Sugar worker’s
children continue to be victims of unemployment in Guyana.
Habeeb Alli
Oct 27 2018
The continuous onslaught on the sugar workers in Guyana on
finding meaningful employment after the cruel closure of the sugar estates has
forced many to abandon their places of residence in pursuit of livelihood.
Others are still awaiting their complete severance pays whilst some have taken
their lives unfortunately as a way out of this sudden abject poverty. Out of
this crisis a small band of volunteers have arisen to rise to the call to
prepare lunches for school children who were forced to be absent from school.
They call themselves Service to Humanity and have registered their entity to
serve the underprivileged children in Skeldon Guyana. Their motto therefore is
today’s children tomorrow’s future!
I happen to be invited to support their cause since February
and have raised awareness and funds for the scholarships as well as daily
feeding program for some two hundred and fifty students. I recently visited the
volunteers and students and was impressed with their level of dedication as
well as the support they have received including the American Embassy
humanitarian body and that of the Guyana Islamic Trust and NACOSSA.
Canadians have responded kindly during Ramadan and during
Qurbani to continue serving these children regardless of race or religion. It
is heartening to receive beautiful cards from kindergarten students as well as
from high schoolers saying thank you. The meals are prepared by volunteers and
the main founder and coordinator has given her painstaking time and care
towards these children. She is Shanta Youngkam and the light in the lives of
the many beneficiaries. The Service to Humanity group is hoping that the Guyana
government would return the workers to meaningful jobs and end the apparent
discrimination against East Indians- the main workers and beneficiaries of the
sugar cane industry- started by the British
Imperialist in the West Indies.
The number of meals have passed the five thousand mark since
February and a few scholarships. Among some other humanitarian efforts, the
group have helped with includes medical outreach in collaboration with HAPS and
CIOG as well as outreach to the Albion Orphanage in Berbice and that in Enmore
ECD. Even the East Canje seniors have benefited from the Qurbani program.
However, there has been one incident that the newly formed
volunteer humanitarians have stepped up to and that is the families of the
fishermen attack. Earlier this year some twenty-five fishermen were victims of
a gruesome attack at sea and many lost their lives. Many of the families have
been struggling with young families without a livelihood and more so they are
traumatised. The group have consistently assisted with hampers etc. with such individual
cases.
The highlight of the services rendered by Service to
Humanity is to ensure students regardless of background get ample support to continue
their education for with education anything is possible. It was sweet sugar
cane sweat that fed the echelons of Guyanese society with scholars and professionals
and of course Presidents and Prime Ministers. Let us not give upon them, not
yet.
Malcolm X was the greatest American and in the walls of
prison he gained an unparalleled level of education that made him received an honorary
doctorate- he said Education is the passport to success!
https://servicetohumanitytcof.wordpress.com/
