by Howard Campbell
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Reggae legend Burning Spear has stepped up to assist an early childhood education school in Jamaica that was destroyed by fire last June.
The St. Ann’s Bay Infant School suffered extensive damage three months ago when a blaze engulfed three classrooms, bathrooms and a store room.
Spear, through Mytania Samuels his representative in Jamaica, donated $3,500 to administrators which will help with their rebuilding program.
Contributions also came from Grammy winner Kabaka Pyramid, Julian Schmidt of Reggaeville, Uppsala Reggae Festival in Sweden and Sound System Club of London.
Since 2017, Debbie Parsons-Morris has been principal of the school which has 171 students, ages two to six years-old. She welcomed the gesture from Spear who is from St. Ann’s Bay.
“This means the world to St. Ann’s Bay Infant School. We had a fire on June 20 and we would have lost all the resources on one block, and it seemed impossible to start school in September without those resources. Getting these funds we will be able to replace some of those resources…it is a good start and I’m most grateful,” she said.
Following the presentation, staff at the school, students and teachers were given a treat of KFC, also courtesy of Spear.
Born Winston Rodney, Burning Spear is synonymous with St. Ann parish which is also the birthplace of Bob Marley and Pan African icon Marcus Garvey.
Two his most famous albums, Marcus Garvey and Garvey’s Ghost, were inspired by Garvey, one of the leaders of the acclaimed Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.
In recent years, Spear has played the role of philanthropist by making financial donations to schools and other facilities in St. Ann that are in need of assistance.
Burning Spear Giving Back to Children In His Hometown of St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica
