Concert(s) for Guyana

[Info via GCIFR]

BARBADOS

The CONCERT FOR GUYANA - BARBADOS is scheduled for March 12, 2005 at Frank Collymore Hall, Barbados

NEW YORK

The Dance for Relief Concert organized by Rose October and Verna Walcott-Whyte was held on Sunday, February 27, 2005 at the New Life Center, 2400 Snyder Avenue, Brooklyn. The concert was a success. It is reported that more than $1,000 and 20 barrels of non-perishable items, books and new clothes for children were collected.

In New York, several community organizations are also planning fund-raising concerts and celebrations around Phagwah 2005. Dr. Rudy Jagopat recently shared the following list of projected events:

01) 5.00pm Friday, March 18, 2005: Phagwah Celebration at NY City Hall Chambers, Sponsored by Gifford Miller, Speaker of NYC Council and coordinated by Gyanda Shivnarain. This is a free event which includes a free concert, awards ceremony and free refreshments for all in attendance.

02) 8.00pm Saturday, March 19, 2005: Annual Phagwah Show at Royal Arcadia Palace, 206-12 Hillside Avenue, Hollis, NY 11432. The Angels Band led by Vinod Bisram, along with Terry Gajraj, Dheeraj Dance Group, Vashni & Dance Group, Saxophonist Ramesh Mahraj and Tassa Group and others. Admission $15. The organizers are: A P Productions

03) 3.30pm Sunday, March 20, 2005: Grand Guyana Flood Relief Concert at Junior High School #226, 121-10 Rockaway Blvd. South Ozone Park, NY 11420. All of the proceeds go to the victims of Guyana's recent flood. The event is coordinated by The Association of Concerned Guyanese-USA--President: Dr. Rajendra Singh, Secretary: Indra Hardat: 718-843-7232 or Indytax@aol.com. The concert will feature New York's Caribbean artistic cream, including The Natraj Center for the Performing Arts, Impressions Dance Theatre, Wrickford Dalgety, Rose October, Marlyn Bhose, Prakash Gossai, Davendra Pooran, The Company of Four (Former members of Guyana National Dance Company), The New Hope Worship Dancers, The Nritya Kala Kendra Dance Academy, Amrita Persaud, Lalchand (Mohamed Rafi) Singh, The Raajavidya Cultural Group and many others. Admission: Adults $10, Children: $5

04) Sunday, April 3, 2005 (Awaiting Police Permission) : Massive Phagwah Parade (This parade normally attracts about 40,000-50,000 people) on the streets of Richmond Hill, New York. This event is being organized by a Phagwah Parade Committee comprising of representatives from numerous Hindu Mandirs. This event will be free. The Street Parade and playing of phagwah culminates with a massive open-air concert at the famous Smokey Park located around 125 Street & Atlantic Avenue in Richmond Hill. This event will also be a venue for fund-raising.

THE CONCERT FOR GUYANA - NEW YORK (May 2005)

This will be last concert in the CONCERTS FOR GUYANA Series. Information on the day and venue will be provided later

TAMPA

According to Ray Seales, "The Tampa Concert is picking up speed." He has reported that Keith Waithe, one of the originators of the CONCERTS FOR GUYANA project, will be participating in The Concert for Guyana--Tampa, scheduled for May 1, 2005. Seals has also reported that The PHASE 11 Band from Toronto, Canada has also confirmed that they will be appearing at the Concert for Guyana--Tampa on May 1, 2005. The members of band are:

Vic Shim - Sax/Vocals, Bhim Singh - Guitar, Terry Jervis - Trumpet, Rudolph Rampaul - Bass/Vocals and Martin Grimmond - Key Board & Drums

In addition, Reggie Paul and the Miami crew, including Jimmy Ray and Mickey Dee also Phil (Bumpy) Dino are also on board. Ray Seales is currently in conversations with Dave Martin and The Trade Winds and Terry Gajraj. He is also ensuring that the best equipment and technical crew will be available. In a recent e-mail he concludes, "We are going to create history and suggest that every Guyanese living here in North America come to TAMPA on May 1st to be a witness."

