`We cannot do great things but we can do small things with great love’
During a recent visit to provide social relief to less fortunate persons Pandit Suresh Sugrim, president of the New Jersey Arya Samaj Mandir Humanitarian Mission (NJASMHM) felt he had `discovered Haiti in Guyana.’
Sugrim who recently completed his annual mission in sections of Berbice and Mahaica on behalf of his organization told this newspaper that he was sad to see the inhumane conditions in which some persons live. What was worse, he said was that “society seems to turn its back on them.”
His organization has partnered with the Guyanese Women in Development
(Guywid) group in Berbice that assisted in all the activities as well as the Food for the Poor organization in an effort to “make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate.”
He recalled that during a visit to Cane Grove, Mahaica where the organization held a medical outreach, he had seen the worst cases where “a lot of seniors who were bedridden have been neglected by their children.”
“I’ve seen persons who had no legs and some persons who were sleeping on the floor” in their ramshackle homes – including a 96-year-old woman – with hardly anything to eat.
He pleaded: “If there are seniors who are unwanted in the community, assist them. It might not be with cash but a hug, a smile, a tap on the back or a sense of compassion can help to take their loneliness away. Give them hope to live for a better tomorrow.”
“When our brothers and sisters are down we need to give them the hope and encouragement; we need to pick them up and tell them that behind every dark cloud there is a silver lining.”
According to him, after the medical outreach, which was coordinated by the Ministry of Health, the medex and two nurses accompanied the team to the homes of the “shut-ins” to check on their medical conditions.
The team also encountered children who were “mentally disturbed due to polio” and other ailments and who had been neglected by their parents.
Sugrim said he was also concerned about a child on the Corentyne who had lost both parents and was in the care of “Samaritans who were also in need” and had stopped receiving her public assistance.
He said he took the child to the welfare office so she can start receiving the service again and also plans to help other children in similar circumstances.
Calling for other non-governmental organizations to “interact and unite so we can fight the force of poverty through education,” Sugrim said the NJASHM gave out uniform vouchers valued $3,000 each to a number of children.
He said the mission targeted mostly “single mothers who are trying to make a difference in the lives of their children.”
House
The NJASHM recently handed over a house to Gladys Madramootoo, 61, and her 45-year-old son, David at Canje after discovering that the family had been living in a rundown shack. The shack was “knocked down and rebuilt within 10 days.”
The house was dedicated to the family “in memory of Shri Prakash Gossai Bhavan because he was the pillar of this humanitarian organization. I would try as much as possible to continue his charitable legacy.”
In expressing appreciation to the NJASHM for the gesture, the mother and son cried tears of joy. They were also grateful to the Guywid group that was expected to furnish the house, officials of Region Six and persons who assisted in making their dream of a better life a reality.
Among the other charitable activities the organization carried out were visits to the Dharm Shala where some of the inmates benefitted from haircuts and gifts. Almost 200 children from orphanages in Berbice were also feted at Demico House.
Mothers of newborn babies were also presented with gift items while food hampers, clothing and other items were handed out to senior citizens and other needy families. For the second year, the organization held a blood donation drive on the Corentyne.
It also conducted various outreach programmes such as counselling of abused women as well as “children from broken homes who felt unwanted and were about to commit suicide.”
According to him, “even talking to families and making them feel they were not alone helped because I felt tremendous impact of loneliness.”
Apart from distributing items, the organization held a walk-a-ton on domestic violence which started from Port Mourant and ended at the Albion Sport Complex Ground.
Most of the participants in the walk were youths and Sugrim was happy that they were able to benefit from the motivating messages by Bishop Juan Edghill and Philomena Sahoye-Shury.
He was especially grateful that Sahoye-Shury “made the time to attend and save the life of another mother… another daughter.” He said the time for putting up with abusive husbands and “being baby machines and sex slaves is over. This is nonsense because when women get killed they throw their children in a pool of poverty.”
He said a lot has to be done to change the situation, noting that the NJASHM does not have the time and “cannot do great things but we can do small things with great love.”
The organization has “touched the hearts of many by travelling to areas like Cow Dam in Angoy’s Avenue, Stanleytown, Edinburgh” and various areas on the Corentyne to distribute items.