Twenty-nine-year-old Mohabir M Persaud is the founder of the Mohabir Mookoorchand Persaud (MMP) Foundation for Excellence, which was launched on October 17, 2016 with the objective of providing financial support for under-privileged students.
The non-profit organisation was officially launched at the JC Chandisingh Secondary School located in Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice, where its first scholarship was presented and 10 students were given a certificate of commitment to receive financial assistance for their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
A former student of the school, the founder reached out to JC Chandisingh Secondary as the first school whose students would benefit, and now the Foundation has extended its help to students from other schools in the Region including Corentyne Comprehensive High, Lower Corentyne Secondary and Port Mourant Secondary.
The Foundation, under the theme, “One Child can change the World with an Education”, is his way of giving back to the community and to the school he attended, as his teachers and family saw potential in him and were able to help him excel in his exams.
No stranger to adversity, Persaud’s high school years were very challenging. “I did not grow up in the best possible conditions as my family experienced struggles along the way. But those years helped to steer me towards a path of success, and to those individuals out there who might lose hope when faced with difficult circumstances, I would like to say to them that no struggle is too great for you to overcome if you are willing to work hard and make the relevant sacrifices,” he noted.
As an overseas-based Guyanese, he works two jobs with a limited sleep cycle of a maximum three hours which allows him to provide for his family and more so, helping others who are facing similar or even greater difficulties in Guyana.
The MMP Foundation celebrated its first anniversary on October 17, 2017 and was proud to say that it has positively influenced the lives of many students.
Students with the desire to strive for excellence were given necessary school supplies, travelling and Internet allowances and 41 Certificates of Commitment were issued which mean CSEC fees for 2018 will be paid for the recipients.
Any student desirous of obtaining a scholarship is required to submit a letter to the MMP Foundation, stating their circumstances and must maintain a grade of 65 per cent to be considered.
It is Persaud’s hope that this endeavour will empower students to become the future of our nation and realise their full potential, to surpass all goals that they may have to better themselves and make meaningful contributions to society.
Apart from being the founder of the Foundation, Persaud has a passion for fashion and design, which he has been feeding from a young age.
He was the only student to sit the Clothing and Textiles examination at his school in 2005, and was awarded as the best graduating student for the home economics department that year.
He also has done decorating for various occasions such as weddings and birthdays – something he loves. In another 10 years, he projects that the Foundation will expand countrywide and hopefully internationally.
On a lighter note, his biggest inspiration is Malala Yousafzai who said “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world”. This statement, he noted, had a profound impact on him as it inspired him to do more through the Foundation.
