More than 40 schoolchildren in an impoverished area in Jamaica will soon have a brand-new school, thanks to Deacon Kevin Carges and Eight 4 Third World Hope.
Deacon Carges, who ministers at Our Lady of Peace Parish in Geneva, founded Eight 4 Third World Hope with the help of six of his fellow 1984 graduates of St. John Fisher College in Pittsford. The group was born after the seven former classmates reunited at an October 2009 class reunion and decided to work together to help the needy in Third World countries.
In March 2010 the group identified its first goal — the construction of a new school in a poor area in Jamaica — and by July 2010 the group had raised more than $9,000 toward that goal. The group raised more than $28,000 by mid-December 2010, so construction on the new school, located in Concord, St. Ann Parish, likely will begin in January, Deacon Carges said.
"Currently the 42 children and two teachers meet in the back of an old church that is full of holes and infested with bats," the deacon said. "The children suffer from many sinus and lung conditions due to the poor condition of the location."
Members of Eight 4 Third World Hope plan to start working toward a new goal in the coming months, and will attend the school’s dedication in August.
For more information about Eight 4 Third World Hope, visit www.eight4thirdworldhope.org.
