Dominica Cooperative Societies League gives eight scholarships in 2018

Eight students were awarded scholarships and bursaries from the Dominica Cooperative Societies League when that organisation held a brief ceremony at the conference room of the Prevost Cinemall on Thursday 23 August 2018.

Among the awardees: Sev Sage Mc Kenzie, who topped the National Grade Six Assessment this year, received the merit Joffre Robinson Scholarship; Nelia Thomas received the Sister Alicia Scholarship based on need; bursaries winners were: Ryan George, Jaihyda Matthew, Clovens Vestal, Dravid Alfred, Kezroy Massicott and Adriv Nelson.

Each awardee is to be offered full payment of school fees, a uniform allowance of $250 in his/ her first and third years, full payment of examination fees and a travel allowance, if the student lives beyond a half mile radius from the school he attends.

Over the years the League has given 24 full scholarships and 32 partial scholarships to Dominican secondary schools students.

While addressing the ceremony Phoenix Belfield, the General Manager said the league will continue to invest in student's education.

"For us at the league it is extreme privilege we can play such a role over the years we have been contributing to national development not only through scholarships but as the apex body we give guidance to the credit unions and also provide advocacy on their behalf," Belfield said.

Meanwhile, Belfield said the League wants to help members whose businesses were affected by the recent departure from Dominica to Barbados of Ross University School of Medicine from the island.

"And just like any other financial institution we have to find ways to mitigate against that but most importantly we have to find ways to assist our members, some of whom would have been affected by the withdrawal, through having their businesses curtailed, some of them would have had apartments emptied, some of them would have lost employment," Belfield said.

Portsmouth, he said, looks like "a ghost town" since Ross, the major generator of business in the area, departed.