BY the end of this week, families in Region Four will collectively receive over $4 billion in cash grants as part of the government’s flagship “Because We Care” initiative.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand was on the ground at the Bel Air Primary School on Monday, overseeing the distribution and highlighting the success of the programme’s largest phase to date.

“We have completed Regions One, Two, Five, Seven, Eight, Nine and 10. This week is Region Four, Region Six and Region Three,” the minister stated, noting that the rollout is nearing nationwide completion.
She said: “This is the big guns this week. It has large numbers.”

Distribution in Georgetown began Monday and will run through Friday, while the exercise commenced in Region Three on Sunday.
Minister Manickchand reported that the process has been smooth and well received by parents and guardians.
“We have gotten no complaints about waiting time or people not getting their grant,” she said.

Manickchand said that significant preparatory work was done earlier in the year by teachers, education officers and other staff to ensure the smooth rollout of the initiative.
The list of eligible children was compiled using school registers and underwent several stages of verification to maintain accuracy and transparency.
The 2025 edition of the “Because We Care” cash grant began on May 12, 2025, in hinterland regions, with the ministry opting to start in Regions Seven and Nine to ensure early access for students in remote areas.
Each child attending a public or private school is eligible to $55,000 — a $50,000 cash grant and a $5,000 school uniform voucher.

In total, over 205,000 students across the country are expected to benefit from the programme. The government has allocated $11 billion in the national budget to facilitate the initiative this year.
Minister Manickchand noted that Region Four, Guyana’s most populous region, accounts for the largest chunk of the allocation.

According to the minister, more than $2.1 billion will be distributed in Georgetown alone by the end of the week. An additional $1 billion has been allocated for the East Bank of Demerara and $1.2 billion for the East Coast, bringing the total distribution for Region Four to over $4 billion.

The minister emphasised the transparency of the process, calling on members of the public to observe.
“The process is very transparent. We would invite anybody to come along and see that,” she asserted.

While the primary goal of the grant is to support educational preparation, Minister Manickchand acknowledged that the funds are also enabling broader improvements in families’ lives.
“People are using it for uniforms and school supplies, but I know people with six and seven children who are using it to improve their homes—putting in a toilet, a water pump, making their homes more comfortable—and all of that is in the interest of the child,” she said.

According to the minister, some parents have already begun shopping for school items in preparation for the new academic year.
“We [the government] named it ‘Because We Care’ because we could not think of a more appropriate name,” she said, adding: “Because we care about how parents look after their children, how they’re able to prepare for

school in September, and how they’re able to make sure that their homes are more comfortable.”
With the phased rollout nearing completion, the ministry expects a high participation rate.

“We usually have an uptick of over 90 per cent with parents receiving. That is how popular the programme is,” Manickchand noted.
While each region has a pre-scheduled distribution timetable, the ministry has also accounted for parents or guardians who may have missed their dates.

“When you are dealing with so many children, some parents may not be able to make it. They might be ill, they might be in the hospital, they may have work commitments, they may be out of the area…,” she said.
The minister indicated that each region has a designated mop-up date to accommodate parents or guardians who missed the initial distribution schedule.

Manickchand said that these follow-up sessions are typically held at a central location within the region, with the specific dates and venues to be announced soon.

The minister said too that parents or guardians who are unable to collect the grants themselves may authorise someone else to do so.
The “Because We Care” initiative remains one of the government’s most far-reaching social-assistance programmes, reinforcing its commitment to education, equity, and child welfare.