– With the formation of EPIC Guyana

FIFTEEN years ago, Brian Backer used his own resources to help out the children in the Meadow Brook area where he grew up without realising that his generosity would in time move him to form an organisation that would eventually help hundreds of children.
Being intimately familiar with the adjoining areas and with families who were in need, Brian decided to extend his help to other communities and hosted a back-to-school drive which met the needs of 13 underprivileged kids.

After only a few years, the initiative took on a life of its own and the number of recipients grew to almost 200, with parents and guardians reaching out every summer to ensure that their children were included on the list for receiving back-to-school supplies.
Two other area residents were recruited to act as community liaisons and to do an in-depth needs assessment of the children in the area so as not to overlook any.

In late 2016, after realising that his reach was limited due to costs, Brian decided it was time to formalise his efforts and register a non-governmental organisation that would increase capacity and give his many supporters a more visible platform.

“Initially, I stood all of the expenses; the support was just for family and friends. But it continued to grow and as we helped one family, they would introduce others to us and it started snowballing, so I found it necessary to seek external support so that we can continue to give this level of service,” Brian told the Pepperpot Magazine in an interview.
As the impact of the community activities continued to grow, EPIC (Enhancing Potential to Inspire Change) Guyana, a local non-profit organisation, was registered and its scope of work began to expand.

Backer said whenever he approaches a business for help, it’s never to get a monetary donation out of it. Instead, he asks for services and for specific items such as exercise books and pencils if there is a back-to-school drive. “This makes it easier for accountability and transparency so that people know that what they gave went where it was intended to go. It’s also to keep track and make everything more accountable,” he expressed.

SOPHIA JUVENILE DETENTION CENTRE
EPIC Guyana was later invited to visit the Sophia Juvenile Detention Centre by Clifton Hicken,

then-Assistant Commissioner of Police and then-Commander of A+ Division.
Once the initial visit was made to the facility and a detailed assessment of issues, conditions and solutions was made, EPIC Guyana accepted the invitation extended by Commander Hicken to became an official partner of the A+ Division Youth Initiative, and to further their efforts to best serve the needs of the many disadvantaged, underserved, and unrepresented youth that they encounter.

Just this past week, EPIC Guyana’s Programme Coordinator, Surujdai Mukhram invited one of her friends, Alex Moore, a chef, to teach the kids at the centre how to make spaghetti and meatballs. This was the first time that the team managed to conduct such a huge interactive activity with the juveniles.

Every Tuesday, when the organisation visits, they would either conduct a workshop teaching them how to read, write, colour, draw and speak publicly. EPIC will also on occasions invite others to visit and share their personal experiences and how they managed to get out of bad situations.

At other times, the youths, who are locked up for various offences are able to enjoy a movie and popcorn.
EPIC has also partnered with School of the Nations where the school’s Sixth Formers would regularly visit to teach the juveniles. The one teacher stationed at the facility cannot adequately meet the needs of the 18 children there, whose ages range from 10 to 16.
“We know not everyone will listen, but even if we made an impact on one life, we would’ve achieved something,” Mukhram told the Pepperpot Magazine.

During a visit to the facility, she told this publication how the juveniles are the most loving set of children she’s encountered. They, too, seemed quite fond of her.
When a child is released from the holding facility, EPIC would also help him get back into school. Together with their parents, EPIC visits the Ministry of Education and speaks on behalf of the family. They would also provide the uniforms and other necessities for getting the child back in school.

Earlier this month, EPIC donated 30 mattresses to the centre, which Backer said was in keeping with the organisation’s continuous effort to bring comfort into the lives of the confined children.

“We at EPIC strive toward empowering these children through the introduction of fundamental workshops on anger management, conflict resolution, anti-bullying, anti-suicide etc, as well as the provision of footwear, clothing, recreational gear, educational materials, haircuts and other necessities to meet their essential needs,” Backer said.