Books, bags, shoes, uniforms and stationery are hot commodities this time of year as the clocks wind down on the 8-week-long summer break.
In Dennery North, MP Shawn Edward is providing educational assistance to more vulnerable families. Also the Education Minister, Edward impressed the importance of education on over 300 student recipients.
“Anybody in the Dennery Valley has the ability and the potential to become a great citizen and a great professional once we can push them along the lines of education,” he encouraged.
Despite the content of the cheques, the MP stressed that the government places a priority on education.
“Today you've come here to receive a cheque and that cheque will not take care of all the expenses that you will have in relation to sending your child to school. But it is a help. It represents a contribution from the government.”
In Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques, MP Emma Hippolyte also distributed cheques to more than 400 families in her constituency.
She explained that the sums vary from family to family depending on the number of children.
“We have over 400 names, persons who are going to benefit from the school assistant program funded by the government of Saint Lucia. Persons with one child receive $300, two children receive $500, and three and more receive $700. Again, this is the government of Saint Lucia putting the people of St. Lucia first,” she said.
Hippolyte adds that education is a sure method of reducing poverty and suffering in Saint Lucia.
“The issue of education is critical for us. It is through education that we are going to move our people from poverty. This is one project among several that the government has put in place.”
NGO RISE Saint Lucia has also embarked on a drive to provide parents with school supplies ahead of school’s reopening.
RISE Member, Venus Cherry, explains that the group has over 400 parcels to distribute across the country.
“Our goal is to distribute 427 school bags throughout the island. We have Jonathan St. Rose doing the Vieux Fort, Choiseul area, Maggie Ismond doing the Dennery, Desruisseaux area, we have Mr Bobb doing Soufriere, Canaries, Anse La Raye - so the whole RISE Saint Lucia team is out,” he said.
