Massy Guyana collaborates with Public Health Ministry to raise awareness on suicide
Guyana’s largest multi-principal distribution company, Massy Distributions Inc has collaborated with the Public Health and Education Ministries to host an awareness programme to prevent the social ill of “suicide”. First Lady Sandra Granger and Miss World Guyana 2018 Ambika Ramraj, along with several students and educators from various secondary schools and the University of Guyana, gathered at the National Cultural Centre to be a part of the activities to commemorate World Mental Health Day. As the globe celebrates World Mental Health Day, Massy Distributions is also celebrating its 50th anniversary in Guyana by hosting various events. Speaking at the event, Massy Distributions (Guyana) Inc Chief Executive
A scene from the theatrical presentation “Unbreakable” by award-winning actors at the National Cultural Centre on Wednesday
Officer (CEO) Navin Thakur urged those present to think positive since suicide was not the answer. Massy hosted a debate competition among four secondary schools that presented facts on suicide in students in Guyana. The final round of the debate is set to commence shortly, with Queen’s College and St Rose’s High to compete in a heated contest.
The Education Ministry expressed gratitude to Massy for their essential collaboration to deal with suicide among students. A representative of the Education Ministry presented the remarks of Education Minister Nicolette Henry, who was not in attendance. In her message, she urged students to focus on the positive and to be strong while experiencing life challenges. The theatrical performance “Unbreakable”, which was showcased, is a testimony to the young students who are experiencing life challenges. The protagonist, Joy, is mentally drained as her mood throughout the play is one of frustration; however, she does not commit suicide. The message stands out: all is never lost and there is always hope. According to research conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Guyana’s suicide rate has dropped by 32 per cent to 30.2 suicides per 100,000 deaths. Meanwhile, the most recent statistics, released in April 2017, showed that Guyana has the third highest suicide rate in the world.
