Food For the Poor (Guyana) Inc has launched its 2021 General Housing Programme with the handing over of ten houses to vulnerable families in Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne).
Each house is equipped with two bedrooms, indoor sanitary facilities, and a rain harvesting component to secure safe water; and is semi-furnished, with a gas stove, two cots (beds), a plastic folding table and 4 folding chairs.
Moreover, a solar panel system to power three bulbs and charge their cellular phones is included, and Food For the Poor (FFTP) is aiming to construct an additional 240 houses this year.
Speaking at the launch of its 2021 General Housing Programme, Senior Project Manager Andrea Benjamin said the houses will be constructed in Region One (Barima-Waini); Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Region Three (Essequibo Islands- West Demerara), Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), and Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
“We have ten houses under construction at Bethany village, Supenaam Creek, Region Two, and we are preparing to start constructing ten additional houses in Region Six and ten on the Essequibo Coast,” the project manager said at the launch, which took place at St Francis Community Developers headquarters at Port Mourant, Corentyne.
Beneficiaries of the 10 FFTP homes share a photo with executives of the organisation
She said FFTP remains committed to improving housing conditions for poor and vulnerable families in Guyana, and contributing to the achievement of the 2030 United Nation Sustainable Development Goal of equal access to safe and affordable housing for all.
According to Benjamin, in order to ensure that the homes provided to the families are of a high quality and provide the necessary safety and comfort for the families, FFTP (Guyana) has been actively upgrading the structures.
“Over the years, we have increased the dimension of the houses, included indoor sanitary facilities and a rain-harvesting component, changed wooden windows to glass, and included partial furnishings.
“This year, we’ll be shedding the side steps and painting the exterior of the home with oil-based paint instead of flat paint. We are open to partnerships to extend our programme to hinterland communities, where there is also need for access to improved housing conditions,” she said.
Meanwhile, the ten persons who received new homes were vetted by St Francis, and the information was passed on to FFTP. Head of St Francis, Alex Foster, noted that the new homeowners were from the New Amsterdam area, with special focus on Angoy’s Avenue. In that community, he noted, the need is there but there is an issue with the ownership of the land.
That community was recently regularized, and the Housing Ministry is currently in the process of issuing land tittles to owners.
FFTP Chief Executive Officer Kent Vincent noted that FFTP has been providing assistance to Guyanese for more than three decades. The organisation, he noted, has been providing food, clothing and household items. among other things.
“But the housing aspects of Food For the Poor is very special to us. Today, we are very happy to be able to hand over the ten houses to the recipients,” he declared.
He noted that the housing programme had to be suspended last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused funds to be diverted into other areas of need.
Since commencing the housing programme, in excess of 1700 homes have been built by FFTP and given to Guyanese at no cost to the owners.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the FFTP Board, Paul Chan-a-Sue, has said he was moved by the stories of the beneficiaries and what FFTP has done. He also encouraged the new home owners to take care of their homes and to develop them. (G4)
