MISS Ann’s Grove Brain and Beauty 2011, Amanda Pellew, who says she’s on a mission to bring out the best in young people, recently made a stirring call on the youths of the Buxton/Friendship and neighbouring communities to make attending school their number one priority, and to keep focused on their education, since knowledge is power, and education the key to success. She stressed the importance of strong moral values, and urged them to engage only in behaviours that are worthwhile and would make them feel good about themselves.

Ms. Pellew was at the time addressing more that 60 young people who are members of the Guyana Chapter of  “All God’s Little Children Inc” (AGLCI), during one of their weekly Saturday education sessions at the Friendship Community Centre, East Coast Demerara.

Miss Pellew visited the programme at the invitation of Executive Director, Rev. Weygand Gardner, visiting from Atlanta Georgia. And there’s more in the pipeline for the community, since Ms. Pellew, who is aspiring to pursue studies in Social Work at the University of Guyana, has her eye on becoming a professional counselor, to be able to offer the kind of counselling for which the youths are starved at this time.
At the pageant, she used as her platform ‘Suicide’, claiming that too many young people are using suicide as a way out when faced with problems.
“They’ve no need to turn to suicide. If older people who matter could spare a moment to listen to them, show them love and acceptance, and the way forward, a life could be saved…” Miss Pellew had affirmed.

All’s God’s Little Children, pioneered by Pastor Weygand Gardner, a US-based Buxtonian, is kept alive and moving from strength to strength by local coordinator, Ms. Susan Simon, and a committed group of volunteers who have the educational, moral and spiritual uplift of the youths at heart, and are moulding them for a bright future ahead.

At the school, literacy plays a great part of the programme, especially, in a world where computers play a pivotal role in education, said Coordinator, Ms. Simon.
“They must be able to read. People who are unable to read will not be able to follow even the basic commands or instructions given on the computer, and so will be unable to take advantage of the wide body of knowledge offered through computers,” she reasoned.

All God’s Little Children Inc has been serving the needy in Guyana since December, 1999. Container loads of food, clothing, books, school supplies, medical equipment and supplies have been donated to schools, hospitals, clinics, churches and individuals, Mr. Gardner told this newspaper.

Ms. Simon, who heads the programme in the absence of Mr. Gardner, received a scholarship from the Guyana Association of Georgia, through “All God’s Little Children Inc”, and is currently in her final year, pursuing a degree programme in Public Communications at the University of Guyana.

Meanwhile, the success achieved by All God’s Little Children Inc., working towards the moral, spiritual and intellectual upliftment of children in the Friendship/Buxton community, since its formation in 1999, has been rated by villagers as phenomenal.

This newspaper met and spoke with residents during a recent visit to the community, to observe one of the group’s weekly Saturday sessions at which more than 60 children are engaged in literacy classes, are taught values, etiquette and other meaningful activities.

It is not very often that little children growing up in a countryside village get the opportunity to meet with celebrities or interact with sashed Queens, bedecked in glittering crowns. And so, for “All God’s Little Children,” who had the distinct honour and privilege of being in the company of Miss Ann’s Grove 2011, and her two predecessors, it was both a prized and novel experience.