Twenty more Cuban scholarships for Saint Lucian nationals
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Contact: Julita Peter
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 – Twenty young Saint Lucians have been selected to pursue studies in Cuba in three major disciplines. Seventeen of the students will be undertaking studies in Medicine, two in Physical Education and Sports and one in the area of Humanities. The students, who left the island on Tuesday September 22, bring to 350 the total number of Saint Lucians studying in the Caribbean island.
During a brief ceremony at the Cuban Embassy to hand over pertinent documents to the students, Cuban Ambassador to Saint Lucia His Excellency Hugo Cabrera said although his country was not wealthy, it feels honoured to share its resources in helping to educate the citizens of its sister nations. He encouraged students make the best of the education opportunity.
“You represent an investment for your parents and your family, but you also have to keep in mind that you are an investment for your country. You represent the sustainability programme for the development of your country. You are part of the future. You are not the first to travel to Cuba, and I can assure that you will not be the last.”
Saint Lucia and Cuba have a long-standing relationship that has included the provision of Cuban scholarships to Saint Lucians for study in the Spanish speaking island. Cuba has also provided free eye care to many Saint Lucians. Deputy Acting Director of Training in the Ministry of the Public Service and Human Resource Development Anselma Calderon, said the contribution of the Cuban government in the advancement of Education is invaluable. The Cuban government is expending an estimated 250 thousand Eastern Caribbean Dollars to educate one student.
“We are hoping that our students would make us proud—that they would serve as true ambassadors while in Cuba. And even as they continue to study, they are returning to Saint Lucia not just as medical doctors, but they are returning as a group of individuals that are now bi-lingual, which means they will be making themselves more marketable,” Miss Calderon added.
Through the corporation agreement between the Governments of Saint Lucia and Cuba, hundreds of Saint Lucians have been educated in several disciplines, including Information Technology, Agriculture, Physical Education, Medicine, and Nursing. |
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