Dear Editor,
AS a young man growing up in Sophia, a community that was heavily populated and dominated by children whose lives differed greatly from those in other developed communities, I have always cherished the fond memories of the Christmas season and the endless possibilities of hope it offered me. Sophia was then deemed underdeveloped because of its lack of adequate infrastructure, including proper sanitation, safe water supply, electricity and street drainage. Despite the hard reality of our lives, the children rallied with excitement during the Christmas season, as they knew that Christmas Day was fast approaching, and the Sophia Annual Christmas party was a sure event.

The Christmas party was an annual event hosted at the residence of Ms.Cameron, a volunteer and social activist in ‘B’ Field, Sophia. This party was sponsored by the children of Hope Outreach Programme run by Ms. Cameron. This party catered to and touched the lives of hundreds of children throughout the community.

The then President and now Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo made it his duty to attend. This made the day for us to know the then president would join us and sit on the floor of my mother’s living room to have pepperpot and bread with us. It was a joy to see and be a part of that. When Christmas was finished, the talk of the day was the President who took time out from his busy schedule to spend time with us, the children of Sophia on Christmas Day was an honour.

It made us feel we mattered. Even though the roof made of old zinc was leaking, we mattered, we were human, it gave us hope. And it made a big impact in our lives today to dream outside the box that all things are possible. His generosity and dedication to this event cemented my mind and the minds of many others who experienced these festivities. The children would then get engaged in games, singing, etc., were served lunches and were presented with their gifts and they left. The smiles on their faces were priceless and for this one day all their worries went away. This would be their day and would be constantly brought up until the next year.
So, I felt a way when I see people trying to make him out to be a hater of black people. Jagdeo never asked for our votes and never brought the press/media, but he was there every Christmas. In fact, I never voted for the PPP/C (People Progressive Party/Civic) until the last election,

Although my mother told us about what happened in the 1990 when I was about three-years-old she was a squatter residing in Sophia ,where David Granger lead the army and they came and broke down our houses and beat some of the people in the village ,where she had to hide with me along with my brother and sister in trenches until they were gone. President Cheddi Jagan then sold the people in Sophia house lots for only ($8000) eight thousand Guyana dollars. Much as needed in my life and in the lives of Guyanese but nothing I would gain by lying on this man and spreading hate.

Sincerely
Jermaine Cameron