The Because We Care Cash Grant distribution began yesterday across Guyana with parents and guardians turning up at distribution points to uplift the $30,000 allotted to their children.
The distribution was officially launched by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand at the Belle West Primary School in Region Three.
A release from the ministry said that Manickchand told parents that a lot of work went into ensuring that the exercise runs smoothly.
She said that there is no other criterion to receive the grant aside from having the child’s name on the register.
She said, “You will see that nobody is going to ask you how you voted, nobody is going to ask you to take off your mask or take off your hat so that we can see the colour of your skin or the texture of your hair. Nobody is going to ask you whether you are male or female, nobody is going to ask you how you prayed last Sunday or last Friday, nobody is going to ask you which street you come from. This grant is for every Guyanese student who is on the register and who has been attending school.”
Manickchand said that the restoration of the cash grant is a promise her government made and has since delivered on. Last year, parents received $19,000 through the grant which has now been increased to $30,000 this year.
The release said that the Education Minister explained to parents the process that is used to arrive at the final list of recipients. She also said that the entire process is being audited live by officers attached to the Audit Office of Guyana to ensure it is done the way it was intended.
She thanked the teachers who will be giving up a day from their July-August break to work in their schools to ensure the parents of their learners receive the grant. Manickchand appealed to parents to understand the effort that is required to distribute the grant in four days.
By Friday, August 5, 2022, over $6B in the Because We Care Cash Grant would have been given to families across Guyana, the release said.
During yesterday’s distribution, Manickchand visited the Belle West Primary School, the Endeavour and the Commons Secondary School, Rama Krishna Primary School, Mae’s Schools, the J.E. Burnham Primary School and the Turkeyen Nursery School.
Meanwhile, participating in the cash payout yesterday, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh told students of Queen’s College on Camp Road that there has never a better time in the history of Guyana to be a young person than the current period.
“You have the privilege of being young at the best time in the history of our country,” Dr. Singh told students at the school which he also attended during his secondary school years, a release from his ministry said.
He advised them to “Seize that privilege and the opportunities that it brings and convert it in not only achieving greatness in terms of personal success but playing your part in achieving greater success in terms of your family, the community in which you belong and for the country for which you are a part. You are the future of Guyana. Your successes will determine the success of our country. You are literally the Guyana of tomorrow. I encourage you to do all you possibly can to ensure that future is as bright as it could possibly be. We, your government will play our part to all we can to ensure the realization of this bright future. This cash grant represents one part of our commitment to ensuring you realize that vast potential.”
According to the release, he added that the cash grant would go a long way in meeting the critical needs of students in order for them to purchase stationery, uniforms and other school supplies, adding that the total countrywide disbursement will place $ 6 Billion into the hands of parents of these children.
When Stabroek News visited the Marian Academy and the Richard Ishmael Secondary School yesterday morning, parents were seen in their numbers in the school compounds. Despite the long lines it appeared as if the parents were being dealt with efficiently.
At Cotton Field Nursery on the Essequibo Coast, Acting Regional Education Officer, Shondelle Hercules told Stabroek News that over 13,345 parents would benefit from the distribution during three days. The region would be disbursing over $394,350,000 to parents.
A single mother of two children, Naiomi Thomas of Hampton Court said that she is very thankful for the cash. She said that things have become expensive in the supermarkets and the money she will use to ensure that her children have a meal to go to school. Thomas thanked the Minister of Education for making the cash available.
A mother of two from the Anna Regina Housing Scheme, Bibi Faneeza Rasheeda said that her children are attending a private school at Anna Regina. She said she will use the money to purchase uniforms and things for her children. She said that currently things are difficult for her and the money came at an opportune time.
Kimberly Persaud said that she will be saving the money for her children. She said the money will be put into her bank whenever her children need it.
A father of three children, Abdool Tamizudeen of Little Alliance said that the money will be used to further provide an education for his children.
Other parents echoed similar sentiments. Parents or guardians who have children attending Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools received the grant.
