Mother of six tells how the government’s cash grant helped her son’s educational needs

AS a parent, Camille Faria is very happy to be a beneficiary of the government’s “Because We Care” cash grant of $45,000 on behalf of her son, Daniel. The six-year-old boy is one of Faria’s six children, and is the only school-aged child she has, as her other children are grown.
The 42-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she has also received cash grants in the past for her other children’s educational needs while they were at school.
Faria said that part of the cash grant of $45,000 was used to purchase a tablet for her son, Daniel Faria, 6, who was in dire need of one and previously used her cellphone to do homework and research. The remainder was used to buy Daniel much-needed clothes and footwear. Today, he is very happy to have his tablet, which will be fully utilised for educational purposes.

Faria related that three of her children, ages 23, 16, and 13, all reside overseas, while her 21-year-old lives on his own right here in Guyana, and another child, who is four years old, lives with his father locally as well.
She explained that she already bought a schoolbag and stationery for her son, and will secure his school uniform as time progresses.
“Schools will be re-opened in the first week of September, so my son will be home for the August holidays. From past experiences, he will be eating more than usual, so he will outgrow his uniform. The best thing to do is buy the school uniform just before school re-opens so it will fit him perfectly to avoid any issues,” she said.

Daniel will be celebrating his seventh birth anniversary next month, and is also looking forward to returning to school in a new outfit for the new school term in September. Faria related that the money has helped a lot, as her son can do his schoolwork via his tablet without any hindrance because her cellphone is a business phone. Faria has side jobs as a waitress/server, massage therapist and cleaner on weekends, and during the week, she has a full-time job in the public sector.

The government embarked on a countrywide distribution of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant and uniform voucher on June 24, with over 205,000 public and private school learners receiving $45,000 each.
This year, the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant has been increased to $40,000, coupled with the $5,000 uniform allowance, collectively placing over $9 billion into the pockets of many parents.
Those receiving the financial support must be enrolled in a public or private school, have a good attendance record, and return all textbooks.

Last year, a total of 201,281 public and private school students benefitted from the initiative, which saw some $8.1 billion being expended.
The undertaking fits into the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government’s promise to support families financially, improve attendance, and promote better attentiveness at school.
The “Because We Care” project started in 2014 under the PPP/C Government, and saw parents receiving cash grants of $10,000 per child in the public school system.

Moreover, while the grant initially catered only for public school learners, the government went on to extend it to private school ones, thereby benefitting an additional 17,000 children.