Sunday February 10, 2013
Page 21
Kaieteur News
The Guyana Red Cross Society…
A dependable, decades-old mission with a human touch
The Guyana Red Cross Society building
By Jenelle Willabus The Red Cross has over decades been carrying out humanitarian missions in excess of 150 countries worldwide and Guyana is one of those privileged countries to have been benefitting from its services In 1948, The Guyana Red Cross Society started its operation locally as a branch of the British Red Cross. However, in 1967, a year after Guyana gained its independence, the Red Cross became a National Society by an Act of Parliament. Currently the Society is headed by a Director General, Mrs. Dorothy Fraser. As Mrs. Fraser puts it, the Guyana Red Cross
Society is essentially a humanitarian organisation auxiliary to the Government, which looks at issues in health education, social welfare, disaster preparedness, water and sanitation and blood donor recruitment. Ever since its establishment, the Guyana Red Cross has been operating from a building located at Barrack Street, Eve Leary, Kingston. The Red Cross has been rendering services which have benefitted thousands, and two of those services which Mrs. Fraser is extremely proud of are 'Meals on Wheels' and the Red Cross Convalescent Home. The 'Meals on Wheels'
programme caters to vulnerable groups and meals are provided on a daily basis. In some instances the meals are delivered, while there are some persons who visit the society to have theirs. This project sees great assistance from members of corporate Guyana, but Mrs. Fraser stresses that contributions are always welcomed to keep the much needed programme up and running. The Red Cross Convalescent Home has also been around for decades. It was first known as the Princess Elizabeth Home which caters to children with a variety of problems. Presently located in D'Urban Backlands, the facility has been catering to children
who are brought there through the Ministry of Human Services and the Child Care and Protection Agency. “At any given time we can cater for 35 children at the home. Initially our focus was on children who were brought to us from hinterland locations and needed medical care in the city. Then we moved to caring for children whose parents economic situation was not one which permitted them to properly care for them. As the years went by the Home, through the efforts of its caregivers, started catering for children who are malnourished, and children who are abused,” Mrs.
Fraser explained. The Home not only provides shelter for these children, but also looks into every aspect of a child's wellbeing. Wonderful care is provided by the staff of 24 persons who work shift systems. The children are provided with the best medical care possible through the efforts of the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Davis Memorial Hospital and also from visiting medical teams from time to time, as well as other charitable organizations. But it has not been all smooth sailing. In 1996, the Society suffered a severe setback. On Christmas Eve
Dorothy Fraser Day of that year, the building which housed the entity was completely gutted by fire. The tragic event cast a wet blanket on the operations. B u t s o o n a f t e r, w i t h assistance from the Government of Guyana, the Social Impact Amelioration Programme and an (continued on page 24)