For five pre-teens, the next worry after excelling at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) was being able to afford secondary school.
Like many in Guyana, it was a dream that seemed out of reach but five years later, with the help of beverage giant Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), the five have successfully written the next major test, the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, and are moving on to the next stage of their lives. Every year, the DDL Foundation awards five students who excel at the NGSA and who are in dire need of financial assistance, with a five-year scholarship so they can complete their secondary education without being burdened by financial issues
Beneficiaries Meriesa Nascimento, Amrita Ghandatt, Alicialall Hiralall, Leshanna Bindah, and Prechand Rampersaud recently wrote their CSEC exams and in recent interviews with Stabroek Weekend – apart from Rampersaud who lives in Essequibo – the awardees spoke of the large role the scholarships played in their success.