The Men on a Mission (MOM), which is President Irfaan Ali’s pet project, yesterday handed over two newly constructed hovel houses to single mothers Bhagwattie Ghirao and Bibi Arjune, who are facing immense challenges because of poverty. Guyana is the world’s fastest growing economy and the richest per capita. A recent World Bank Report stated almost half the people live in poverty and on less than US$5.50 per day. This data, according to Bank, places Guyana’s poverty level amongst the highest in the Latin America and Caribbean region.
The two hovel houses, painted blue, representing the President’s favourite colour, were presented to 64-year-old Arjune, a single mother and cancer survivor; and 47-year-old Ghirao, who lost her husband and son. The presentation underscores government’s acceptance it does not have a policy to adequately address the needs of the vulnerable. It also suggests a seeming unwillingness to create policies that are non- discriminatory and will respect the human dignity of all.
Amidst fanfare, parading the recipients’ vulnerability, the state’s Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall S.C, handed over the key to Arjune, of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. Arjune is a domestic worker, her house collapsed a year ago. And what is now customary, the vulnerable must forego their dignity and publicly express appreciation to the president’s front organisation, for doing what the government should be doing.
Almost on the verge of tears, Arjune thanked MOM for her new home and expressed deep gratitude for the support. In turn, Nandlall, made known the single mother reached out to the agency for assistance and commended the “initiative for its impactful work.” Men are showcasing their talent while making a philanthropic and charitable contribution towards the upliftment of our society, he stated.
The persons executing MOM’s projects are mostly public servants and members of the Disciplined Services. These personnel are doing construction, environmental clean-up, etc. on government’s time or their free time without being paid overtime. The workers are also denied opportunities for self-care, time with family and children, and social events that would have occupied their time otherwise. Guyana’s culture, particularly for the public sector, is that it is not normal to refuse the directive, explicit or implicit, of government ministers, president and chief-of-staff or commissioner of police.
Ghirao of Belle West (Canal #2), of West Bank of Demerara, received the second house. She lost both her husband and son and has been experiencing significant hardship. Ghirao currently lives with her two daughters and works as a domestic worker to support her family. Her late husband helped her purchase the land, and she managed to build a fence around it. When she learned about the president’s promise to provide housing for single parents and mothers, she wrote a letter to him, which her daughter delivered. She expressed her overjoy when she was contacted to have a house built for her.
Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Souvenir, of the Guyana Defense Force, speaking at the handover ceremony for Ghirao assured her, “We are here to support you, the Men on Mission is happy to support you”
According to MOM’s press statement the new homes symbolise not only personal triumphs for both women but also stand as a testament to the collective efforts of men dedicated to uplifting vulnerable women in Guyana. At the national level the construction of the hovel homes, painted in the president’s favourite colour, also represent failure of a government to empower the vulnerable and protect their dignity in the process of doing to.
This year the National Budget is $1.146 Trillion. Guyana is expected to earn no less than US$2.8 billion from oil and Guyana. This magnitude of spending and revenue intake has not translated to improving Guyanese quality of life.
Using the Human Capital Index, the World Bank stated a child born in Guyana today will only be 50 percent as productive when she grows up as she could be if she enjoyed complete education and full health. This is lower than the average for the Latin America and Caribbean region and upper middle-income countries.
According to the Bank, the low human capital score is in part driven by low educational and health outcomes. The Bank noted that although the average Guyanese student is expected to complete 12.2 years of schooling, this is equivalent to only 6.8 years of learning when expressed in terms of Learning-Adjusted Years of Schooling (LAYS).
