THE New Jersey Arya Samaj Mandir/ Guyana Central Arya Samaj Humanitarian Mission (NJASM/GCASHM) is about to launch another important project in Guyana. Since 2005 this mission has conducted surveys of persons–with the help of its local Chapter in Guyana and other Guyanese-based Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)–that have been in dire need of help, particularly those located in the lower income groups and single mothers across the country.
Help is rendered in such areas as the provision of housing low income working families, school vouchers, food vouchers, medical expense for sick children that need surgery, uniform vouchers, and monthly food allowance vouchers for seniors and children, depending on the special circumstances. They also work with various orphanages in Guyana. In 2010, the NJASM plans to work along with “Help and Shelter” that provides housing and other forms of help to battered women.
But Pandit Suresh Sugrim, President of the Mission has emphasised that those persons who they help or are considering of helping, must be able to help themselves too. “We will not help those, who are not willing to help themselves. We are targeting low working income families, single mother’s, seniors, disabled, and all those who are in dire need,” he exhorted.
For the 2010 Mission that lasts for over 3 weeks (July 19-August 15, 2010), Pandit Sugrim will also make special efforts to reach out to two distressed families, namely Doris Thomas of Victoria, and Merle Franklin of East LaPenitence, Georgetown, whose plight were made known to the public through a local newspaper. The information that Pt Sugrim has at hand suggests that no other organization, so far, has come to these families’ aid.
NJASM gets its funds from Guyanese Americans through fund-raising projects and from Care-givers. The organisation receives no grant from government sources. Pt Sugrim bought his return airline ticket with his own funds. This is part of his contribution. Plus, local travel expenses in Guyana are taken care of from his personal funds.
Pandit Sugrim hopes to continue collaboration with other NGOs in Guyana such as the Women In Development (GUYWID), the Lion’s Club, The Rotary Club, and Food for the Poor (Local Guyana Chapter) in the service of the needy and the distressed, because partnership is very important to carry this act of kindness. Together we can do it.
As part of the 2010 Guyana mission, his son, Yogeshwar Sugrim, who is a Staff Sergeant of the United States Army, will spend two weeks also in Guyana where he would conduct workshops countrywide for youths and adults in “Leadership and Peer Pressure.” These workshops have been organised by the NJASM local Guyana Chapter and it’s open to people of all race and children from age 13 and above.
Guyana, like other Caribbean countries, is reeling from a host of social problems. Pandit Sugrim and others want to draw public attention to these social ills with the hope of galvanizing public support and possibly governmental and NGOs’ policy changes. A Walkathon is scheduled to take place at Leonora, West Coast Demarara, and it would focus on domestic abuse, suicide, alcoholism, child labour which is dominant amongst our people along with other things. Domestic Violence has been destroying the fabric of family foundation and its everybody’s business. They also plan a Blood Drive.
According to Pandit Sugrim the biggest challenge facing his organization is not whether and how much to help, but rather, how best could they impart necessary skills in preference to handouts. In local Guyanese parlance, “it’s better to teach people how to fish rather than giving them fish to eat.”
Pandit Sugrim commends all Guyanese Americans and other ethnic groups for their generosity. “Had it not been for that, this mission would have died a long time ago,” he declared.