[www.inewsguyana.com] – At a simple presentation ceremony on October 31, at their new location Industrial Estate Eccles, the Executives of the distribution giant handed over an undisclosed sum of funds towards the Buxton Youth Developers (BYD) in aid of one of the organisation’s sustainable efforts in providing less fortunate youths of the Buxton community an opportunity to develop their lives through constructive means socially, academically, culturally and spiritually.
A press release from the Company noted that present at the ceremony were company representatives, Mr. Ryan Pereira, Chairman, Mrs. Arianna Pereira, Executive Director and Mr. Irzad Zamal, Chief Executive Officer in the company of receiving guests of the BYD Mr. Lennox Shuffler, known to many as Uncle Lenny, Patron and Strategic Planner and Mr Robin Phillips, Founder and General Administrator.
It was noted that the organisation has been in existence since March 2007 with a strategic agenda stemming from their mission statement: “Regaining the glory of Buxton through Sports, Education and Culture.”
After the history of crime in the community (2002 – 2008) BYD provided positive images of the community and proved that change is possible with creative thinking, collective effort and commitment.
“The programme began with 30 students, three afternoons a week at the old Buxton Market. It now caters for more than 300. Parent and community involvement have grown significantly and so has children’s attendance and performance at their schools,” the release stated.
According to the Company, this afforded additional classes for school dropouts from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Ten volunteers conduct these classes which cover Reading, Writing, Math and Social Studies. A community library previously accessible on Tuesdays and Thursdays is now accessible daily and sports sessions are conducted on Saturdays. In addition to scheduled classes there are regular motivational, life skills and cultural sessions. Larger scale activities are also executed e.g., Annual Christmas parties, Spelling Bees, Literacy Competitions, Anniversary Award Ceremonies, Cultural Pageants, etc.
Remembering Patrick Pereira
“The contribution was made in honour of a continuing effort towards the positive development of Buxton by the late Patrick Pereira. He was born to Julio I and Ceceila Pereira of Buxton on 24 October 1938as their eldest and became the heir to their ancestral dynasty. His life is a good example to be aspired by many Buxtonians and Guyanese as a self-made, self-thought achiever orchestrated with passion, discipline, honesty, strong belief, empathy and thoughtfulness,” the release noted.
According to the Company, “his innovative, constructive and aggressive character always found him engaged into new projects – he never stopped but kept going and going. Even after his wedding in 1970, he merged his honeymoon with a business trip. At that time, he pioneered the operation of an Air Conditioned Rice Cultivator, the first of its kind in Guyana.”
“He had many critics of such an investment but his theory was the operator would be able work in a cool and comfortable environment enabling him to be more productive and efficient despite the additional costs attached to having such on-the-job luxury. Stemming from such a considerate gesture resulted in a generation culture adapted by his up and accomplished children that profoundly exists in each of the Pereira’s businesses today where the owner ensures the employees are comfortable to work then tend to their own needs and comfort.
He was recognized as a Top Gold Producer ever since he ventured into the sector in 1978 and grew from strength to strength years later. Winding down to the end, he served as President for the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association where he was famous for the mining sector in 2010 when proposed conservation regulations threatened many small and medium scale miners to shut down during a period of much uncertainty. The result, Guyana was able to experience a pot of wealth due to the mining boom in the subsequent years.
He was a proud Guyanese being an Ambassador for his country boasting of its wealth and potential to every country he visited and had an interest in the political welfare of our country. His cause was to end the racial segregation prevalent at that time and in doing what was right for the progressive development of our dear beloved nation beginning with his village and neighbouring ones.
His most recent project was his lengthy research on a cure for Cancer through organic healing. Mama Fee Fee, the well-known medicine doctor of Buxton village inspired him to believe in organic medicinal healing.
However, it was his passing on 02 July 2014 that left many to grieve his absence but whose legacy still lives on.
Southland International is pleased to be part contributor towards the overall success of the organisation’s objective and joins many other supporters such as the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, The Government of New Zealand, Digicel, Scotia bank, UNICEF, Courts Guyana, Farfan& Mendes, Food for the Poor to name a few.The company are proud distributor of popular brands in Guyana such Blue Waters CRAN+ and regular bottled waters, Carlsberg beer, to name a few.”
