Food for the Poor (Guyana) Inc recently celebrated its 31st anniversary of service to the poor and vulnerable in Guyana.
A special day of reflection and an interfaith service were held at its Festival City, Georgetown, headquarters to mark the occasion.
Chief Executive Officer Kent Vincent, in addressing the service, spoke on the growth of the charitable organization over the years and called on staff to continue to support the organisation’s vision. He said Food for the Poor will continue to expand its Outreach and Sustainable Community Development Projects to the vulnerable in the hinterland regions.
He made the assurance that it will also continue to provide the necessary relief and assistance in the years ahead. He said the organisation continues to play a vital role in the development of Guyana through the transformation of communities and the lives of the poor and needy.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Paul Chan-A-Sue, also spoke at the event and he reminded the staff of where the organization started and some of the challenges it faced in the past. He, too, said that it will continue to support the poor and vulnerable in the most depressed communities across Guyana.
Food for The Poor (Guyana) is the largest charitable organization in Guyana. It provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance.
Only last month it was announced that elders at the Palms Geriatric Home would benefit from additional support and comfort through a donation from Food For the Poor (Guyana), which received US$1,250 from the UK-based Caribbean Council.
The Council has selected Food For The Poor Guyana to receive its support over the next 12 months.
The Caribbean Council is a trade and investment consultancy and membership organisation, specialising in providing advisory services to companies, trade association, government, public sector organisations and regional and international organisations.
Also in May, the President/CEO of Food for the Poor Inc. Edward Raine and an Executive Team from Florida, in the USA, visited Guyana.
During the team’s visit, from May 9 to May 13, 2022, they met with community leaders in order to assess the needs of the poor within communities and to seek new ways in which they can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its mission in Guyana.
The team visited several communities in Region One, including Mabaruma, Hosororo, Imbotero, White Water, and Yarakita, and met with Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley, and Regional Executive Officer Teka Bissessar.
Raine discussed the new vision of Food For The Poor, which places greater emphasis on sustainable development works, transformation of communities and income generation for the needy.
Raine emphasised that one of the areas to be addressed is multi-dimensional poverty, including health, education, and quality of life. He said Food for the Poor is concerned about development and transformation and that the challenges the Region experiences must therefore be understood so greater impact could be made.
Raine also noted that Food for the Poor is a catalyst and it is necessary to have stakeholder engagements. He emphasized the need for partnerships with government agencies, NGOs and the private sector, so that the work of Food For The Poor and other organizations will complement each other and create greater benefits for the region.
The team also visited the migrant community in Yarakita and engaged with the community leaders to understand their needs and way of life. This would ensure that community projects could be tailored specifically for the migrant community.
A donations of over 25 birthing kits and diaper rash ointments were also made to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) during Raine’s visit.
Other areas visited were in Region Five (Mahaica – Berbice), including several women-owned and operated businesses that benefitted from FFTP’s Rural Sustainable Development Projects. The projects were implemented to provide resources for the recipients to boost their livelihoods.
Visits were also made to nursery and primary schools in Region Six that are a part of the Community Partner Program of the organisation.
The team spent some time at the Port Mourant Health Centre and hospital and the National Psychiatric Hospital.
