Overseas-based Cane grove Good Samaritan – Ivor Ramphal
“CAN you imagine what it feels like to be hugged by 40 people,” Ivor Ramphal said as he choked back tears during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.
This was a sight that would have taken many aback to see a grown man teary eyed talking about the gratitude showed to him by persons he’s assisted over the years, yet it was an endearing sight all the same.
“Rewards can be monetary or sentimental,” Ramphal said, “I don’t care much for the monetary part but you can’t help but be sentimental and loving to these people.”
“These people” are 40 individuals; senior, needy and medically frail persons from the Cane Grove community of Region Five (Mahaica/ Berbice), Ramphal’s roots.
Ramphal left Guyana’s shores in 1986 after giving 17 years of service to the education sector.
He taught at the Cane Grove Primary, the Mahaica and Biaboo Primary Schools. He ended his stint with the sector at the Mahaica Multilateral School.
Subsequent to that he advanced and at present he is programme director with Lifespire – a school for individuals with physical and mentally disabilities.
“Cane Grove has many people, old and needy people,” Ramphal said.
It was against this backdrop that his assistance started, this and the desire to continue his father’s legacy of being a help to the people of Cane Grove.
“In 2008 I came back to Cane Grove with the idea for a reunion…We had about 300 to 400 people supporting the reunion. It included people from Cane Grove, De Hoop, Unity and Mahaica Creek,” he said.
The philanthropist said he had the backing of four overseas-based Guyanese; one Pandit Charran, Mohammad Shafee, Udit Meetoo and Mohamed Ally.
He noted that the monies raised from the reunion were used to supply two primary schools with computers; Virginia Primary and Cane Grove Primary Schools receiving two and three computer systems respectively.
“We were also able to train four teachers at the Hindu College at the Cove and John Ashram…They were trained for about nine months,” Ramphal said.
That same year, he said there was a need to do more for the Cane Grove community.
“In Cane Grove there is the gamut of the very rich and the very poor. There is no middle line,” he opined.
With this acknowledgement 31 of the older persons in the community signed on to a support programme, funded by the monies raised by the annual reunions, that will see them receiving $3,000 each month.
“Now we have 40 people,” Ramphal posited.
He was also very grateful to Modas Sukhna, a local in the community, who lends her assistance to ensure the funds reach those that need it.
“People want to be helped.” Ramphal noted.
In this light, he expressed hope that his efforts would engender a spirit of social responsibility among the “well off” so that will reach out and help.
Ivor’s rationale is that one does not live forever so, if one is in a position, one should “give a little.”
However, he pointed out that as with all efforts there are challenges.
Still, he asserted that this effort “will not stop.”
“The support for this venture overseas is tremendous and while there are difficulties this will not end,” he said.
Relative to the initiative’s importance, Ramphal observed that humanitarian efforts on the whole are a quintessential in any society.
He said, “People need someone, especially the older people…Someone needs to do something.”
Tomorrow Ramphal will be meeting with the beneficiaries of the support programme and some of the other older folks at the Virginia Mandir in Cane Grove.
“I will be meeting them…I have some gifts and we will provide a meal for them…They are the older persons in society and deserve our respect and assistance,” Ramphal said.