Ambassador of the European Union to Guyana Fernando Ponz Cantó, in collaboration with Rotary Club of Demerara, made an urgent donation of personal computers, smartphones, tablets and, sanitation and food hampers to the Deaf Association of Guyana and to the Guyana Society for the Blind on Friday.
The donated pieces of electronic equipment were part of the reserve library of electronics of the recent EU Electoral Observation Mission [EUEOM] to Guyana for the March 2, 2020.
The EU Delegation expects that the devices will significantly aid the beneficiary persons in their communication needs and contribute to the existing educational programmes they each conduct, especially during this period where movement and regular daily activities are restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hampers were put together from donations and by the tireless Rotarians.
Ambassador Ponz Cantó in handing over the devices to the two organisations remarked that “vulnerable persons are those most at risk, not only from the disease but also from its side impacts including additional isolation.
“The EU makes a point of helping first those most in need. We are very happy to deliver all these materials today, and we hope the computers and mobile telephones will make a difference in the daily lives of the final beneficiaries, alleviating their isolation and helping them to overcome this difficult period.
“More broadly, the EU is refocusing large amounts to help Guyana and other partners to fight COVID-19, and we have also just announced a regional EUR 9 M package against the pandemic. We are together in this and together we will get out.”
The equipment will enable the Deaf Association of Guyana and to continue its efforts towards improving the formal education offered to deaf students and to ensure accessibility to information and in other aspects of private and social life.
The Guyana Society for the Blind will be able to further its CXC educational programmes, JAWS text-to-speech software which is open to everyone from ages 6 – 65, and the “Be My Eyes App” which is a built in accessibility feature which assists with getting help for day to day tasks.
President Hansraj Singh of the Rotary Club of Demerara similarly remarked that “we are happy to collaborate on this initiative. This unprecedented pandemic in Guyana requires coordinated efforts from us all, whether it be helping vulnerable groups or encouraging others to observe recommended measures. We thank the EU for partnering with us and encourage others to continue to consider their fellow man” as we continue to demonstrate service above self. (EU press release)
