“I am no special person or even a brilliant student. All I
did was to study, study, study.
“If I can do it, anyone can.
“You just have to make up your mind and go for your goals,”
she advised the scores of students who were present to celebrate
with her.
She had the presence of mind to thank everyone for the special moment.
“This means a lot to me to see you all here today.
“I hope it encourages the students in Kernahan to strive to
be the best you can despite all the obstacles,” Harripersad
noted.
Harripersad attended Ortoire RC, then graduated to Mayaro Composite
and Rio Claro College, before entering UWI to pursue studies in
Sociology in the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Before the village received an electricity supply four years ago,
she studied with flambeau light and candles.
She is a recipient of the “Brighter Prospects” Scholarship
Programme, an education initiative of energy company bpTT, which
offers scholarships to students in Mayaro, with the ability, but
lacking the financial resources, to fulfil their educational potential.
According to Rajaram Harripersad, the assistance from bpTT has gone
a long way in making ends meet to send his daughter to university.
“It has been a lot of sacrifice to put Hema through to university.
When she passed Common Entrance, I had to sell a piece of land to
send her to school.
“For farmers like us, there is no regular payday. When it
floods, we lose everything. It is a constant struggle.
“We are grateful for the help from bpTT,” he told his
fellow villagers.
What makes Harripersad’s academic achievement even more noteworthy
is the fact that Kernahan, along with other communities in Mayaro,
has the unenviable record of having the lowest literacy levels in
Trinidad and Tobago.
Hope has come the way of the “Kernahanites” and the
entire population of Mayaro through a collaborative effort between
bpTT and the Adult Literacy Tutors’ Association (ALTA), through
a comprehensive and ambitious adult literacy programme for the various
communities.
As MPPA President Alexander explained at the get-together, the day
will come when more youths from Kernahan will follow in Harripersad’s
footsteps and enter university.
“Right here today we see students who have had to drop out
of school with three or four “O” Level subjects, simply
because their parents cannot afford to meet the costs of sending
them to school.
“But you should take advantage of bpTT”s edcuation incentive
programme, especially the ‘Brighter Prospects’ initiative,”
Alexander said.
He urged the residents to form an organisation to fight for their
rights and to put Kernahan on the map of Trinidad and Tobago.
As the celebrations went well into the night at the Harripersad’s
residence, for once the village of Kernahan, neglected and forgotten,
was able to take pride in the achievement of one of their very own.
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