Emergency shelter,a result of many helping hands
Stabroek News
December 23, 2003
President Bharrat Jagdeo was said to be "very impressed" with the Guyana Relief Council's new $35M emergency shelter on a recent tour of the centre that was officially opened earlier this month.
The shelter is targeted at helping victims of disaster and has received donations from various people and organizations, including the Canadian International Development Association (CIDA), the Chinese Em-bassy, German Micro Project, the Japanese Grass Roots Fund and the Republic of Netherlands Embassy.
According to the Government Information Agency (GINA) press release, the Brazilian Ambassador has also chipped in with a G$150,000 cheque given to GRC on Wednesday.
GINA states that exactly US$100 will be spent to accommodate each family for a period of two weeks to a month. Persons with special circumstances may be able to stay longer.
The shelter is said to house about 100 people with four rooms- two downstairs with regular facilities and two upstairs that are self-contained. Packages are provided for each family, which include three meals a day and other necessities.
According to the agency, the Guyana Relief Council has helped 214 families in all ten regions for this year. It is run by Chairperson, Yvonne Hinds, who is wife to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.
After being elected to head the controlling body, the National Relief Committee in 1996, Hinds met First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Venezuela Akina Yusuni and honorary consul to the Government of Japan, Hans Barrow, where discussions began for a permanent residence for victims of disaster. Through their Venezuelan Embassy, made possible by the Japanese Government Grass Roots Programme, a cheque of US$60,000 was presented to GRC to build the Emergency Shelter. This was matched by the GRC. In addition to this the British High Commission donated G$7.125M.
GINA says that plans were made and a contract was signed on December 15, 2000, with Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited.
The cornerstone was laid over a year later in February 2001. With additional funding and further assistance GRC received ownership in March 2002.