Region Three Admin and ‘Back-to-School Backpack Drive’ outfitting students

DPI, Guyana, Saturday, August 25, 2018

President David Granger’s 5Bs initiative – Boats, Buses, Bicycles, Bags and Boots – that provides the basic amenities to ensure children attend school, has received widespread support from a wide cross-section of Guyanese.

The Regional Administration of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara has embraced the programme and is also doing its part to ensure that children stay in school. Within the past two months, officials have visited several schools and distributed school bags and supplies to students. Schools on the West Bank of Demerara including Wales Primary, Bagotville Primary and Vreed-en-Hoop Primary benefited from this gesture. The most recent distribution was conducted at the Uitvlugt Primary School.

Regional Executive Officer Denis Jaikaran presents a school bag to a student

Representative from the Region Three Private Sector Association handing over backpacks to lucky students as their class teachers looks on

Representative from the Region Three Private Sector Association handing over backpacks to lucky students as their class teachers looks on

The Private Sector Association of Region Three has also come on board and through the “Back-to-School Backpack Drive” have distributed just over 500 school bags to students from nine schools in Region Three. The beneficiaries are Patentia Primary (50 bags), Upper and Lower Bonasika in the Essequibo River (121 bags), Kawal Primary (50 bags), Vive La Force Primary (45 bags), Wales Primary (50 bags), Parika Back Primary (50 bags), Vreed-en-Hoop Primary (50 bags), Den Amstel Primary (50 bags) and Wakenaam C-SEC Students (42 bags.)

President of the Association, Radesh Rameshwar, speaking at one of the distribution drives, noted the importance of receiving a sound education. “The Region Three Private Sector Association is once again very pleased to be associated with the backpack distribution to various schools across the region. The association recognises the importance of education. We all know that the greatest asset that could be given to a child is Education.”

Rameshwar noted that the association’s first major investment by way of corporate responsibility, in Region Three, was the rehabilitation of the Lower Bonasika Primary School Computer Lab which was commissioned a few months ago by the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

According to Rameshwar, the association invested $1.5Million in this drive which they have pledged to make an annual activity.

Story and Images: Ganesh Mahipaul