The Guyana Relief Council (GRC) yesterday distributed supplies to several families who recently suffered losses due to fire, even as it appealed to the public for more support.
At a presentation ceremony Tenesha Bowen and Kirk Duke along with their two children, of Block 22, Wismar, Linden; Rohanie of Stewartville Housing Scheme; Tulsiram Hurry of Leonora Housing Scheme; Shireen Alli of ‘D’ Field Sophia and Natasha Maraj and Phulmat Singh of Vryheid’s Lust Squatting Area were given mattresses, foodstuff, clothing, kitchen utensils and hygiene items.
The Duke family lost their home to a fire on April 1 and four days later they moved into the GRC shelter for two weeks; they returned to Linden yesterday. In addition to the usual items, the Council also presented Duke who is a mason by profession, with some tools which will assist him in restarting his trade. The couple still does not have a permanent home; Bowen has moved into her mother’s house while Duke lives with a friend. The couple said they would appreciate getting “some kind of assistance from the government” or other persons to rebuild a house. They are nonetheless grateful for the assistance rendered by the GRC.
Rohanie, who is a mother of two including one mentally-challenged child, lost her home in a blaze on March 28. She is currently staying “by some friends” and is grateful for the assistance rendered to her by the GRC. Nineteen-year-old Shireen Alli, a mother of two who lost all her possessions in a fire on March 25 also expressed her gratitude to the GRC. Alli is currently residing at her mother’s residence. Hurry now dwells with his family of four in the bottom flat of his house after fire gutted the top flat on March 25. He too extended gratitude to “everybody working” at the GRC. While still grieving over the loss of their two-year-old son and grandson and their home in a March 22 fire, Maraj and Singh said they are thankful to the GRC and are looking into rebuilding. Other recipients of assistance from the GRC are Richard Williams, who currently resides at the GRC shelter; Rawle Higgins of Blue Lake Road, Block 22, Wismar Linden and Fazeela Hamid of Meten-Meer-Zorg.
GRC Administrative Officer Lynette Carter told this newspaper that the NGO is appealing for support from the public, in cash or kind, so that it could better serve persons who suffer a disaster. According to a GRC press release, for the year it has provided assistance to 37 families comprising 160 persons who suffered disasters. Persons interested in contributing to the GRC can telephone its offices on telephone number 225-3081.
