Hart’s love for education has made life easier

CARLENE DUHANEY, founder and administrator of Hosanna Preparatory School in Montego Bay, St James, says that a huge financial gift from businessman Anthony Hart has made the teaching-and-learning process more manageable for her 20-year-old institution.

Duhaney said that Hosanna Prep’s journey of 20 solid years of educating the children of St James and western Jamaica has been made much lighter thanks to the philanthropic nature of Antony Hart, who, out of his love for education, sports, and music, has helped to enhance the learning environment for students at the institution.

The lifetime partnership shared between Hart and Hosanna started in July 2015, when four students at the school received national scholarships, having scored very high marks in the then Grade Six Achievement Test.

“It was the end of July that same year when Tony Hart drove on to the school compound while I was sitting in my office. I invited him in, and we engaged in conversation about the four scholarship awardees and what led to their success. He was moved by the children’s achievements and immediately decided to render his assistance in whatever way possible,” Duhaney recounted.

“Hart committed to working with the school family for the next five years,” she continued.

Hart’s decision to donate to the school was taken on the basis that the Government does not help privately owned schools and encouraged by the fact that the students enrolled in the institution were able to consistently receive national scholarships in recognition of their outstanding academic work.

“To be honest, with Antony Hart’s involvement, carrying out the daily operations of the school feels less challenging. Whenever I talk about him, I do so very passionately because he came to me and the school family as a total stranger and offered financial assistance and networking support that is a huge benefit now and will have a multiplying effect for generations to come,” Duhaney said.

The contributions from Hart, have immensely helped the school’s sports programme, which has since gone into full operations.

“Tony Hart, in partnership with Dujon’s Construction and Doctor’s Cave Beach, built a wonderful multipurpose sports complex that

has been helping to enhance the work of the Physical Education Department, which, in turn, has produced budding champions in football, netball, and track and field,” she said.

Apart from the sports complex, the school has received a solar energy-saving system. The outdated fluorescent bulbs in all classrooms have been replaced with LED bulbs.

“We also received 50 tablets valued at approximately $1.8-million that has improved our Information and Technology Department. In addition to that, donations were also received for the building on the top floor, which now houses our grades five and six classes. This improvement to the physical structure has enhanced the teaching-learning environment greatly,” Duhaney noted.

Words are not sufficient to show our appreciation to Hart, but we are truly grateful for his contributions to Hosanna Preparatory and Kindergarten School, which will last a lifetime.