Chase’s Indigent Home, Robb Street, Bourda, in the city, was recently given a well-deserved face-lift, thanks to a group of University of Guyana final year degree students who elected to conduct their Community Practice (DSW 314) project at that facility.
In the hub of the Bourda commercial centre, the somewhat quaint, home which houses eight female inmates, does not offer easy access to anyone perceived to be a ‘stranger’.
The women there, under the shrewd management of  Matron Ms. Beryl Austin,  security conscious, and a stickler for discipline, are never quick to take anyone into their confidence, and so when approached by the group initially, they were just a bit apprehensive.
For this reason, hadn’t it been for their professionalism, warmth and affable personalities, the group of five, headed by Shondelle Branche and Cornella Leitch, their project might have had to go elsewhere.
Having been taken into their confidence, the group soon learnt, with some degree of sadness, that on many occasions, persons pretending to be well-wishers had made promises to the home, but did not follow through on these. Having established a relationship with the residents of the home, the students surveyed the premises and proceeded with a needs assessment, out of which a decision was taken to clean and beautify the interior of the building.
From their own resources, they purchased detergents, paint, window curtains and got to work.  They washed walls and windows, putting up new curtains.  And they paid painters to brush up the walls.
At the end of the exercise, the home took on a ‘brand new’ appearance, bringing pride and joy to the hearts of the residents who expressed profound gratitude to the students.
Mission accomplished, the members of the group had yet another surprise for the residents – an offer to provide lunch for them yesterday. Evidently, because of the trust established in this new found relationship, there was no need for them to even entertain the thought of a hoax this time.
True to their word, the group of five: Shondelle Branche, Cornella Leitch, Sonja Mingo, Vanessa Johnson, and Karen Schmidt, turned up promptly at noon yesterday with the women’s menu of choice – a sumptuous meal of cook-up-rice with garden salad and delicious home-made drink. They were greeted by the seniors, dressed in their Sunday best, and beaming with excitement.
The project undertaken by the students, under tutor Ms. Monica Miller, is a partial fulfillment of the Course – Community Practice (DSW 314) which requires students to form themselves into groups of five to undertake a community project of choice – social or geographic.
The group chose the Chase’s Indigent Home for their project, since they recognized that the facility is now at a disadvantage, due to an apparent conflict over its management, giving rise to some discomfort filtering down to the residents.
Chase’s Home was established on December 1, 1964, by a private family in the city.
The building was designated for the housing of elderly destitute women  whose relatives would wish them to be cared for.
At present the facility is managed by trustees who oversee such matters as membership, and welfare issues.