Sakarara Bay gets boat and engine – will increase access to education

Students residing in Sakarara Bay, Region Seven, have been afforded improved access to education after the community received a boat and engine.

The investment by government is the fulfilment of its manifesto promise of ensuring every child has access to an education.

The $1.1 million investment was handed over to the community by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira, who is also performing the functions of Prime Minister. Minister Teixeira said the boat and engine are a fulfillment of a commitment made by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall to the community, after residents brought the issue to his attention mid last year.

Fredrick Singh, a resident of the community, said he is happy to see government staying true to its word as it was he who raised the issue with the minister.

He said for years, parents had to paddle their boats up the river so that their children could get to school in Agatash. Singh said the mile- and -a- half stretch would take them over 30 minutes.

“Now with the boat and engine, they can do it faster. Right now, I see some parents would come there and wait from morning till in the afternoon and pick up their children to go back home. So, with the boat and engine, it would cut all of that.”

“They would be able to drop the children off within 10 minutes, and they would be back home and then come back in the afternoon and pick them up. It would save them a lot of time and effort because sometimes when that river gets rough and the breeze starts to blow it does be real real tough and challenging,” Singh stated.

Sherida Hendricks also shared how important the boat and engine will be to the community.

Hendricks said, “it means a lot, because from Monday to Friday, people have to paddle and come, sometimes three or four times because some children have to come morning to mid-day and then they have to go back for the other set from midday to afternoon, so it means a lot.”

Since taking office, government has placed special emphasis on education and ensuring every child has equal access. It reinstated the ‘Because we care’ cash grant, increased it significantly and even extended it to private schools.

Added to that, government began last year giving out online scholarships. Over 6,000 citizens have since benefited from across the country with the next batch already in the process of being streamlined.

The budgetary allocation for 2022 is $74.4 billion, an increase from the $60.7 billion allocated in 2021.