Driven with a burning desire to serve and provide for the needs of others, the selfless ladies of the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown work relentlessly to raise funds to fulfil their goals.
In an interview with Maylene Davis, one of the founding presidents, she said the club is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Georgetown and was formed by the wives of Rotarians.
It now has been extended to include close relatives of club members. Inner Wheel was chartered March 16, 1985, but their first meeting was held in October 1984.
Davis served as president from 1984 to 1986.
The Inner Wheel Club’s motto is ‘Friendship and Service’ and their objectives are to promote true friendship; to encourage the ideals of personal service, and to foster international understanding since they are in close contact with the International Inner Wheel Club. There are only two clubs of this kind in Guyana, the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown and the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown Central. They basically do the same type of charitable work and are guided by similar principles.
The fun slide in the playground
This charitable organisation raises funds to make an impact on the lives of the less fortunate through scholarships for young adults seeking training in the fields of education and medicine, by participating in community development activities that benefit children and the elderly, as well as by spreading cheer on festive occasions.
Today, International Inner Wheel has more than 100,000 members in 3,895 Inner Wheel Clubs in more than 100 countries worldwide.
The work of the club started in 1924 when the wives of the Rotarians sought to assist their husbands in fundraising efforts towards rotary projects. In 1967, International Inner Wheel was founded, and while Inner Wheel Clubs continue to support Rotary, they also have their own projects.
Special anniversary project
A special needs child testing out the steering-wheel board
The club celebrated its 27th chartered anniversary with the opening of a beautiful and fun children’s playground at the National Park on March 16, 2012. The decision to build a playground was made after the group saw a shortage of recreational facilities for young children. This motivated the club to approach various corporate entities that were very willing to donate. An important consideration behind this project is to make the playground accessible to children with special needs so that they too may enjoy their childhood and their right to development. It is believed this is the only playground of its kind catering for children with special needs.
Inner Wheel has, through its own fundraising activities, earmarked funds for the continuing maintenance of the playground and has provided leadership and coordination for the execution of the project. The playground is located adjacent to the car park at the Carifesta Avenue entrance to the National Park. Apart from benches, see-saws, combination swings/slides, arch climbers, monkey bars, a tic-tac-toe board, steering wheel boards, and other contemporary, interactive recreational equipment, the playground also now has small trees, sanitary facilities and garbage bins. The club intends to build a beautiful drink-water fountain as soon as further funding is received.
Speaking with project coordinator Evelyn Cheong, Guyana Times Sunday Magazine was told that since 2006 the club began setting aside funds garnered from its fund raising efforts towards the project, and has been doing so in successive years, while still maintaining its scholarship programme and other charitable distributions.
“We believe that this is the only facility of its kind in Guyana specifically catering for the needs of children with disabilities. In this respect, our club is grateful to UNICEF, National Commission on Disability, and Ms Cynthia Massay of the Ptolemy Reid Rehab Centre, for their invaluable technical inputs and advice. The vastly expanded scope of the projects couldn’t be realized without support from our donors whose positive responses and generosity were heartening. Our club sincerely thanks all of them for their encouragement, and for embracing the objectives of the project. Our donor board facing the car park both showcases our sponsors and records permanent testimony of our gratitude,” Cheong said thankfully.
The playground was officially declared opened by First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar in the presence of current Inner Wheel president Monette Patterson, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony and other dignitaries.
The First Lady disclosed at the opening that the government is in the process of looking into areas around the country where similar parks can be built. She also encouraged the business community to support this worthy cause.
The First Lady thanked the Inner Wheel Club for their innovation, and said that it is unfortunate that today’s generation spend all their time on computers and video games, instead of doing physical exercise.
After 27 years, the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown still has active members who have served from the inception. Davis disclosed that about six are still alive including her. (Taken from Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
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