The Bridgetown Port Taxi Co-op Society Ltd is helping vulnerable families get ready for the new school year, providing back-to-school assistance to students at three primary schools in Christ Church and St Michael.
The Co-op made special presentations to St Lawrence Primary, St Mark’s Primary and St Stephen’s Primary on Tuesday, with the schools’ principals and senior staff accepting the donations for students and families.
Although the organisation did not disclose the value of the financial support, Adrian Smiley Bailey, the president of the Co-op, said the initiative was part of its commitment to giving back to the community.
President of the Bridgetown Port Taxi Co-op Society Ltd, Adrian “Smiley” Bailey. (Photo Credit: Shamar Blunt)
“This is something that we have been doing over the last two to three years, but because of COVID, we put a halt to it,” Bailey said.
He explained that the board selected three schools but left it up to the school administrators to decide which students needed help.
“I think the principals at these schools know the system more than anybody else in Barbados,” he said, noting that there are 64 primary schools and more than 15,000 primary school students.
Bailey said the need was great, particularly for families with multiple children, and urged other organisations to help as well.
He also spoke up for parents who may have taken time to enjoy Crop Over and the summer before the start of school.
“A year consists of 52 weeks,” Bailey said. “If some of these parents have parented these children for 52 weeks of the year and they take a chance and enjoy Crop Over when school is around the corner just for two weeks, we have to understand that these are parents who are looking after children for 52 weeks of the year and they need to enjoy themselves at some time.”
Bailey said the initiative would continue next year, with the Co-op hoping to expand its reach from three schools to as many as ten.
He also acknowledged the support of the Bridgetown Port, businessman Eddy Abed and Copacabana, while recalling the assistance the Co-op received from Government during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If today, on the 25th of August, we can be given back something to assist children in Barbados, this gesture, I hope it can go a very long way,” he said.
The presentations were made to St Lawrence Primary Principal Lorraine Gittens, St Stephen’s Primary senior teacher Wendy Archer and acting St Mark’s Primary Principal Tamara Whittaker-Massiah.
St Michael North West MP Neil Rowe, along with Christ Church South MP and Minister of Agriculture Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, thanked the Co-op for its contribution, with Munro-Knight describing it as particularly important at this time of year.
St Michael North West MP Neil Rowe presenting St Stephen’s Primary senior teacher Wendy Archer with a donation from the Bridgetown Port Taxi Co-op. (Photo Credit: Shamar Blunt)
“We all know that there are certain vulnerable families within our society and therefore again this assistance, I believe, will go a long way in helping them,” she said.
She also praised the Co-op for choosing to invest its resources in children and acknowledged the support the Government provided to taxi operators during the pandemic.
She said, “You could have done several things with the resources that you are giving back, but the fact that you’ve chosen to do this is important as well, and that you acknowledge the fact that government would have during that COVID period, also provided some assistance, and therefore doing this is just a little bit of that recognition as well.”
(SB)
The post Bridgetown Port Taxi Co-op helps students gear up for new term appeared first on Barbados Today.
