No discrimination in distribution of ‘Because We Care’ cash grant – Minister

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand MP says there will be no discrimination in the Government’s ‘Because We Care’ cash grant programme, as each child in the public school system will benefit.
The Minister was speaking on the second day of her three-day distribution exercise in Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two).

“Whether you’re African, Chinese, Indo-Guyanese, Amerindian, Portuguese, mixed, you will leave here with your cash grant because we’re not asking about your ethnicity. This morning, whether you are Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Rastafarian, nothing, or Baháʼí, once your children are in school, you will leave here with the cash grant.

We are here to give every single nursery, primary, secondary age child who’s in a public school, or applied to come to a public school this grant” Minister Manickchand said.

The Minister said the grant is being distributed in the form of cash as opposed to a voucher because each child’s needs are different. She said the money could be used for anything that will serve in the best interest of the child.

“We are not limiting you about what you must do and what you mustn’t do with your money and anybody who believes that they know better than the parents what their children need is somebody who’s fooling themselves…this money is for anything that will serve your children.”

The reintroduction of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant to children in public schools is another manifesto promise fulfilled by the PPP/C Government. The programme was officially launched in Region Two on Wednesday.

The grant was first introduced in 2014 valued at $10,000, however, it was discontinued under the previous APNU/AFC administration. Additionally, the PPP/C Government has increased the school uniform and supplies voucher from $2,000 to $4,000, which is being distributed in cash this year. Each child registered in the public school system will receive $19,000. Approximately 172,000 students will benefit from the $3.2 billion programme countrywide. (Extracted and modified from the Department of Public Information)

$3.2B cash grant initiative: Parents denounce APNU’s Coretta McDonald saying grant “wasting money”

President of GTU Coretta McDonald

Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) General Secretary Coretta McDonald is coming in for major criticism having labelled Government’s $3.2 billion cash grant initiative for public school students, which is currently being distributed, as a “waste” of money.

McDonald, who is also an A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Member of Parliament (MP), appeared on an online programme, where she opined that the $19,000 cash grant and uniform voucher allowance to families across Guyana with school-age children was a waste of money from the country’s coffers.

“If you do that for every region across this country, you’ll understand how much monies. We’ll, we’ve already gotten the figure, $3.2 billion. If you do that for five years, check and see how much money this Government is wasting foolishly,” the Opposition member was quoted as saying.

The GTU official did not divulge her reasons for this position and efforts by Guyana Times to contact her proved futile.

As the Opposition Member of Parliament criticised the initiative, some teachers , along with parents, called her out publicly for her position. Several letter writers have already taken to the letter pages in the local newspapers to express dissatisfaction with the sentiments shared by McDonald.

GTU fees

In a letter to the editor, Randy Mangru, in calling out McDonald said that it was sad to know that according to observations, reports and complaints, the GTU has failed to properly represent its workers.

“The question is has the Union lived up to its objective?…the GTU has been collecting Union dues from teachers continuously, but let’s just focus on the past 15 months. What form of relief has the Union leadership/executives taken up since then? None! Did the Union bargain with the Government for a stimulus grant/bonus in the faith of “proper conditions of service and remuneration?” No! Did the Union bargain for hazard pay for those teachers who have had face-to-face interaction with Grades 10 and 11 in the midst of a pandemic, exposing themselves and their families to COVID-19? Was there any form of relief (hamper distribution) to teachers?”

The letter writer went on to say that simple arithmetic shows that the GTU has been collecting $700 monthly each from its membership, which is in excess of 8000 teachers.

“Monthly total dues collected by the Union would amount to $5,600,000 monthly. Calculating since the COVID-19 pandemic began [locally] which will total to 15 months, the Union would have collected a whopping total of $84,000,000 for the past 15 months. The question now is what has the Union leadership/executives done with the money collected in the past 15 months?” the letter writer asked.

The “Because We Care” cash grant initiative commenced in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Wednesday. The initiative is expected to benefit some 172,000 students across Guyana.

On day two of the three-day exercise in the region, Education Minister Priya Manickchand said that there would be no discrimination as each child in the public school system would benefit.

