TWENTY-THREE students who faced financial challenges, were given an opportunity to write the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate [CSEC] in 2016, after their examination fees were paid through the benevolent Pandit Suresh Sugrim, of the Humanitarian Mission of New Jersey Arya Samaj Mandir Inc.At a simple local ceremony held at the Non-Government Organisation complex at Babu John, Port Mourant, Corentyne, on Thursday last, the community advocate who, despite being exposed to limited education, urged the recipients to grasp the opportunity given, as an education breaks the cycle of poverty.

Pandit Sugrim said the idea of assisting the students was birthed after the plight of a single mother, who underwent a gastro intestinal surgery, and wears a colostomy bag, was highlighted as she was unable to fund the required sum for her child’s examination.

Recognising the change one can have if given the opportunity to obtain the CSEC certificate, Sugrim solicited help from several donors, who collectively pooled $600,000.

With that sum in hand, he returned to Guyana, where he contacted Regional Education Officer [REO] Ms Volika Jaikissoon, who guided him on the way forward.

At last Thursday’s ceremony, beneficiaries were drawn from the Port Mourant Secondary and the Lower Corentyne Secondary Schools on the Corentyne Coastline, along with the New Amsterdam Multilateral and the Tutorial Academy Secondary Schools in New Amsterdam.
However, it was noted that the financial aid can be accessed by students attending any of the secondary schools across Region 6 [East Berbice/ Corentyne].
Ms Jaikissoon, expressing gratitude to the donors, urged her students to make the best use of the assistance, which was garnered through the hard labour of others.
“All you need to do is to be grateful, by working hard to excel,” she urged.
Meanwhile, students received subsidies of varying amounts, which was subsequently deposited by the NGO, into a designated account at a financial institution.
Expressions of gratitude were also entertained by students and their parents.