By John Denny

Observer Reporter

(Pond Hill, Nevis) – For the past two weeks, students of St. John’s Primary have been enjoying a hot lunch, thanks to the donation of a new kitchen facility at the school.

“We do a lot of chicken and rice with vegetables and fruit when we have it. They eat everything we fix and they seem to like it,” said Kitchen Manager Florence Byron.

Eighty to 90 students out of 125, plus about eight teachers take advantage of the hot meals every day, while the remainder brings their own.

All brand new, institutional grade equipment including a reach in refrigerator, range and exhaust hood, freezer, cabinets, counters and utensils adorn a corner room of the school.

Mrs. Byron and her assistants, Dahlia Browne and Caren Liburd work from about 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. preparing lunch for the children, cleaning up after and doing prep work for the following day. The St John’s Community Centre behind the primary school provides as a lunch room.

“Last week, the children’s parents were invited to come eat and observe how we were doing,” said Mrs. Byron. “I think this was a really good idea and I am glad to be part of it.”

Installing the new kitchen cost over $100,000 and was donated by some very philanthropic individuals in the St. John’s Parish and technical assistance such as electrical work and menu selections among other things were provided by others around the island, according to Hastings Daniel.

“We still have a way to go to get the kitchen up to speed, but it is getting there,” he said. “We are still accepting donations for the kitchen, because we aren’t out of the woods yet.”

Once all the kinks are ironed out, Mr. Daniel hopes the kitchen will be self sustaining.

The Nevis Island Administration is paying the kitchen staff, but the $20 per week the parents pay for their child to eat at school, should be enough to keep the lunch program going.

“The program should be self reliant with money from the community and the parents,” he said. “We believe the parents will actually be saving money with their children eating at the schools, because we can do it cheaper than if they bought groceries for lunch them selves.”

There are already plans in the works for developing lunch programs for the rest of the primary schools on the island, probably starting with St. Paul’s, St, George’s and Charlestown, Mr. Daniel said.