Guyana Foundation Newsletter – August 2015
Transforming the Lives of People for a Better World.
Dear Friends,
A few weeks ago, the Guyana Foundation was officially recognized by the government of Guyana as an approved charitable entity, and added to the list of organizations eligible for tax-exempt status on donations received.
This new status allows us to channel an even greater percentage of our resources to directly impact the lives of people in need across Guyana. It has also opened up many exciting possibilities for us – and discussions are currently underway with major charitable foundations and business entities around the world that we hope to partner with in the coming months.
As we reorient this Foundation to make optimal use of the opportunities now available, we wish to reiterate our commitment to you, our stakeholders, to steadfastly continue on this journey that we began a little more than two years ago. The Foundation will continue to offer exciting training programs to develop the skills of people in need, and will continue to facilitate volunteerism at various levels. Additionally, we remain a conduit for donations locally, and from the diaspora, for underprivileged communities.
We have an exciting array of programs for the remainder of the year, which will prepare us for a robust schedule of projects in 2016. This includes a series of mental health training workshops by two highly-qualified Canadian mental health professionals, the completion of a database of homeless individuals in Georgetown, the release of findings of another mental health study facilitated by the Foundation, distribution of several barrels of school supplies to schools in Region One, and various capacity building programs for our volunteers.
As always, we remain dependent on our stakeholders for assistance in making our plans a reality. Please take a moment to read through this email, and consider making a small financial contribution today towards one of our upcoming projects. Every little bit makes a tangible difference.
We are encouraged by these new developments and look forward to joining hands with you to shape a better Guyana for all.
Warmest Regards,
Anthony Autar
Managing Director
Our Mission:
To release the power of people globally to assist Guyanese to transform their communities, bring fulfillment and well-being to their families, enabling them to build relations of trust and friendship among themselves irrespective of race and beliefs.
Homeless Database Project Commenced
Work has begun on a homeless database project funded by Canadian donor, Mr. Shirvington Hannays. Over the coming days, a team of highly-motivated volunteers will be fanning out across Georgetown to conduct surveys to gather information about the factors driving homelessness in the city, and the daily challenges faced by those who do not have proper housing or shelter from the elements. The data gathered will be used to shape programs that will provide meaningful improvements to the quality of life of these vulnerable individuals. At a recent strategy meeting hosted by the Foundation’s Managing Director, the volunteers prepared messages about homelessness to share with the Guyanese public. Please click on this link to view some of these messages.
Monitoring Visit Conducted to Wauna
A monitoring visit was conducted to the Wauna Silver Queens’ Bakery in Region One, where the Foundation had donated a commercial baking oven to facilitate an expansion of the small bakery. We are pleased to report that the oven donated is still being used by the women managing the bakery, and that they now a vibrant business – selling pastries and bread to not just the immediate community, but also to members of surrounding villages. During the unannounced visit, the staff of the bakery were in the process of baking a new batch of bread, and were almost sold out of pastries baked earlier. Members of the community were in high praise of the bakery, and commended it on the quality of products prepared.
Library Established in Batavia, Region Seven
A few weeks ago, a team from GF met up with friends from Bartica and Batavia to handover books, stationery items and school supplies to theBatavia Primary School. These items were gathered by GF volunteer, Niki Baburam, after we learned that there was no library in the community and surrounding islands, and that the literacy rate was at a very low level. At the primary school, our volunteers assisted in setting up a small library and shared ideas with the headmistress of the school about innovative ways to get students interested in reading. Niki also handed over a trophy and gift to the headmistress for the top two students of the primary school at the National Grade 6 exam. The residents present were very excited about this donation, and promised that they would work together to ensure the sustainability of the library. This project was funded by US-donor, Dr. Lisa Outar.
GF Founder Honored by Government of Guyana
Founder of the Guyana Foundation, Mrs. Supriya Singh-Bodden, was announced as a recipient of the Cacique Crown of Honor – one of Guyana’s highest national awards – at the inauguration ceremony of the 8th President of Guyana, His Excellency David Granger. She was honored for service of an exceptionally high quality in the field of youth and women’s empowerment, community renewal projects, raising awareness, nationally and internationally, of the urgent need to address mental health issues and in the field of politics. The Board of Trustees, friends, and partners of the Guyana Foundation all extend their heartiest congratulations to Mrs. Singh-Bodden on receiving this award.
Thank You
Our work depends on the generosity of our friends and partners who support us in various ways. We wish to express our deepest gratitude to the volunteers who are spearheading our homeless database project, to Kevin Farris of Canada and Janet Layne of Ghana, who have made financial contributions to our work, and the two mental health professionals –Latchman Narain, Ph.D., and Lauren Johnson – who will be volunteering their services later this year to conduct mental health training workshops in Guyana.
We’d also like to thank all our stakeholders for the input they continue to make to enable us to grow and expand our work. Thank you very much.
Guyanese Making a Difference
Hazel Jackman
Hazel Jackman has been one of the longest serving volunteers of the Guyana Foundation. She always has a bright smile on her face, and is dedicated to serving the people of Guyana in different ways. Recently, Hazel has stepped forward to offer office administration assistance to the Foundation, and to help coordinate the logistics of our homeless database project. This has been invaluable to our management team, and we are extremely grateful for her generosity. Here’s a photo of Hazel with a message of encouragement for individuals who are homeless. Thank you Hazel for all that you do!
Support Our Work < click
Over the coming months, the Foundation will be conducting a series of mental health workshops to raise awareness about mental health issues, and to train a core group of laypersons to provide basic mental health interventions. These workshops will be conducted by two highly-qualified mental health professionals from Canada who will be providing their services free of charge. Please consider making a financial contribution towards this project. 100% of donations received will go towards this project, and will be used to cover printing expenses, rental of equipment, and snacks and meals for participants and trainers.
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Header photograph courtesy of Mr. James Deeges of Guyana Photography By James Deeges