UG spreads Christmas cheer to vulnerable children

Scores of children from the Joshua House and Convalescent Home were in smiles as the Public Relations Division of the University of Guyana (UG) donated scores of items to the respective homes.

This was done in the place of the annual Santa’s Helpers Christmas community outreach, which had to be postponed due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of UG, Lesa Somrah, told Guyana Times that Santa’s Helpers initiative started in 1993 as a collaborative effort between the faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Public Relations Department. However, it has since evolved over the years.
“We usually do the community outreach in the surrounding communities of the University of Guyana…however, due to COVID and the regulations, we have decided to contribute to orphanages, two orphanages in Georgetown…The Santa’s Helpers are dear to us, and we hope to sustain it because we see the need to give back”, she said.

Both the Joshua House and Convalescent Home were gifted with toys, cleaning detergents, and food items that were donated by staff of the tertiary institution.
Joan Stephens Deveaux, Care Giver and Supervisor of the Children Convalescent Home located at Durban Backlands, and Administrator of the Joshua House, Gladys Accra, expressed gratitude to the University of Guyana for their kind gesture.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Divisions of UG thanked faculty, staff, and everyone who contributed to making the event a success.