THE Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure came in for praise from students and Head Teachers of four hinterland primary schools for an initiative undertaken to ensure safety on the waterways.MARAD has embarked on an initiative to distribute life jackets to primary school students throughout the country who reside in riverine communities and their only means of access to school is by boat.
On Thursday last, the MARAD distributed 130 life jackets to Batavia Primary School, 35 to Kartabo Primary, nine to Makouria Primary and 35 to the Holy Name Primary School.
Akosua Mc Pherson, MARAD’s Public Communications Officer, indicated that her department is concerned with safety on the waterways. She noted that children who traverse the waterways to get to school are vulnerable and as such, the MARAD decided to embark on the initiative to outfit those students with life jackets.
Volda Hastings, Head Mistress of Batavia Primary said the life jackets would be a great help to children as most times the river is rough and that’s the only way for the children to attend school. Wanda Cox, an assistant teacher of the same school believes that  life jackets are needed as children from nursery school age use boats to attend school. “This is a disaster waiting to happen, as they are not outfitted with any safety measures,” Cox noted.

Lorna Shanks, Head Teacher at Kartabo Primary, explained that the distribution exercise was a welcome surprise as she did not expect to benefit from such an initiative. Pauline Williams, assistant mistress, said that most afternoons the river is rough and the children usually travel in packed boats which is a very scary sight for her. Now that they have life jackets, should anything happen, their lives will be saved, Williams said.Faye Hicks, the Head Teacher at Holy Name Primary School said the initiative is good. “Most times students use the school boat daily without life jackets and they can now be safe, in the event of a mishap it will save their lives,” Hicks said. Rhonda Jeffrey, another teacher attached to the school said the initiative is important and is accepted with open arms since it provides a safe way for the children to attend to school.  Eva Mauchette believes the children will now be much safer on the waterways.  “We are living in the hinterland area. The fact that you are in Georgetown and could have done this says you are looking out for the children in the hinterland,” Mauchette said.
Recently, a number of speed-boat operators plying the Parika-Bartica route received first-aid training, compliments of the Maritime Administration Department. That initiative forms part of a structured plan of comprehensive efforts to ensure that lives can be saved in the event of a mishap on the rivers.