Facing the possibility of missing out on his first week of school, Josiah Gay spent the last hours of his school vacation praying for a miracle.
His parents, Alpha Ramdass and father Lyndon Gay, a fisherman, had been struggling to find money to acquire everything he needed to go to his first choice school, St Benedict’s College, after the fishing industry was thrown into chaos because of oil spills and fish kill scare last month.
With the new term fast approaching, Josiah was worried that despite working hard and scoring excellent marks in the SEA exams, he would be unable to attend school. As they looked at their son’s sad face, Josiah’s parents begged friends and relatives for support.
Josiah’s grandmother, Younis Gay, used her pension money to buy school uniforms for him and his two siblings Joleen, six and Joleena, three, while his aunt, Renata Dookie, bought them notebooks, a few textbooks and stationary. However, the family still had no money to pay Josiah’s passage to get to San Fernando or to buy him a new book bag or shoes.
It was only yesterday, after the president of the St Benedict’s College Past Pupil Association Moriba Baker and community activist Shankar Teeluchsingh contacted the family pledging support, that Josiah breathed a sigh of relief.
“Finally, I am on my way to school,” Josiah told the T&T Guardian.
The young boy, who is respected as one of the top academic performers in his village, Fullerton, said he was thankful for the assistance given to him.
“My mother had told me that she won’t be able to send me to school for the first week because the bus does not pick up the Form Ones from the first week,” Josiah said.
Expressing eagerness to start classes, Josiah said he was relieved when told that he would finally get a chance to go to school. Lyndon said while he was proud of his son, he was still worried about financing his son’s education.
In an interview yesterday evening, after they got word of the boy’s plight from the T&T Guardian, Baker said the association will pay Josiah’s transportation fees until he gets a place on the free school bus. He said the books, shoes and bag which Josiah needs will also be purchased.
“During orientation we told parents that anyone who is in need we will assist,” Baker said.
Josiah’s mother expressed gratitude for the support when contacted yesterday.
“I haven’t heard this kind of thing happening in a long time. It feels good that people could care enough to do this for my son,” she said.
More students in need
In an interview, Teeluchsingh said a 25-seater bus operates from Cedros to Granville transporting students to St Benedict’s, ASJA Boys and Girls, Presentation College and Naparima. However he said this was not sufficient.
“There are more than 25 students going to these schools and we have a lot of poor people in these areas. A private bus charges $200 a week and it is very hard for some parents even when the students excel,” Teeluchsingh said.
He also questioned why fishermen from the south western peninsula were sidelined in Government’s financial aid programme. Saying more than 1,000 fishermen were affected by the dip in fish sales caused by the recent oilspills and fish kills, Teeluchsingh called on the Government to assist the fishing communities of Granville, Fullerton, Icacos, St Marie, Bonasse, Bamboo and St Mary’s.
He explained that while Josiah was able to get assistance in time for the new term, dozens of other children in the peninsula will have no choice but to stay at home because their parents could not afford to send them to school.