ȁLOVELY VIEW’: Children from Shaheed’s Orphanage along with U.S. volunteers pause from the breathtaking view atop the Pegasus Hotel to capture the moment on camera. (Cullen Bess-Nelson photos)

TWENTY-SEVEN boys from the Shaheed’s Orphanage in Georgetown were treated to a fun-filled day at the Pegasus Hotel where they smiled and brought smiles to the faces of their benefactors, the U.S. New Horizons Guyana team.

For these boys, from their ‘home’ in Alexander Street, Kitty to a grand tour of one of the best hotels in the country, their foray was the highlight of their August vacation, so far.

And they were not alone as Lieutenant Amy Abbot, Chief of Public Affairs, explained that, for many of the volunteers with New Horizon Guyana, assisting the orphanage is also the best part of their being in Guyana.

The first thing (anyone ask) when the volunteers arrive is when they can visit the children,” Abbot said.

She added that spending time with the children is “a pleasant breather” for the volunteers, between working.

The New Horizons Guyana team has also assisted other orphanages in the City including Joshua House on Thomas Street, Georgetown.

Abbot posited, “We give to the children as much as we take from them.”

According to the Lieutenant, that joy of being able to give and contribute on a different level to the lives of children is a privilege.

The children are happy and laughing and they bring smiles to all our faces,” she asserted. And rightly so, as everyone had a smile on their face.

On arriving at the Pegasus Hotel, the children were allowed to have fun as they let loose in the playground, on the ‘swings’ and the ‘see-saws’.

I love the games,” exclaimed one nine-year-old, Makendra Sahadeo, who went on animatedly about his “Games” at the miniature playground.

‘TREATED’: The kids being treated after their tour of the Pegasus Hotel on Monday.

However, his chatter moved to other topics as the children were given a tour of the Pegasus Hotel which ended with the chance to take-in the breathtaking view of Georgetown and a section of the Atlantic shoreline from the top of the hotel.

Still though, for some, the topic of their conversations was the elevator ride to the top of the hotel and the long walk down the stairway to the ground-floor.

Fortunately, the children’s exertions were rewarded with lunch and an opportunity to further their interactions with the U.S volunteers.

The house mother at Shaheed’s Orphanage, Ms. Bibi Nazz Hakim, was pleased the children were afforded the opportunity to be exposed to a new culture.

The volunteers are very nice and they have assisted the orphanage in many ways and for that, we are grateful,” she said.

She noted, too, that the volunteers’ endearing dispositions have taught the children many things.

The New Horizons Guyana programme is one designed to strengthen U.S. ties with partner nations in Central and South America, through combined quality-of-life improvement projects.

In Guyana’s case the quality-of-life improvement projects are being done at a cost of US$9M.

Facilitating these projects are American volunteer soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen participating in the New Horizons Guyana, a U.S. Southern Command exercise, on two week rotations.

The projects undertaken include:

House mother at Shaheed’s Orphanage, Ms. Bibi Nazz Hakim.

* The renovation of a school building at Timehri, East Bank Demerara;

* The construction of a health centre at La Penitence;

* The construction of a school house in Bel Air, Georgetown; and

* Eight medical assistance initiatives that see support at Timehri Primary School and the Diamond Secondary School, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Linden hospital and Skeldon Hospital.

The U.S team that took New Horizon Guyana’s support did so in the form of dental, paediatric, dermatology, cardiology and pharmaceutical services, along with general and internal medicine and optometric services.

The team’s philanthropic endeavours are an addition to their other efforts.