Students get Fairtrade Scholarships, Bursaries

Evereth Jr. Anneil Glasgow, of New Prospect, and Zelroy Branson Peters, of Lauders, are the lucky recipients of the 2010 St. Vincent and the Grenadines Fair Trade Scholarships.{{more}}

The two boys received secondary school scholarships which entitle them to EC$1,500 for every year of their secondary education and $1,000 per year at the tertiary level.

Six other students received bursaries at the hand over ceremony held on Tuesday, July 27, 2010, at the Fair Trade office at Paul’s Avenue. The bursary recipients are: Ariel Lewis, Travez Fernandez, Shenika Baynes, Jamani Texeira, Lenique Maloney and Shanice Ballantyne.

A total of $2,800 was awarded to the students: $200 each for a bursary recipient and an $800 first installment for the scholarship winners.

Addressing the audience of parents and students, Chairman of the New Prospect Fair Trade group, Phillip Andrews, stated that the fair trade scholarship programme was started to assist the farmers who may not be able to support their children financially.

Andrews urged the recipients of the scholarships and bursaries to continue to excel in their academics. “If you have good education, you will be able to fit yourself in any where in the world,” he said. He also urged the parents to encourage their children in their academics.

Parent of scholarship recipient Evereth Glasgow expressed his gratitude through a song in which he explained the contributions of Fair Trade to its members, adding that the organisation was “here to stay.”

The Fair Trade scholarship programme began in 2004. In 2008, the programme added the tertiary level scholarship. The programme currently has nine students on the secondary to tertiary scholarships and has given up to $70,000 in scholarships since the programme began in 2004.

This year’s programme saw eleven persons applying for the programme. Students were awarded scholarships based on their performance in the 2010 Common Entrance Examination.