Fathers should ensure children exceed their success – Chief of Defence

…as PM Phillips urges fathers to be health-conscious

Chief of Defence, Brigadier Omar Khan, in extending Father’s Day greetings on Sunday, said that a father’s role was to ensure that his child/children are more successful than him.
In his Father’s Day message, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Chief, who is also the Chairman of Men on Mission (MoM), stated that fathers were celebrated and recognised for the role that they play in the family, specifically the social responsibility they have in helping shape the future through the development of their children.

He stressed that a father’s mere biological instinct is observed to take several forms complementary to parenthood. This, he noted, includes being the protector, the provider, the leader, the teacher, and the mentor of the home. Fathers, he said, are expected to adopt these different and other important roles to help nurture and shape the minds of children, particularly during the formative years of their growth.
Moreover, Khan shared what his personal perception of being a father is: “it is my belief that a father’s primary role is to create an environment for his child or children to become more successful than him.”
He also highlighted that many fathers face challenges to provide the very basics of parenthood. In this regard, he said that the MoM initiative was created to help build character in men and boys.
“It is for this very reason our Men on Mission mandate is designed to provide the relevant and necessary services to help men become better men, and for boys to recognise and act on their potential and to lead responsible lives and careers. Under the Men on Mission initiative, His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, has directed that focus be on our men across Guyana, whether they are leading homes, working, and or studying.”
He added, “The platform must be in a position to identify ways to share experiences through mentorship, provide support in joint and collaborative projects, and provide access to job opportunities and to resources via statecraft and Private-Sector partnerships. I must say, since the establishment of Men on Mission, these initiatives are all having a positive impact on the lives of many of our men.”

Additionally, he thanked the men who have volunteered their time, expertise, and resources to make MoM initiatives a success.

MoM countrywide walk
On Sunday, MoM hosted a countrywide Father’s Day walk against violence. Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips on Sunday called for men to be more aware, especially when it comes to their personal health.
The Prime Minister highlighted that if men were to lead and be responsible, they needed to be more aware and, in this regard, he noted, that an area to which men should pay keen attention was their health.
“As you take your role as men in the home, in your community and at the national level, we need to be aware and one of the important awarenesses is your personal health,” he said.
The Georgetown leg of the walk commenced at Camp Ayanganna. The five-kilometre walk was led by President Dr Ali and Prime Minister Phillips, and saw several Government officials, Private-Sector representatives and ranks of the Joint Services in attendance. Walks of similar nature were held in other regions of Guyana.
Additionally, teams from MoM visited several orphanages around the Georgetown area and on the East Coast of Demerara to share a meal with the children living there.
MoM is a movement aimed at impressing upon men the importance of responsibility, being role models and demonstrating a collective will to shoulder a progressive system to support Guyana’s developing society. To date, the group has spearheaded a number of enhancement exercises, job fairs, and health outreaches. Recently, a youth empowerment and mentorship programme was launched to equip Georgetown youth with essential life skills.