12 moms and a “charitable legacy”

Apr 27, 2014 News

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By Kiana Wilburg

For nearly ten years, 12 mothers with their perpetual love have been on a mission to pass on a charitable legacy. Though they have spent most of their lives in the United States, their loyalty has always been to improving the lives of the unfortunate ones, particularly from their homeland.
The formula used to maintain their unhindered relationships with their companions and children while being committed mothers to their “adopted children” is their best kept secret.

Nevertheless, Donna London, President of the Task Force For Guyana’s Youth (TFFGY), asserts that while she and her team are extremely passionate about their charitable ventures, they are striving to pass on to those they touch, a legacy, which is, the invaluable benefits of following the selfless path.
In a recent interview with three of the TFFGY members, London, Michelle Rolston and Christina Fredericks, they explained their detailed mission statement, but with the passion and love they exuded, it was clear that their main mission lies in ensuring that they mother and mentor their small group of children with an aim of successfully producing well-groomed young adults.
Donna London is a founding member of TFFGY. She is the President and Treasurer, while overseeing the overall functioning of the Non-Governmental Organization. She is a career banker who today manages Bank of America’s Caribbean International Business.
Michelle Rolston is a first generation American, born to Guyanese parents, who is honouring her heritage through her work with TFFGY. She serves on the Creative Committee and loves her co-hosting duties at the organization’s annual tea party.  She currently works as a billing supervisor with an IT Staffing firm.
Christina Fredericks is TFFGY’s newest member. She was employed for 14 years with the Florida Marlins Baseball Club before leaving to become a stay-at-home-mom after the birth of her last child.
London explained that her organization came into being in October 2005. Though her group was here last week celebrating their anniversary, she informed that her foundation got started after a visit with friends who had adopted some children and had them living in their homes and taking care of their needs.
“We met with some friends that started this group to help some unfortunate kids they had adopted and taken into their home. They were supporting them.  It was a project that inspired me and they became our first charitable company. It was called Friends and Company.
I came up with the ideas of hosting a fund-raising tea party and I invited 20 friends. It was in New York and that was the beginning of something so great. The tea party was a success and it still is today. It’s now the signature fund-raising event for us. I have such a wonderful team by my side. We have great chemistry and an unbreakable bond.”

The TFFGY President expressed that they have been supporting several programmes and have provided several scholarships. Their programmes are educationally based and they also support life skills programmes for children.
Rolston added, “We have a mixture of males and females. We have one boy that is based in Berbice and one at the Marian Academy. We have been very serious about the educational advancements of the children we have taken under our wings. We get the progress and behavioural reports of the children from the schools, and we are also in communication with the parents doing follow-ups. We also host a great big party for the children, where each is given an attractive gift, and we show them how much we appreciate them.”
London asserts that the greatest accomplishment of this programme would most likely be the fact that they are transforming mindsets and instilling in their “adopted children,” the importance of the selfless path, as well as an education.
Fredericks added that the programme has been a great part of her life, which reminds her daily of her ability to love and care for others as a mom and as a friend. She says that it is something that keeps her grounded and assures that she is adamant about dedicating her energies towards ensuring that her team moves from strength to strength.
As they continue to strive towards improvement with innovative ideas, the patient mothers assert that they will most certainly give a lot of attention towards the development and structuring of a mentorship programme through social media with their children.
“We have to take into account that we are cannot be here frequently. But mentorship is something we take seriously and we plan to ensure that the parents and the children can always have access to us, so that they can talk about anything, whether it’s a personal issue or just a little advice, because we want our children to have the right life skills and know how to approach and deal maturely with life situations,” London said.
Rolston added, “I think the mindset has shifted and education is devalued to some extent, and the most important lesson is to pass on to these kids the importance and power of an education. Breaking the cycle of poverty and helping in whatever way we can is also important to us.
“We met with the parents during our time here and it was an emotional moment to connect and have a conversation with them. They were moved by us and we were moved, because it made us realize in such an indescribable way that we are changing their lives and they are changing us too. It’s a wonderful symbiotic relationship. The changes we make cannot be stolen by anyone. It’s really inspiring and it just drives us to want to do move. I love what I do.”
London said, “We want these children to see that there are opportunities for them. It’s tough out here; we want to remind them that there is hope and that someday they can be instruments of a higher calling, and also bring hope to others. That is the essence of the legacy we are passing on.
I am very excited about these kids and what they’re going to become. You know we may not be providing or working with 100 children, but we are working on the small group we have and giving them the best with the resources that are available to us.”

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