Mayaro Catholic Church begins classes for immigrants

More than 25 Venezuelan refugee children living in Mayaro will receive free classes as of Monday as part of the support that the local Catholic Church has been giving to immigrants.

The educational programme will be carried out through the Mayaro Trinidad Venezuela Without Barriers organisation.

General co-ordinator Oliver Alexander said the classes will be from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 2 pm in the parish hall of the Mayaro RC Church.

He said the main objective was to benefit Venezuelan children currently living in Mafeking, Bristol, Rabbita, Manzanilla Road and Mayaro.

“We are working together with Father Simon Peters of the Mayaro RC Church so that refugee children can receive education and continue their healthy growth as good citizens.”

Alexander said would be led by Trinidadian and Venezuelan teachers.

"This week we held some meetings between teachers, church representatives and the programme organising team to define the plan."

Belisa Mazarelli, a Venezuelan teacher, said children would receive English, mathematics, geography, science and nature classes.

"They are children who arrived with their Venezuelan parents in TT fleeing the social and economic crisis that Venezuela is currently living and deserve to continue with their normal lives."

Archbishop of Port of Spain Charles Jason Gordon said on December 20, that among the main priorities of the Catholic Church was the enrolment of migrant children in schools and that the Board of Administration of Catholic Education was working with other stakeholders to find space for the children.

"Last year, in May, I asked all parishes to start a ministry, there are many parishes that do an incredible job, but they can't keep up with this because the number (of migrants) increases every week."

The Archbishop had been visited by Vatican priest, Fr Robert Stark.

Speaking at a press conference at the Archbishop's House, Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain, Gordon said that while the diocese tried to accommodate all migrants in the best possible way, there were financial restrictions and said Stark would lead to more funds for such programmes.