BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS – Some 2,000 preschool, primary and secondary students in St Kitts are beneficiaries of a shipment of school supplies from the United States, according to the United States Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The shipment, courtesy of the Denton Program, is valued at approximately USD$80,000 (EC$216,000) and is a combination of care packs and school supplies that will be distributed through the ATime4Us Foundation.
It will benefit several families with school-age children across the island.
The school supplies, which meet Ministry of Education requirements, will benefit 1,550 primary and high school students, 120 special education students, approximately 150 post-high school students, and around 200 preschool children from the most disadvantaged families. The items were donated by Source Relief.
Chris Findlay from Source Relief and Scott and Connie Jaynes from the ATime4Us Foundation, which conducts humanitarian work on the island, were on hand to receive the delivery.
The Jaynes welcomed the support provided by the United States Government, noting the positive impact this assistance will have on the educational development and well-being of the children and their families.
The Denton Program, which is jointly administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Defense, allows donors to use space available on U.S. military cargo planes to transport humanitarian goods and equipment to countries in need.
The shipment was delivered by a US military aircraft which landed at the Robert L Bradshaw International Airport last month.