Over 5,500 benefit from ‘Because We Care’ initiative to date

–at the last count, over $12M disbursed in Moruca

THE Ministry of Education on Monday continued the disbursement of the Government of Guyana $10,000 ‘Because We Care’ grant in Moruca, Region One.
Long before the scheduled time, hundreds of parents waited patiently at the Santa Rosa Secondary School to collect the much anticipated government assistance, designed to ease the burden of the

Foreign Minister, Ms Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Minister of Education, Ms Priya Manickchand with residents of Moruca, Region One

average household in preparing their children for school.
Schools that benefitted from the more than $12M given in a cluster, included Santa Rosa Nursery; Santa Rosa Primary; Santa Rosa Secondary; Ko-Ko Nursery; and Parakeese Nursery.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand was accompanied by high-ranking education officers and her Cabinet colleague, Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.
In her address, Minister Manickchand thanked the people of Moruca for gifting the Nation with the woman who is now Foreign Minister.
Noting that Minister Rodrigues-Birkett grew up in Moruca, and attended Santa Rosa Secondary School, just like most of the children there, but “… had far less opportunities then than what your boys and girls now have,” Minister Manickchand said:
“The PPP/Civic believes that education is the only sure way to improve one’s life, one’s family, and one’s community. As a government, the PPP/C has consistently matched this with solid investments in the education sector over the years. This initiative is yet further evidence of a government that cares for all the people of Guyana.”

Education Minister, Ms Priya Manickchand with nursery level children in Moruca, Region One

She added, “Thirty per cent of a very large National Budget is spent on the social sector. The social sector deals with housing; water; old age pension; women and children’s affairs and education…and in the social sector, education receives the largest sum.”
Minister Rodrigues-Birkett, who next then took to the podium, was accorded a warm welcome from fellow Morucans. She told the gathering that throughout the world, there are 58 million children that are not in school because there is simply no school for them to go to. Stressing the need for education and the opportunities offered by the PPP/C government, Minister Rodrigues-Birkett said when she entered Parliament in 2001; there was only one doctor in all of Guyana that was of Amerindian descent. Today, there are more than 20 trained doctors in Region One alone, some of who came from Moruca. Minister Rodrigues-Birkett gave credit to former President Bharrat Jagdeo, who had, during his presidency, secured about 1000 scholarships for Guyana, and insisted that 10% of all students going to Cuba, must come from the hinterland region, and in particular, Amerindian communities.
Parents were high in praise for the government’s initiative, and expressed the hope that the programme will continue. One parent with seven children in the public school system took home $70,000.
The ‘Because We Care’ cash grant initiative continues this week and next week throughout the rest of the Administrative Regions.
The initiative was officially launched on Saturday, at the Bartica Community Centre in Region 7. Head of State, Donald Ramotar and several Members of the Cabinet and Members of Parliament were in attendance.   Immediately following the launch more than 3000 children received their $10,000 vouchers, some of whom proceeded to en-cash at the local Western Union/Bill Express.
The following day, Sunday, the Ministry of Education distributed the grant to parents and guardians of more than 1,100 children in Leguan and Wakenaam Islands, Essequibo River, Region 3. Parents expressed appreciation and welcomed the opportunity to be served by the Minister of Education, and teams of educators from their respective communities and the Central Ministry.  Parents from more than 16 schools received their 10,000 grant that day.
The cash grant initiative was announced by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh during the presentation of budget 2014. As explained by the Minister, this programme is meant to provide more support to parents with school age children and increase the disposable income of parents with school age children with a view to raising enrollment and attendance rates. This is in fact the first programme of its kind in the Caribbean and indeed anywhere else in this part of the world where every public school child is entitled to this benefit.
Cognisant of Article 13 of the Constitution of Guyana, which recommends inclusionary democracy and because of the Government’s deep commitment to making decisions based on the desires of the people of Guyana, the Ministry of Education engaged in consultations all across Guyana to hear from Guyana’s parents what systems they believe would serve them best. 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 programme is currently operated; and if en-cashing were 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, Moneygram).
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.

(The Ministry of Education)