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COVER STORY
POWERHOUSE GLOBAL MAGAZINE (PGMAG)
INTERVIEW WITH:
CINDY O. CHARLES (CC) PGMAG: Cindy, so good to have you on today’s
of the attitudes inherent in the family. Maybe
interview with Lady Anita.
the home environment is not conducive or reinforcing toward reading. The family may
CC: My pleasure and thank you for having me.
not be able to afford reading materials or may not perceive value in reading, and as a result,
PGMAG: Please briefly introduce yourself to our
cannot encourage it. Another challenge is the
readers.
lack of interesting and meaningful reading matter available to students in the school. These
CC: I am Cindy O. Charles. I am the Founder &
students are bombarded by stories and textual
CEO of Kupanda Sisters, Inc. A native of Guyana
material to which they can relate very little.
South America. I currently reside in Brooklyn,
The digital divide is bound to intensify the pre-
New York. I am an advocate for literacy for all
existing learning divide between rich and poor
and an agent of social change. My goal in life
households due to closure of classroom teaching
is to provide a lasting and positive impact on
for this extended period. Children belonging
vulnerable populations.
to affluent and educated households have all the necessary support for learning, as parents
PGMAG: As an advocate of literacy, what are
themselves are capable of imparting education,
some of the challenges faced by those in the
and they can also access online teaching.
underserviced communities?
However, children of poor and uneducated parents who mostly go to government schools
CC: ̣ One of the main challenges those in
and have no digital capabilities are left in limbo.
underserved communities encounter is a lack
Technology can help mitigate the impact of
of motivation to read. This may be so because
COVID-19 on the underserved population
4
DECEMBER 2021
