Portland students benefit from back-to-school treat
Published:Friday | August 19, 2022 | 12:06 AMGareth Davis Sr/Gleaner Writer
BUFF BAY, Portland:
More than 200 students have benefited from a special back-to-school treat put on by Councillor Caretaker for the Buff Bay division in West Portland, Desmond Lewis, as part of an initiative to ease what he described as “the economic hardships brought about by COVID-19”.
Lewis, who pointed out that he is merely giving back to his alma mater, Buff Bay Primary School, said that staging a back-to-school treat is necessary at this time as there is a definite need to extend help to parents in the Buff Bay area and beyond, who according to him, are having a difficult time providing for their children ahead of the 2022/2023 academic school year.
“We recognise that there is a significant challenge among the people, especially parents in the Buff Bay area and other adjoining communities, who are unable to meet the demand for back to school,” commented Lewis.
“Having realised this. We decided to come up with ways and means of assisting in this crisis situation and today we are giving at least 500 students bags and books and all the basic necessity. We are also providing upwards of 200 book vouchers in the range of $2,500. I want to thank the people of Buff Bay for coming out and I want to thank our main sponsor, Cal’s Manufacturing Limited, and all the other sponsors that have made this event possible.
“We believe that an educated society is the best society and we are playing our part to ensure that at least kids can go back to school and be able to get a proper education. It is important to focus on students and their education and COVID-19 really dealt us a terrible blow. So we know that it is absolutely necessary for students to be able to return to school, having lost significant learning period during the two years of the lockdown,” he added.
Lewis, who is a past student of Buff Bay Primary School, is the standard-bearer for the People’s National Party. He is seeking to unseat sitting councillor, Dion Hunter, in a constituency that is being represented by high-profile Member of Parliament Daryl Vaz.
And one parent, Michelle King, said that she is grateful for the assistance provided by the councillor, which, according to her, will go a far way in easing the burdens on her pocket.
“Some of us have more than one child going to back to school and I am happy to be getting some form of help. It now means that my child and many others will be able to return to school in September,” said King.
The students, who were accompanied by their parents, received notebooks, bags, pencils, erasers, rules, geometry sets, water bottles, textbook vouchers, and scrapbooks.
The students were also entertained throughout the day at the kiddie’s corner comprising a bounceabout, trampoline, and a water slide. Additionally, the children also received free meals including hot dog, fruit juice, rice and peas and chicken, soup, bottled water, and bag juice, which were provided by Cal’s Manufacturing.