Local humanitarian efforts mount to aid Guyana’s most vulnerable in wake of COVID -19 crises

May 03, 2020 News

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John Donne’s famous poem, Meditation XVII, gives us the line, “No man is an island, entire of itself” encapsulating the interdependence of human beings on each other for survival. Today, the economic and other hardships spun from the coronavirus pandemic have brought to the fore issues which highlight how much people’s lives are intertwined and the survival of the human race is a responsible of citizens in every corner of the globe.

Social media is flooded with stories of ordinary people helping other ordinary people through extraordinary effort. Guyanese have been no different. Some have opened food banks to feed poor families; others distribute groceries, hand sanitisers, face mask and other essential items to people in need and in some cases, by providing transportation to help frontline healthcare workers. Kaieteur News spent the last week interviewing.
FEEDING ESSEQUIBO HOUSEHOLDS
Essequibo-based entrepreneur Abbigale Loncke is among those helping to feed households in Essequibo. Loncke came up with the idea to start a food bank shortly after the country was placed under partial lockdown for COVID-19.
Through support from the membership of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI), the food bank has fed some 183 families across the Cinderella county. Loncke, an Executive member of the ECCI expressed gratitude to those who support the project.
“The ECCI is grateful,” Loncke said, “for all donations given thus far and we encourage all businesses in Essequibo to support this food bank so that it can continue to help those in need.”
The ECCI Executive explained how the food bank works. She noted that the organisers seek weekly donations of non-perishable goods from local businesses and individuals, which are stored and distributed to members of different communities on the Essequibo Coast each week.

She stressed that the project is ongoing so persons can drop off food supplies at Camille Beaton’s residence in Reliance or persons can call 648-4302 for more information on how they can support.
OVER 750 HAMPERS
Much like the Essequibo entrepreneur, citizens have doing their part to help the most vulnerable in their communities. School teacher Rae Lam transitioned her recent entry into the political realm into a COVID-19 relief set her organization a target a goal of feeding at least 500 households.
Branding her effort Epikatun, after an Akawaio word meaning ‘helping each other’, Lam heads an effort that organizes assistance to communities primarily along coastal Guyana and has since surpassed her target. As of publication of this article, Lam has distributed over 750 hampers to single parent households, laid off low-income earners, pensioners and those living below the poverty line in Regions 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10. She said her venture is supported by ordinary Guyanese, some of whom live abroad, making donations of cash or groceries. Epikatun’s next target is 1000 households.

 

 

TRANSPORTING FRONTLINE HEALTH WORKERS
Others have been finding creative ways to help as well. Like most frontline healthcare workers, Guyanese nurses have seen their fair share of the horrors of the COVID -19 disease. However despite risking their lives to help save others, these healthcare providers are still faced with discrimination from public transport operations, some refusing to carry them to and from their place of work. That’s where Keoma Pearson comes in.

Ever since April 4, she has been voluntarily taking nurses from the West Coast of Demerara to and from work, free of charge.
The nurses are appreciative – in a post circulated on social media platform Facebook, several of them praised Pearson for her generosity.
“This is just a genuine act of kindness and a good heart. She was the one that reached out to us after we were being shunned by other transportation. This is a service being offered to us free of charge. I can’t stress on how grateful we are for you help in this great time of need and may you and your supporters be blessed tremendously. Thank you Keoma,” an excerpt from the post read.
In addition to helping to transport the nurses, Pearson has also brought supporters on board who have been donating sanitizers, gloves and face masks in the aid of the shortage.

 

ESSENTIAL ITEMS DISTRIBUTION
Also involved in the distribution of sanitisers and other essential care products is Pastor Jose Francis of Shepherd’s Touch Ministries Church of God in Christ. Pastor Francis teamed up with a number of individuals and organizations to distribute the items to residents of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.
The supporters of the drive include Food for the Poor Guyana Inc, Randolph Corbin Construction Company and Anastacia Photocopying Store. In a brief conversation with Kaieteur News, Pastor Francis noted that the through the support from the organizations, his team was able to reach out to hundreds of people living in the community of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.

PLANT PROJECT
Meanwhile in keeping with the ideal of helping Guyanese cope with the effects of COVID-19, the Guyana Premier and the Miss Earth Guyana Organization teamed up to launch an initiative called The Plant Project.
National Director of the project, Dave Lalltoo explained that it started off as an idea to encourage self-sufficiency even before the emergence of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown, but efforts have doubled since the introduction of the curfew.
“We figured, and quite correctly at that, that families who were keeping social distance could benefit from the positives that come with planting their own kitchen gardens. Those being, activities to pass the time, or spend time with each other, adapting a lifestyle of sustainability and being self sufficient as well as improving mental health. We really do feel that it is our responsibility to help the most vulnerable especially in this time.”
According to Lalltoo, the project is being rolled out in phases
“We will have different categories for Phase Two catering for a wider range of people not just disadvantaged families. We will be targeting five hundred households. Phase Three is in the making where we will be working to provide vegetable hampers to underprivileged families.”
He added that, “The target is 100 families in Plastic City, Vreed- en- Hoop. While we have provided seedlings to the families, it will take some time for them to get back from planting. In the meanwhile, we will be assisting.”
According to Lalltoo the project currently has fifteen volunteers and is supported by members of corporate Guyana as well as private citizens. So far the group has donated vegetable hampers to over 625 single parent homes and other types of vulnerable groups across the country.

 

 

 

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