Needy children from around New Amsterdam and residents of the Dharm Shala and the National Psychiatric Hospital at Canje were happy to receive a quantity of items from the Oldendorff Bauxite Company last week.
Among the items that were presented to them by Captain Zakaria El Dib and his wife, Antje El Dib on behalf of the company, were clothing, footwear, toys and bicycles.
The children were first identified and were picked up daily in groups and taken to the Oldendorff compound to receive the items.
Antje along with other staff members have also been visiting some of the areas to do distribution and were saddened at the condition in which some people live.
The woman who said it gives her great joy to put smiles on the faces of the underprivileged children, told Stabroek News that the items were imported in a container from her home-country, Holland.
She said along with the other items they have also imported a quantity of walking aids and beds that would also be given to poor families.
The woman said too that a lot of items are available for babies but she has not been able to identify the deserving ones as yet.
Residents at the old people’s home and the psychiatric hospital have also received other articles including bed sheets and curtains.
At the old people’s home, she said, two of her male staff gave a visually impaired man, who can hardly help himself, a shower and a change of clean clothing. They would also be giving hearing aides to two of the residents.
This is the second container that the company has imported to assist needy persons. It all started after Antje observed the level of poverty.
She said after visiting Holland she made contact with the schools and the students willingly took clothing, footwear, toys, books and other items that they no longer used.
She was also pleased to receive a quantity of items from a charity store in Holland that sells used items that persons donate. Persons in charge of the store also publish a Dutch magazine, the Muttahara that highlights their charitable activities.
The bikes and some of the other articles, she pointed out, were purchased from other charity stores at reduced prices.
According to Antje, all of the children especially two teenage girls who seemed to have “no confidence in themselves” would do well if given an opportunity and she would be “willing to help them.”
Apart from helping to make a difference in the lives of persons, Antje has also been helping wounded or ill-treated animals.
She cannot understand the level of cruelty that some of the animals suffer at the hands of the owners
