Dear Editor,
The President’s much-publicised $1 million donation to the Dharm Shala raises more questions than it answers, highlighting not generosity, but an embarrassing lack of substance in addressing the needs of our most vulnerable citizens.
Forget that we boast of being the fastest-growing economy, transforming Guyana into one of the wealthy nations in the world. Consider instead the reality at the Dharm Shala’s two facilities – one in Albouystown, George-town, and the other in Berbice -where approximately 60 permanent residents are cared for 365 days a year, alongside drop-in visitors. This translates to over 65,000 meals annually. The State’s $1 million will certainly not cover one meal per day per year for each resident and one wonders where the President expects the balance will come from. And this is before accommodation, clothing, caregiving, utilities, maintenance, and administrative costs.
This raises a barrage of questions. What were the President’s advisers thinking when they recommended a $1 million donation as a gesture of support in this season of caring and sharing? What exactly did they expect this sum to cover? A few months of electricity bills? Repairs to the aging building and leaking roof? Or a mere fraction of the costs for one day’s meals?
The glaring inadequacy of this token donation is further magnified by the media circus surrounding it. The newspaper coverage, complete with cameras and photo opportunities, seems worth more than the donation itself. Was this a genuine attempt to assist the poor and destitute or simply a photo opportunity cloaked as charity?
But a larger question remains: After more than 100 years of dedicated service by the Ramsaroop family, why is the Dharm Shala left to scrape together donations for survival? Why has government after government failed to provide the sustained support this institution desperately needs? Surely, it is time for the state to step in and assume responsibility for funding this national treasure, ensuring it is properly resourced to continue its vital mission with dignity and respect to the beneficiaries.
Instead of lauding the President’s token gesture, the Department of Public Information would do better to highlight the unique vision, sacrifices, and commitment of the Ramsaroop family, who have done what successive governments have failed to do – care for the most vulnerable among us without cost or publicity.
Five years after the first discovery of oil is more than opportune for the government to commit to integrating the Dharm Shala into the national welfare system, either through direct funding or meaningful annual subventions.
If a nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable, then this donation is an embarrassment and a disgrace. The poor of our country deserve better.
Sincerely,
Christopher Ram
