THE Three Rivers Kids Foundation, a registered charitable organisation in Ontario, Canada, officially opened its office in Guyana yesterday with free workplace space provided by the Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO).

The foundation is registered as a Non-Governmental Organization in Guyana since February 2008 and it supplies wheel chairs, commodes, prescription eye glasses, and hearing aids.

Speaking with this newspaper yesterday at the GYO building on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown, President of the Organisation, Mrs. Jeanette Singh, said the aim is to serve poor Guyanese children whose parents cannot afford proper medical care for them.

She said the organisation started off treating cardiac cases but over time began handling several other illnesses that cannot be treated in Guyana. Though kids are targeted, Singh said that, since 2008, the organization has helped several adults. “We can’t say no to a sick person. A life is a life after all”.

Two charming little ladies, who were assisted by the Three Rivers Kids Foundation, cut the ribbon to officially open the office in Guyana. Looking on are Mrs. Jeanette Singh and other beneficiaries.

The internationally recognised organisation is supported by voluntary donations and by means of fund-raising activities such as golf tournaments and boat cruises.

Singh explained that the organisation faced a financial struggle initially, but over the past two years it has taken an amazing leap as people have been willing to make donations, provided they see the results.

Over the last five years, she said they have managed to help some 62 children, with the majority being from Guyana, and the minority from India, where one of the branches also exists. By the end of this year Singh said another branch in New York will be completed. 

She recalled that a great accomplishment has been helping one young female to complete four open heart surgeries, with the final one that will sustain her life forthcoming.

Singh said they will be conducting a free cardiac clinic, which has already been approved by the Ministry of Health, from September 27 to October 2 later this year. She added that the organisation is working closely with the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI).

Reflecting on the origin of the organisation, Singh said she never returned to Guyana after leaving at an early age, but was forced to do so when her father was murdered by bandits.

When she came home in the 1980’s, she recalled that she went searching for a childhood friend, Eva Baksh, whom she found teaching approximately 20 children at her home in La Grange, West Bank Demerara.

Her heart went out to the unfortunate children and, when she returned home, Singh said she began sending food, clothing and other items for them, with the help of her husband. 

She said she also noticed that the children were in need of medical care and therefore sent medicines, which were distributed by her friend.

Having worked as a nurse for 25 years in the United Kingdom and Canada, Singh said she recognised that India was offering good health care at a low cost and she began investigating the possibility of taking the children there for medical treatment. Her husband proved to be very instrumental in this regard as he hails from India, she said.

As the demands kept growing, Singh said she decided to register what she was doing in Canada, which eventually led to the establishment of four branches.

Two GYO Committee members, Dwarka Nauth Budram and Muneshwar Sawh, showed up at the opening ceremony yesterday and expressed their delight at being able to accommodate the office of the organization on the GYO’s premises.

Budram said when they first heard about it, they realised that granting the space would assist the GYO in achieving some of its own objectives. He explained that the GYO is a charitable organisation that also seeks to reach out to poor people.

Budram said what he appreciates about the Three Rivers Kids Foundation is that it reaches out to people of all walks of life and is not confined to helping people of a particular religious background.

The Organization’s website, www.threeriverskidsfoundation.org, has this to say: “There are hundreds of sick and poor children in Guyana who are in desperate need of medical help. Guyana does not have any pediatric cardiac surgeons and lacks many medical specialists and facilities. These children have to be brought overseas for treatment. Most of these children suffer from life-threatening conditions and will not survive if they do not receive the proper medical care. We pay for the medical treatment for children who need to be brought overseas”.

It said the organisation has no overhead costs such as office rent, utility bills, or salaries. All the board members are unpaid volunteers and every dollar that is donated goes directly to helping the children, the website added.

According to the website, donations can be mailed to: Three Rivers Kids Foundation, 1531 Kenmuir Avenue, Mississauga, ON L5G 4B6, Canada. Cheques should be made payable to “Three Rivers Kids Foundation”.

“Donations can also be made online via credit card, through Paypal. PayPal protects your financial information with industry-leading security and fraud prevention systems, and your financial information is not stored or shared with us. Once your payment is complete, you will be emailed a receipt for the transaction,” the website further informed.