New School Building Opens in Toledo Serving 16 Communities

A new two-storey school building was officially opened at the Corazon Creek Technical High School in Toledo this week, giving students from sixteen surrounding communities their first proper classrooms after years of limited facilities.

The eight-classroom concrete structure, built through the Social Investment Fund with financing from the Caribbean Development Bank, includes administrative offices, restrooms for students and staff, storage areas, and accessibility ramps.

The school draws students from communities spread across a wide stretch of Toledo, some travelling from as far as Machakilha, a village that until recently had no reliable road to secondary school. A bridge connecting the community had been close to collapse before a quarter-million-dollar repair was carried out by the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Osmond Martinez, Area Representative for Toledo East and Minister of Economic Transformation, acknowledged the long history of neglect in the area. He pointed to Otoxha, a community established in 1923, as an example of how far behind Toledo has been left.

“1923, and they have no water. That is complete neglect of a population that should never be left behind. Independently of cultures, we should never leave no human behind. And I stand on a strong belief that one day God will ask me, ‘What did you do with the privilege that I gave to you?'” he said.

Martinez also confirmed that graduation fees for completing students at Corazon Creek have been fully paid.