There must be a way to help Devina

Dear Editor,

I just listened to the very disturbing and heartbreaking story of Devina on Mr Jagdeo’s facepage.  Check it out for yourselves folks.

There must be a way to help Devina and others like her. Individuals and organisations and the diaspora must find a way to sponsor them, one child at a time. Be the Malala of Guyana Devina. Listen and be inspired by her speech at the United Nations, follow her journey and with a little help you can not only become whatever you aspire to be but pull and push and drag others along with you. Her message: one child, one teacher, one pen, one book can be the miracle of education. I am ashamed and hurt by those who have catapulted you into this position then happily neglected and abandoned you.

Where is UNICEF? Sitting in Georgetown heedless of the plight of these unfortunate and powerless children thrown into poverty through no fault of their own. And the Human Rights body is unaware of this catastrophe that has befallen these children. The Ministry of Education is unconcerned? What has become of compulsory education? Are we so callous as a nation that we can look at this child and others like her and shrug the shoulders? No. We are better than that. I look forward to read of the avalanche of help that has poured forward to assist these students who want to go to school, who are ambitious to dream of a meaningful future but are deprived because of the sin of poverty. Find them, nurture them for they are the precious assets of Guyana.

Yours faithfully,

Hema Persaud