It is estimated that the full construction cost would be in the vicinity of $80 million.
A simple ceremony organised by the Rebuilding the Future Committee saw two organisations yesterday handing over cheques to the value of $1.3 million. Ground Structures Engineering Consultancy Inc’s Charles Ceres handed over $1 million, while the Linden Fund USA in collaboration with the Women of Mission International and the Guyanese Wives Association handed over US$1,300 on the site. The Linden Fund had previously raised and handed over $600,000.
Several businesses and private individuals also handed over large quantities of cement blocks and bales of cement towards the start of the reconstruction.
Following the August 12 arson, Education Minister Priya Manickchand had announced that reconstruction of the school would likely take more than a year, because of the lack of available funding. As a result, the region’s leaders had announced plans to take on the reconstruction, which would be done by the community through self-help. The school was the largest primary in Region 10.
Several community, regional and national leaders were present at the ceremony yesterday, including APNU leader David Granger and Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon.
According to Solomon, in the initial reconstruction phase, work will be done on weekends and as needed materials are stockpiled. “We will see the pace picking up and works will be done three days weekly,” he said, while noting that expert engineers have committed their services and have already shown their commitment by facilitating the development plans, estimates and assessments.
Granger said his presence at the site was a show of his personal and APNU’s commitment and solidarity with the cause.
He condemned the act of burning the school as “a crime and against the children and a crime against the future of the Linden community.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Works commenced the re-erecting of the safety bars on the Kara Kara Bridge, which were ripped out during the removal of blockages erected during protests in the town.
