GIFTLAND OfficeMax has donated $364,928 in cash to each of 12 charitable organisations drawn from Berbice, Linden, Santa Mission, St Cuthbert’s, East Coast Demerara, Georgetown and other areas.The kind gesture was made through the ‘Giftland Annual Donation Ceremony’ and was held at the mega mall yesterday.
Giftland’s Marketing, Promotion and Events Coordinator, Nafeeza Tasha Kalil, said the money for the donations was raised in a promotion held from December 2 to 15, wherein customers were offered the opportunity to contribute to charitable work of the organisations by donating $500 with every purchase of $5000 at the mega mall. In this way, the company was able to raise $4M in two weeks’ time.
Kalil said the company selected 12 charities, symbolic of Giftland’s ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ promotion, and each charity was carefully selected because the company wanted to ensure that the more unpopular charitable organisations countrywide were placed on its gift list, those charities that scarcely receive contributions from the mass contributors.
She explained: “The idea behind this charity is to give to those who are in need, those charities that are not recognised by the mass contributors. This is Giftland’s way of giving back and of making sure that we put smiles on the faces of those who will benefit,” she stated.
She explained that this is the first time customer involvement was encouraged, and it was done so that they can also feel a sense of giving during this season of giving.
Beneficiaries of the Giftland OfficeMax annual donation this year were: the Hararuni Girls Home, Mahaica Children’s Home, Berbice Anjuman Orphanage, Comal’s International Home, Ruimveldt Children’s Home and Care Centre, Shaheed Boys’ Orphanage, David Rose Special Needs School, Fairvew School in Iwokrama, Lucille King Foundation, St Cuthbert’s Mission Centre for Kids, Sophia Women Entrepreneurs Group and West La Penitence Literacy Project.
Yolanda Roberts, President of the Sophia Women Entrepreneurs Group, told Guyana Chronicle the group provides training to 23 women and 53 children in various areas, including tie-dye, knitting and floral arrangements, and has just introduced catering to its curriculum.
“It (the monetary gift) will take us a far way, because, right now we are having problems getting materials and stuff, so with this donation it will assist us greatly in getting the things we need,” she said.
The representative from David Rose School for the Handicapped thanked Giftland for choosing the school.
“There are many, many times when we (David Rose School) run short of materials for the art programme, and this donation will allow our children to explore the area of art,” she said.
Barbara Atherly, wife of Brigadier Michael Atherly, was presented with a certificate of appreciation for being the customer who had made the most contributions towards the charity drive. She told Guyana Chronicle she felt honoured to be drawn in by Giftland to make a positive impact on the lives of the less fortunate through a promotion that is unique to the mall.
“What was different about this promotion, to my mind, was the whole idea of giving back to the less fortunate. Most often, during any of the major festivals or events, when persons shop, they look forward to winning a prize, filling up a form to get back something personally. In this case it was different, because, as you shop $5000, $500 of it went back to a charitable organisation.”
She said though some of those organisations find it difficult to garner resources, they still make a great impact on their respective communities.
“I think, more and more, we have to look at those (charitable) organisations, and I notice here they were the small charitable organisations. More and more, we need to look at those organisations, and in terms of supporting them for the work they are doing within the community,” Atherly said.

By Shauna Jemmott