US-based group introduces street lights to West Berbice

Jan 14, 2010 News

“Members of God’s Creation I am” at Centre Sean Haley and Jeanette Gomes (Second from right) along wih GPL Staffers during the installations.

Members of “God’s Creation I am”, a New York-based organization, which is dedicated to empowering women to live purpose-driven and sanctified lives, last week helped residents of Number Four and Number Five villages, West Coast Berbice, secure street lighting for a particularly dangerous stretch of the public road.
The residents benefited from the intervention of the group which had been working with the young women in the area with a view to forming a Local Chapter since early December last.
President of the GCIA is Ms Jeanette Gomes who is a Family Therapist in New York.
She said that the organization targets young women and is dedicated to empowering them through Faith Based Counseling (FBC) or counseling from a Biblical dynamic.
Their motto encourages women to see themselves as being defined by God.
The organization was conducting an initial training programme for young women in the two villages prior to starting a local Chapter, when members saw the serious need for street lighting to ensure the safety of pedestrians in the two villages.
Their intervention led to pledges of support from Minister of Public Works and Communication, Robeson Benn, and the full support from staffers of the Guyana Power and Light who were instrumental in connecting the lights to roadway poles.

Street light installation for a dangerous stretch of the # 4 and #5 villages public roads in progress.

Thanks to Minister Benn, the communities will benefit from the street lighting free of charge.
Expressing gratitude to all who supported the project, Gomes said yesterday that their intervention for the street lighting is one of the many community projects the organization will be addressing in these areas. There will be many others across the country as it establishes local Chapters for FBC empowerment of women and young women.
She said that since the installation of the street lights in Number Four and Number Five villages, subsequent developments have shown that the action had planted a seed that has already started germinating since members of the community are already going out soliciting additional lighting.
Newly admitted members of the GCIA have also begun assessing other needs of the community and are discussing ways in which they can personally address those needs without having to wait on the government.
Gomes, formerly of South Ruimveldt, and currently the Clinical Supervisor for Family Therapists in New York is accompanied by colleagues, Sean Haley, Vice President Operations and Pastor James Watts, Spiritual Consultant on this endeavour.
They are all members of the Family Tabernacle of Worship in Queens, New York, where “God’s Creation I am” was founded in 2007.
They leave for home next week and will return by April to conduct further training and work in establishing their organization which they said “targets young women who are in need of counseling, helping them to redefine themselves and helping them to realize that despite their negative experiences, poor perception and hopelessness, they have a purpose and are destined for greatness”.