Aunty B gets new building

The Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) in collaboration with the Diamonds Pre-school Committee held the official opening ceremony of the Diamonds (Aunty B) pre-school on Friday, October 9, at Earlene Horne Square in the rural village of Diamonds.{{more}}

The primary objective of the BNTF programme is to help poor vulnerable communities improve their access to basic public services.

Chairman of the BNTF project steering committee Nathaniel Williams said that it is important that projects like these are implemented so that we could move forward as a country. Williams said the BNTF recognizes that education is a major focus of the government, hence the education revolution. He also said that the BNTF plays a critical role in our society through the building of schools, retaining walls and roads.

Sharon Horne, also known as aunty B, Pre-school manager, thanked the government, teachers and parents for all their support. She said that her reason for starting a pre-school was because of her love for children and because she believes that early childhood education is important for nurturing the minds of our youths. According to Horne, she started babysitting children of working mothers in her home. She said that the school, however, got overcrowded and so the pre-school was moved to a vacant building, but that got shut down because poor conditions. She noted that despite the numerous challenges, they have prevailed and now they have a well functioning building.

Area Representative Selmon Walters said that the government is happy to be of assistance to the Diamonds pre-school. He said that when the school got shut down, a search was conducted for a new location for the school. Walters noted that the school has been around for the past 31 years and that it couldn’t die without a fight. He applauded Aunty B for her hard work and dedication to ensuring that the children receive their education. He said that the people of the Diamonds Village are important to the government of St.Vincent and the Grenadines. He urged them to take care of the building. He also commended the hard work of the BNTF. According to Walters, the facility is well constructed and equipped for the furthering of the children at the Diamonds Pre-school. Lastly, he thanked the staff of the Diamond Pre-school for continuing to mold the young minds of children.(API)