Single mothers urged to ensure their children seize opportunities of free education and available scholarships

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JULY 31ST 2013 (CUOPM) – Single working mothers in St. Kitts and Nevis will continue to get opportunities to improve their living conditions through home and land ownership, job opportunities and education of their children.

This assurance has come from Prime Minister of the Federation, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, who told workers, most of them single mothers and head of households, that they should also ensure that their children seize the opportunities of a free secondary education and the availability of scholarships and financial assistance to pursue tertiary-level education in St. Kitts and overseas.

“Your Labour Government continues to provide opportunities to improve yourselves through affordable homes. This Labour Government continues to improve your family conditions by making it possible for your children, not to come and work in the factories with you, but to go off to universities and colleges abroad,” Dr. Douglas told scores on workers on the C. A. Paul Southwell Industrial Park.

“We want them to have alternative employment. That is why we are not wasting any time in asking you to make sure that your children make use of the Secondary Education and the Tertiary Level and College Opportunities that are being provided to them. That is why I say, it doesn’t matter how poor you are. Once you have that bright child, just leave him to us and we are going to take care of him because that is our job. Your Labour Government’s job is to take care of them and it is important that you and us understand that your young bright children must make use of the opportunity to go off to the universities and colleges,” said the Prime Minister.

He said the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis offers student loans and there are a number of scholarships being offered by several friendly countries including Taiwan, Mexico, Cuba, Morocco and Turkey.

“These scholarships can be used to educate your children so that they can become professionals and improving the living standards of our people. My Government’s aim is to ensure that every single home of this country has at least one graduate, or two, or three, who will be able to improve quality of life of your families,” said Dr. Douglas.

“That is why we continue to say that Labour is a movement. Labour is not just a Party. It is a movement, moving people forward and not backward. Labour will take you from where you were and move you through the social ladder,” said the St. Kitts and Nevis leader.