FOUR orphanages in Guyana are now a little bit better equipped to serve children under their care, following their selection by mining executive Dean Hassan to receive accumulated donations of G$4.4M.

The handing-over ceremony and luncheon was held Thursday at the Marriott Hotel and St. John’s Bosco, Joshua House, St. Ann’s and Shaheed Boys and Girls were the beneficiaries of the donations.

The St John’s Bosco Orphanage received $1.2M to purchase 20 bunkbeds while the Shaheed Boys and Girls Orphanage received similar amounts for the construction of two equipped computer labs.
The St. Ann’s Orphanage received $1M for 12 sessions of psychological intervention for its children. The Joshua’s House also received the same amount for renovation of its kitchen and outdoor recreational equipment.

In addition, the Shaheed Boys and Girls Orphanage received a G$25,000 gift certificate from Starr Computers Incorporated which, after hearing about the projects, felt compelled to make the contribution.
Hassan, in brief remarks, said he was grateful to be in a position to assist the orphans and added that as Guyana approaches “tremendous wealth”, more help will come to those in need.

“Guyana has such immense wealth ahead the magnitude of which I don’t think anybody in this room or anybody in the country really comprehends. Pretty soon the Government will be in the position to assist at levels that we will never be able to. But until then, until that immense wealth comes in, let’s do the level best we can to assist the less fortunate,” he said.

He also challenged more people to reach out to the underprivileged.
“I challenge each and every one of you… when you are in a position, and I know we are all at different levels to different extent, to reach out to someone who is not as fortunate, to assist, to help. You may be very surprised at how good that makes you feel,” he stated.
Before becoming recipients, the four orphanages were tasked with designing a detailed proposal which outline their primary needs and justified how a minimum of G$1M could be used to meet those needs.

It was also requested that the proposed projects provide opportunities for Hassan and his team to visit and interact with the children.
A three-person committee was established for the management, implementation and monitoring of the grants to ensure that the children are the primary beneficiaries of the projects.

Committee Member Alex Graham pointed out that the grant’s selection process is not a competition whereby institutions must contest for a limited pool of funding.
He clarified that all institutions which are invited to participate have the opportunity to become beneficiaries providing that their proposals meet the set requirements.

Words of appreciation on behalf of the four orphanages came from assistant administrator at the St. Ann’s Orphanage, Tracy Williams.

In the past five years, Hassan has made annual donations to over 500 children during the Christmas season and in 2015 donated G$10M to 16 local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and two long-standing animal rights activists.