By Alva Solomon

GUYANA Aid Region One, an overseas-based group, is working to develop the educational potential of the children of Region One, and the non-profit organization plans to introduce a scholarship scheme as part of its mandate.

This NGO was, in 2006, conceptualized on an idea developed by one of its members, David Correia. The following year, after combining ideas, plans and efforts, the group of overseas-based Guyanese was legally registered as a not-for-profit organization.

“Today we have about thirty members, who believe in giving back to our homeland,” president of the body, Kaeron Jones, told this newspaper recently from New York. Formerly of Matthews Ridge in the North West District, Jones told the Guyana Chronicle that the group’s main aim is to assist the children of the North West District.

“It is our belief that if we encourage recreational activities as well as improve nutrition and education, the entire region will benefit,” Jones noted.

In addition, he said, “We cannot neglect the elderly, especially when it comes to healthcare.”

SELF-SUFFICIENT
He said the organization’s goal is to enable the people of the North West District to become self-sufficient by providing them with educational, social and economic assistance. Jones said members of the organization have donated their time towards fundraising events and other activities geared at assisting the residents of the hinterland area.

The organization has currently undertaken a backpack drive, wherein it is providing school bags with basic stationery supplies at the Grade Three level to school children in the region.

Students of several schools, including the Santa Cruz Primary, were recently assisted with school supplies via Guyana Aid Region One.

Jones noted that the region is renowned for producing some of the best agricultural products. “Be it eddoes, salted fish or cassareep, to name a few,” he said, “it would be wonderful to see the return of those days.”

He said the organization is looking forward to being financially able to build libraries in the different sub-regions and offer full scholarships to students who desire to pursue studies at the University of Guyana (UG) and the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA).

As part of its immediate plans, the entity will undertake a health fair at Kumaka in the Mabaruma sub-region, to coincide with Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary next month. It would be the second such activity in the area and the fourth in the region.
The body has undertaken health fairs at Matthews Ridge and Port Kaituma in 2012.

In addition, an essay competition at both the primary and secondary levels for students of Mabaruma and Hosororo Hill will be held next month.

As regards the forms of assistance provided to the region, to date, Jones said, the organization has donated computers to Santa Rosa Secondary School, the Port Kaituma Community Centre and the Matthews Ridge Community Centre; and has created computer hubs at Mabaruma and the Moruca Learning Resource Centre.

Other forms of donation include story books, stuffed animals, and stationery supplies to the Wauna Nursery School; as well as supplies of bedding to the Mabaruma Hospital and the Pakera Hospital at Matthews Ridge.

Over the past seven years, the organization has been rewarding the top ten students in the region at the Grade Six and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) levels.

In the extra-curricular activities last year, the body donated trophies and medals to the inter-schools’ sports events in the region.