Lavelle Niles, aged 10, a grade 5 student at the Stoney Ground Primary School, is the most recent beneficiary of the Mouton Trust Foundation set up to assist in the education of Anguillian children.

She was presented with a computer system on Tuesday this week at Internet Café, at the Caribbean Commercial Centre, owned by John and Cora Benjamin. The gift was arranged through the Lions Club which requested assistance on her behalf from Mr. Benjamin, Trustee for the Foundation. The presentation was made by Mrs. Benjamin, Manager of Internet Café.

Lions Club President, Renford Kelsick, said Mr. Benjamin was approached requesting assistance in obtaining a computer for the adopted student. He noted that the club was a service-oriented organisation, always ready to help in whatever way it could. He thanked Mr. Benjamin as Trustee for the Mouton Foundation for granting the club’s request.

Replying, Mr. Benjamin explained that the Foundation resulted from the will of the late Algerian lawyer, John Paul Mouton who grew up in France. He came to Anguilla in the late 1980s, fell in love with the island and was eventually granted belongership. He and his wife purchased property at Swing High and later inquired of Mr. Benjamin what he could leave for Anguilla if he were to die. He was advised that he could contribute to education and agreed to do so.

“Both he and his wife made wills to that effect,” Mr. Benjamin said. “If his wife died first, then the money was to go to him and he died first it was to go to education. He also made a similar will that whichever died first the money would go to education.” When the property was sold, the sum of US$350,000 was obtained. Of that US$110,000 went to the Community Foundation; about US$70,000 was donated to the Teacher Gloria Omolulu Institute; assistance was provided to a child sponsored by the Soroptimist Club; and other persons had been assisted as well.

Mr. Benjamin noted that the Lions Club had been around for a long time and he always liked the work of service clubs and took pleasure in assisting them.

He then called on Mrs. Benjamin to make the presentation of the computer to young Lavelle, whose sister expressed thanks on behalf of the family. Lavelle, who was described as ‘a straight A’ student, with a keen interest in the use of a computer, remarked afterwards: “It’s great.”

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