Rose Hall Town’s 54th anniversary celebrations: Seven outstanding students honoured; Marissa Siriram receives UG scholarship

The Rose Hall Town NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour first division team, in conjunction with the Rose Hall Town Council, last week honoured six outstanding students under the Zaheeda and Sharima Hanif Memorial Bursary Awards Scheme as part of the 54th anniversary celebration of the Rose Hall township, which
took place at the Lower Corentyne Secondary School with Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and Local Government Minister Sonia Parag as special guests.
Secretary of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), Hilbert Foster, made it known that the club had agreed to a request from the council to coordinate the 54th anniversary celebrations, and that the NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Team had been mandated to spearhead the week of events.
The students honoured were drawn from the Rose Hall Town Primary School and the JC Chandisingh Secondary School. The top five Grade Six primary school students who had done well at their recent exam: Calicia Narain, Noorisha Harinarain, Diven Sukra, Abigail Persaud and Jeremiah Budhoo, each received a trophy, medal, framed certificate of excellence, and $10,000.

Narain, who emerged as the school’s top achiever in that examination and is now attending Queen’s College, also received a laptop, compliments of Minister Ashni Singh, an electronic tablet from Bhesham Ramnauth of New York, and a large trophy from Guyana Breweries Inc.
The laptop was donated by Minister Dr Singh at the request of Hilbert Foster to assist this top Grade Six student whose mother is a single parent.
Top CSEC student Kevin Basdeo, who has roots in Rose Hall Town, carried home $35,000 in cash and an electronic tablet donated by Bhesham Ramnauth, beside a trophy and medals. Basdeo, who aspires to become a teacher, obtained 10 subjects are the recent CSEC.

Former Human Resource Manager of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, Raymond Hanif, sponsored the Zaheeda and Sharima Hanif Bursary Awards in honour of his late mother and grandmother.
The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club continued its assistance to youths seeking to fulfill their educational ambition by awarding a one-year scholarship to 16-year- old Marissa Siriram of Chesney, who received $250,000 under the RHTY&SC/ Coral Trim Bagot Educational Scholarship Fund.
Foster, who recently served as president of the Berbice Cricket Board, has said that Mrs. Bagot readily agreed to sponsor the fund after she was approached by the club to so do as part of the 54th anniversary celebration.
Miss Siriram was one of several UG students who had applied for the scholarship and was eventually selected by three judges. Mrs. Bagot has said she is pleased to support the fund, and has committed to supporting Miss Siriram for the rest of her university classes.
Miss Siriram, who is aspiring to become a medical doctor, has expressed her happiness at obtaining the scholarship, and has wished the RHTY&SC and its cricket team more success in the future.
Rose Hall village became a township on September 24, 1990 with Hubert Benn as its first mayor. Over the years, this small township has undergone massive development and is today widely considered the economic centre of East Berbice. The present mayor is Mr. Dave Budoo.