Dominican students receive donation from Melissa Skerrit Foundation

 

Poponne-Skerrit at handing-over ceremony

Several students from the Roseau Central Constituency received back-to-school essentials to assist them in the 2024/2025 academic school year, from the Melissa Skerrit Foundation’s annual Adopt a Child Back-to-School Program. The handing-over ceremony took place on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at the Peebles Park in Roseau.

Approximately 276 backpack packages filled with the necessary school supplies were distributed to students of Roseau Central Constituency, of different grade levels, who attend various schools. Students from other villages across Dominica will also benefit from the back-to-school program and receive packages.

The Adopt a Child Back-to-School program thus far has reportedly assisted upwards of thousands of students with scholarship tuition, cash donations, and essential school supplies.

Founder of the Melissa Skerrit Foundation and Member of Parliament for the Roseau Central Constituency Hon. Melissa Poponne-Skerrit stated that she started this initiative as a source of support and hope for the children and parents.

“My only goal in all of this is to help elevate our people and help to relieve some of the financial burdens to live comfortable and happy lives. From the government stand-point we remain resolute in our push to ensure that all children are provided with a quality education and this is exemplified through major investments in education in the development of our future leaders of our beloved country. There is a provision of yearly scholarships, bursaries, school transfer grants, free transportation, and additional support for teachers, principals, and the expansion of the curriculum to include technical and vocational subjects,” she added.

According to Skerrit-Poponne, she believes that the education of our children should be a shared responsibility and that the successful development of a child depends on the cooperation of the students, parents, the school administration as well as community members.

The students were encouraged to be determined to achieve great things, to dream big, and to not be comfortable with only reaching for the stars. They were also pushed to embrace positive opportunities, believe in themselves, and stay focused. Students who performed in the highest percentile were recognized for their achievement of being the top performers in the Roseau Central Constituency in the Grade Six National Assessment and CXC examinations. Milagro Deluge was recognized for her exceptional performance at the CXC Examination and Kitara Beaupierre was recognized for her excellence in the Grade Six National Assessment.

Milagro Deluge expressed sincere gratitude to the parl rep for the Melissa Skerrit Foundation and for the role she has played in her success. According to Deluge, it takes a community to raise a child and from the beginning, she has received the necessary support.

Miss Deluge encouraged young people to be serious about their goals and what they want in the future.

“Our youth is the best years to give ourselves a head start into the future with a solid education. Success is not a coincidence, it is not a by-chance incident. Success comes after developing good study habits and prioritizing school work,” Deluge noted.

The Melissa Skerrit Foundation, established in December 2016, receives sponsorship from private sector donors, members of the diaspora, the government of the Peoples Republic of China, and the Government of Dominica which aid in assisting the foundation to transform the lives of students and Dominicans by extension. Other Programs that Poponne-Skerrit has spearheaded include the Single Mother’s Program, Elderly Program, Hurricane Preparedness Program, and Women’s Symposium.

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21 Comments

  1. RastarMarn
    September 6, 2024

    DNO shame on allyou yeh for the title of that!!!

    The Title should read “Hand picked Children in Melissa Skerrit’s Constituency were gifted Items to prepare them for the New School Year”

    Allyou too wicked!!!

    Bring de news as it is don’t make up Crap to make Skerrit Dem look better than they are!!!

    ADMIN: We acknowledge your point. The headline was an error that we should have picked up on.

    We have changed the headline to be more neutral. We can assure you that this was not intentional.

    We allow and even encourage views to be expressed in opinion pieces but not in our regular news articles (not even in the headline).

    Looking at our previous articles any reasonable person will see this is our regular practice.

  2. DaNatureBoy
    September 4, 2024

    Sometimes, even if you dislike the giver, and for just cause, it is still ok to welcome a gesture of humanity. We need to take certain acts at face value at times and withhold political connectivity.

  3. RastarMarn
    September 4, 2024

    Why is the program for Roseau Central and not for the students living in the Rural parts whom can’t afford School supply!!!

    More RoseauPeople looking out for themselves while the rest of the country especially those in those constituencies whom have challenges to earn what it takes to afford essentials,,,

    Allyou Doh see Mistadem want to have people like is beg people have to beg to survive!!!

    So what make does particular children qualify for those gifts???

  4. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    September 4, 2024

    By definition a foundation is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization with lots of money usually, donated or given to the foundation by a single source, such as an individual, family, or corporation, and manage by its trustees, and or directors.
    When we read about some Melisa Skerrit foundation, in Dominica, that should be troubling and mind boggling!
    Knowing that almost every Dominican are born poor, and especially every politician born in Dominica, such as Roosevelt Skerrit was born bone poor.
    The question that should be asks; is from what source the Melisa Skerrit or Poponne, foundation financial, (money resources) derived?
    As far as I am aware there are no wealthy Poponne family from Grand Bay to Porters Ville who were rich and die leaving wealth to any so called foundation. Melisa’s life in America did not earn her anything; education now wealth, so my question is where the money she dispenses from her foundation came from?

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 2
  5. I Lie???
    September 3, 2024

    On surface, the book bag giveaway appears to be a noble gesture; however, it will be infinitely more genuine and productive if Mrs. Skerrit’s Head of State spouse rolls out meaningful programs that will help a multitude of our students to become independent, self sufficient and successful.

    Token and gimmicky gestures like this “Christmas in September” handout will not move the needle on helping the country’s disenfranchised or nudge the pendulum of prevailing public opinions.

