A NOVEL facility, Peenie Bear’s GymBearie, was opened on Saturday at Lance Gibbs Street, Georgetown, and it promises to be a family-oriented, safe space for children.
The GymBearie is a family-activity centre which features classes such as martial arts, yoga, circuit training, contemporary dance, ballet, kathak dance, night care, circuit training and parenthood classes in order to promote healthy, family-oriented living.
The GymBearie’s founder Miriam Andrew Ming explained that she and her sister, both mothers, envisioned a central space where parents, especially mothers, can have their children in the same building while they run their errands or attend to their daily activities. .
She noted the Peenie Bear’s Gymbearie initiative has been a lot of work and a lot of long hours invested, but it was worth it since it will allow children to express themselves freely through the different outlets. On the schmaltzy side of things, she also disclosed that the name “Peenie Bear” is of great significance to her and her family since it is her daughter’s nickname from her late grandfather.
“It was a privilege to work and spend time on this. It was creating a vision of what I had especially for little ones across Guyana. Everything that we have done is for and because of our daughter and my nephews as well, but I want my daughter to have the experience of seeing strong women everywhere.
“I have seen that and I want her to surround herself with that and challenge herself to break the limit and shatter that glass ceiling; every time I see her being fierce and loud, I get a sense of pride and to know that she drove me to do this is all the more so special for me,” Ming told the Guyana Chronicle.
With the successful launch on Saturday, Ming expressed optimism that the facility would be established in other areas or regions.
“My hope is to expand this GymBearie, not just having it centralised in Georgetown, but get it across the country and of course to expand our corporate social responsibility. We want to be in a place where we can give back even more to society,” she said.
The owner also encouraged other persons and women to take the risk at something that they are passionate about and work towards accomplishing it.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, who attended the launch, opined that this venture is a much-needed one.
“In our country we always need to put emphasis on safety for children and creativity in their space…this initiative is one that I believe in because it aligns with the vision that we have through my ministry when it comes to children across the country,” Minister Persaud said.
She added, “The idea of having a space within the first few years of childhood aligns with the early childhood development concept, where we focus on children from zero to five years old.”
The Human Services Minister congratulated the founder and team behind the venture and welcomed the opportunity it provides for children and parents to learn, bond and grow together.
