Rose Hall club comes to rescue of wheelchair-bound man  

The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sport Club (RHTYSC) came to the rescue of a person in dire circumstances and presented a quantity of items to accident victim, 33-year-old, Goobraj Durjan.

Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the club, Hilbert Foster said he learnt about the man’s plight after it was published in Stabroek News on Christmas Day and was very happy to assist.

Durjan of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice lost his ability to walk following an accident in July 2012. He is also unable to earn and has been struggling to make ends meet.

Goobraj Durjan with some of the items he received
Goobraj Durjan with some of the items he received

He underwent a few surgeries to correct his condition and is waiting patiently to be back on his feet again. The last surgery was done in April.

Foster was sad to learn that the man was living under such condition and also pledged continued help in the future.

The donation was made possible through the club’s cricket teams as part of its Christmas programmes and Durjan who was extremely grateful to the members and wished them every success and God’s blessings.

He was among several underprivileged persons who benefitted from the club’s multi-million dollar Christmas programme.

Three hundred hampers worth $8,000 each and consisting of grocery, hygiene kits, clothing, footwear and educational materials were distributed.

It was one of several programmes organised by the RHTYSC cricket teams; the Farfan & Mendes U-15, Bakewell U-17, Second Division, Pepsi U-19 and Intermediate, Gizmos & Gadgets First Division and U-21 and Metro Female Teams.

Hilbert Foster and a member after selecting the items for Durjan Hilbert Foster
Hilbert Foster and a member after selecting the items for Durjan
Hilbert Foster

The teams, together with the Radio’s Needy Children’s Fund also organized a massive Christmas party for 500 less fortunate children who were treated to a delicious meal, goodies and toys.

Members also presented 3000 children across Berbice with toys via their churches, non-governmental agencies, schools and cricket clubs.

They also feted 120 senior citizens at a luncheon and handed out hampers to them. There was also a “general feeding programme” for a few hundred more persons.

Staff members of the Rose Hall Town Post Office and several members of the Guyana Police Force were not left out and also received hampers while members of the Club’s First Division team each received a special collection of gifts.

They also provided hampers and gifts to the Berbice Cricket Board for the Berbice umpires as well as toys to be distributed to the Eden Children Home and those in the Children Ward of the New Amsterdam Hospital.

They also sponsored several Christmas related television programmes on DTV-8.

The members have been involved in organizing such programmes since 1990 “with the main aim of making positive differences in the lives of children, the elderly and less fortunate.”

The programmes were organised by the Rose Hall Town Farfan & Mendes Under-15, Bakewell Under-17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate, Gizmos & Gadgets First Division

Children posing with their toys 
Children posing with their toys 

and Under-21 and Metro Female Teams.

Foster said the “2013 Christmas programme was the largest in the history and was the result of the hard work of the executive and members of the different cricket teams.”

He said the RHTYSC, “…the club is the only of its kind in Guyana that spearheads such large-scale charity programmes. The RHTYSC cricketers are taught via these programmes that all sportsmen and women must make contributions to the development of society and those less fortunate than themselves.”

The RHTYSC and the young cricketers expressed gratitude to the “numerous donors,” including GT&T, Bakewell, Southland International, Bermudez, Farfan & Mendes, Sterling Products, Beharry’s, Impression, Hand-in-Hand, Food for the Poor, CIDI, Len’s Craft, Bank of Nova Scotia, Bounty Farm Ltd, Cirkel and NCN Radio Needy’s Children Fund.

They also recognized the contributions from Busta, DDL, Banks DIH, H.A Snacks, Namilco, De Sinco, Ansa Mcal, Bissan’s, Berbice River Bridge, Kanhai Electrical Agency, Lotto, Churches Chicken, Starr Computers, Toucan, Gizmos & Gadgets, Kris Jagdeo Construction, Ministry of Public Service, Marcel Crawford S.C (the late), John Lewis Styles, Sentinel Security and other companies.

They also thanked “hundreds of residents who donated food items and toys.”