U.S. ambassador praises NGOs’ work in Berbice

United States (U. S.) Ambassador to Guyana D Brent Hardt has praised the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the development of Berbice.
Speaking after a meeting with NGOs and community groups in New Amsterdam last Monday, Hardt said Region Six is on the verge to take off.

“Thanks to the efforts of you… The U. S. government will continue to support you.” During the meeting, the NGOs and groups took the opportunity to seek further assistance from the U. S. government through the ambassador.
The New Amsterdam Lions Club sought the U. S.’ s support of its free spectacle programme ,while the Edingburg Seventh-Day Adventist Church solicited assistance for the acquisition of equipment for a community building that was built by the government.
That organisation provides information technology training and other social services to primarily members of the Edingburg community.
Computers for the information technology programme were donated by Food For The Poor, which has its head office in the U. S. Also seeking assistance was the Disabled Peoples Network (DPN). That organisation wants to acquire a plot of land to construct a building.
Among some of the other groups at the meeting was the United Brick Layers, an NGO which might suffer a setback in its HIV programme when the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Guyana HIV/ AIDS Reduction and Prevention Project (GHARP) comes to an end soon.
The Revival Awareness and Perpetuation of African Culture (RAPAC) said urgent assistance is needed to ensure the African culture does not die. The RAPAC requested assistance for the construction of a building.
Ambassador Hardt said the U. S. government will see how it can work with the DNP and to preserve African heritage.
“We will look for opportunities to support. We will not be able to address all of them, but once we know whenever the opportunity presents itself, we will.”
Meanwhile, the Food For the Poor donated a 25-inch television set to the New Amsterdam Prison in keeping with a promise made to the institution. The organisation also presented six straight-stitch sewing machines to the prison.
The visit to the region was organised by St Francis Community Developers and its collaborating partners. St Francis is working to address community underdevelopment in Region Six.