OSHAG assistance - Overseas Guyanese medical professionals lend helping hand

[Info via GCIFR]
Guyana Chronicle
February 23, 2005
By Shawnel Cudjoe

FOR one week, 23 nurses and three doctors living in the United States of America (USA) volunteered their time, skills and expertise to helping Guyanese in Georgetown and along the East Coast, who suffered in the recent flooding that left homes and lives destroyed.

The team arrived in Guyana on Friday February 18, through the collaborative works of the Organsation for Social and Health Advancement in Guyana (OSHAG), headed by Carol Bagot, Guyana Folk Festival headed by Claire Goring and Support Guyana Underprivileged headed by Dennis Nelson.

The team's journey to Guyana was made possible with the assistance of Universal Airlines which offered a reduced airfare of US$200 to the medical team and OSHAG. The Chronicle caught up with some members of the group yesterday morning at the Windjammer Hotel in Kitty, before they began their outreach for the day.
President of OSHAG, Carol Bagot said that the team worked with the Health Ministry at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and at health centres and mobile health clinics on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) - the area that was most affected by the flooding.

She was full of praises for the Health Minister and his team, who she noted was very instrumental in coordinating all the events and giving out the information, so as to make the team's work less tedious and more effective. The Citizen's Initiative and the Guyana Cancer Society, with which OSHAG has a partnership were also commended by Bagot for their work.

The medical outreach began in De Hoop, Mahaica, on Saturday, and they also visited Anns Grove and Unity on the East Coast Demerara (ECD), on the same day. Sunday, the team distributed medical supplies to persons in the villages of Bare Root, Bachelor's Adeventure and Foulis, Monday saw the team in Plaisance, Sparendaam and Ogle, while yesterday they were in Sophia, Nabaclis and Industry.

In all, over 1500 persons received medical attention from the volunteers whose day began at 08:00 hrs and ended at 17:00 hrs.

Bagot, also noted, that in rare cases, persons were referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for treatment, where some of their nurses were also hard at work in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and the Pediatric Ward. Plans are currently being put in place to send another team, when this one leaves tomorrow, Bagot stated. Dr. Delores Gayle-Barton, born in Jamaica, married to a Guyanese and living in the United States is one of the three doctors on the mission.

She said that the experience in Guyana in terms of helping people have been wonderful but she was asked to come on very short notice. "I got two days to prepare for the trip and then I had to rush over", Gayle-Barton said. "So far we have been seeing all kinds of patients, who need help", she said. However, more persons are being treated for high blood pressure and high blood sugar, rather than the dreaded disease, Leptospirosis, as they expected it to be. She pointed out that many of these persons were not even aware that they suffering from these various problems. According to Dr. Gayle-Baton, it was their hope that they saved lives with their medical outreach.

Guyanese-born Dr. Berman Saunders described his experience in Guyana as a mixed one. " On one hand, you get a feeling of doing something, but on the other hand, you are frustrated, because you recognise that there is so much more to be done", Saunders explained. He said that the team was confined to treating persons with infections and fevers, and echoed what was said by his fellow doctor about the number of persons treated for high blood pressure. He also praised the East Orange General Hospital in New Jersey for making drugs available to them.

Earlier, some 31 barrels of food stuff were sent to Guyana to assist persons during the flooding, after the three organisations held a meeting and decided that their homeland needed some assistance. Additionally, boxes of long boots, blankets and mosquito nets were also sent to the country and Guyanese can expect another 31 barrels of stuff, Bagot assured.

Citizen's Initiative for Flood Relief posting

The Guyana Citizen's Initiative for Flood Relief today released:

• Rapid Social Impact of Shelters (202 KB Powerpoint)
• Proposal for Sustained Sanitation Systems (49 KB Word doc)
  

QCAA (NY) makes an additional donation

[Info via Nathalie Caldeira, QC alumnus]

At a meeting on Sunday, February 13, 2005 QCAA (NY) unanimously agreed to make an additional contribution of US$2,000 to further assist the Queen's College of Guyana community who were severely affected by the (on-going) flooding crisis; and also to donate US$500 to the Guyana Red Cross Society to assist their flood relief efforts to the wider Guyana community.

