Children attending Longwood Early Childhood Institution (LECI) in St. Elizabeth are one step closer to learning in a fully Early Childhood Commission (ECC) certified facility, following a major facelift by volunteers from GK Capital Management (GKCM) and GK General Insurance (GKGI).
The project was led by the Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation (Grace & Staff), a foundation established in 1979 by GraceKennedy employees to uplift communities surrounding the company’s operations across the island. As part of its 2026 Labour Day initiative, Grace & Staff mobilised GKGI and GKCM volunteers to upgrade several critical areas of the school that the ECC had identified as requirements for full certification and registration.
“This is a big deal,” explained Sandrina Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Grace & Staff, while addressing volunteers at LECI on May 30. “The work that you’re doing today is not just maintenance. You’re helping to move LECI closer to achieving ECC certification.”
The school, which currently serves 46 students and is staffed by a team of three teachers, recently received a compliance score of 70 per cent from the ECC. A score of 100 per cent is required for full certification.
“We are very thankful and grateful to the Grace & Staff volunteers and everyone who is here helping us today,” said LECI Principal Sasha-Gaye Dixon, who explained that the improvements directly support efforts to provide a better educational experience for students.
Among the challenges facing the school are limited seating, shortages in educational resources, and the need for more play and learning equipment. The school has also struggled to meet some of the infrastructure requirements outlined by the ECC.
“Some of the areas where we have lost points include our play area and sick bay facilities,” Dixon explained. “The work being done today will help us address those gaps and move closer to achieving a higher score.”
Davis noted that while Grace & Staff identifies deserving institutions and community projects, the real transformation is made possible by the commitment of GK team members, who volunteer their time and energy to improve lives.
“We find the schools and organisations that need support, but everything that happens after that is driven by our volunteers,” Davis said. “We are extremely appreciative of our team members who continue to show up and make a difference in communities across Jamaica.”
The Grace & Staff project saw 14 GKCM and GKGI volunteers repaint classrooms and exterior walls, refurbish doors, enhance the school’s outdoor learning spaces, and create play areas designed to support early childhood development. Improvements were also made to the school’s sick bay, one of the areas identified by the ECC as requiring attention.
In addition to the physical upgrades, the school received other donated resources from the GKCM and GKGI teams, including classroom equipment, health supplies, a refrigerator, and an interactive digital display board, provided with support from e-Learning Jamaica.
“This is a labour of love,” noted Rachel Greenland, Marketing Manager for Insurance and Investments at GraceKennedy Financial Group (GKFG) and a Director of the Grace & Staff Foundation. “For the past five years, GKGI and GKCM have partnered with Grace & Staff to deliver much-needed support to communities and institutions across Jamaica on Labour Day. This year, our teams from Kingston, May Pen, Mandeville, Santa Cruz and Junction were pleased to assist in the drive to bring LECI closer to certification status for the children it serves.”
Children from communities across St. Elizabeth, including Balaclava and neighbouring districts, also attend LECI, making its development important not only for Longwood but for families throughout the parish.
