The Chicago-based Guyana Community Outreach Fund (GCOF) has come to the assistance of Sonia Hinds, a victim of domestic abuse nine-years ago, with a financial contribution which will enable her to have easier access to water at her home.
On the night of August 5, 2000, the reputed husband of Hinds attacked her with a cutlass and left her in a pool of blood at their Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara home. The attack resulted in Hinds losing both of her hands near the elbows and sight in one of her eyes.
Several other physical scars were also left about her body. The man, Courtney Purlette, is currently serving a 15-year sentence for the attack.
On Wednesday, GCOF’s chairperson Yvonne Jackson handed over US$1000 ($200,000) to Sonia Hinds. The money will be used to construct a trestle and to purchase an overhead water tank for Hinds. The Mocha- based group Troopers of Charity will be overseeing this construction.
Hinds, as a gesture of expressing her appreciation, handed over a ‘thank you card’ (which she personally signed using her limbs) to Jackson. Speaking to this newspaper, she expressed her gratitude to all those who contributed and specially acknowledged the efforts of Jackson, whom she described as the person who was most instrumental in her receiving this donation.
She said that this donation would help her with the water situation since she currently has no running water in her home and consequently has to draw water from the yard using a bucket. Without any hands, this has understandably proven to be difficult.
Jackson, who is Guyanese by birth, told this newspaper that she was moved to help Hinds after she learnt about the woman’s unfortunate plight. She said that in 2005, while in Guyana, a Mocha Arcadia villager pointed Hinds out to her and told her a bit of Hinds’ story. She subsequently met Hinds two years later. She said that she used an article on Hinds, which was carried in the December 30, 2007 edition of this newspaper, and attached it to a letter which she sent to various persons in order to raise funds for Hinds and another woman, who was in an unfortunate way.
According to Jackson, the original plan was to fund prosthetic arms for Jackson, but said that upon consultations with Hinds it was decided that money should be raised for the construction of the trestle and purchase of the water tank. She said that in order to ensure transparency in what is done, she has asked the Troopers of Charity to oversee the project. She pointed out that overseas persons are not reluctant to give, it is just that many had had bad experiences where they have given money but it was not properly accounted for.
Director of Troopers of Charity, Kenneth Johnson said that his organization intends to carefully monitor the construction. He thanked Jackson for her charitable deed and said that she and her organization have been friends of Troopers of Charity for a long time.
Jackson said that her NGO sends barrels of various items to help the less fortunate in various areas of the country as well as in other territories in the region. GCOF was officially registered as a non-profit organization in the USA in 2006.