A Port Mourant family of five who recently lost their home to fire along with over 1000 families have benefited from the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC)/Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) COVID-19 relief programme, a release from the two organisations stated.
According to reports, the fire struck just around noon two weeks ago, destroying the five-bedroom home and grocery store at lot 279 Ankerville, Port Mourant.
The businesswoman, Tejpattie Juandoo estimates damages at around $22 million from the fire that displaced her family.
According to the release, the joint RHTYSC/BCB Coronavirus Crisis Response programme continues to be a success, with the distribution of over $4,000,000 worth of food hampers, cleaning detergents, personal items, educational materials and chicken products to less fortunate families across the entire coast.
Chief Executive Officer of RHTYSC, Hilbert Foster, who is also the BCB President has spearheaded the project and has visited each sub-association to hand over the supplies, the release stated.
The programme was launched in April with the objective of handing over 500 hampers but it has since surpassed over 1500 hampers. Bounty Farm Ltd has donated over 1000 pounds of chicken products, which were distributed to homes by the teams.
Major donors include Namilco, Bakewell, CIDI, Food for the Poor, Farfan and Mendes Ltd, Ravi Etwaroo (CriczoneUSA), Dr. Puran Singh, Mortimer George, Big ‘B’ Restaurant among others.
The release stated that the RHTYSC has to date been the biggest contributor to the hampers project under its charity project
Over $200,000.00 worth of the cleaning detergents were also shared out to several public institutions including the Port Mourant Public Hospital, Port Mourant NDC and Rose Hall Town Council.
Meanwhile, the 10 teams of the RHTYSC on Sunday last named Timothy Sandia as their Walter Nero Father of the Year 2020.
The Hampshire village businessman copped the award after he was nominated by the Rose Hall Town Pepsi Under-19 team and seconded by the Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour first-division team.
Foster, Vice President, Mark Papannah, Assistant Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu and Office Manager, Joel Pike, visited the Sandia family residence to hand over the award, the release stated.
The Walter Nero Memorial Award is sponsored by his five daughters- Karen, Sandra, Theresa, Jackie and Narcy in memory of their father who died five years ago. Foster said that since its formation in September of 1990 by three-time Guyana and Commonwealth Youth Service Awardee, the St. Francis Community Developers- the RHTYSC has honoured a father and a mother of the year every year.
The main objectives are to express thanks for their input into the club’s success, to acknowledge their contribution in the development of the children and to promote them as positive role models to the younger generation. Sandia is the father of two children, with the youngest Jeremy, a member of the RHTYSC.
He has represented Berbice and Guyana at the junior level at cricket and is considered one of the best cricket talents in the club. Jeremy Sandia is a left arm spinner and solid middle-order batsman.
Foster issued an appeal to fathers across Guyana to play a major role in the lives of their children and to encourage them to reject evil ways. He committed the RHTYSC to continue leading the battle to get youths to Say No to Drugs, Crime, Alcohol, Suicide and Tobacco.
A humbled Sandia, stated that he was pleased to be honoured by the RHTYSC and the cricket teams. He congratulated the club on its outstanding work over the last 30 years and the role it has played in making a positive difference in the lives of youths including his son. The club also distributed 120 food hampers to less fortunate fathers as part of the Walter Nero Father’s Day Programme.
Additionally, the BCB honoured Jerry Karim of Blairmont Village as its Brian Ramphal Father-of-the-Year as the active cricket board continues to undertake activities off the cricket field despite the corona virus shutdown of all sporting activities. Karim is the father of Javed Karim, the captain of the Blairmont’s first division team and who represented Guyana at the Under 15, Under 17 and Under 19 levels. He also plays for West Berbice in the Guyana Cricket Board Franchise League.
Foster handed over the award to the proud father and stated that Karim was a role model parent who should be emulated across Guyana.
Foster urged Karim to uphold the high standard, he has set himself as a parent and to share his experience to the younger generation of parents noting, that indiscipline and disrespect for authority were major problems in today’s society. He called on parents to instill the value of discipline into their children. He also pledged, that the BCB would work every day to make a positive difference in the lives of every Berbician while fulfilling its mandate to uphold the high standard of Berbice Cricket.
Karim expressed gratitude to the BCB for honouring him and stated that the board is doing a remarkable job in the administration of the game in the Ancient County.
