Businessman helps school, students

BUSINESSMAN Preston Sam has come to the rescue of 24 students of a primary school in Sangre Grande, who are among the 65,000 students without devices or access to the internet. This includes three students from the Morales family of Tamana, who have been studying by a pitch oil lamp as they have no electrical connection to their home.

The children, Crystal, ten, Arabella, seven and Arianna, five, students of Jubilee Presbyterian School, have no access to the online classes.

The managing director of Advanced Taxation and Business Services Ltd, Sam has provided three months internet service for Jubilee Presbyterian School so that the student population can access classes which are being conducted on line.

He also distributed stationery to the school last week and is working with the MP Roger Munroe and Works Minister Rohan Sinanan to get a water connection to the school and the road leading to the building, paved. Sam whose company is based in Sangre Grande told the Newsday schools in Sangre Grande need a lot of attention.

“Sangre Grande has fallen by the wayside. I know there are other areas in the country that is just as bad, but it is sad. You have people in this area who have nothing, nothing. A lot of talented children have gone to waste. Children who had the ability to play cricket, football, they just went to waste because there are no sporting facilities in the area. So much talent has gone to waste.”

Sam said his company has been doing a lot of charity work to ensure children with talent have the opportunity to fulfil their potential for a better future. He said the principal of Jubilee, Theresa Motilal, reached out to his company for help. “This school is in such a bad state. It has now water connection and the road leading to the building is terrible.”

While he was in the process of helping the school, he said he came upon an article (in another newspaper) about three children from the school who had no electricity and had to study by the light of a lamp which uses kerosene.

Accompanied by Motilal, Sam went to the home of Brandon and Angelie Morales to present them and their children with items to make their living condition a little easier. He said TTEC has provided connection to the Morales home and he was able to present them with a washing machine and television.

He said because there is limited internet access in that area, Advanced Taxation has been working with the principal to get teachers to do videos of the different subjects. “My intention is to actually donate DVD players to each child so they can view and review the videos.”

Sam said presently packages are prepared by the teachers and distributed to the students, but these have to be collected and returned to the teachers. “With the videos there is no need for live feed and the child would have an opportunity to review the work.”

He said he has received positive feedback from Sinanan to assist in fixing the road and getting a water connection to the school.