Georgetown: The Ministry of Education commenced the distribution of the ‘Because We Care’ $10,000 Cash Grant to parents of student of secondary schools in Georgetown.
At the end of the day more than 6,700 parents were expected to collect their vouchers from the ten distribution centers. In total, approximately $67M would have been spent.
Meanwhile, at the West Demerara Secondary School parents from said school, the Versailes Primary, Goed Fortuin Nursery and the Shirley Field Ridley Nursery Schools all gathered to uplift their grant from the government. Parents were treated to Steelband music, two renditions from the West Demerara secondary choir and a song from the pupils of the Goed Fortuin Nursery school called “Carry your Candle”.
After listening to the talented students Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand informed the significantly large gathering of the tremendous success the Ministry has had in the distribution of the grant thus far. She noted that the Ministry is almost finished with the distribution and that the parents being served at the West Demerara secondary School would be the last distribution exercise in that Region. Minister Manickchand noted that while some have said that the Ministry should be giving parents more than $10,000, it is really meant to supplement our families’ income. “We know that it would not meet all your needs but, it will certainly meet some of your needs, and it will certainly more than you could have met last year” she added.
There have been concerns expressed by members of the public that some parents would inappropriately utilize the GOG ‘Because We Care’ Cash Grant and as such the ministry should have only given it to selected families or perhaps use similar processes as the Uniform Voucher program. However, Minister Manickchand said that while the concerns are legitimate, the government had to consider the many other parents who would welcome the additional finances to help their children.
The Education Minister encouraged parents to continue to invest in their children, to make the necessary sacrifices so that they can become adults who can meaningfully contribute to Guyana and the World, “our duty as adults, as a government is to ensure that our children have the opportunities we never had, what we couldn’t do,”she said.
Distribution continues at 11 locations in Georgetown on Saturday, November 8, which will complete the distribution of the‘Because We Care’ $10,000 Cash Grant vouchers in Georgetown.
The ‘Because We Care’ $10,000 Cash Grant program was launched on October 11, 2014 in Bartica.
More than 55 public consultations were held where the following questions were examined whether parents would prefer to be able to receive cash or exchange a voucher for goods in the manner that the uniform voucher program is currently operated; and If en- cashing where the preferred option, which service would parents prefer to use to be able to en-cash their vouchers (choices ranged from the Banks, Mobile Money, Western Union/Bill Express, the Post Office, Money gram. Almost unanimously parents chose to receive cash as opposed to goods and an overwhelming majority chose to be able to en-cash at Western Union/Bill Express money services. Where, geographically, there is a limitation of financial services different arrangements shall be made.
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