Jamaica Labour Day projects spotlight school repairs, hurricane readiness and Sabina Park renewal

Jamaica used Labour Day on Monday, May 25, 2026, to push recovery, community service and national preparedness, with major projects at Lewis Town Early Childhood Institution in St. Elizabeth and Sabina Park in Kingston.

The Lewis Town school lost its roof during Hurricane Melissa in 2025. Members of the Jamaica Defence Force assisted with restoration, including roof repairs, internal work and repainting. Councillor Derek Sangster said the institution was being made ready for use again, while Patricia Scarlet Forester, representing the opposition leader, urged Jamaicans to keep helping schools and communities beyond the holiday.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth, Skills and Information, Rhoda Crawford, welcomed the focus on an early childhood institution and praised members of the security forces for taking part in the work. Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said the first Labour Day after the hurricane should remind Jamaicans to clear drains, prune trees, check generators and review emergency food supplies before the hurricane season.

Other projects included painting, cleaning and garden work at Santa Cruz Primary School, where Ramona O'Hara and the Santa Cruz Police Youth Club volunteered. Franklin Town Primary in Kingston also received restroom repairs through the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation.

At Hope Botanical Gardens, the Rotary Club of St. Andrew unveiled a peace pole. Cultural figure Amina Blackwood Meeks helped mark the occasion, and the wider peace garden was described as a space for reflection, mediation and stress relief.

In St. Thomas, councillors raised concern about flooding risks in East Prospect, Pleasant Walk, Bowden and Port Morant, with hurricane season due to begin on June 1. Residents across Jamaica also outlined basic preparations, including storing food, securing homes, protecting medication and following weather updates.

Regionally, CARICOM foreign ministers called for stronger coordination as the Caribbean faces global economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Suriname's foreign affairs minister Melvin Bouva said unified action and wider partnerships are needed to protect Caribbean citizens.

In sport, volunteers continued work at Sabina Park as Jamaica prepares the historic cricket ground for Caribbean Premier League action. The revived UWI Games 2026 also opened at the St. Augustine campus in Trinidad and Tobago, bringing more than 575 student athletes and officials from 17 countries across five campuses for competition from May 21 to 29.