FOOD for the Poor (FFP) Guyana Inc. is hosting its first ever book fest that started on Monday in an ‘empty lot’ on Lombard Street, Georgetown. The inaugural event will continue from 09:00 h to 17:00 h daily through Friday, September 10.
Senior Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alvin Doris said it is just one of the many ways in which FFP is continuing the drive to support education in Guyana.
“Giving books is a small part of a much larger effort in our aim towards alleviating poverty and enhancing the education sector,” he said.
Doris said the continuing distribution is specially designed to target schoolchildren and teachers but is also open to other members of the public.
Encouraging people to capitalise on the opportunity, he emphasised that the reading materials are of relevance and for current use in the school system.
He said FFP also, recently, donated books to Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), the National Library and the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).
“It is an ongoing quest to ensure people can access these materials,” said Doris, who added: “NCERD is of special importance as it will see that the materials are disseminated across the regions.”
Depending on the availability of materials, he said the activity could become an annual one.
According to him: “We  would love to do this every three months because we realise that we could never satisfy the appetite for reading. It would depend on the supplies we receive.”
He said a different selection of books will be distributed as the week progresses but beneficiaries are asked to make a contribution to the donor.
FFP began working in this country on June 3, 1991, offering foodstuff and other basic necessities to poor people, with the focus on key projects for various developmental thrusts.