  6. Gaydu
    September 2, 2024

    give people work have people like beggersjust have people depending on allu shame our country was never so people use to make money to feed their family ok

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 4
  7. Fred
    September 2, 2024

    Cheap Chinese single-use plastic imported via her business connections with Jining, a city she unilaterally decided would twin with Roseau, being handed out as if it were a personal gift. That’s the reality here.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 23 Thumb down 8
    • Putin
      September 2, 2024

      And those who received those “cheap Chinese…” now have more money in their pockets that they can use for other necessary goods and services because they do not have to spend this money to buy the goods that they received.

      This is called a “hand up.” This is what Labour is about. This is what no other party in Dominica has done, does, or will do. We are Labour and we know how to care. We know how to give a hand up. I know that this brings you much anguish but…choopoule!

      Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 4 Thumb down 18
      • Mike
        September 3, 2024

        Wow. Delusion personified.

      • Bellsama
        September 5, 2024

        Because parents were able to work and make enough money to provide for their children. There was no need for begging and dependency on handouts for votes or survival.

  8. Putin
    September 2, 2024

    Great work, MP! Kep it up. Maybe one day there will be more of these foundations that do real work to help others.

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 10 Thumb down 22
  9. Ibo France
    September 2, 2024

    It takes a politician with a servant’s heart to give some of their hard earned money back to the needy in the community. Melissa does not have the heart of a servant she has the same heart like a serpent.

    This money to purchase the few school supplies most likely came strictly from donors (business people, foreign investors) who have an incestuous relationship with the government.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 12
    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      September 4, 2024

      lbo, the concern should be where, or what is the source of the money to support a Foundation as it should be defined!

      We are not talking about a house building foundation on which it is built, we are talking about a monitory institution; that should rise many questions!

      People should be asking where is she getting the money from to talk crap about charity, how much is this dunce woman making as a bogus government minister, how much is Roosevelt making as prime minister?
      No wonder corruption is the order of the day in Dominica, people in so call authority are fleecing and stealing the nations resources, in order to give a few measly dollars to the struggling poor, meanwhile their arsenal of wealth continues to grow.
      If Dominica was another place both Roosevelt and Melisa would be living in jail!

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 2
      • September 7, 2024

        Do not worry about where the money came from. The bottom line is, it came from neither you nor Ibo, two selfish men who are only concerned of themselves and have nothing to contribute to life. All they do is criticize the good works of other people. UWP bums. Are you also wondering where the money is coming from to build an International Airport in Wesley? It did not come from your pocket, so, shut up.

        • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
          September 9, 2024

          Shut up, you little wet black gutter rat!
          You do not know anything about the running and functions of an honest financial foundation: So, here is a clue. Bill Gates is one of the richest people in the world!
          So, too is Warren Buffet, so, Gates do have an operating foundation, to which Buffet has donated (given away half of his total wealth); to be given away by Bill Gates. Mind you they are both billionaires.
          Crab there are approximately twelve thousand two hundred foundations in America; these 12,200 foundations, which include most of the largest foundations, account for nearly three-fourths of asset values reported and more than two-thirds of total grant dollars.
          The money they give buys more than back-packs, and salt-fish and rice; and a piece of bread and half decaying sausage in a Styrofoam box with half of the Canadian flag on it trying to fool idiots like you into believing people in Canada is involve into thievery!
          I don’t know about lbo, but surely I’m not a thief.

    • September 7, 2024

      It beats me how Tim Durand could be so tolerable of all the bull dust you keep spewing on DNO. It beats me. All you do is criticize and have nothing to contribute and offer. You seem to be even an authority on how people feel about gestures. I keep wondering what kind of work you do besides breaking a bank.

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        September 9, 2024

        If Tim can tolerate a bit of scum of the the earth like you, with nothing important, or significant to say; why shouldn’t he tolerate people who commonsense surpasses yours?
        You are no good Roosevelt Skerrit puppet eh!
        You went into your crab hole for a bit, I wondered where you were, but you came back again inverted looking at the world upside down, you little rat!

        Hahahahahahahahahahahh; take that for your breakfast, I gone downstairs, to have some coffee, toast eggs, and turkey.
        Have a nice suffering day, you (ole little no name ratta)!

  10. Martin
    September 2, 2024

    Did the backpack packages come from China?

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 10
  11. Ibo France
    September 2, 2024

    Melissa and her husband are two plutocrats whose enormous ill-gotten wealth was accumulated strictly from being in government.

    Both are financially capable of supplying all the country’s students with the necessary school supplies. They should get no commendations for this gesture as it is self serving. It is strictly for political advantageousness.

    These two opportunistic hypocrites (Roose & Mel) have kept the people in continuous dire poverty, then intermittently give them a few handouts, and hope that the recipients will be eternally grateful to their benefactors.

    What is more preferable is to empower the people economically so that they can become self-reliant and won’t have to suffer the indignity of dependency ( begging for crumbs).

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 10
  12. Truth Be Told
    September 2, 2024

    Steal the people’s inheritance and their children’s future then turn around and hand them peanuts, and have them sing your praises and be happily on their way with crumbs! But when the revolution comes you, your husband, your family, donkey will eat grass! You know that saying, your behind will be grass!

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 26 Thumb down 9
    • Ibo France
      September 2, 2024

      @Truth Be Told

      You are precisely spot on. The ornaments MP and her scandal plagued husband gobbling up 99% of the country’s resources then handing out 1% to the indigent, and these two villains must be applauded.

      Dominica is a unique country for all the wrong reasons.

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 8

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