CIOG lauded for work in support of orphans, vulnerable children

By Shirley Thomas
A COLOURFUL and exciting event it was Saturday when more than 400 children converged at the headquarters of the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) on Woolford Avenue for the organization’s annual Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s Fun Day. Children were brought, not only from Georgetown and its environs, but from outlying regions of Berbice and Essequibo.

A young boy greets Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and his wife Sita

The Fun Day, according to Chairman of the proceedings, Nazim Hussein, has been an annual event for the past 20 years and the CIOG, with its donors and supporters, are continuing to champion the cause of those who are vulnerable, especially those who are orphans and in need.
Emphasizing the importance of responding to the needs of orphans, Hussein noted that the word “orphans” is mentioned 23 times in the Holy Quran and in 12 different chapters. He noted that Islam plays a very important role in the upbringing of orphans.
Islamic Director of Education, Shaikh Moeen Ul Hack, traced the development of the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) programme, which started more than 20 years ago at the CIOG, with approximately 15 Muslim children. This saw the introduction of the local sponsorship programme, whereby Guyanese at home as well as from the diaspora began to sponsor. More than 100 of the sponsors of the 425 children come from the United States of America and under 100 are from Canada. The other sponsors are from the West Indies, Europe and some other countries, alongside sponsorship from the Zakat House, State of Kuwait.
Hack noted that circumstances cause children to be left behind, but said it is “Our [the more fortunate] responsibility to show them love and give them opportunities as you would your own children; to ensure they have a brighter and better future, and that they are educated and not abused.”

First Lady Sandra Granger receives a bouquet from a student

Among special invitees at the forum were Prime Minister and First Vice-President Moses Nagamootoo and his wife Sita, First Lady Sandra Granger, United States Ambassador Perry Holloway and Mrs Holloway; and former minister, Attorney-at-Law, Ms Bibi Shaddick.
In an effort to respond to the needs of children coming out of school without a sound education, Hack said that a scholarship programme was established, with the result that most of these orphans are now given scholarships – whether to attend religious schools or the government schools.
They are also provided with the necessary facilities to ensure they acquire a sound secular education; and Hack noted that there has been a “Drastic improvement in the performance of our children at both the National Grade Six and the CSEC Examinations.”
The programme has since been developed to include non-Muslim children. “And so in the OVC Programme of the CIOG, they now have Muslim and non-Muslim, staff, as well as Muslim and non-Muslim children benefiting from the programme,” Hack said.
Some of the main activities of the OVC programme initiated since 1993 include a monthly stipend for each child, school clothes and gear, text books, medical examinations, vitamins and financial assistance for extra lessons, as well as exam fees. The overall monthly payout to the children amounts to approximately $2.1 M.
Performance of OVC students this year has surpassed other years, with passes in as many as eight subjects with Grades One and Two.
In his brief remarks to the gathering, Ambassador Holloway, applauded the efforts of the CIOG in supporting the youth in all 10 regions of Guyana, by sending them to school, providing health care and alleviating poverty.
Listing the many countries in which he’s served, the Ambassador observed that children all have something in common.
“I can tell you that in every one of those countries, kids are essentially the same. They all need to know that there are people out there who care about them.”

He added: “You young people are the future of Guyana. And I have full confidence that Guyana is in excellent hands. We are all God’s children. We were all born equal with inherent dignity.”
The Ambassador referred to a quote by the Prophet Muhammed: “He who wants to have paradise, let him treat people the way he wants to be treated.”
Meanwhile, First Lady Sandra Granger congratulated the CIOG for the magnificent work it has been doing, noting that they have grown from taking care of 50 children to about 500 at this time.
Mrs Granger commended the fact that the programme has expanded to cater for Orphans and Vulnerable Children who are both Muslims and non-Muslims and moreover, that the programme is now in all 10 regions of Guyana.
“This morning I want to commend the CIOG on its work amongst our vulnerable citizens, because it was also explained to me that children are left with their parents (while the CIOG provides for their financial and material needs), because it is felt that they do better there, rather than being placed in an institution, which means that this programme is also supporting the building of strong families,” Mrs Granger said.
She also thanked the children, who throughout the year have benefited from this organization and have done well at school. “It is important that you know that you are recognized as valuable citizens and that you know you have people who care about you, and who are taking care of your growth and development,” the First Lady assured.
Prime Minister Nagamootoo said he felt honoured to address the gathering and commended the CIOG for having taken a bold step in showing that they love and care for children who might have lost one or both parents, or otherwise could not have been taken care of by their parents. “And they (the CIOG) show this compassion by not only accommodating them), but [by] educating them as well.
The Prime Minister congratulated the CIOG for the great humanitarian work they are doing in providing care and meeting the needs of vulnerable children. He congratulated the CIOG for responding to/or supplying not only the children’s material needs, but also affording them decent moral upbringings to make them valuable citizens of Guyana.
And with the programme addressing their psycho-social needs as well, the counselling has ultimately resulted in making them harbour feelings of self-respect and feeling good about themselves.