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After falling way behind on the light bill, the principal of a small downtown Kingston school for children with special needs says a solar system donation has lifted a massive burden off her shoulders and, more importantly, brought life-saving comfort to her students.

"Our electricity ran sometimes over $100,000 because we use AC every day," shared Natasha Russell, founder of the Earnest Institute for the Gifted, Hyperactive and Talented (E.I.G.H.T.). "We're a private school, but I don't turn away students if they can't pay. So you can imagine, we ended up owing JPS (Jamaica Public Service) close to a million dollars."

The school, located on Upper King Street, caters to children living with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, epilepsy and other neurological conditions -- students who are especially sensitive to heat and overstimulation. With no windows in the building and a need for daily cooling, power, according to Russell, wasn't a luxury - it was a necessity. But earlier this year, the electricity was disconnected. For nearly two weeks, Russell and her small staff were forced to teach outside.

"Lord God, we had to take class under a tree," she recalled. "But God was good, it didn't rain, and the breeze was nice. That's how we survived. But it broke my heart. These are children who need routine, calm spaces. The heat could trigger seizures or make them shut down completely."

E.I.G.H.T. was launched in September 2020, born out of Russell's struggle to find proper support for her own autistic son, who had trouble assimilating at a top prep school. With a background in clinical psychology and a fierce determination to create a safe space, she started homeschooling him--until other parents began asking for help. By October of that year, the small class had grown to four, and the students were already reading above their grade level.

"They told me he couldn't read, but he was reading above his age. I posted a video, and a parent called me and said, 'Can you help my child, too?' That's how this school started."

The journey, however, has been far from easy. Staffing dropped from 12 to six due to funding issues, and without consistent tuition, the school struggled to keep the lights and AC on.

"Although we were having the challenge, the parents kept bringing the children. They believed in what we were doing, even when we had no power," said Russell.

Relief finally came in the form of a solar panel system, donated by SunPlus Ltd, a community-driven solar energy company. One of the company's senior staff members has a child at the school and had personally seen the challenges.

"They installed it in less than two hours, came back to programme it [and it is] super efficient. The man who came was so detailed and knowledgeable," Russell said. "God really showed up for us. I'm still pinching myself."

Now able to run smaller AC units without the heavy JPS bill, the school is breathing easier, literally and financially. But the need for greater support remains.

"Jamaica is hot all year and most of our kids can't function in the heat. You have to understand, this isn't just comfort [but] healthwise," Russell stressed.

According to UNICEF Jamaica, fewer than 15 per cent of public schools islandwide are adequately equipped to support students with disabilities. The gap is even wider when it comes to tailored environments like E.I.G.H.T., which focus on both academic and sensory development.

But Russell's vision goes beyond just keeping the school running; she wants to expand and raise the bar for special education in Jamaica.

"We plan to open a high-school level, build a sensory gym, a sensory garden, get wobble chairs for the hyperactive kids, and just create a full environment where they can thrive. Now that the electricity burden is eased, we can finally start building what these children truly deserve."