Education commits to assisting school-aged squatters at Graham’s Hall Shelter

Oct 25, 2020 News

CDC officials setting up the shelter for the displaced squatters.

Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Education (MOE) will be assisting school-aged squatters who will be housed at the Graham’s Hall Primary School, currently being used as a shelter for squatters in the Success area on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) since many of them were displaced by flooding of the area by Guyana Sugar Company/ National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (GuySuCo/NICIL).
This was announced by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in a statement released yesterday.
The assistance will come in the form of educational materials like the worksheets currently being rolled out by the Ministry. This was confirmed by an official of the MOE who also said that the worksheets will be age-appropriate, meaning the content will suit the grade level of each student. According to the official, the children will be doing the worksheets with teachers’ assistance.
The CDC also disclosed that more persons are now seeking shelter at the Graham’s Hall Primary School. There are currently 12 persons at the shelter and of that number, seven are males and five are females. It was also stated that three school-aged children are currently at the shelter, two girls and one boy.
The CDC opened the doors of the Graham’s Hall Primary School to the squatters last week, following the government’s promise to shelter them. Prime Minister, Mark Phillips had visited the area when the squatters started protesting about water being dispersed on the land to “flood them out” and told them that shelter would soon be provided.
It is a temporary place to house the squatters as the government continues their efforts to clear those illegally occupying the Success lands owned by GuySuCo/NICIL.
The government, for months, has been trying to get the squatters off of the lands, maintaining that it is being used to cultivate new cane species with the Enmore and La Bonne Intention Estates set for reopening.
In light of the flooding, many squatters have refused to go to the shelter, maintaining that they will only move if they are given lands. Despite this, the Director-General of the CDC, Kester Craig was pleased to see the increase in persons coming into the shelter and is encouraging the squatters being affected the flooding to urgently contact the National Emergency Management System (NEMS) of the CDC on 226-1114, 623-1700 and 600-7500 and make their way to the Graham’s Hall Primary School, Cummings Lodge, ECD, where they will be housed.