I am pleased to advise that our Honorary Member in Guyana, Ms. Shirley Jackman made the presentations to the Red Cross and to the school. This brings QCAA (NY) contributions to US$4,500; and I again wish to express sincere appreciation to all members who stepped up so willingly, thus enabling us to contribute in such a timely manner to the needy members of our Q.C. family in Guyana.

Please remember, however, that the crisis is not yet over, so PLEASE KEEP THOSE DONATIONS COMING IN!

Gordon L. Wilson
President QCAA (NY)

Monetary Donations

Monetary Donations may be sent to:

1. National Disaster Relief Fund (established by the JOC)
Account Number: 109780
Bank of Nova Scotia, 104 Carmichael Street, Georgetown, Guyana. .

2. Guyana Relief Council (chaired by Ms. Yvonne Hinds)
Account Number: 6500979
National Bank of Industry & Commerce, 38-40 Water St., Georgetown, Guyana
SWIFT: GUTIGYGE

Guyana Relief Council
Account Number: 109275
Bank of Nova Scotia, Carmichael St., Georgetown, Guyana

3. Guyana Red Cross Disaster Fund
Account Number: 2763043
National Bank of Industry & Commerce, 38-40 Water St., Georgetown, Guyana
SWIFT: NBIC GYGG

Guyana Red Cross Disaster Fund
Account Number: C1DA814213
Guyana Bank for Trade & Industry, 47- 48 Water Street, Georgetown, Guyana.
SWIFT: GUTIGYGE

Guyana Red Cross Disaster Fund
Account Number: 2162188
Demerara Bank Ltd., 230 Camp & South Rds., Georgetown, Guyana

4. Citizens Initiative Flood Relief Fund (chaired by Maj-Gen. (ret'd) Joe Singh)
Account Numebr: 6547459
National Bank of Industry & Commerce, 38-40 Water St., Georgetown, Guyana
SWIFT: NBIC GYGG

5. Private Sector Commission Flood Relief Fund
Account Number: S1DA816847
Guyana Bank for Trade & Industry, 47- 48 Water Street, Georgetown, Guyana
SWIFT: GUTIGYGE

6. Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc. Guyana Relief Account
Account Number: C1DA814649
Guyana Bank for Trade & Industry, 47- 48 Water Street, Georgetown, Guyana
SWIFT: GUTIGYGE

The saga continues

In now the 5th continuous week of severe flooding on the coast of Guyana, the water levels in East Coast of Demerara villages between Georgetown and Mahaica continues to fall as does the number of persons affected by water-borne diseases; however due to the emergency dumping of water from the East Demerara (Lama) Conservancy into the Mahaica River, the communities alongside the swollen Mahaica River and areas between the Mahaica and Mahaicony Rivers are now facing their own flooding woes.

A statement by the UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development

(Info via GCIFR)
Guyana Floods - A statement by the UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, Gareth Thomas.

Unprecedented rainfall in the last two months has caused serious flooding in large areas of Guyana’s coastal regions. Rainfall for the first two weeks of January was five times the normal monthly average. 39% of the population of Guyana are estimated to have been affected. The worst affected area is along the East Coast from Mahaica to Georgetown, where 172,020 people have been severely affected. Reports indicate 27 deaths associated with the flooding to date, but there are no fully reliable figures at this time. It would be surprising if the figure remained this low - aside from the risk of more flooding we must be prepared for very serious health challenges as the waters recede.

The Government’s civil defence/emergency stocks had been exhausted through Guyana’s assistance to Grenada (following Hurricane Ivan) and not replenished. Given the scale of the disaster, the Government has responded as well as could be expected in the circumstances. Systematic assessments of the population’s needs are underway by the UN and civil society. These should establish prioritised needs and a division of responsibility around who can fund and deliver relief against these needs. This process should also improve quality of information on the extent and impact of the disaster.

... I spoke to President Jagdeo on the 27th January 2005, and expressed our support for the Government and people of Guyana at this trying time. ... [Details from UK DfID]

Guyana's neighbour, Venezuela, also hit by floods

Sadly, our neighbour to the West, Venezuela, has also suffered due to flooding. The heaviest rains since 1951 have caused Venezuela's worst disaster this century. Thirteen persons have died and thousands have been forced from their homes by landslides. Our prayers are with the Venezuelan people. See BBC for more information.