NEW Amsterdam Town Council sent Christmas cheer to the East Canje, Berbice triplets.
On being informed of the girls’ needs, the municipality donated three teddy bears, dresses and dietary necessities for the toddlers, on Christmas Eve.

The presentation was made at the home of the beneficiaries, Lot 1186 Galaxy Street, Canefield Settlement, East Canje, by Town Clerk Angelina Collins, who was accompanied by the Town Treasurer Sharon Lamazon-Anderson, Chief Security Officer C. Roberts and other staff members.

The children’s mother, Hameeda Bacchus had encountered difficulty in raising them and took employment as a domestic while a kind hearted neighbour helps with the baby-sitting.

The trio, Aswannie, Ashvinnie and Ashmannie, now almost three months away from their second birthday, have endured a healthy period of growth apart from a few rashes.

This newspaper has been following their growth and development since birth at New Amsterdam Hospital, on March 14, 2008, when their mother created history by being the first to experience multiple births at the institution at its current location.

Bacchus, who is an only child and an orphan, revealed that, with the exception of her grandmother, who delivered twins, no one else in the family shared a similar fortune.

Report details actions taken after 30 anti-truancy campaigns

CHIEF Schools Welfare Officer (CSWO), Ms. Bhanmattie Ram disclosed, on Monday, that 483 truants were apprehended between September and December, this year.

She told the Guyana Chronicle the school-age children were taken off the streets in 30 countrywide campaigns.

Her report said most were apprehended in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) and, of the total,122 were held in September, October and November.

Lusignan, Enterprise, Bare Root, Coldingen, Enmore and Non Pariel, all on the East Coast Demerara, were among the communities greatly affected.

The compilation revealed that the majority of the children were not in school because of financial constraints.

It added that the greatest number of truants was recorded in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) and, of the 116, two did not attend classes over the past two years, two were awaiting transfers from another region and three were dropouts.

The compendium said the remainders are living in poverty, mostly in single parent households.

Ram said her officers, in their efforts to correct the situation, went to great lengths to discuss the Education Act with the parents of the truants and referrals were made to the Probation Department and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for relevant assistance.

She said letters were also issued to defaulters for them to regain admission to schools and follow-ups ascertained that all were attending classes.

Ram emphasised that 79 truants were rounded up in Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), 51 in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and 44 in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam).

The least numbers were in Regions Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice), Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and One (Barima/Waini).

Eighteen loiterers were picked up in Region 10, 35 in Region Seven and 20 in Region One.

Ram said, amongst the 20 truants in Region Seven, seven were waiting for their uniforms to be made; one had no birth certificate or clinic card; the hands of another were badly burnt by his stepfather and three were awaiting validating documents from other regions.

She said warnings were given to parents, who were also advised.

Meantime, uniforms were distributed to some students, parents were referred to the Bartica Hospital for assistance in acquiring birth certificates and clinic cards and the stepfather who assaulted the child was warned and referred to the Probation and Family Welfare Service. (Tajeram Mohabir)