SCOTIABANK Guyana Ltd on Thursday donated US$36,000 to the Guyana Foundation (GF) to be used in furtherance of the organisation’s humanitarian work in Guyana.
The cheque represents the first tranche to be rolled out over a two-year period, with a second disbursement of a further US$36,000 in 2018. All told, the donation will be US$72,000, and comes with the compliments of Scotiabank’s Community Project.
The symbolic handing over of the cheque was done following a media briefing at the Sicoibi Salon, Marriott Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown. The cheque was presented to the Foundation’s Managing Director, Ms. Susan Isaacs by Ms. Jennifer Cipriani, Public Relations and Marketing Manager of Scotiabank in the presence of Trustee, Mr. Eric Phillips and other representatives of the Guyana Foundation.
In presenting the cheque, Ms. Cipriani announced that the grant of US$72,000 to the Guyana Foundation was the largest ever donation made through the bank’s community programme. She said Scotiabank was very impressed with the work and impact of the Guyana Foundation and so willingly approved the proposal.

Phillips noted that the Foundation is at an historic juncture today, where the Bank of Nova Scotia, through their Trust, will support the Zorg Sunrise Centre for at least two years. Citing hurdles and developments realised, redounding to the benefit of the people of the various communities in which they operate, Phillips said that as an organisation, the Guyana Foundation has certainly moved from strength to strength.
The donation is to be spent essentially on developing the Foundation’s first in a series of ‘Sunrise Centres’ to be established at locations with a high suicide prevalence. Located at Zorg-en-Vlygt on the Essequibo Coast, the centre was opened to the public in October, 2017. It is open six days per week and offers confidential counselling delivered by trained professionals; skills training in a variety of areas; and has a close working collaboration with Churches, hospitals, and various community groups.
Founder, Supriya Singh-Bodden who gave an overview of the project, via tele-conferencing, joined in expressing gratitude to Scotiabank for what she described as a ‘considerable’ amount of money with which to manage the Centre in Zorg. She said the Guyana Foundation community-based centres will be located in various regions with a high suicide prevalence. She is hopeful too that more organisations would reach out to help the Foundation, so that they would continue their humanitarian work.
With some nine projects being executed countrywide to date, Singh-Bodden stressed: “We are extremely grateful that the Foundation is working.” She said that their aim is to set up Sun Rise centres in Charity, ParFaite Harmonie and others, in addition to the one at Zorg.
The Guyana Foundation is a charitable trust that has been created to contribute meaningfully to the rebuilding of Guyana. Driven by the conviction that great change can be made by people who are encouraged and supported, the Foundation has conducted large and small-scale projects across the country in an effort to restore hope and purpose; rebuild lives; bring relief wherever it is needed, and create a better future for all Guyanese.