Published 12 October 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Record number to benefit from Constituency Number Seven Help-a-Child Programme
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, October 12, 2018 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — A record 80 pupils will this year benefit from the Annual Constituency Number Seven Help-a-Child Programme which is the brainchild of the Area Parliamentary Representative, and Prime Minister of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris.
According coordinator Ms Myrtilla Williams, it is an educational assistance-based programme Dr Harris started as he firmly believes that the future of a nation depends on its youths who should be moulded and given every opportunity to develop to their best by providing them with whatever assistance that is necessary to help them with their education.
Covering students who attend the four primary schools in Constituency Number Seven, Ms Williams observed that the Help-a-Child Programme is not directed specifically to the brightest children. She noted that it is a programme of hope and encouragement for all the children to let them know that education is a gift and as they are going to school, they should take the opportunity and use it to the best that they can.
The ceremony will be held, under the distinguished patronage of Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, on Wednesday October 17 starting from 5:00 pm at the Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Bourryeau. There is a social aspect to the ceremony as constituents are invited to come out to show support to the children. In the past ceremonies attendance by constituents was always very high, turning out in their hundreds.
The programme started in 2004 with 24 children, six from each of the primary schools in the constituency, namely Edgar T. Morris in Tabernacle, Estridge in Mansion, Joshua Obadiah Williams in Molineux, and Violet Petty in Lodge. This year the Constituency Number Seven Help-a-Child Programme will cater for 80 children attending the four primary schools, along with the Cotton Thomas Comprehensive School in Basseterre and a few children who live in Constituency Number Seven but attend primary schools elsewhere.
“This year the Prime Minister is facilitating 80 children at $500 per child,” said Ms Williams. “That is a total of $40,000 just in the academic grants for this year, as he has always had the practice of providing some sort of supply or assistance to the schools themselves.”
Last year the programme sponsored 68 children, and the total number of students that would have been touched over the 15 years that it has been in existence now stands at 583 students. The financial value of the sponsorship since it started now stands at just under $300,000.
“Every year we have citizens in the neighbouring communities as well as nationally, who support this programme and so some will to partner with Dr Harris to ensure that the programme is successful year after year,” observed Ms Williams. “To those persons we would always want to say thank you for joining with us and believing in the children.”
ENDS
Pix captions:
1: Prime Minister Harris poses for a group picture with some of the beneficiaries of Constituency Number Seven Help-a-Child Programme in 2017.
2: Prime Minister Harris presenting a scholarship award to a pupil during the programme’s 12th year in 2015. On the right is the programme’s coordinator Ms Myrtilla Williams
