Toronto officials pleased with their SVG ‘adopt a child’ programme

The St. Vincent and Grenadines Association of Toronto Inc. (SVGAT) is pleased that two of its students were successful in the 2023 Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA).

These students entered the programme in Grade 2, while three other students whose sponsorship began while they were in Grade 1, have another year before they become eligible to write the exams, the organisation said in a release. The sixth student, who is privately sponsored through the programme, has completed his primary education and is already attending high school.

Based on the success of the programme, the board of directors of the Association has agreed to continue the programme by soliciting interested persons to contribute to sponsoring another group of students for a five-year period, starting from the next school year. Individuals can choose to sponsor a student for the full amount of CDN$600.00 per year or join with others if they are unable to fund the full amount.

Interested persons are encouraged to contact the secretary either by email to secretary@vincytoronto.com or by writing to- The Secretary, St. Vincent and Grenadines Association of Toronto Inc., P. O. Box 80066 – Don Valley Village P. O., Toronto, ON, M2J 0A1.

The Adopt-A-Child programme launched by the Association in 2008, has as its mantra, ‘A young mind is a terrible thing to waste’. The programme is geared to provide financial assistance to less fortunate children in their early years of primary school in order for them not to fall through the cracks, but rather have a solid foundation so as to complete their primary school education.

Students are sponsored in the programme for five years starting from Grade 1 or Grade 2 which should see them through primary school. Since the programme started, three groups of students have been assisted, two in 2008, two in 2013 and six in 2018. Over the years, the programme has realized its goal with the sponsored children successfully moving on to secondary schools.