Hello friends, family, and supporters,

My name is Gina Amico, and I proudly served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in my ancestral homeland of Guyana from 2018 to 2020. I was based in the warm and welcoming community of Bush Lot, Region 5 (Mahaica-Berbice), where I worked at Lachmansingh Primary School as a Literacy Specialist.

Although my official service has ended, I’ve remained connected to the school and community — and I’m excited to continue supporting their efforts to strengthen literacy and education.

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About Lachmansingh Primary School

Lachmansingh Primary is one of the largest primary schools in Region 5, serving students from Grades 1 through 6. More than 300 children attend from Bush Lot and neighboring villages.

During my time at the school, I collaborated with dedicated, creative, and passionate teachers who consistently went above and beyond for their students. With limited materials, they built engaging classroom activities using cardboard, bottle caps, paper scraps — anything they could repurpose. Coming from a U.S. school system that relies heavily on technology, I was inspired by the innovation and care that powered their classrooms.

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A School and Community Building Together

The school community is incredibly hands-on and collaborative. Parents regularly volunteer during the school day and, alongside myself and fellow teachers, helped establish the school’s new library and lay the groundwork for its first-ever resource room— a space that’s still coming together and in need of more books, classroom tools, and learning materials.

While much progress has been made, the school continues to face a shortage of:

• Culturally relevant and engaging books

• Basic classroom supplies like notebooks, pencils, glue, and crayons

• Reusable teaching resources to support instruction and literacy

This campaign is intended to help fill those gaps and build on the great work already being done by the school staff and community.

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Honoring 60 Years of Independence — Through Learning

As Guyana prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence in 2026, I’d like to mark the occasion by sending a meaningful gift: books and educational supplies that will support learning across all grade levels at Lachmansingh Primary.

This is my way of celebrating from afar — by continuing the connections and shared goals that were built during my time in service.

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Goal: $2,500 to Support 300 Students

I’m raising funds to send 2–3 barrels filled with books, classroom supplies, and teaching materials. Here’s an estimate on how the funds will be used:

• $180 for purchasing and preparing 3 barrels

• $600 for shipping and customs (NY to Guyana, including clearance fees)

• $700 for children’s books (leveled readers, storybooks, culturally relevant texts)

• $300 for teacher resources (lesson guides, workbooks, manipulatives, etc.)

• $550 for classroom supplies (notebooks, pencils, crayons, rulers, glue, and more)

• $170 for GoFundMe platform fees and a small contingency buffer

Total Goal: $2,500

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✏️ Your Gift in Action

• $10 = A school kit for one child

• $25 = A classroom set of books

• $50 = A teacher’s toolkit

• $100 = Half the cost to ship a barrel

• $250 = Full supplies for one classroom for a term

At just over $8 per student, your contribution can help provide quality learning tools that will benefit students, teachers, and classrooms for years to come.

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Thank you for supporting this effort — whether by donating or simply sharing. It means a great deal to me, and to the community that continues to do so much with heart, creativity, and collaboration.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Gina Amico

RPCV Guyana 31 (2018–2020)