Three Corentyne families that lost their homes in separate fires during last month were among groups that recently received donations from the Saint Francis Community Developers (SFCD), through the Food for the Poor (FFP) organization.
President of the SFCD, Alex Foster made the presentation to housewives Basmat Nagamootoo, of Lancaster, Laxhmee Motilall, of Albion and Jasmati Jagdeo, of Alness, at a simple ceremony held at Rose Hall last Friday.
The women were grateful for the donations, which included mattresses, table model gas stoves, clothing, food items and household articles. They told this newspaper that the SFCD and FFP have helped to make their holidays brighter.
Foster said SFCD has been trying its best to “reach out and touch” and has been going out “to find persons who have the most needs.”
Several persons from communities in the Corentyne would also be able to enhance their computer skills after four groups received a total of 30 internet-ready computer systems to conduct free training. The Albion Chapel Community Centre received 12 computers while six each were presented to the Amerindian Student Hostel at Corriverton, Turn Your Life Around Group at Kildonan and the Eversham Community Developers.
Foster said that those systems have added to the 18 that FFP had already handed over to the Felix Austin Police College at Adventure, the Mibicuri Community Developers and the All Saints Presbyterian Development Centre.
Further, the Amerindian Hostel along with the GuySuCo Training Centre at Port Mourant and the technical institutes at Corriverton and New Amsterdam also received a quantity of stationery.
The three training institutions also received a quantity of overalls and gloves, a folding table with six chairs, six volleyballs and other items were also presented to the Berbice Volleyball Association.
Meanwhile, The SFCD also benefitted from two executive conference tables with 24 chairs and four book shelves that would be used to furnish a training centre that the Japanese government is funding. Foster said the construction of the building was expected to commence on Monday and completion is set for April 2012.
Fire victims’ plight
Nagamootoo told this newspaper that she was looking forward to spending a good Christmas with her family of six after their one-bedroom was gutted on November 23. With nowhere to go after the fire, the family used a few pieces of the zinc sheets from the burnt house to knock up a makeshift dwelling in the yard while they await assistance to rebuild.
She recalled that she had loaded five CDs to play in the upper flat around 3:45 pm and went downstairs.
When the music stopped suddenly, she suspected something was wrong and rushed upstairs to investigate.
She noticed smoke coming from the music set and the fire had already started. She raised an alarm and the neighbours ran over and saved her fridge and a few dishes from the kitchen.
Motilall, her husband, Shazam Bacchus and their two children of High Reef, Albion lost their home on November 22. They are staying temporarily at a small house belonging to a friend.
She said she was asleep around 3 am when her daughter, Anessa Bacchus, 13, woke her up to tell her that she was feeling a heat in her room. It was then that Motilall realized that the kitchen in the lower flat was on fire.
According to the woman, they only managed to grab a mattress and a DVD player from the living room while escaping. She said she and her husband, Shazam Bacchus, a labour with GuySuCo struggled to build their two-bedroom house and it was difficult to watch it go up in flames.
They have started to rebuild after receiving 10 tons of sand and 700 hallow blocks from the Fyrish Mosque along with financial assistance from some persons.
In the case of Jagdeo, she and three other family members were left homeless on November 14. The fire started around 11:30 pm while she was visiting her son’s house at the back.
They were returning home when they saw the house in flames and could not save anything. Meanwhile, the Guyana Relief Council (GRC) has also helped to make their Christmas brighter. After they got home from the SFCD they were happy that the GRC took mattresses, food items, clothing and household articles for them.
