By Michel Outridge

ACTING President of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), who is also the Administrator/Trustee of the Meten-Meer-Zorg (MMZ) West Masjid and a trucking contractor with Guysuco, Goolzar Namdar is fulfilling his service to the community and humanity through the masjid and as a religious leader.

The village elder is also a Justice of the Peace and Commissioner of Oaths and Affidavits, a licensed marriage officer, who once had a grocery store but after his only son, Zulfikar Namdar called “Vicky” was shot and killed during a robbery in 2013 that business was closed and was converted into a storeroom.

Namdar told the Pepperpot Magazine that the Meten-Meer-Zorg West Masjid was first funded by villagers and a building was constructed at De Kinderen in the train line days and later a new building housing the MMZ West Masjid was built at the MMZ Public Road.

He related that a learning centre was housed in the compound for skills training and over time it was expanded into a larger facility.

Namdar explained that in 1999 when the Zakat House of Kuwait offered to build a school to promote Islamic learning, they were elated and a large school was constructed and still stands today.

He reported that they have a prayer room for ladies’ classes and meetings and the school was built in the masjid compound; when it was completed, they went house to house in the village seeking students, retired teachers and others to come and join.

Namdar added that they started the Islamic School with 30 students and now it can hold 300 students, since two additional buildings were constructed.

The MMZ Islamic Academy today caters for school children from playgroup to CSEC and they have grown over the years.

The MMZ resident stated that the masjid has a ladies quarters, prayer section for women and hospitality centre where cooking classes are held monthly for single parents.

He reported that they also have sewing classes to empower people in the community to become self-employed and earn.

Namdar added that they have medical outreaches, feeding programmes and hamper distribution and a section which caters for the distribution of pension books and where senior citizens and physically challenged people can access government services such as the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and pensions.

He pointed out that the MMZ West Masjid is a full-capacity regional centre for that region and they aim to have everyone benefit from their humanitarian services free of cost.

The 57-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that they also take care of orphans and needy children and provide transportation and cater to their needs in terms of food, clothing, and school supplies.

The masjid will look after those children until they finish school, teach them trades to work and when they reach the age of maturity, they would ensure that they marry suitable partners to start their lives.

Namdar is also a counsellor and his doors are always open to residents and members of the Muslim community and just about anyone else.

He disclosed that his father was the Imam of the MMZ West Masjid but then he passed away.

His name is a household one in the village and in the Muslim community and he is often engaged in a lot of benevolent work behind the scenes.

The Meten-Meer-Zorg Health Centre

Like many frontline health care workers, registered nurse Marcia Clarke, who is attached to the Meten-Meer-Zorg Health Centre, is very proud of being a nurse, caring and serving the community.

The 26-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that when she registered to become a nurse was the best thing to happen in her life, to become a professional and for that her parents are very proud of her achievement.

The De Kinderen resident stated that at the health centre they provide primary healthcare to all, free of charge and they have outpatients and dressings done daily.

Clarke noted that they also provide medical administration, different clinics, ante-natal, infant and child care, chronic diseases, admission of newborns, diabetic foot care dressings and family planning.

She pointed out that the health centre is opened form 08:00hrs to 16:30hrs from Mondays to Fridays and they provide professional services to members of the public.

Clarke has been a registered nurse for the past four years and it is something she loves and is confident that her job will never become boring.

“I was working at Fun City, Princess Hotel and one day it dawned on me I have to stop doing that job and have a professional career, a job that I love and then took up nursing and got qualified and there she is today, a happy person,” she said.

Clarke is the first nurse in her family and it feels good to be a professional; she has three siblings.
The MMZ Health Centre has four staffers which include a doctor, one registered nurse, a nursing assistant and a community health worker.
The facility is clean and organised with a doctor’s room, a pharmacy, dressing area, waiting section, counselling room, sterile room, vaccine room and the triage area.

Exiting the nursing school, Clarke said it is the first place she has worked and the people of the village are cordial and respectful with no budding issues.
“Once you love what you do you [you] will not have problems and you will enjoy your work, no matter what comes your way,” she said.
Clarke stated that the health centre only needs an air conditioner and they have all the other resources in place to offer a professional service.
“I wanted this job so I can be an example to my daughter and set high goals for her, because I want her to have a professional career as well,” she said.