LAST Wednesday, more than 50 bicycles were distributed by government to students within the Mabaruma sub-district in the Barima-Waini region. That activity is part of President David Granger’s highly successful 5Bs initiative which began in 2015, and continues across the country.

The initiative is intended to increase school-attendance, particularly in Guyana’s hinterland regions. The success of the programme is significant because improved attendance translates into better educated students. And with better education comes a greater chance at a satisfying, productive, and happy life.

The 5Bs stand for boats, buses, bicycles, breakfast and books. The initiative was launched by the president after His Excellency visited the Pomeroon three years ago. During his interactions with residents, the president learned that there was often a high cost of transportation for children to get to and from school; many families simply could not afford it. Additionally, because of widespread and extreme poverty, many parents could not afford to purchase the books needed by their children.

Even more saddening; many children stayed home because their families could not afford proper meals. The president decided to take action by introducing the programme to distribute the 5Bs directly to households and communities across Guyana; beginning in Pomeroon-Supenaam. As a result, the riverine communities within that region were among the first to benefit from the initiative with the delivery of three boats that transport children to and from school along the Pomeroon River.

Following this, residents of the East Berbice-Corentyne region benefitted from the commissioning of a 50-seater bus, even as President Granger continued to spread his message of the importance of education to empowering the children to take charge of their country, becoming business owners and informed decision-makers. Later, the newly commissioned town of Bartica received its first bus and 30 bicycles. At the handing-over ceremony in Bartica, the president said, “One of the reasons there is so much poverty is because there is so much inequality.

Once the child of a rich man and the child of a poor man have the same education, they have the chance to be equal and then they have a better opportunity at employment and making sure that you have a good life.”

Many other areas have benefitted through this initiative so far, including Kuru Kururu, which received a bus and the riverine communities of Moraikobai on the Mahaicony River, Baracara Village in the East Berbice-Corentyne region and Linden in the Upper Demerara-Berbice region which benefitted from boats. Interestingly, shortly after the president announced and launched the programme, the private business community became involved. As a result of their ongoing donations, the 5Bs programme continues to gain momentum, and all of Guyana’s regions are now fully involved and included.

First Lady Sandra Granger has also played an active role in the programme, having received a number of donations herself. The First Lady has participated in several commissioning ceremonies in various communities, including in the Barima-Waini region, Lethem in the Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo region, Mahdia in the Potaro-Siparuni region, and the Mahaica-Berbice and East Berbice-Corentyne regions.
To date, 1,405 bicycles, 10 boats, and 29 busses have been handed over to students and communities across Guyana’s regions. The breakfast and books aspects of the programme have also been introduced in numerous schools.

The Ministry of Education reports that the programme has been a phenomenal success, as all of the communities which have received boats, buses, bicycles, breakfast or books have had a notable improvement in school attendance.

At the handing-over ceremony in Mabaruma last Wednesday, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, remarked that “It is our aim to assist these students in accessing education because it is the key to success in everything we do. This access to a quality education will allow our children to become visionary leaders and entrepreneurs and will enable them to use the rich resources that are available right at our fingertips in a progressive and productive way.”