The Regent Street Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Basic School in the Denham Town community of Kingston has received numerous structural upgrades to enhance the overall teaching environment, through funding provided by the European Union. This was organised through partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the Regent Street SDA Basic School Board.

Today's handover involved specifically, work on a school building, housing seven furnished classrooms, as well as eating and sanitary facilities, a sick bay, a paved schoolyard and a solar power system. Financing for this project was made possible through the Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP), managed by JSIF. 

The PRP has been managed by the JSIF since 2001. Now, 15 years later, the EU's collaboration with JSIF accounts for a total amount of €41.5M (over 5 Billion JMD), in grant funding to the people of Jamaica from the EU. This handover alone totals over €255,000 (over 36 Million JMD).  With last year marking 40 years of partnership with the people of Jamaica, this project symbolizes the continuance of the European Union's commitment to meaningful collaboration in crucial sectors such as education.

Present at the handover ceremony were: Mr. Jermain Hyatt who represented Member of Parliament, the Hon. Desmond McKenzie; Ms. Brittany Singh, representing Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid;  as well as Mr. Omar Sweeney, Managing Director of JSIF.

Speaking at the ceremony, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union in Jamaica, Jesús Orús Báguena, explained that the European Union is proud to be associated with projects such as this, adding that   "This project, as a whole, is not just words in a project proposal, but an opportunity to give well-needed resources to a school with the expectation that the students and faculty are able to make the most of them. To the students themselves, I look forward to hearing your own success stories."