A SINGLE mother and her six children, on Christmas day, were gifted a brand new furnished home through the men on mission (MOM) initiative, and public-spirited persons.

The Berbice family had previously lived in a shanty hut, but regional officials and public-spirited persons had made recommendations on behalf of the family for a new house to be built.
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and other officials joined the family in commissioning their new house at Belvedere, Corentyne, Berbice.

“We are pleased this morning [Christmas day] to share this glorious moment with you and your six children,” the Head of State said while addressing the family.

The woman has committed to finding meaningful employment to ensure that her children will attend school. The Men on Mission initiative financed the construction of the house, while members of the business community furnished it.

Additionally, the family received a laptop and other support to contribute to the children’s education.

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, who joined the Head of State, said: “The story of providing shelter to Guyanese families is replicated a thousand times over. In fact, we have the good fortune of having a President who is a former Minister of Housing…we have someone who is more than acutely aware of how important it is for every single Guyanese family to have their own home.”
The Finance Minister reminded of the government’s commitment to distributing 50,000 house lots as well as providing homes to the populace through numerous housing programmes.

Also delivering brief remarks, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Chief of Staff, Omar Khan, who has been tasked with the responsibility to lead the MOM initiative, said similar activities will be expected in the New Year.

“I’m happy to be a part of the Men on a Mission initiative. We would have launch this programme just over a year ago and what we are seeing here today is one of the benefits coming out from this initiative,” he said, adding: “The Men on Mission platform is an important aspect of the President’s vision for Guyana and I am happy and we all are happy to be a part of any benefit coming to the people and this is one demonstration.”

The MOM initiative is the brainchild of President Ali, and is meant to uplift the younger generation of men who face many societal ills, such as drug abuse, domestic violence, gang violence, and other violent crimes. The intention is to provide men with guidance and counselling, recreational and fitness activities, and create economic empowerment through temporary employment schemes.