By Ravi D. Mohan
AT a well-attended ceremony on Thursday, President David Granger commissioned another school bus (David ‘G’ School Bus No. 13) at Tapakuma, an Amerindian village in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). This comes a day before the village hosts its heritage day activities. The bus is the latest of the 5Bs programme that makes a total of 13 buses distributed nationwide and the first 25-seater bus for Essequibo. It is designated to transport children from the Mainstay / Tapakuma community to and from schools on the Essequibo Coast.

A section of the gathering at the Tapakuma Village playfield

The bus will be under the control of the Regional Executive Officer Mr Rupert Hopkinson, who is tasked with providing the driver and fuel. Speaking at the ceremony was Minister of Social Cohesion Amna Ally, who stated that the Government is privileged to partner with donor Joe Jagmohan of Innovating Mining Inc to make life easier for children to go to school. Two boats were already distributed to Upper and Lower Pomeroon River residents to facilitate students attending Charity Schools and surrounding areas. Additionally, 20 bicycles were also donated to successful students of the 2016 NGSA exams in Region Two. Cricket gear, a computer and a printer were also presented on Thursday to the Tapakuma Primary School by Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock. These requests have stemmed from Face the Community meetings around the country, where the Government is made aware of the needs of the people.
In his feature address, President Granger said he supports the vision of “Every Child In School” and asked parents to commit to sending their children to school as they are the future of this country. He stated that this initiative came from residents of The Pomeroon, especially Mr Garraway, who was present at the ceremony and Ms Doreen Duncan. He further stated that his government is inclusive when it comes to the needs of the people and will go to every corner of the country to make this happen. Mr Granger also reiterated that he does not blame the parents or the past administration, for quirks in the system, but underscored that education is the key to development. “Education opens up the doors for employment as such without it, you can’t progress in the world today,” the President told the gathering of schoolchildren, residents and teachers.
He noted that over 4000 students drop out of the school system yearly because many children are not getting the opportunities to attend school. The President said he is also very alarmed about the large number of students who fail the National Grade Six Assessment.

President David Granger takes the driver’s seat of the ‘David G. No. 13’ while the children get acquainted with their new ride to school

Meanwhile, Mr Granger encouraged the residents to be proactive and create jobs for themselves in the various sectors such as agro-processing for overseas markets, as well as the fisheries sector. He urged residents to be entrepreneurs and preserve the fruits rather than having them spoilt. He also urged them to get education, training and equipment that would enhance their product-quality and production.
He noted that Region Two is the rice bowl of the country as it is evident from the amount of lands being cultivated for paddy from Pomeroon to Supenaam. Appreciation for this generous donation was done by Regional Education Officer of Region Two, Ms. Baramdai Seepersaud. The ceremony featured prayers by Pastor George Frederick and cultural items from pupils including Wapishiana and Vaquero Dancers along with a heritage poem.