“Whether you’re African, Chinese, Indo-Guyanese, Amerindian, Portuguese, mixed, you will leave here with your cash grant, because we’re not asking about your ethnicity. This morning, whether you are Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Rastafarian, nothing or Bahá?í, once your children are in school, you will leave here with the cash grant. We are here to give every single nursery, primary, secondary age child who’s in a public school, or applied to come to a public school, this grant,” the Minister is quoted as saying on Thursday.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), a man confined to a wheelchair and struggling to provide for his three-year-old daughter, Vental Jainarine said he was thankful to the Government for the reintroduction of the cash grant programme. Jainarine said following a boat accident which resulted in the loss of his right leg four years ago, he has been relying on public assistance and his sister to support his wife and young child. This, he said, has been a struggle.

He told the DPI that the grant “means a lot” as it would assist in purchasing the necessary school supplies for his daughter.

Naomi Doonauth, a mother of four, said the last year has been challenging for her as the COVID-19 pandemic has made it hard for her husband, who is a labourer, to find work to support the household. She disclosed that many times, the two would make sacrifices to ensure their children’s needs were met.

She told the DPI that the money would go towards purchasing whatever materials her children needed. “Just like me, many parents will say thank God for this, because it has been such a hard time.”

This is not the first time McDonald has been called out for obstructing the current distribution exercise. Education Minister Manickchand had chided the MP one day prior after she took to social media encouraging head teachers and teachers not to be a part of the distribution.

In fact, McDonald, in her post, stated, “Headteachers, you were trained as an Educator not an Accounts Clerk! Distribution of cash to students/pupils is not your responsibility!”

In a social media post this week, Manickchand positioned that any person or political party which opposed assistance to a child was “bizarre”. She further stated that it was also bizarre that Guyana was forced to wait five months after the General and Regional Elections to have a legitimate Government.

“It is bizarre to me that any person or political party or any of their affiliates would object to Guyana’s families being assisted with $19,000 per child. But then it was bizarre too that Guyana was forced to wait five months after our election to have a legitimate Govt. The APNU/AFC just doesn’t do anything sensible, logical, or lawful. Reject them as they try to deny you this grant. We are here. And we will bring you this goodness,” the Minister said.

The $19,000 per child comprises the grant, which is valued at $15,000, and the school uniform and supplies voucher valued at $4000.

Government has committed to increasing the “Because We Care” cash grant incrementally each year until it reaches $50,000. The school uniform and supplies voucher was increased last year from $2000 to $4000, representing a 100 per cent increase.

The Education Ministry noted that the cash grant initiative “aims to serve each child before September 2021. This initiative of the Government is to assist families so that they can provide the necessary resources to their children so that they can not only remain in school but to also excel in their studies”.

Piloted back in 2014 under the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, the initiative was designed to assist parents with children in the public school system with some financial support, thereby raising the disposable income in households and increasing attendance rates.

It was scrapped in 2015 after the APNU/AFC Government took office. Last year, the new PPP/C Administration reintroduced the grant, raising it from $10,000 to $15,000 per child in addition to raising the uniform allowance from $2000 to $4000. [Guyana Times]

“Because We Care”’ cash grant: Govt “actively” examining extension to private school students – VP

As Government continues to roll out the “Because We Care” cash grant to children in the public school system, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has revealed that consideration is being given to extending the initiative to students in the private school system.

A father receiving the “Because We Care” cash grant for his children in the public school system

Last week, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration reintroduced and rolled out the “Because We Care” cash grant, which was increased to $15,000. Additionally, with the uniform voucher also increasing to $4000, each child in the public school system will receive a total of $19,000 cash.

However, parents of students who attend private schools have been speaking out about the exclusion of those children from the $3.2 billion initiative.

In response to this, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during a recent interview with a social media commentator disclosed that Government is actively considering the extension of the “Because We Care” cash grant to public school students.

“We are actively examining, now, the possibility of extending the grant to kids going to private schools. Maybe not all of them will take but some parents have been making the solid case that they struggle at home to send their kids to private schools. It’s not as though they’re rich. And in a way, those kids who go to private schools, they take some pressure off public schools in terms of space. So, the Government will consider all the facts on the issue and we’ll make a determination very, very soon on the matter,” Jagdeo stated.

According to the Vice President, Education Minister Priya Manickchand is currently in the process of gathering the number of children in the private school system.

“…they’re trying to verify the numbers and then to see, should we extend to kids going to private schools, how we’re going to ensure that the intended beneficiaries receive the money without any leakage or corruption,” he posited.

