Venezuelan re-migrants receive school grants amid challenging reintegration

Migrants from Venezuela in Guyana, many with children enrolled in schools, are benefitting from the education grants currently being distributed in across the country. The distribution of the ‘Because We Care’ student grants commenced on Monday in Regions Seven and Nine.

Deodat Deochand, a Guyanese father who returned from Venezuela with his three daughters and wife, told the News Room that it has been challenging to adjust to life in Guyana.

After living in Venezuela for almost two decades, he returned to Guyana in 2022. He has two daughters attending the St. Anthony Primary School – they are in Grades Two and Five – his eldest daughter is sitting for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exam. Deochand said his daughters speak Spanish and this makes interactions in school difficult.

“The language beating them but they are trying…the other one writing CXC and she really trying,” Deochand said.

Though the family benefitted from the student grant before, he said this was the first time he went to receive the grant, as previously, his wife handled this.

With more distribution sites and teachers on the ground assisting, the Ministry of Education has made efforts to make the distribution of the grant smoother.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand visited schools in Region Seven and she noted the turnout of persons who migrated from Venezuela and have children enrolled in schools. She said the student grant is for every student in the school system and how the cash is utilised to benefit these students is to be determined by the parents.

“Once your children are registered, each and every child will get this grant in this country.

“It’s important to note that you have Venezuelans who have children in school whether they are from [Venezuela] with Guyanese parentage or not,” the minister said.