Govt prioritised ‘Because We Care’ grant -Minister Rodrigues

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues MP, says the reintroduction of the student cash grant was a priority for the PPP/C Government.

The Minister made this statement when she led the distribution of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant at the Sophia Primary School Tuesday. 

Some $18 million was distributed to the parents and guardians of 979 students from the Cummings Park Nursery, ‘A’ Field Nursery, ‘C’ Field Nursery, the Sophia Special School and Sophia Primary.  

“We knew that the way to deliver these cash grants is to prioritise and when you prioritise what is important to you as a Government, you will find the money to get it done and that’s what we had to do.

“This was a priority for us, this programme. And so, wherever we had to cut spending, we did that to ensure that we could restore this cash grant to our school children.”

Minister Rodrigues told the gathering the Government’s grant is free of political bias as its focus remains ensuring the wellbeing of the country’s citizens.

“When you come here to receive your grant, you are not asked who you voted for or whether or not you voted; all we care about is the education improvement of our children.”

She emphasised that the parents are expected to use the grant to help meet their children’s needs.

“We wanted to make sure that there is no restriction on our children benefitting from it, and on the parents having the freedom and the liberty to decide what their children need most, and so we are entrusting you with that.”

The cash grant distribution is in keeping with the Government’s manifesto promise and parents can expect it to increase incrementally.  By the end of the PPP/C Government’s first term in office, the grant will increase to $50,000 per school child.

Minister Rodrigues also spearheaded the delivery of the grants at the New Campbellville Secondary School, where 621 students benefiting from $11.8 million.

Parents told DPI that the grant is timely and would be used to benefit their children.  

Ms. Abiola Morris said she would buy “Mostly devices and the school’s clothes for them. They’re a few of them who don’t have devices.

“I would purchase devices for them because they still got their online classes going and my phone does sometimes get to use between three persons and sometimes, they miss out classes. So, I’ll go purchase two devices for the two persons that got to get.”

Ms. Elizabeth Johnson shared similar sentiments.

“I intend to put internet in the house. Even if I have to put some more to put internet in the house so that they could have access to learning materials because it’s a time where we don’t know if we’ll be home more so they’ll need that,” she said.

The Minister was accompanied by Senior Education Officer, Mr. Owen Pollard and other officials of the Ministry of Education.