She wanted to make a real difference and yesterday, relatives and friends of Pamela McCarroll, the Project Trust volunteer, who died after falling off a cliff in the Kanuku Mountains last year, donated equipment worth $2.5 mil
Some 571 students of the Region Nine educational institution witnessed the handing over of a Risograph machine, a photocopying machine, a quantity of printing paper and ink for the machines as well as an air-conditioning unit. Making the presentation was Project Trust Country Director Kala Seegopaul, who called on the students and teachers to take great care of the machines which are to be used to prepare test papers and other documents.
The St Ignatius Secondary School has been benefiting from volunteer Project Trust teachers for a number of years and on March 3, 2008, McCarroll, one such volunteer, fell off a cliff on the Kanuku Mountains and died.
Her body was flown back to England. Since the incident, her parents visited the school and were unhappy that their daughter was unable to complete the task she had volunteered to do — teach the students of school.
School-friends of McCarroll were also unhappy and they, along with her parents did some fund-raising at their schools and donated a few computers and a laser printer to the school before the McCarrolls visited last March. During their visit, they went to the area when their daughter fell and died.
They also visited the school, during which they learnt of some of the institution’s needs and upon their return to England were able to mobilize additional funds. This was sufficient to acquire the risograph and photocopier as well as the air-conditioning unit. The items were handed over yesterday. A technician from CCS, the company from where the machines were purchased, accompanied Seegopaul to install them and train a teacher in their proper use and care.
Senior Mistress at the school Lucia Williams thanked Seegopaul for the kind gesture and effort she made on behalf of the parents of McCarroll and the Project Trust group. She also thanked the team and promised to take special care of the much needed equipment. She asked the Country Director to relay the sentiments and thanks to the parents of McCarroll and all those who were instrumental in making the gift a reality. Present at the handing over ceremony was Chairman of the School Board, Alfred Ramsaran and Chairman of the Administration Committee, Gary Foo.
“The donation has enhanced the school’s programme because in the past, it has been going about the community asking for donations to help print test papers… it’s a good gesture,” Ramsaran said. He noted that students from all over the Rupununi attend the learning institution and said that they would all benefit from the equipment.