FFTP commissions $10M nursery school at Kairuni
The newly commissioned nursery school at Kairuni
The newly commissioned nursery school at Kairuni

 

THRIVING off the fact that education is the most powerful weapon which one can use to change the world, Food For The Poor (FFTP) Guyana Inc. yesterday promoted the advancement of education in the village of Kairuni, on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, by commissioning a nursery school to the tune of Gy$10M.
The project, which was embarked upon in November 2014, had been the realisation of intense lobbying by headmistress, Cynthia Dejonge.
Designed to accommodate 18 students at the nursery level, the structure comprises three washrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and multiple sections of playing and learning rooms. But not limited to indoor activities, the beautifully fenced Kairuni Nursery school possesses adequate yard space, covered in pearl-white sand.
The project comes just one year after FFTP Guyana erected 40 houses in the village of Whitewater for 40 families, through the “Whitewater Community Development Project.”
That project had been made possible through the generous donations of Chuck Stoner, a U.S. citizen and his family through Food For The Poor (FFTP) Guyana, and their Miami and Toronto chapters.
But according to Kent Vincent, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FFTP Guyana, following the successful completion of the Whitewater Community Development Project, Stoner had visited Kairuni and was greeted by Dejonge, who requested his assistance in rehabilitating and extending the school’s structure which had been in a deplorable state.
Consideration was then given in this regard, and Stoner refused to rehabilitate or extend the building, offering rather that a new school be built. But this was nothing new to the Stoner family, Vincent said yesterday, adding that through the support of FFTP Guyana, attempts are made to undertake projects that will benefit communities, more specifically through education.
Highlighting that, “Education is the key to maturity and development for Guyanese,” the CEO noted that Guyana has benefited greatly from the Stoner family and their contributions to development across the country.
To this end, the Ministry of Education (MoE) was acknowledged for their “instrumental” role in providing channels for the establishment of the school.
In the absence of Minister of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, who was at Cabinet, Deputy Chief Education Officer (DCEO) at the MoE, Donna Chapman, who delivered the feature address, was keen to note that the school which has been in existence for over 18 years has been a symbol of a community with rich history.
She related to the gathering of a few hundred that the occasion was a momentous one, which demonstrates the “dedication and cooperation” of people of the community. The DCEO stressed the importance of the support of parents in the academic aspect of their child’s life, noting that learning is not limited to a school environment.
“Parents must be a part of [the] education process and keep in contact with teachers. Teachers must never give up, although teaching is a tough job. I want to urge the teachers and children to make good use of this school… Education is the key to the future and it is the future of any nation. This school is more than just a new building,” she said, adding that teachers must now ensure that the curriculum is delivered effectively.
Afforded the opportunity to guide listeners through the series of events which lead up to yesterday’s commissioning of the new nursery school, Head Mistress of the institution, Cynthia Dejonge, explained how her misinterpretation of the Head Mistress’ position, which was advertised and listed in Region 4, lead to her having to move from Plaisance, on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) to the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.
But after she was informed where the school was located, she requested of her husband that they move to the mining town of Linden, to which he agreed.
After being exposed to the conditions which existed at the educational institution, she detailed her request to Stoner to assist in rehabilitating the school.
Instead, an unexpected move lead to the commissioning of a new structure, which now sits at the centre of the village and currently facilitates approximately nine students. The old structure, with some rehabilitative work, was presented to Dejonge and her family, to reduce her burden of having to travel from Linden on a daily basis.
Throughout the day’s proceedings, God had been acknowledged by all agencies and institutions for his role in steering positive minds which aims to support development across the country.
Hearts were even blessed through musical renditions by the nursery students, who are still in the phase of learning to pronounce words. A dramatic presentation which bore testimony to the hard work done by three females sought to highlight the importance of education in today’s society, even as challenges in the school system arise.
Following this, tokens of appreciation were presented by the community leader to those who spearheaded the successful completion of the project. The formal aspect of the event then ended with the handing over of the keys, the traditional cutting of the ribbon to officially open the school and a general tour of the facility.
Also present at the event to offer their support and kind words of appreciation were Chairman of the Board of Directors, FFTP Guyana, Paul Chan-A-Sue; Regional Chairman of Region 4, Genevieve Allen; Regional Executive Officer (ag), Ameena Hinds; and Project Manager FFTP Guyana, Susan James Casserly.

 

By Ravin Singh

 

 

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