Boat given to Baracara to transport school children

Residents of Baracara have received a new boat to enhance the transportation of students to and from school in the area.
Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh handed over the boat on Sunday on behalf of President Irfaan Ali.
During his visit to the community last year, President Ali had promised to fulfill the request of the parents of the riverine community.
All of the 58 children who attend the Baracara Primary School have to use a boat to get there. The one school boat was inadequate and last year residents made a request to President Irfaan Ali for assistance so that the children could get to school on time.
On Sunday Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh officially handed the boat over to head teacher of Baracara Primary School Carol Adam.
“We are really living in the era of opportunities and an important part of that is ensuring that everybody has the opportunity to get a good quality basic education, and so HM, we want everybody in the Baracara Primary School catchment area to be able to come to school and to be able to get a good quality primary education so that they can move on to high school education. So, this boat which I have the privilege of delivering to you on behalf of President Ali… President Ali wants the people of the Canje River to have access of the boat so he said let me come at the first available opportunity I have to hand over the boat so that you can put it into use,” Minister Singh said.
The Finance Minister said President Ali expressed delight knowing that the new boat being powered by a 40HP engine will be for children enabling them to be able to get to school on time.
According to Dr Singh, the objective is to ensure that all of the children in the catchment area attend school so that they can obtain a good quality primary education and the boat has an important role to play in that endeavour.
“Of course, there are a number of other things that we are doing; training teachers. we are training all of the teachers in the public education system, the restoration of cash grants to children and we gave been increasing the cash grants since we have restored them, ensuring that all of the schools have their required books and we have been increasing and ramping up the school feeding programme because we want children to be able to attend school and be attentive so that the educational output can be improved,” Minister Singh said.
Baracara is a small community located community located up the Canje River approximately 120 kilometres (75 miles) from the town of New Amsterdam.
Several other villages stretching both north and south are generally considered as Baracara since they have to access health facilities and other services from Baracara.
The community thrives on fishing and agriculture. (G4)