However, this announcement by VP Jagdeo will bring relief to some parents, who had expressed concerns over Government’s move to make the cash grant available exclusively to public school students.

Government commenced the rollout of the “Because We Care” cash grant programme on Wednesday last in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) with many parents of public-school students praising the initiative and saying it will greatly help in assisting them to ensure that their children’s needs are fulfilled.

But some parents took to social media to question the move by the Government to only give the cash grants to those children who attend public schools.

Nevertheless, Jagdeo reassured that the ongoing disbursement of the cash grants to children in the public education system is being overseen by the Auditor General to ensure transparency so that every child who is entitled to the grant receives it.

Disgust at APNU/AFC

On this note, Jagdeo expressed his disgust at the APNU/AFC Opposition’s criticism of the initiative. He specifically called out Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) and President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Coretta McDonald, who on Wednesday called the $3.2 billion cash grant initiative a waste of money and has since come under widespread criticism especially from parents and teachers.

“I was shocked that Coretta McDonald… is trying to get the teachers not to cooperate with Government in extending this grant. As an educator, she has failed miserably. She has allowed her jaundiced APNU politics to influence her and she’s trying to use the Union to sabotage an initiative that will help the children of this country,” the Vice President contended.

The “Because We Care” project was launched back in 2014 under the then PPP/C Government. It was implemented to provide support to parents with school-age children and increase their disposable income, to raise enrolment and attendance rates.

After taking office in 2015, however, the APNU/AFC Government scrapped the project, saying the treasury cannot afford to continue with the programme.

But the Irfaan Ali-led Government restored the initiative after taking office last year – a promise the PPP/C had made in its 2020 election campaign manifesto.

As such, in the $383 billion National Budget passed in March 2021, some $60.7 billion was allocated for the education sector. In keeping with its manifesto, the PPP/C Administration increased the “Because We Care” cash grant from $10,000 to $15,000. The party has promised a phased increase of the cash grant to $50,000 per child by the end of its five-year tenure in office.

Some 172,000 public school students are now expected to benefit from the programme this year, and unlike last year, the school uniform grant will not be given in the form of a voucher but rather as cash.

The distribution schedule for the “Because We Care” cash grant will be posted on the Education Ministry’s Facebook page, the Ministry’s website, and in the daily newspapers. (G8)

More than 10,300 Region Five students to benefit from “Because We Care” Cash Grant

Some 10,324 Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) students will benefit from $196M being distributed through the Government of Guyana’s “Because We Care cash Grant” which was launched yesterday at the Karamat Primary School located along the Mahaicony Creek.

Launching the programme was Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, who explained to parents that the grant is meant for each public school child and that the Government is exploring the possibility of having the programme extended to the private school.

The grant is valued at $19,000 which includes $15,000 from the Because We Care cash grant and $4000 from the Uniform and School Supplies grant. She encouraged parents to use the money for the benefit of their children. She said that parents know best what the money can be used to purchase to benefit their children which is the reason why the Government chose not to limit parents on where they can spend the grant.

She said the grant is meant to give parents a helping hand to enhance the lives of their children and the home as most parents want to ensure their children can grow up under better conditions than they did and have more opportunities and achieving more in life. Minister Manickchand said that the programme shows the Government understands how difficult raising a family is and as such, wishes to support that process.

She said that any good parent will ensure that the money is used effectively and can serve their children. Minister Manickchand encouraged parents to continue working with their children so that they all can excel and do better.

“All your time has to be with them. If they need to study and to stay up the whole night, you must keep them company. We need you to support your children,” the Education Minister noted.

Regional Vice-Chairman, Rion Peters said that he was happy to be a part of such an important and significant occasion. He commended the Government of Guyana and in particular the Minister of Education for ensuring that another promise is fulfilled. He said that the programme is a commitment by the government to invest in the country and more so the people in Region Five.

Regional Education Officer, Dionne Lewis also lauded the programme and said that she is happy to know that the Government and the Ministry have the learners at heart particularly during this time as we are in the middle of a pandemic.

Only 55 out of 116 private schools submit responses as Govt mulls extending cash grants beyond public system

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

Even as government contemplates extending the “Because We Care” cash grant to students in the private school system, less than 50% of these private educational institutions have responded to a call issued by the Ministry of Education.

