Fisherfolk living along the East Coast Demerara showed up in their numbers to receive the promised $150,000 one-off cash grant on Monday.
The distributions were held at the Unity Ball Field Centre and Lusignan Community Centre where Vice-President Bharat Jagdeo spearheaded the exercises that saw millions being paid out to thousands of fishermen.
During the exercise at Lusignan, the Vice President explained that although many persons have registered to benefit from the grant, there are persons for whom further verifications are required.
“There are two groups of people here, the majority who will get their cheque now, about, over 700, then there are some who will get the grant too but they don’t have an ID card…73 of those people we will meet separately, the rest will get,” the Vice President said.
Fisherfolk from the areas of Liliendaal, Ogle, Montrose, Better Hope, La Bonne Intention, Triumph, Mon Repos, Good Hope, Annandale, Friendship and Lusignan received their grant at this site.
Meanwhile, at the Unity Ball Field Centre persons from Beehive,Golden Grove, Mahaica, Melanie, Unity, Victoria and Enmore got theirs. Over $75M was distributed to fishermen during the meeting at Unity.
Beneficiaries of the grant told the News Room that they are happy for the assistance which will be used to make several necessary purchases for both work and their homes. Meanwhile, others shared that they will be using the money from the grant to purchase much-needed equipment and other household items.
Aman Chandrapaul said, “We are thankful for this lil money, we got things to do. We could buy some groceries or something for in the house because right now things really rough. We deh on sea for 35 years and we ain’t getting nothing,”
Cecil Rampaul who recently moved to Providence, East Bank Demerara but lived at Better Hope when he registered, explained that his house was affected by a recent flood.
“We get flood, the koker break away and many of our stuff was damaged. I’m glad I get back this money to help me to buy back some of my stuff,” he said.
Ramnarine Persaud a sailor said, “this is very important to me I am going to make very good use of it to buy groceries and clothes, we need it.”
“It’s nice for the government to give us a voucher cheque for $150,000 because the fishes outside hard to catch…we get something instead of getting nothing. Right now my whole roof leaking, I have to change the zinc I will use this money for the roof and the wall,” Pemchan Persaud of Mon Repos said.
“I would like to thank the president and Zulfikar Mustapha for everything that he’s done because right now the fish catch ease in the sea,” Deopaul Pritipaul, another fisherman said.
