January 2013


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Students at the Couva South Government Primary School were thrilled when Methanex Trinidad Limited brought its 13 graduate trainees and vacation interns from UWI to give a facelift to the infants’ block and library facilities and installed state-of-the-art technology.

Standard Five student Cristy Babwah said that coming to the new library “makes us feel to read, discover and learn. Now we can see educational videos, use SEA software… and the new books are wonderful.”

“Every year we challenge our vacation interns and graduates-in-training to conceptualise, plan and execute a social impact project,” said Charles Percy, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, of Methanex. “This year they were able to transform a school, but even deeper was the transformation in the lives of the students and the volunteers themselves.”

Principal, Vidyawatee Lalla-Ramsammy said they were surprised because the offer was unsolicited. “For two weeks in August they did all the work themselves, sometimes until very late at night. They have made the school more alive and inspirational, especially for the infants. They also donated a computer with projector, educational SEA software, books, charts and a host of other resources that the entire school is benefitting from. They have changed the lives for everyone in this school community and we could never thank them enough,” she said.

Every aspect of the project was conceptualised by the team and implemented in accordance with their work-based training expectations. As part of the challenge, the Methanex volunteers were also responsible for raising funds for the project. The team was able to raise a record $17,000, a sum which was matched by Methanex.