As the Muslim world observes the month of Ramadan, the management of the Shaheed Orphan-ages is seeking financial assistance from members of the public to complete projects aimed at improving the quality of life for its residents.
According to a press release from the Board of the Orphanages, one such project is the children’s playground at the Oleander Gardens location which has already commenced and for which, the organisation has already expended a total of $3M but remains incomplete due to the lack of financial resources. The facility is expected to be “fully equipped with day/night capability (flood lights), equipment for maintaining the playground, as well as swings, slides etc.” The organisation remains positive, the release said, this particular project “can be a reality before the end of 2015.”
The management of the Orphanages said it “continues to work closely with the Ministry of Social Protection in our operation of these institutions and regularly meet with the officials to ensure that we keep the Shaheed Orphanages in line with what is required by the Ministry and to seek advice on our protection of these institutions.” Due to this collaborative effort, the Orphanages have “installed top class security surveillance systems (security cameras)” the release said, and “the management is now able to monitor these institutions from our homes or offices at any hour of the day or night,” and boasts it is “the first of such institutions to do so.”
Among the Orphanages’ accomplishments is a bus for transporting the children which was acquired through a duty free concession granted through the assistance of former Attorney General Anil Nandlall. In the department of education, the Orphanages said it has been able to afford a private school education for its residents which came “at a tremendous cost to the management” but it has been worth it and it was their “biggest achievement” during the year.
Contributions can be deposited to the Orphan-ages’ account #4013223 held at the Demerara Bank Limited, the release said and should the members of the public be desirous of contacting the institution, they can be reached at the following telephone numbers and email address: 226-9620, 222-3875, 628-4179, 226-4258, 233- 2030 and email muslimjournal@yahoo.com. The institution also encourages persons to visit their website www.shaheedorphanages.webs.com
