Today, the ANSA McAL Foundation donated 100 Amazon Fire Tablets to the Ministry of Education (MoE) to support the sector in Guyana.
Recognizing the challenges learners across the Caribbean were encountering with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ANSA McAL Foundation embarked on an intervention to assist nations with addressing the challenges associated with learning due to the pandemic.
Through its (ANSA McAL) One Caribbean One Future One Yard virtual benefit concert which was held on the 30th October 2020, the company was able to raise funding to procure the 100 devices for Guyana. At a handing over ceremony at the MoE’s lot 26 Brickdam office, the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand underscored the timeliness and the importance of the donation and expressed gratitude on behalf of her Ministry.
Minister Manickchand said that Guyana, like many other countries has been grappling with the difficulties that COVID-19 has presented. She said with schools being closed initially for the entire school population, devices were and are still needed to ensure learning continues.
The Education Minister said that the majority of the tablets will go towards a pilot programme being done in the hinterland communities. This entails pre-loaded tablets being given to hinterland students writing the 2021 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.
In brief remarks, Troy Cadogan, Managing Director – ANSA McAL Guyana said that his company is happy to assist and noted that the organization has a good track record of supporting education and community development in Guyana and across the region. He explained that the company will continue to support such initiatives in ensuring that its obligations to its corporate social responsibilities are met.
The University of Guyana’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin – an ANSA McAL 2014 Laureate presented the tablets to Minister of Education Priya Manickchand on behalf of the Foundation. Other countries that will benefit from this intervention by ANSA McAL are St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Barbados and Jamaica.
