In January 2014, 41 toddlers will begin their preschool education at the newly reconstructed VINSAVE Preschool, Layou, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The school which was rebuilt with a grant of over USD164, 000 from the Caribbean Development Bank's (CDB) Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), officially opened on November 21, 2013. The expanded facilities has allowed the school to more than double its enrollment, as the original wooden structure which was closed in 2012, only catered to 18 children. The modern building has been designed to provide students with a healthy environment to explore social skills and receive hands-on experiences with qualified teachers. The BNTF is one of the Bank's key instruments for addressing poverty reduction. The ten participating Borrowing Member Countries are Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Turks and Caicos Islands. BNTF is designed to assist poor and vulnerable communities in improving access to basic pubic services. The Programme provides grant funding for social and economic infrastructure, and skills training to enhance employability and community management. HOMEPAGE IMAGE CAPTION: Governor General, His Excellency Sir Frederick Ballantyne (third right) and Ms. Maggie Cyrus, the first worker at VINSAVE Preschool in Layou cut the ribbon to officially open the newly reconstructed VINSAVE Preschool, Layou, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Among those looking on are (left) Mrs. Darran Newman Belgrave, BNTF Portfolio Manager, CDB and (right) Hon. Maxwell Charles, Parliamentary Area Representative for Central Leeward and Minister of National Reconciliation, the Public Service, Labour, Information and Ecclesiastical Affairs.