FIVE special needs schools benefitted from a donation on Friday, from the Precious Angels Foundation which was launched mainly to raise awareness about Rett Syndrome.

The foundation, led by Hadiyyah Mohamed, is just two months old and the donation is a spin-off from the very first activity that it had organised. Last October 13, a Rett Syndrome awareness walk and fun fest was hosted, and the funds that were raised were donated to the various schools.

At a simple ceremony on Friday at Mohamed’s Enterprise on Lombard Street, Mohammed told the Guyana Chronicle that the foundation managed to raise about $2M and that it was divided among the five schools, namely, the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, M.E.T. Pride Academy, Diamond Special Needs School, Gifted Hands School, and St. Barnabas Special School.

Mohamed said she and her family were inspired to raise awareness of the illness because her niece, Amani Mohamed, was diagnosed with it at just age two. “There are children in Guyana who has this disability but cannot be diagnosed and treated because of our lack of lab facilities, trained personnel, etc.” she offered.

While little Amani goes for her annual checkup in Trinidad, she would receive various forms of therapy locally. She is now six years old.
Mohamed said it is their intention to make this initiative an annual one.

Lavern Patterson, Special Needs Teacher at St. Barnabas Special School, told this publication that the donation shows her that there are people around who still care. When she started teaching in 1985, she did not yet know why she was in the profession. But when she started teaching at ‘St. Barnabas,’ she realised that she wanted to do something to help children with challenging circumstances.

“At our school it’s not physical challenges but it’s much more remedial – learning to read. It has made me grow, made me love children more; made me able to identify some disabilities and to work along with them,” she expressed.

Anand Mangru, head teacher at ‘Ptolemy Reid’, said he felt very motivated and inspired by the donation he received for the school. “It shows people are looking on and seeing what we are doing and want to help us. Life becomes easier and our burdens get lighter when people help us. That keeps us going,” he said.