0ver 500 senior citizens of Region 3 were on Wednesday treated to lunch at a “historic programme” held at President Irfaan Ali’s private home at Leonora, West Coast Demerara.
They were also given an enveloped present of $5,000 each as well as a huge food package, which included a whole frozen chicken, rice, flour, milk, chowmein, margarine, channa, split peas as well as goodies. They were thankful for the gesture and left the event feeling very “special.”
President Ali started the programme in 2009 and it grew over the years. It continued during the pandemic, where the food packages were distributed to their homes.
In brief remarks, he spoke of the work that the government is doing to improve the lives of all Guyanese. He said that despite taking office during the pandemic and facing the global food and cost of living crisis, they were still able to deliver over 75 percent of their promises.
He said too that the relationship with the citizens is not a “seasonal one,” but it is based on “working hard every day to do the best they can to make the lives of all of the citizens better.”
He said the government has launched many new innovative programmes over the last two years to support the elderly and young people. They have also brought back many of the important policies that were in place before, such as the grant for school and the school feeding programme and the increase of pension, he said.
He also reminded them of government’s plan in the new year to start the project for a “brand new, modern, state-of-the-art level three hospital” in the De Kinderen-Tuschen area.
Government is also looking at upgrading the West Demerara Regional Hospital, if there is space or to identify another location to rebuild it to a “brand new level four hospital.”
