Mayaro assoc plans to distribute meals to students

Starting from Monday, members of the Mayaro Past Pupils’ Association (MPPA) intend to distribute 100 meals to primary school students who are under stay-at-home orders as the country's deals with the covid19 pandemic.

Chairman Oliver Alexander, in a phone interview, said: "We already have the names and addresses of students from five schools. Many of them depend on box lunches at school. How could anyone study on a hungry belly? Many parents are also looking forward to this."

The Education Ministry through the School Feeding Programme provides breakfast and lunch to students. Recently, Social Development Minister, Camille Robinson-Regis, announced that children who are registered under the programme will receive temporary food support cards valued $510.

Many people cannot access the cards due to "problems" such as failing to present certain documents when they signed up for the programme. Alexander, on behalf of MPPA, is calling on other groups as well as the business sector to "come on board" saying the association only has finances to support the initiative daily, for about two weeks.

He praised staff at Southern Maintenance Services Ltd as well as the Syrian-Lebanese Women's Association for helping with the drive. "We want to continue this even after covid19. Mayaro comprises mainly fishing and agricultural communities. The logistics to drop off the food is challenging, and we welcome any help with transportation," Alexander said.

He said that last Wednesday, the MPPA joined with two other groups — Mayguaya Youth Foundation and the Mayaro Boys — to assist the elderly who visited the Mayaro branch of Republic Bank to collect their monthly pensions. Mayaro/Gayaguayare councillor Wendell Perez also participated.

The groups set up tents and chairs donated by S&A Tent Rentals and Lec Tech Rentals, outside the bank’s car park where grateful pensioners sheltered from the blazing sun. He said the bank did its part as well to ensure that all of the pensioners were able to access their cheques within two hours.