Fifty students from the north of the island have received financial assistance from Range Developments to help fund their studies.
The students each received $1000 grants from the company which is the developer of the 160 room Cabrits Resort Kempinski in the north of the island.
Mohammed Asaria is Development Director of Range Developments.
He stated, “Our corporate social responsibility strategies are focused on entrepreneurship and children- the latter being the future. After all, we were all the future once and now it is mandatory that we ensure that the future has the resources and skills required to be effective when they are handed the leadership baton.”
Hon Parliamentary Representative for the Cottage Constituency which encompasses the project, Reginald Austrie commended the company for its contribution to the island’s youth.
“Over the years, we have seen a number of private sector institutions buying into Government’s philosophy that education is the only vehicle out of poverty,” Ho Austrie said.
The scholarships were presented to the students at a town hall meeting organised by Range Developments to enlighten residents of the north on the magnitude of the project.
“One of the best hotels in the Caribbean is being constructed in your town. It will be an ultra-luxury development and will firmly place your beautiful country on the Caribbean tourism map,” Asaria said.
One of the major benefits of the construction of the high end resort is employment.
“We have approximately 100 people-of which 92% is Dominican- working on the site,” says John Connon, Managing Director of the contracted construction company, NH International (Caribbean) Ltd.
Range Developments expects that 350+ staff members will be contracted upon opening.
Cabrits Resort Kempinski is the first development under the country’s Citizenship by Investment Programme which is designed to encourage foreign direct investment.
The Hon. Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Planning, Economic Development & Investment, Dr. Colin McIntyre, has welcomed the development in the north and believes this is further evidence of the commitment by the ruling DLP Administration to develop the island’s economy.
Range Developments has pledged to expand the scholarship programme to other parts of the country.