Divico’s Sunny Khatnani (left) hands over a signed sponsor letter to Baker Tilly representative Erik van Engelen.
PHILIPSBURG--Divico Group of Companies owner and former Milton Peters College (MPC) student Sunny Khatnani gave back to his alma mater when he donated funds to purchase air-conditioning for one classroom at the institution.
Khatnani is the first MPC alumnus and entrepreneur to “adopt” a classroom at the largest school in Sint Maarten.
MPC’s school board, a delegation of teachers and students and auditing firm Baker Tilly started the “Keep a cool head” project for MPC on September 27, with the goal of obtaining funding for solar-powered air-conditioning for 22 classrooms at MPC that are still without ACs.
Khatnani donated US $5,000, the amount required to adopt a classroom. The “Divico classroom” will be provided with air-conditioning and Khatnani’s résumé will be hung on the classroom wall to inspire students. By sponsoring a classroom, Khatnani hopes to contribute to a better learning environment and stimulate the ambitions of youngsters. “They are the future of our island and education is key in building back better,” said Khatnani.
The businessman decided to return to his birth land in 1995 after attending Boston University and went on to become an entrepreneur in St. Maarten. After working in sales at Mirage Jewellers and BBG Communications, Khatnani founded his wholesale business Divico in 2006. Khatnani said studying abroad has been beneficial to him, but he also recognizes that in many cases it leads to brain drain when youngsters leave the island for their studies and do not return after obtaining a degree.
The Keep a cool head project team hopes that Khatnani will be an example to today’s MPC students. “Khatnani shows that the island’s potential can go a long way. MPC is a school that raised governors, entrepreneurs and teachers. Examples like these are vital to keep students motivated,” teacher and member of the project team Femke Neunzig said,
The project team is still looking for more MPC alumni to adopt MPC classrooms that still lack ACs.
In September, a Facebook video by Neunzig went viral. The video indicated that the temperature in MPC classrooms was hindering education. Since then, a number of MPC alumni and other sympathizers have stepped up to contribute to a cooler learning environment at MPC.
