Rihanna's foundation is transforming a Jamaican primary school into a hurricane shelter designed to protect the surrounding community during extreme weather

Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation is leading a US$1.44 million project to upgrade Hopewell Primary School in Watchwell, St Elizabeth, Jamaica, into a climate-resilient facility designed to withstand powerful hurricanes and provide emergency shelter for surrounding communities. The school serves approximately 100 students and already functions as a designated hurricane shelter for residents in the rural area. The planned improvements include structural reinforcement, hurricane shutters, solar power with battery backup, emergency water infrastructure and accessibility upgrades. The project aims to help the school continue operating as an educational institution while providing a safer refuge when extreme weather threatens the region. According to a July 2026 report, construction was under way, with completion expected in December 2026.A school designed to protect the wider communityHopewell Primary School is located in Watchwell, in St Elizabeth, a parish in southwestern Jamaica known for its agricultural production. Beyond educating children, the school serves as an important emergency shelter for people living in surrounding rural communities.The Clara Lionel Foundation is leading the upgrade through its Rebuild & Reimagine Fund, working with Jamaican government agencies and local organisations. The project is intended to strengthen the building so it can support students during normal operations and provide shelter during disasters.The foundation's 2025 annual report identifies Hopewell as part of its broader effort to strengthen public infrastructure against extreme weather. The initiative reflects an approach in which schools serve both educational needs and wider community resilience.Reinforcing the building against powerful hurricanesThe US$1.44 million project includes structural reinforcement of the school's columns, beams and foundations. According to the Jamaica Observer, the building is being upgraded to withstand hurricane-force winds of up to 181.5 miles per hour, equivalent to approximately 292 kilometres per hour.The planned work also includes replacing the roof, walls, windows and doors, alongside installing hurricane shutters. These improvements are intended to reduce the risk of structural damage during severe storms and help the facility remain usable when residents need emergency shelter.The project also incorporates measures intended to improve the building's resilience to seismic activity. The reported wind speed represents a design specification, rather than evidence of the building having already survived a storm of that intensity.Solar power to support emergency operationsHurricanes can disrupt electricity supplies for extended periods, making it difficult for shelters to maintain essential services. To address this risk, the school is being equipped with solar panels, battery storage and a standby generator designed to provide up to 72 hours of emergency power.The system is intended to help maintain electricity when the main grid fails. Reliable power can support lighting and other essential operations while residents shelter inside the building.The combination of renewable energy, battery backup and a generator is designed to make the facility more self-sufficient during emergencies, when outside assistance and normal utility services may be difficult to access.A system designed to produce drinking water from airAnother distinctive feature of the project is an atmospheric water generation system supplied by EcoSky Water. The technology is designed to extract moisture from the air and produce potable water.Safe drinking water can become difficult to obtain after hurricanes damage water infrastructure or contaminate conventional supplies. The planned system, combined with centralised water storage, is intended to strengthen the school's ability to provide water during emergencies.The upgrade also includes improved plumbing and wash facilities to support the needs of students and residents using the building as a shelter.Accessibility and improvements for studentsThe renovation extends beyond structural reinforcement and emergency utilities. Plans include improved disability access, enhanced evacuation infrastructure and wider improvements across the school campus.These features are important for a facility expected to accommodate people with different needs during a disaster. Accessible facilities and safer evacuation routes can make shelters more usable for children, older people and people with disabilities.The project also includes a new playground for students, ensuring that the investment improves the school's everyday learning environment as well as its emergency role.How hurricanes highlighted the need for resilient infrastructureJamaica's exposure to powerful storms has made disaster preparedness a continuing priority. Hurricanes Beryl in 2024 and Melissa in 2025 highlighted the vulnerability of communities and public infrastructure to extreme weather.When schools and other public buildings are damaged, the effects extend beyond the immediate destruction. Children can lose access to education, while residents may have fewer safe places to shelter during emergencies.The Hopewell project aims to address these challenges by strengthening an existing community institution. Instead of serving only as a place of learning, the upgraded school is intended to provide shelter and access to essential services when severe weather disrupts daily life.The approach also reflects a wider regional effort to improve the resilience of schools, healthcare facilities and other public buildings across the Caribbean.Rihanna's foundation and its climate-resilience workRihanna established the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012. The organisation supports initiatives related to climate resilience, education, health equity and community development.Its Rebuild & Reimagine Fund supports recovery and reconstruction efforts designed to help communities prepare for future disasters. The Hopewell project brings these priorities together by strengthening an educational facility that also serves as an emergency shelter.The initiative involves collaboration with Jamaican public institutions and local partners, including the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, the National Education Trust and the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation. The Breds Treasure Beach Foundation and Liberty Caribbean Foundation are also providing support.The foundation's 2025 annual report describes Hopewell as part of its wider investment in resilient education infrastructure, with schools designed to serve as both learning centres and community shelters.When is the project expected to be completed?A report published by the Jamaica Observer on July 7, 2026, said construction was under way, with completion expected in December 2026.The work has been planned to minimise disruption to teaching. Temporary classrooms are to be established on the school's netball court, while major construction activities are scheduled around weekends, after-school hours and school holidays where possible.Hopewell Primary School principal Marie Caroll Bromfield welcomed the investment, saying it would improve the learning environment while providing a climate-resilient refuge for the wider community.Krystle Francis, the Clara Lionel Foundation's director of programmes for the Caribbean, described Hopewell as a critical hurricane shelter serving a wide rural area. She said the project was intended to create infrastructure that could function as both an educational institution and an emergency shelter.Once completed, the upgraded facility is expected to strengthen the community's ability to respond to extreme weather while continuing to serve students throughout the school year.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.