$185 million in ‘Because We Care’ cash grants distributed in Region 9

A total of $185 million in ‘Because We Care’ cash grants were distributed in Region Nine, during a two-day rollout of the government’s programme in the region at the weekend.  

A total of 9,762 students registered at all schools in the region, benefitted from $19,000 each; $15,000, for the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant and $4,000 for the School Uniform and Supplies grant.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, MP visited the communities of Kraudanarau and Achiwib in the Deep South Rupununi, to oversee the distribution exercise there.

In his address to the parents, Minister Croal said the $3.2 billion investment into the programme is geared towards providing assistance to families so that they can provide the necessary resources for their children to attend school.

He said the programme will reach every nursery, primary and secondary school student in the public school system regardless of their location or background. The administration is even discussing extending the programme to private school students.

The Minister encouraged the parents to make full use of the opportunity offered by Government and utilise the monies wisely for the benefit of their children.

“All of children are equally important in ensuring that their future is taken care of, in ensuing that education delivery is brought to your children so that they can go on to become even better and achieve more than what you as parents would have achieved,” the Minister said.

Parents who uplift their cash grants were happy with the reintroduction of the programme which will benefit some 172,000 students within the public school system.

Vanssa Richards, a mother of five from Achiwib Village received 95,000 for her children; four in the primary level and one in secondary school. She told DPI that she will use the funds to prepare her children for school in September.

“I am so happy. I think that the government has got a great initiative for having this programme brought back to our country…we hope that it will continue. I will be purchasing stationery and electronic tablets especially for the secondary-age child,” she said.

Over at Kraudanarau, Paula Fernandes was very excited to receive the cash grant for her child. The young mother said the programme is very useful to not only her, but thousands of parents who will be preparing their children for school.

“It will be very useful for my child because of this hard time that we going through so I’m very thankful for the government. Since 2015 we didn’t get anything from the past government so I am very grateful.”

The PPP/C Government is investing some $3.2 billion for the ‘Because We Care’ and School Uniform and Supplies cash grants programme.