The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) on Thursday spearheaded the donation of 3,800 chicks and 171 bags of feed to flood-affected farmers in the Mahaica-Mahaicony area.
Sheik Moen ul–Hack, who heads the organization, explained that CIOG has been working to bring relief to flood-affected persons throughout Guyana.
Thursday’s donation is a part of their relief efforts. The 19 farmers who were selected from Region Five were each given 200 chicks along with three bags of starter, three bags of grower and three bags of finisher feed.
ul-Hack thanked Royal Chicken along with the International Development Relief Foundation (IDRF) and their donors for supporting the relief initiative. He explained that Royal Chicken donated the chicks while IDRF funded the other parts of the donation.
“We at CIOG will continue to work with our government and the regional representatives of our government throughout our country and like all the other NGOs to help the people of our country”, ul-Hack stressed. The poultry farmers were thankful for the donations.
Maniwattie Panday, 71, from Water Dog Creek, Mahaicony River, told Stabroek News, “The flood has done us tremendous losses, we had duck, fowl, sheep, goats, horses, cow and at this point of time I can’t tell you how many missing because they deh far in the bush.”
Panday noted that out of her 15 ducks 1 survived while only eight of her twenty chickens survived. “This will help me a lot”, she said.
The woman also thanked the government as according to her they have been taking in food hampers and water to affected residents continuously. “You know they have a lot of places they have to give but we receive hampers about five times and water… Sometimes I just glad to get one case (water) until they come again the next week… We got to try.”
Further, Panday said, her sons, who are rice farmers, also suffered tremendous losses. “They can’t plant back for this year it done there”, she noted.
Another farmer, Sukhdeo Premdass, 62, of Grass Hook, Mahaica River, said that he used to plant cash crops and reared livestock.
“All was under water, the fruit trees and everything, and for livestock plenty dead. Me been put some pon the pen top but some a fly away and then it get anaconda and then it get Mr. crocodile a take he tail and lash the water from the pen top to throw down the fowl them”, he explained.
Premdass noted that this is the first step in “restarting” their livelihoods.
Harriram Ramkhelawan, 72, also said, that the flood affected him and his family tremendously. The man noted that he has a sickly wife along with a disabled son, 45, who is unable to walk. “We can’t able mind abbay self, everything duck out”, he said. He added, “When them people bring in some goods that wah abbay a try with. Me lost 105 fruit trees, 1000 sucker, 3000 bora and it been just start bear and the flood knock everything and done am out, and then we lose 50 root sweet potato and 100 root eddo and 50 root cassava. Me a tell you all wah duck and lost here.”
The man stressed, that they will need a lot more support from government and others in order to return to the state in which they were prior to the flood.
Lalita Rajpattie, 47, from Mahaica Creek, explained, that she operates a grocery and liquor store and sells chickens. However, since the flood her business has been affected a lot also since persons are unable to purchase.
“Me a open but people na really buy right now. Whatever they bring in and share that’s what people a use.”
She said, her husband also suffered a lot of losses as most of his cash crops were destroyed in the flood.
Another farmer, Nandkumar Ramkarran, 63, stated, that he too suffered a lot of losses into terms of cash crops and livestock. He relayed, “Up to yesterday me went to the backdam and check them dam and it now start show so much so me na know what go happen. The rain a continue and like the water stuck lil bit in some areas.”
Despite suffering huge losses, the farmers put on a brave face to make jokes and interact with each other as they were all hopeful that the water would completely recede soon.
