Cement company, NGO assist visually impaired farmer

TCL Guyana Inc (TGI) last Sunday donated 35 sacks of cement to a 75-year-old visually impaired farmer to be used in construction work at his residence.

Siemian Barker of Kuru Kururu was given the cement, which is to be used to construct concrete beds and renovate a trestle at his home. TGI Plant Manager, Mark Bender, was quoted in a release from the cement company as saying that he felt Barker was “a deserving individual who rose above his impairment and met the challenges that came his way.”

“We are very pleased to have been able to provide him with a sling of cement that will no doubt go a far way in improving his day-to-day activities and his livelihood,” Bender added.

Meanwhile, the National Working Group on the Millennium Development Goals also donated two 1,000-gallon water tanks to Barker. Chairman Major General (Rtd) Joe Singh called Barker a “shining example” of differently-abled persons, adding that his farm would impress anyone and his “vision and determination to make the best of his circumstances in life.”

The National Working Group is a public/private partnership that facilitates programmes and initiatives that are geared towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Barker, meanwhile, plants a broad selection of crops utilising drip irrigation technology. He manages the farm by himself through an innovative system of guide wires which aids his mobility, the release said.