The Rotary Club of Georgetown has donated a number of appliances to the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s (GHDS) Bal Nivas Shelter in Port Mourant Berbice.
Some of the appliances include water dispensers, juicers, blenders, toaster ovens, among others.
The donation was made following a recent visit by the Rotary Club, led by then President Elect Clyde DeHass, to look at the possibility of constructing a permanent walkway to the building to alleviate inaccessibility when it rains.
During that visit, the team also saw the need for several pieces of electrical appliances required by the shelter to make it more functional for the children’s needs and to strengthen the skills training section that will have a real impact on the lives of the vulnerable women in the community.
GHDS Treasurer, Savitri Sukhai accepted the donation on behalf of the shelter during a simple handing over ceremony at the Georgetown Club on Wednesday.
Sukhai explained that over 50 children have been placed at the shelter to date, with the current residence at 32.
“Some of the kids have been successfully reintegrated with their families and a few are in the process of being adopted or put in foster care. The children are provided with a safe, secured and loving environment, complete with all amenities and facilities for counseling, education, physical and mental health,” she outlined.
Sukhai also noted that in addition to its residential facilities, the Bal Nivas has a counseling and training centre for skills training activities and workshops, which benefit the vulnerable girls and women in the community.
According to the GHDS Treasurer, the shelter is still a work in progress to make it fully self-sufficient nonetheless it is managed by a non resident administrator, six caregivers and a Board of Directors.
The idea of a shelter for abused children was the brainchild of the GHDS President, Dr Vindhya Persaud in response to the growing issue of child abuse countrywide and particularly in several communities across Region Six (East Berbice Corentyne).
The shelter was built and furnished at a cost of $100M just over one year of its conceptualization. It was formally launched on May 5, 2014 and it officially opened its doors in November 2014.
