New book club creates safe space to help members ‘escape’

Dec 19, 2021 News

“Reading is so important and many individuals take books for granted. Vocabulary is increased and knowledge is gained because of books.”

Kaieteur News – The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought along with it the popularisation of certain concepts; social–distancing, temporary lockdowns, quarantine, and isolation. These not only placed a lull in all gatherings and social events, but it had its own effect on the mental health of the global population as people everywhere began to experience the adverse effect that such a crisis has on various aspects of their lives.

Escapé Book Club Founder, Sameerah Mohamed Ferouz

To alleviate some of these effects, people were forced to reinvent ways to stay connected. American-Guyanese, Sameerah Mohamed-Ferouz is one such person. The young property manager and entrepreneur, who was born and raised in New York, moved to Guyana in March 2020, right around the time when the country recorded its first case of the deadly virus.
Since then, she developed the idea for the Escapé (pronounced Es-ca-pay) Book Club as part of her efforts to help people cope with the mental fatigue of the pandemic. The book club, which was launched last June now has members from virtually every part of the coastland.
Mohamed Ferouz move here came after marrying the love of her life, last August. And as one would imagine, settling in a new country was no easy task for the newlywed, much less during a period of partial lockdown.
She shared, “I was accustomed to a fast-paced lifestyle and it was not easy settling in Guyana during this period…”
Nevertheless, the Escapé Book Club founder who believes in the infamous philosophy coined by Mahatma Gandhi “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” noted that instead of wallowing in her own challenges, she decided she would do something about it.
As such, she sought occasions in which she can help initiate and support causes that help adduce some form of positivity to the citizenry.
After exploring several ideas, Mohamed-Ferouz set aside time from the busy schedule of studying, managing several properties, being a wife, and being the secretary of the Board of Governors for St. Rose’s High School to initiate the book club.
She revealed her book club is driven by the ideal of “wanting my experiences and knowledge of being born and raised in the US to improve on certain aspects in Guyana.”
Mohamed-Ferouz said, “As you know, the pandemic had an impact on mental health all over the world and there was minimum interaction worldwide. It [the isolation caused by the pandemic] was getting to me and I wanted to help people in similar situations in a COVID-safe space.”
She continued, “I toyed with a few ideas in my head as to how to make a difference in the lives of persons who might be feeling lonely, bored, or fed up with being shut-in. I started to think about what I enjoyed; I always enjoyed reading books growing up, however, life has gotten so busy that I hadn’t gotten the chance to sit down and indulge in one for a while. Then it came to me. We needed to socialise in a healthy COVID-safe way. In June 2021, Escapé was born.”
As she emphasised its importance, Mohamed-Ferouz noted that she believes that there was definitely a need for her book club.

Members of the Book Club during the first meeting in June 2021

“Reading is so important and many individuals take books for granted. Vocabulary is increased and knowledge is gained because of books,” she added.
Though the intention of the book club was to be for both females and males, Mohamed-Ferouz said most applicants were females.
“We actually have members that come from Georgetown, East and West Coasts of Demerara as well as the West Bank, she said, adding that, “after a long week of the monotony of work; taking care of kids and family, studying, etc, members of the club can look forward to a much needed healthy environment where they can have an outlet to rejuvenate and socialise through the love of books.”
The founder revealed that from the very first meeting, she knew exactly what she wanted Escapé to be. “It would be a safe space to talk and discuss issues troubling members in their everyday lives. They would be able to bond and relate to one another, talk as they please, and relax, all while sharing their love for books.”
“Our motto is actually, ‘Let us embark on a journey of escaping by indulging ourselves in all sorts of books, discussions, and of course, a good latte! We read to escape reality, however at the same time, we read to confirm a reality we know is there, but some of which we have not experienced,” she added. The businesswoman expressed happiness too that the membership of the club is growing.
She noted that, “It started off with only a few members because of COVID. Aunty Nisa (Walker) of Oasis Cafe said she would be more than happy to host us in the private room. After a few meetings, our club grew so my Uncle Shameer who owns Ocean Spray Hotel was more than happy to let us use the hotel. We meet there once a month and we have themed potlucks depending on what month and season it is.”
Along with food, clothing, and decor to match the seasons, Mohamed-Ferouz said that Escapé decided to volunteer and execute ideas to help the community in any way possible.
“For example, she said, “during October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Escapé volunteered with the Guyana Cancer Foundation (GCF) at their Candlelight Vigil. Members also attended the High Tea and Fashion Show fundraiser for the GCF as well.”
Aside from volunteering with Escapé, Mohamed-Ferouz also became a member of the GCF and recently assisted at the latest medical outreach on the East Bank of Demerara.
For the holidays, members of the club did a beautiful and festive-themed meeting with clothes, decor, and food.

The goodies and gifts that the book club will donate to the orphange this week

“We had so much fun. Since Christmas and the New Year were fast approaching, I began to think about the less fortunate kids and how Escapé Book Club can mobilise to bring cheers to them. I thought about a holiday gift drive where we can have new unwrapped gifts donated to an Orphanage,” Mohamed Ferouz revealed.
“We intend to wrap the gifts and have them personally donated to the Guyana Red Cross Children’s Home specifically to girls and boys ages two to 14. We look forward to seeing those happy faces on delivery,” she said.
The Escapé founder revealed that she is trying her best to get as many opportunities as she can for the members.
She said, “I want them to experience great things. One exciting upcoming event that we have is a zoom meeting with the author of two of our very first sets of books. They had no idea and were completely surprised. I had also entered a contest and won our club a signed copy of her bestselling novel. We just received our first merchandise item, t-shirts. I have big plans for Escapé and it’s only now beginning. I plan on increasing the number of members next year and possibly form a kids segment.”
As for now, the businesswoman noted that she can absolutely say that the members of Escapé are already a family.
“We not only have meetings, but we do things outside of the club. We volunteer together, have lunches together and attend events together such as CJ Couture’s Paint and Sip Party,” the Escapé founder added.