EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Nina Taka Ajeni Blair, who was injured in a freak accident at the Alpha Children’s Home at Gay Park, Greater New Amsterdam on Christmas Eve Day and died on Christmas Day, was laid to rest on Friday.The child was playing in the yard of the institution when a stump wall fell on her at about 14:00h on the day in question. According to reports, a 16-year-old orphan who also resides at the Home had sneaked into a car belonging to the institution, started its engine and pressed the accelerator, causing the vehicle to slam into the stump wall, and making it fall on the eight-year-old.

Pulled from under the rubble of the wall by Mrs. Esther Bruyning and other children, the child and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where she received treatment; but due to the severity of her injuries, she was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she died.

The sixteen-year-old has appeared before New Amsterdam Magistrate Marissa Mithelholzer, charged with manslaughter. He has been granted $350,000 bail, and is expected to appear in court on February 27 next, for report and fixture of his case.

Blair, meanwhile, has been laid to rest at the Stanleytown cemetery following a church service at the Rehma World Harvest Mission Church, which she attended regularly.

John Adams, Member of Parliament and advisor to Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, expressed sympathy on behalf of President David Granger, Minister Lawrence, and the entire Government. He said lessons should be learnt from the death of the child, who had been taken away from her mother by officials of the Social Protection Ministry about six months ago.
He also said that the Ministry of Social Protection would continue to work collaboratively with the child’s mother, Venus Lalloo, to empower her so that she can be better equipped to take care of her children when they are reunited.

Child Protection Officer Rosita De Castro, in the eulogy, said Nina was born to Cecil Blair and Venus Laloo on November 25, 2008. She grew up with her mother and siblings under tough conditions at Angoy’s Avenue on the eastern fringe of New Amsterdam.
The family later moved to Edinburgh Village, where the girl attended the Edinburgh Primary School before being placed at the Alpha Children’s Home following allegations of physical violations.

Caregiver at the Alpha Home, Mrs. Esther Bruyning, said Nina and her siblings brought ‘light’ at the children home, as they were very loving.
Bruyning said the orphanage has been in existence for twenty-five years, and has dealt with countless children with varying illness and disabilities, but she noted that this accident has been the very first incident of this nature.

However, Venus Lalloo, mother of Nina Blair, expressed outrage at the loss of her child, and said that while she struggled to maintain her thirteen children, such a situation had never befallen her. She pleaded with the Ministry of Social Protection to return her two daughters who are currently housed at the orphanage, and her eight-month-old baby, who is being cared for by a nurse. But while she is pleading for her schoolage children, her older offspring prefer their siblings to remain in protective custody.

Meanwhile, the two-hour funeral service was officiated by Pastor Briget Jordon, while several biblical choruses were sung by the children of Alpha Home and several tributes were made by teachers, family members, caregivers, and the Berbice Anjuman Orphanage.

Also attending the funeral were Child Protection Officers from the Ministry of Social Protection and members of the Guyana Police Force Berbice divisions.