important us, not just as good corporate citizens, but also because we have seen first-hand the challenges that these students and their families have faced over the last two years as a fair number of our JP Farms team have children that are attending the school,” said Gayon Douglas, marketing executive at JP Farms, during an official handover of the test papers and freshly laundered costumes on March 17.

“We are happy to give the students taking the PEP exams as much help as possible after the numerous disruptions from COVID-19 and the recent floods.”

JP Farms also provided boxes of its nutrient-filled ripe bananas for the grade-six students as an added brain-boost as they prepare for their exams.

JP Farms continues its long-standing legacy of positively transforming communities by bridging gaps in our nation’s education and healthcare sectors.