Oluatoyin Alleyne

“I can’t express my feelings about it right now. It was terrible and I can’t see how somebody could do something like that to a mother.

When Sohan Suknandan and Radika Narine met over 20 years ago they were wide-eyed lovers who had their entire lives ahead of them, with dreams and ambition that they would work and together create the perfect life.

Growing up on what she described as an ‘island’, there was little doubt that Stephanie Fraser would learn to swim, but becoming one of the best-known swimming coaches in Guyana and cementing her place in a male-dominated arena, happened literally by accident.

“I was not prepared for it but I knew that something was wrong and then the doctor broke the news and I started to reach out to my aunts and other people.

“When I was getting her, I had so much dreams for her.

Aleema Nasir has a bleeding heart for others whether it be children, victims of domestic violence or the elderly and for years she has ploughed through the maze of suffering, giving assistance where she can and collaborating with others to bring relief.

She held her baby awkwardly as she tenderly looked into the child’s bright eyes.

Months after she started experiencing frequent blackouts Allyson Mc Dowell was faced with a grim diagnosis; she had cancer of the lung.

He is 11 years old, lived on the streets and survived by doing odd jobs for persons who paid him in cash or food.

The woman lovingly attended to what appeared to be a small wound on the one of the child’s fingers.

– suicide rate down One year ago, faced with joblessness and still suffering from the fact that he had lost two of his fingers, which he saw as a handicap, Brian (not his real name) drank 19 Panadol tablets which resulted in him being hospitalized for eight days.

“They keep saying that God don’t give you more than you can take, but I going through hardship fuh me whole life, things not getting better.

Sixteen years ago, Kavita Singh (now known as Rose Park-Bennett) fled an abusive husband who was hooked on drugs and having no family support she turned to the state for help which resulted in her three sons being placed in an orphanage; she initially sought accommodation at the Night Shelter.

“I don’t love him. Let me tell you that man treat me like nothing.

“As educators we play the role of imparting knowledge to the nation’s children and as it relates to imparting knowledge, the job demands various roles depending on the age of the pupil and the level that we teach.

Nine years ago, Kamala’s life was thrown into disarray when her husband died leaving her with three daughters, no job and no fixed place of abode.

“Girl you want this bag?” the woman asked in an irritated voice as she glared down at the small child standing near her.

“When my mother left I was small. My father use to beat her up and she left me and my sister and took the three boys.

“Sometimes I remember it like yesterday, when he touch me…. At first like I didn’t understand what he was doing but looking back even though I was small I know it was not a good thing, I know it was not the right thing,” she said almost forcibly.

Some time ago I was seated in my parked car on Camp Street with my two sons when I overheard a ruckus.