New Berbice foundation aiming at scholarships for poor students
The Mohabir Mookerchand Persaud Foundation of Excellence was launched in grand style at the J.C Chandisingh Secondary School on Monday.
The founder of the Non Profit Organisation, Mohabir Persaud, an overseas based Guyanese and a former student of the J.C Chandisingh school, during his brief speech to the gathering explained that the foundation was launched to provide financial support to underprivileged students who despite facing many challenges have managed to maintain a fair grade. According to Persaud, although the initiative will start at the J.C Chandisingh School, he hopes that it will further extend to other high schools in the region and then possibly throughout the country.
During the launching ceremony, the MMP awarded its first scholarship to Mahendra Phagwah, a fifth form student currently at the J.C Chandisingh who is planning to sit sixteen subjects in the next CSEC Examination. Phagwah, in delivering the vote of thanks, charged the students gathered to never take access to education for granted. He told them of several of his challenges. “I attended the Berbice High School. I had to ride to school every day but I was diagnosed with a heart condition and then had to ease that. Many nights I went to bed late and had little or nothing to go to school with the next day”. Phagwah broke into tears as he explained that he gave up and dropped out of high school but was later roped into the school system by a teacher at the J.C Chandisingh with the support of the region’s Education Department.
Meanwhile, ten students from the J.C Chandisingh Secondary School also received certificates signalling the foundation’s commitment to assist financially in their CSEC examinations.
High School students with a grade of 65% or higher can submit a letter to the MMP Foundation explaining their situation and stating their desire to be a recipient of the scholarships.