GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC—Education Minister Priya Manickchand, in a strong display of the government’s commitment to education, announced Wednesday that the government will begin distributing the GUY $45,000 (One Guyana dollar = US$0.004 cents) cash grant to school children across the country next Monday.
She said more than 200,000 children from public and private schools will benefit from the “Because We Care” initiative, which includes the school uniform and supplies voucher.
“This is a grant for public and private school children who are in school. The eligibility criteria are that you have to be on the register, you have to be attending school, and you have to return your textbooks to be able to access the grant. This is going to be happening all across Guyana over the two weeks for collection and distribution,” Manickchand said during a live broadcast on her Facebook page,
The Education Minister explained that if parents or guardians cannot uplift the grants on the scheduled date, they can visit their respective Regional Education Office to uplift the grant at a convenient time.
“It’s very smooth, it’s very transparent, it’s very open, and every child who is entitled will benefit,” Manickchand said, emphasizing the inclusivity of the initiative and reminding people to have in their possession the relevant identification documents, which include either a national identification card (ID) or a passport.
If a person cannot present a valid form of ID, one can provide a verification letter verified by the school’s principal, village leader, or Toshao.
“This is easy. Just come get your grant so you can get your children ready for September,” Manickchand said.
The Guyana government has committed to incrementally increasing the Because We Care Cash Grant yearly until it reaches GUY$ 50,000. The Auditor General’s office is expected to oversee the cash grant distribution in all regions.
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