Last week, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration reintroduced and rolled out the cash grant initiative, which was increased to $15,000. Additionally, with the uniform voucher also increasing to $4000, each child in the public school system will receive a total of $19,000 cash.

However, parents of students who attend private schools have been speaking out about the exclusion of those children from the $3.2 billion initiative.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand, during an interview with media operatives on Saturday, explained that the government had contacted the 116 private schools registered in the country for certain information that would help in determining the feasibility of extending the grant to private school students. However, only a small fraction of the institutions responded.

“For two weeks now we’ve been trying to get the numbers from the private schools, like how many people are in the schools, and only 55 out of 116 schools have responded,” Manickchand disclosed.

With the current system in place, public schools submit registers of students to the Education Ministry which aid in the organisation and accountability of the initiative. Minister Manickchand explained that a challenge arises for private schools to submit similar documentations.

“We got from the schools, the registers, their school registers which is a document they keep by law, that was submitted to the regional education departments around the country and those were vetted…so, they were comparatively looked at and the lists approved. So, the only children who can receive are the children on the register. At this stage we do not have registers and do not have the ability to insist on the keeping of registers the way we do in the public sector by private schools,” the Minister explained.

Noting that the challenges are relatively minor, the Education Minister assured that the government will continue to explore the possibility of offering the grant to private school students.

“In the process of doing that, we can’t be a wild and say ‘oh you’re in private school or you’re saying you’re in private school, here’s a grant’, it still has to follow all the accountability processes. But a short answer is that we are actively working to see how we can expand this grant from what has traditionally been in the public school system to involve and benefit our private school children,” she explained.

“And as soon as we have a perfect solution to that, we’re going to announce it, right now, we don’t have the budgetary allocation for that so that would have to be addressed,” she added.

Nevertheless, the Education Minister explained that the students of private educational institutions do benefit from government interventions, pointing to the removal of VAT on education among other general relief measures which she expressed should be passed down to the students.

Over the weekend, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo announced that “We are actively examining, now, the possibility of extending the grant to kids going to private schools. Maybe not all of them will take but some parents have been making the solid case that they struggle at home to send their kids to private schools. It’s not as though they’re rich. And in a way, those kids who go to private schools, they take some pressure off public schools in terms of space. So, the Government will consider all the facts on the issue and we’ll make a determination very, very soon on the matter.”

The “Because We Care” project was launched back in 2014 under the then PPP/C Government. It was implemented to provide support to parents with school-age children and increase their disposable income, to raise enrolment and attendance rates.

After taking office in 2015, however, the APNU/AFC Government scrapped the project, saying the treasury cannot afford to continue with the programme.

Some 172,000 public school students are now expected to benefit from the programme this year, and unlike last year, the school uniform grant will not be given in the form of a voucher but rather as cash.

“Because We Care” cash grant initiative: Over $200M to be distributed to Region 10 parents – Manickchand

The “Because We Care” cash grant programme moved on Thursday to Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), where Education Minister Priya Manickchand said that she had no doubt in her mind that the parents of Guyana would use the money for the benefit of their children.

Manickchand said that parents of Guyana make sacrifices for their children to ensure they have a better life, adding that “that’s what you live for. Even though you may be doing well, we know you could do with a hand. I have no doubt in mind that when we give this grant and when we give it in cash that it would be used mostly for your children.”

She said that thousands of parents in Region 10 were scheduled to receive the grant – a collective value of more than $200 million.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand speaking with parents at Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School

The Minister said that each parent knew best what their children needed better than anyone else and should be given the liberty to decide how to make their children’s lives better and not be constrained by the limits a voucher imposed.

Reiterating that the grant was not limited to traditional educational items, she said it could be used to purchase anything that was of service to children.

“We are saying you can use this in any way that is in service to your children and once that happens, you will have happier children in the classroom who are more receptive to the education that we are trying to deliver in the schools,” Manickchand is quoted by a release from the Education Ministry as saying.

She also reminded parents in Linden that the grant would increase incrementally under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government until it reached $50,000 per child.

Moreover, she urged parents to provide the much-needed support to the children at home so that they could focus more on their school work which would result in better outcomes. On the issue of the pandemic, Manickchand explained to parents that the COVID-19 vaccination rate was closely related to the possibility of schools reopening to physical teaching/learning.

