Improving the conditions for children admitted at the Georgetown Hospital is among the first projects for Grant-a-Dream, a newly-formed local humanitarian organisation with an ambitious goal—making Guyana a better place to live.
Dominique Dias, Chelsea Fung, Briony and Alana Tiwari, Jamaal Douglas, Carl Shivraj and Ryan Kirton, all in their early 20s, are the persons behind Grant-a-Dream.
Dias, chairperson of the organisation’s board, came up with the idea and she told Stabroek News that her inspiration came from the three months she spent in Asia building houses with Habitat for Humanity. Dias said the experience transformed her life and after seeing the lives of families change before her yes, she “yearned for the opportunity to change the lives of Guyanese.”
After returning to Guyana this year, she pulled the other six persons on board, registered the entity, and set plans in motion for their upcoming projects, which will begin with the refurnishing the Paediatric Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
To this end, on August 20, at the Georgetown Cricket Club, Grant-a-Dream will be hosting “Tales from Wonderland,” where children can have a fairy tale experience and let their imaginations run wild. The funds raised by the event will be used to refurnish the children’s ward.
According to Grant-a-Dream, it understands the strain that the GPHC has on its limited resources.
As a result, the organisation, with the full permission of GPHC CEO Dr Michael Khan, plans to install new furniture in the waiting area so that parents can relax. Dias said that it is sad that children need to be in the hospital, so the group will work to create a place that makes them comfortable and happy.
Since Dominique, Carl and Chelsea are studying in universities abroad, Grant-a-Dream will also have overseas-based projects. Chelsea said that there are many Guyanese living abroad that want to give back to Guyana and now they can, through Grant-a-Dream.
“We’re trying to get the Guyanese Diaspora involved too, not only locals,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dias said she has learnt a lot from her mother, Denise Dias, the founder of the Alicea Foundation, the road-safety advocacy NGO that she started following the death of her daughter—and Dominique’s sister—Alicia Gouveia.
When asked if they think that Grant-a-Dream will be another organisation that will go dormant in a few months, its members shake their heads furiously.
“This is a long-term plan for us,” Dias stated.
Today, Grant-a-Dream will be hosting its Launch Lime at the Bel-Air Park Ground.
The aim of the event is to make the public aware of the organisation and what it plans to do.
