Carlos James gives students needed boost

Picking up from where he left off last year, Unity Labour Party (ULP) candidate for North Leeward Carlos James has once again come to the assistance of underprivileged students from that constituency who attend post secondary institutions in Kingstown.

At a press conference last Tuesday at the Professional Secretarial Services conference room, James handed over a cheque of $10,000 to Cayama Edwards, one of the directors of Generation Next Inc, a Chateubelair based non-profit group, which he said will be responsible for selecting the students to receive the bursaries.{{more}}

James, through his organization Access to College Education Programme (ACEP), has partnered with Generation Next Inc, which he said will disburse the funds.

The beneficiaries of the programme received their letters of acceptance during the handing over ceremony.

James told reporters that the cheque will not only benefit the group of students for the 2015-2016 academic year, but will extend to the 2017 academic year for students enrolled in the ACEP.

According to James, when he started the programme in 2014, there were just a few recipients from North Leeward and he made a conscious effort to double that figure for this year.

“I want you to understand that it is a continuation of the work I started in 2014 and I am putting in place the resources here for this programme to continue into 2016. I am encouraging the business community and persons out there inclined to assist in any form, they can contact Generation Next in North Leeward,” James said.

Stressing that he was not assisted by Government in any way, James disclosed that funds for the programme came from his pockets and donations from others.

“I know that there are critics who would say, Mr James is being helped by the Government, that is why he is doing so well with young people and putting on these programmes in North Leeward. Every single cent you see here are hard-working dollars that came from my pocket and the assistance of who believe in me and believe in the work I am doing in North Leeward. I want to make that clear,” James said.

“Many students out there wished they had the opportunities that you have and I want to encourage you to stay focus and stay in school…,” he said, adding that the programme is not in any way politically motivated.

He said he hopes that every student from North Leeward who applies to the SVGCC will be able to get some form of assistance, because they are coming from vulnerable communities.

“They are coming from communities I believe we have to pay a greater focus on in terms of the way we deal with youths. In terms of training, both vocational and academic forms of training,” James said.

Gunshot victim, Sweet-I Robertson, who is now paralyzed from the waist down, is also a recipient of a bursary from the ACEP.

“I am really proud of you all. You are going to become model citizens. I encourage you to stay on the right path and be focussed, because what we are doing here is that we are giving you a foundation where you can step up and advance yourself academically…,” James added.

In her brief remarks, Edwards said Generation Next was born out of the desire to assist persons, especially financially.

“To team up with a programme of this nature is aiding the realization of our goals as a group. North Leeward is filled with potential, especially academically and it is our wish that young people not be disadvantaged because of a lack of finances,” she said.(KW)