School-based environmental clubs boosted with $100,000 cash grants

– in keeping with promise by President Ali

Five schools and a scouts’ group on Friday received grants of $100,000 each, the fulfillment of a pledge made by President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, when they participated in “The Green Walk” on June 5, World Environment Day.

The cheques were handed over by representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency at its head office in Sophia.

The students all expressed gratitude to the president for the funds and promised to put it to good use.

“I’m very grateful, very, very grateful, it would be put to good use for us as a school to buy garden tools because we are opening a little farm at the back of the school and we are very grateful,” said Sasha Ruplall, a student of the Marian Academy.

Reginald Brown, a student of St Stanislaus College, also expressed gratitude to the president for the grant.

“We have major plans with this money. First of all, we would like to enhance our school grounds and make it a more environmental place if you will, also we would like to restart our environmental club to promote this great initiative,” he said.

St Roses High School will also use the money to develop its environmental club.

“Our school will be putting that money to use by refurbishing our environmental club that was once active before the pandemic in our new building that was funded also by the president. We will have a room designated for club activities for environmental activities and we will be very excited to participate in the environmental walk once again next year,” said Christal Byron, a student of the school. Schools receiving cheques include Marian Academy, Ketley Primary, St Roses High, Smith Memorial Primary, St Stanislaus College, and the Haslington scouts’ group.