The Basil Charles Educational Foundation awarded scholarships and bursaries to seventeen students at a ceremony held at the Basil’s Bar in Villa on Tuesday, July 25th 2023.
Seven (7) of the students received full scholarships while ten received bursaries. As part of the programme, the awardees will receive financial assistance from forms one to five.
Founder of the Basil Charles Educational Foundation, Mr. Basil Charles, said the foundation started almost three decades ago when he and one of his friends decided to host a Blues Festival. He said they agreed to use the proceeds of the events to provide scholarships for economically disadvantaged students.
Mr. Charles said they usually ask parents and guardians to provide them with information about their financial background and then they select the children whom they think are most in need, rather than just the students who have the best grades.
Explaining how the EC $1500.00 scholarships are distributed, Charles said EC$600.00 is provided to the recipient in the first school term, and EC$450.00 in the subsequent terms.
He said the foundation also assisted displaced families by providing beds and other necessary items during the covid-19 pandemic and the volcanic eruptions, to make their lives more comfortable. He noted that they have also assisted preschools by providing cots and meals for the preschoolers.
