…compliments of Food for the Poor
The male occupants of the Joshua House will be able to live in a bit more comfort, following the commissioning of a new male dormitory at its Thomas Street, South Cummingsburg location.
The two-flat dorm was constructed by Food for the Poor (Guyana) Inc. at a cost in excess of $6M. In addition to the new dorm, the children at the home will now have an improved water supply as a water trestle to accommodate six (6) 450- gallon water tanks was also built. Joshua House is part of Food for the Poor’s Angel of Hope Programme. The home accommodates 28 girls and 25 boys.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand delivered the feature address at yesterday’s commissioning ceremony. She commended the organisation for making these improvements to the facilities, stating that it was necessary if the home was going to continue functioning effectively. She said the government was carefully monitoring all twenty-three children’s homes in the country. She said that certain stipulations had been drafted and added that two of the stipulation was that girls and boys had to have separate accommodations and access to water.
Meanwhile Manickchand added that her Ministry was not threatened by these organisations which undertook certain projects and emphasized that the non-governmental and faith-based organisations had their roles to play. The Minister also said that it was important to publicise these initiatives, because the donors needed to be made aware that their money was being well spent. She was responding to a recent criticism coming from some quarters that charitable organizations should not publicise their acts of charity.
Leon Davis, the Executive Director, described this project as the most “serious programme” to the donors.
Speaking on behalf of the National Board, Paulette Charles said that the project was the fulfilment of a dream that started 15 years ago. She said the main aim of the organisation was to help in taking care of God’s people “especially those with difficult circumstances.”
According to Andrea Benjamin, the Project Manager of Food for the Poor, the organisation took over the construction of the building in March of this year when the building was only about 30% complete. On the lower flat there is a kitchen, laundry room, two toilets and bathroom and a dining area. The upper flat houses a guest room, the living quarters for the boys. She described this project as “a labour of love” and testimony of a dedication towards improving the lives of the children.
Administrator of the home Clifford Accra was especially grateful to the donors of the project. Some of these were The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the US Embassy, BK International and several other donors including designer Sonia Noel. He said that the home was not just a home but was also a place for education and it presented an opportunity for those who were not so fortunate.
