THROUGH a collaborative effort by Social Impact Consultancy (SIC), Pomeroon Trading and the Corum Group of Companies, residents of St. Cuthbert’s Mission, in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), recently benefitted from a flood-relief donation of dry goods and supplies, to assist residents in their recovery efforts.
Toshao of the village, Timothy Andrews, marked the donation as ‘timely’, noting that it came at a critical time when economic activities in the village were severely affected by flooding.

“Donations like this, in these times, are exactly what my people are looking forward to, so many thanks again,” he expressed via text, later adding: “There are few words that I can find to say how grateful and thankful I am for this donation. On behalf of my people, I say many thanks to all who contributed. May the Good Lord continue to bless you all”.
While Andrews stated that he did not necessarily foresee flooding in the village getting worse, he explained that the wellbeing and livelihoods of residents, especially that of the farmers and their families, were more severely affected.

“They don’t know where to start from, and that’s why my heart goes out to them more,” he said.
While this donation has certainly assisted the village in their recovery efforts as they continue to grapple with the effects of COVID-19, the toshao drew attention to an agro-stability project which the village has started in order to save farmers’ produce, which were either damaged or lost in the floods.

“Most of [the farmers] have lost everything that they had laboured for all the years, and we, as leaders, strongly believe that there is more that can be saved. So if we can have financial funding from the government, or any NGOs, we will be grateful. That is what I see that my people need right now,” Andrews shared.
Tana Yussuff, founder of Social Impact Consultancy, shared that the project came about after the toshao reached out to her for assistance with flood relief.

“As such, through my consultancy, I was able to reach out to donors, and raise funds towards assisting the community,” she said.
Chief Operating Officer of Pomeroon Coconuts, Jared Kissoon, in a statement on the donation, explained: “When news of the devastating impact of flooding in St. Cuthbert’s reached the company, we felt compelled to broaden outreach efforts and provide critical supplies to those in need.”

Director of Communications and Business Development at Corum Holdings, Iman Cummings, echoed this sentiment, expressing that members of Corum were saddened to learn about the devastation that occurred due to the floods, and felt compelled to support the community.
Deputy Toshao of St. Cuthbert’s Mission, Leroy Gonputh, who was present at the handing over, also thanked the donation team profusely, and noted that the contribution would significantly assist the community during this time.

Each team expressed their gratitude to the others for helping the outreach to become a success, and look forward to working with other public and private sector organisations to maximise impact in the community.
Nerissa Mohammed, an individual, assisted in funding some of the items, and the Colgate Company donated toothpaste and toothbrushes towards the worthy cause. Other items donated include foodstuff like rice, flour, sugar and peas, as well as cleaning supplies.