Emotional outpouring of goodwill greets displaced families
AS families displaced by Easter Monday’s devastating fire in Kingston, Georgetown continue to struggle to come to terms with their loss, there has been an emotional outpouring of goodwill towards them, from civic-minded persons in society who are chipping in with various forms of assistance. Donors yesterday include Mr. Stanley Ming of Ming’s Products and Services, the Guyana Relief Council, the Mark Benschop Foundation, Mayor Hamilton Green, DIGICEL, and one of the Lions Clubs of Georgetown.
The displaced residents, many of whom reportedly spent the first night huddled together on cardboard in a corner of the yard, next to the smouldering embers, recalled that Mr. Ming visited them and provided dinner for the more that 60 persons present at the time, all of whom were left homeless.
Yesterday, he returned very early and took them to Ashmin’s Store on High Street, Georgetown where he bought them clothing and other essentials and has undertaken to continue to be of help wherever possible.
The Benschop Foundation, meanwhile, provided them with food, clothing, bed linen and other items. Mayor Hamilton Green also donated food, clothing and cash, while one of the Lions Clubs in the city, as well as DIGICEL, yesterday provided them with breakfast and lunch respectively.
The Guyana Relief Council, chaired by the wife of Prime Minister Sam Hinds, is also assisting in a big way, and has provided shelter for some of the children whose parents have not been able to find alternative accommodation for them, so far.
Meanwhile, during yesterday, school boys affected by the fire, using a cardboard box, solicited donations on the street corner, outside the ravaged building and received favourable response from motorists and other passersby.
The apartment building, which accommodated just under 100 persons – many of whom were children and babies, was ravaged shortly after 14:00 hrs on Easter Monday, by fire, the origin of which the fire department is trying to determine. The fire reportedly started in a room on the top floor of the two-flat building and was first spotted by security guards working at a nearby government building.
Twenty four hours later, the embers of the ravaged building were still burning and smoking, and fire-fighters returned to the scene to put them out.