Fresh paint, flowers and fishes . . . Bay Primary gets facelift

It’s the perfect example of how the community, private sector, and government can work together for a common good.

That’s how the Minister of Maritime Affairs Kirk Humphrey describes the ongoing beautification project at Bay Primary, one of the pillars of his St Michael South constituency. The school, which is one of several learning institutions plagued by environmental challenges, is receiving help from several community groups, corporate Barbados and staff, to enhance the learning environment of students.

“We have a joint approach with the community residence, community church, corporate Barbados and NGOs to help transform the school from the outside to the inside. All students should have an excellent place to learn,” said Humphrey, who was examining the progress of the work.

Included in the transformation taking place was a new paint job, a front garden, tiled walkway and the pièce de résistance – a beautiful mural of marine life on the upstairs front facing wall.

“The mural is an activity driven by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Green Initiative. It was really heartening to see teachers actually joining in and painting the school and the tiling was donated by James Husbands of Solar Dynamics. This type of joint effort is exactly what we need to bring our communities together,” stressed Humphrey.

Pastor Hal Welch, who uses the school to conduct church service, explained his church’s involvement in the project stemmed from the desire to give the community a symbol to rally around.

“We are going to unify this community in a way that has never been seen before. The school is a big part of this community because of its legacy. We have persons who have graduated from this school who have gone on to do great things in Barbados. We want to have their names painted on the walls as a source of inspiration,” he said. (CM)