Beneficiaries double in Back to School programme

More than 12,000 students from the Grenadines and those who have been affected by Hurricane Beryl on the mainland will receive assistance from the Government through an expanded version of the Back to School Programme.

During an interview on NBC Radio on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, Minister of National Mobilization, Senator Keisal Peters, said that in speaking with her management team and the permanent secretary, it was decided to take a proposal to Cabinet.

“Because ordinarily, we would do the Back to School programme ,so it’s no stranger to part of our framework how we operate as a ministry; but recognizing that there were so many persons affected…in excess of 3,000 households affected nationwide…we had to respond.”

Peters said that she presented the memo on August 7, and received unanimous support, and when the announcement was made two days later, it immediately sparked a buzz. She said the programme would normally cater for just over 6,000 students, but it will now cater for over 12,000.

“…the students in the Grenadines, the package for those students are a little different. It would include the uniform apparel, school supplies, books; and in our social media campaign, we’ve set out that the parents of the students from the Grenadines can go to the various stores, the department stores that are listed, as well as the book stores.”

Senator Peters said that students of the Mary Hutchinson Primary School, Bequia Community High, Canouan Secondary, and the Lower Bay Primary school can find their school books at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Cooperative Credit Union’s Book Store. Students of the Union Island Secondary, Canouan Government, Mayreau Primary, Bequia Seventh Day Adventist Primary and Sunshine School for Children with Special Needs can obtain their books at the Nightingale Book store.

Students of the Mustique Primary, Stephanie Brown Primary, Bequia Anglican, Bequia Seven Day Adventist Primary, and the Pageant Farm Government Schools will get theirs at Gaymes Book Center.

“And as it relates to uniforms for all of the schools in the Grenadines, Jax Enterprises is the department store where you can find the uniform apparel…” she continued.

Peters said that parents of children from the Grenadines are to go to these stores, present their identification as the parent or guardian, tell the various customer service representatives at the stores the name of their child/children, ward/wards, and those stores will have the names of the children on their list.

“The Back to School Grant will cover persons or households who registered with the National Emergency Management Organisation(NEMO) framework…and alerted us that they sustained damage to their homes as a result of [Hurricane]Beryl,” she continued, adding that a person would have had to be registered by August 7 in order to be included in this expanded Back to School programme.

Additionally, parents of students from the mainland would go to the Seventh Day Adventist Conference facility at Old Montrose, from August 21-23. Peters said sessions had been completed earlier this month for parents and guardians from the Grenadines.

“…Then we proceed to assist with the vouchers, and we help everybody get ready for school.”