Some of the parents waiting to collect their cash grant

She said that despite the many interventions by the Education Ministry and its teachers to keep children engaged, student performance has dropped. She said that studies show that the longer school doors remain closed, children will suffer from learning loss and more students would drop out. As such, Minister Manickchand made the plea to parents to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The “Because We Care” cash grant programme was launched in Region 10 at the Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School in Linden.

The monetary grant, which is valued at $19,000, comprises the “Because We Care” grant of $15,000 and the value of the School Uniform and Supplies grant, $4000.

$400M to be distributed as “Because We Care” initiative kicks off in Reg 3

…parents, guardians need financial support during pandemic – Education Minister

Eligibility deadline extended for” Because We Care” cash grant; 3300 more children to benefit

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand has announced that the eligibility deadline qualifying new entrants into the public education system for the Government of Guyana’s Because We Care cash grant has been extended to July 31, 2021.

At the beginning of the distribution of the cash grant, parents or guardians of students, who are now entering the public school system, had to have applied for entry on or before June 30, 2021. However, Minister Manickchand said that the date has been extended and this will result in an additional 3,300 students being able to benefit from the grant.

Over the last two days, Minister Manickchand has been spearheading the distribution of the grant in Region Four on the East Coast of Demerara. The scheduled distribution in the region will end on Monday, August 9, 2021, with over $600M being transferred from the state to families in the region.

While at the Swami Purnananda Primary, the Enmore Hope Primary, and the Paradise Primary schools, she told parents that though the grant cannot cater to all the needs of their children, it is still solid assistance to parents as they invest in the education of their children. Minister Manickchand also explained that the grant is not only for educational items but that it can be used to purchase items that serve children and support them as they continue along their academic journey.

The Education Minister said that she believes any expenditure in families is a good expenditure. She reminded parents that the grant will increase to $50,000 per child within the Government’s first term in office. She said that the Government had promised to restore the cash grant and fulfilled that promise, hence Guyanese should not question whether the grant will indeed be increased.

As it relates to the reopening of schools, Minister Manickchand said that the Ministry is certain that the best way to deliver education at this time is to have children return to the classroom for face-to-face teaching and learning. She said that this is highly dependent on the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Govt distributes over $1.7B in “Because We Care” grants to date

– initiative kicks off in Reg 4 with over $1.1B to be distributed

– eligibility deadline extended

The Education Ministry has distributed over $1.7 billion in the “Because We Care” initiative since its commencement that is geared at cushioning the expenses attached to education for students in the public school system.

For Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), over $218 million has been handed out to parents and guardians; followed by $401 million in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), another $195 million in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), $400 million in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), $173 million in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and $211 million for Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

For Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), some $517 million is set aside for Georgetown and another $639 million for the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara. Friday was the first day of distribution for the region, which saw over $146 million being delivered to parents.

This exercise will continue throughout the regions until the entire country is covered. This initiative will see $3.2 billion being expended to assist students within the public school system.

Along with the grant which is valued at $15,000, students will also receive the school uniform and supplies grant valued at $4000. This gives a total of $19,000 for each child. Approximately 172,000 students are expected to benefit from this programme, and unlike last year, the school uniform grant will not be given in the form of a voucher but rather as cash.

Government has committed to increasing the “Because We Care” cash grant incrementally each year until it reaches $50,000. The school uniform and supplies grant was increased last year from $2000 to $4000, representing a 100 per cent increase.

The “Because We Care” project was launched back in 2014 by then Education Minister Priya Manickchand and was issued to parents for each child in the public school system. It was implemented with the aim of providing support to parents with school age children and increasing their disposable income, with a view to raising enrolment and attendance rates.

However, after taking office in 2015, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government scrapped the project and displaced thousands of students and parents. The Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government reintroduced the initiative after taking office last year.

Deadline extended

Meanwhile, Education Minister Priya Manickchand has announced that the eligibility deadline for qualifying new entrants into the public education system for the Government of Guyana’s “Because We Care” cash grant has been extended to July 31, 2021.

At the beginning of the distribution of the cash grant, parents or guardians of students who are now entering the public school system would have had to apply for entry on or before June 30, 2021. But Minister Manickchand said that the date has been extended and this will result in an additional 3300 students being able to benefit from the grant.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

Over the last two days, Minister Manickchand has been spearheading the distribution of the grant in Region Four on the East Coast of Demerara. The scheduled distribution in the region will end on Monday, August 9, 2021, with over $600 million being transferred from the State to families in the region.

