Siparia friends give free sandwiches to students amid covid19

Hot dogs being prepared to distribute to Siparia children -
Hot dogs being prepared to distribute to Siparia children -

After the Prime Minister announced the closure of all schools until April 20 to reduce the spread of covid19, two friends decided to help primary and secondary school children who depended on the school feeding programme.

Nikisha Scipio, 43, and Gabriella Martin, 44, who work for the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) at Ritoville, Siparia, will provide children from the area with free sandwiches.

In a Facebook post, Scipio said, “Good day, my friend Gabriella and I are willing to make sandwiches daily for the next week at my shop for those parents who depend on school feeding for meals for their kids. We will be making cheese paste (sandwiches) and hot dogs, please message us directly if you are interested or know anyone who is less fortunate please inbox me. This only extends to the Siparia area.”

The two became friends when they started working together about a year ago. Scipio has two children – a daughter and a son – and Martin has two daughters. Speaking with Newsday on Thursday afternoon, Scipio said they came up with the idea on the way home from work on Monday.

Nikisha Scipio (left) and her friend Gabriella Martin. -

“We know the situation of some of the children in the area, and Gabby was saying, ‘I was going through Facebook and I see somebody was talking about giving sandwiches to children and stuff.’ But she said that was in New Grant and then she said, ‘You know, we should do that down here.’”

She said several people from the area messaged her after the Facebook post, including someone from Santa Flora. They then decided to try it on Tuesday at her shop, also in Siparia, which she opened last week. “When I opened the shop, it had so many children, and it was a joy just to see how these children were coming.

“It’s not that these parents are just home and lazy and not making anything for their children – it’s that some of them really don’t have. So it was nice (to help).”

She also visited Ritoville to distribute some of the sandwiches to children in the area, as she understands not everyone may be able to come to her shop. Told other people and companies have been undertaking similar drives, she said she feels very happy. She said they both hope it is something they can continue even after the pandemic is controlled.

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