PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali’s initiative, Men on Mission (MOM) is continuing to make significant impact in Region Six and throughout the country as last weekend members handed over the keys to new houses to two families on the Corentyne, enhancing their living conditions and ultimately changing their lives forever.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat handed over the houses to the recipients at Number 60 Village, Corentyne, and Port Mourant, Corentyne, on Saturday.

In his remarks, he said: “Today, we are seeing that Men On Mission is going way beyond what they were initially tasked with and that is quite commendable. We have heard Men on Mission going to prisons trying to reform and reintegrate prisoners into society which is very necessary. We have heard Men on Mission reaching the lesser fortunate youths in communities especially in some of those depressed area where we have a high rate of delinquent activities and trying to reform the young people, mold them to ensure that they can build a career whether it is in the technical field or the academic field.”

He stressed that the MOM initiative has grown tremendously over the last few years and “they must be commended for the great work that they are doing.”

Meanwhile, National Coordinator of the MOM, Lieutenant Colonel Bhageshwar Murli while speaking at the locations, explained that the initiative “which comes directly from President Irfaan Ali was initially “conceptualised to address the needs of the vulnerable in communities, specifically, men and boys and to provide support for them to be better citizens. However, as the President traversed the length and breadth of Guyana engaging with the citizens, he recognised that [in] homes there were vulnerable persons who were in need of either an extension to their homes, a kitchen, washroom facilities and in some cases had to get an entire home.”

According to Murli, the housing assistance programme was then included, and they have since handed over in excess of 54 homes in 2024 and “intend to hand over another 50 plus homes in 2025.”

Additionally, Murli said that they have also provided materials to assist vulnerable persons “in completing their homes or doing extensions.”

“So, we have built homes in Region 10, Region Nine, Region Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three and Two. Region One and Eight, we have provided materials, and …specifically in Region One, we have in excess of 40 requests for either materials or homes for persons who would have fit those criteria that I mentioned. So, as it regards the home improvement housing assistance, we are continuing with that.”

Murli stressed that MOM has also been working along with the private sector to provide support to the vulnerable, adding that outside of the housing assistance programme they are also primarily involved in youth empowerment which has been established in Regions Four, Nine and Six.

Meanwhile, one of the recipients, 75-year-old Diwanti Sirpat, a pensioner of Number 60 Village, Corentyne, has endured many hardships in her life. For many years, she has lived in a house that was falling apart. The roof leaked whenever it rained, and the wallboards continuously came loose making it unsafe for her.

The condition of her house became unbearable and so she eventually moved in with her daughter for shelter and support.
Sirpat has also experienced personal loss as her husband passed away 10 years ago, leaving her to navigate life alone. She was a mother of seven children. In 2014, one of her sons died by suicide which deeply affected the family. Then in 2017, one of her daughters passed away after a prolonged illness.

The elderly woman suffers from high blood pressure which requires careful management, and she often experiences pain in her knees and sometimes in her shoulder making movement very difficult.

However, despite everything, she remained resilient and after receiving her new house on Saturday she expressed gratitude to the Men on Mission initiative.

The second recipient on Saturday was 62-year-old Brijwanti Mangru of Port Mourant, Corentyne, a single mother of four children and a grandmother to 14 and a great grandmother to one.

Mangru worked as a domestic worker for many years to provide for her family. However, due to health issues, she is no longer able to do so.

For some time, she lived downstairs at her son-in-law’s home, however after his mother fell ill and moved in, the space became too cramped.

With three children in the household, Mangru felt uncomfortable and decided to leave, though she was not directly asked to move.

After receiving her house, she became extremely emotional, thanking the MOM for their support – something she never expected.

Both women emphasised on Saturday how much their new house would improve their daily lives. They expressed their heartfelt gratitude to President Ali and emphasised that the support was not just appreciated, but crucial for their well-being, highlighting that it was exactly the kind of help they had been desperately in need of.

They stressed that the MOM support was a vital lifeline that alleviated a significant amount of stress and uncertainty from their lives, providing them with a sense of relief and security.