While at the Swami Purnananda Primary, the Enmore Hope Primary and the Paradise Primary Schools, she told parents that though the grant cannot cater to all the needs of their children, it is still solid assistance to parents as they invest in the education of their children. Minister Manickchand also explained that the grant is not only for educational items but that it can be used to purchase items that serve children and support them as they continue along their academic journey.

As it relates to the reopening of schools, Minister Manickchand said that the Ministry is certain that the best way to deliver education at this time is to have children return to the classroom for face-to-face teaching and learning but noted that this is highly dependent on the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

She told teachers and parents that if they are among those persons who have not taken the COVID-19 vaccine then they are in the way of schools reopening for face-to-face learning. She said that the percentage of vaccinated persons in Guyana needs to increase before children are allowed back into the classroom.

Minister Manickchand encouraged teachers to go and get vaccinated while it is free and available, as she said, “Because we need to make sure that we can get back into the classroom because the other types of education, I am warning, I am cautioning, I am inviting you to look at it, are not working. And it is not the teachers that will suffer, it is these children you want to see shine.”

Where is this money coming from? They said that they are not taking it out of the oil money so where is the money coming from. Is it gold money?

Minister McCoy spearheads $18M distribution of “Because We Care” cash grants at Stella Maris schools

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, spearheaded the distribution of $18 million at the Stella Maris Primary and Nursery Schools today.

During the exercise, Minister McCoy told the parents and guardians that the initiative is the Government making good on one of its manifesto promises.

“The Government of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic – we are totally keen about the investment in our children because we consider them and take it very seriously that they are indeed our future.”

As another example of the Government’s commitment to improving the quality of education, the Minister indicated that the administration will be re-introducing the One Laptop Per Family initiative. The programme, which was launched under the previous PPP/C Administration, aims at ensuring that Guyanese – especially those in the rural areas – become technologically advanced.

The reinstatement of the OLPF initiative would go arm-in-arm with the Government’s plans to improve and modernise internet access in the hinterland regions.

“We want to make all of the necessary investments in our children’s education, and that is why we are pressing ahead with every possible option and every possible measure that we can introduce and implement in our schools for the benefit of our children,” Minister McCoy assured those present.

During Tuesday’s programme, the Public Affairs Minister also encouraged parents, guardians, and teachers to get vaccinated against the deadly COVID-19 disease. He emphasised that herd immunity is critical to ensure that people’s lives and the economy return to pre-Covid conditions.

Meanwhile, beneficiaries of the cash grant spoke highly of the initiative.
Mr. Clive Jacobs, a father of 12 and member of the Disciplined Services, said the cash grant is an excellent help amid the pandemic.

“I feel that this is a good thing that the Government did for us because as parents, during the pandemic, it took a lot of parents into financial issues. This is what the Government did for all parents I see it as an act of assisting all parents so that their kids can get a sound education,” he said.
Another parent, Ms. Oletta Dover, noted that the ‘Because We Care’ programme came at the right time.

“I feel good because it is a timely gesture because school is going to be reopened, and for me, my son is going to be in Grade Six, so I am happy for the money because I am going to put it towards getting some of his Grade Six textbooks and whatever else,” the mother said.

The distribution exercise continues this week as the Government looks to transfer over $3.2 billion to some 172,000 public school students. The PPP/C Administration has also indicated that it is considering extending the assistance to private school students. (Extracted and modified from the Department of Public Information)

Where is the money coming from. Are they borrowing money and hoping to pay it back with carbon credits money? Granger was more broke than a church rat on Friday now all of a sudden there is money. It doesn't make dollars and sense.

@Ali Khan Azad posted:

Where is the money coming from.

Are they borrowing money and hoping to pay it back with carbon credits money? Granger was more broke than a church rat on Friday now all of a sudden there is money. It doesn't make dollars and sense.

Increased borrowing ,using oil funds as collateral.

One of the astute uses of the oil funds; benefits to the people.

@Former Member posted:

Minister McCoy spearheads $18M distribution of “Because We Care” cash grants at Stella Maris schools

Injecting cash into Education (and Health) should always be top priority. Kudos to this.