Tuesday
12th March the Georgetown Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity Guyana at
a house dedication ceremony in Sophia handed over the keys to Rosamund
Cruickshank. For Cruickshank, who had joined the affiliate's programme
in August 2000 and had "trusted God that her home would be completed by
the end of 2001" this was a dream come true.
At the handing-over
ceremony in the presence of friends and family Cruickshank expressed gratitude
to God and all who made this possible. She thanked Courts as one of the
businesses that helped Habitat for Humanity's work financially. She said
that it was not easy for families in need to get a loan from a bank and
prayed that other corporate citizens would continue to support the noble
work of the organisation.
Cruickshank related that she had lived in Georgetown when her husband
died in April 1993. She and her children moved to the East Coast but because
her children continued at school in Georgetown transportation costs became
too expensive for her. She decided to rent a place in Georgetown. In the
process of searching, she was fortunate to encounter a family friend who
offered her free accommodation. The family was able to lodge free of rent
for 6 years in two rooms; one used as a living and dining room, while
the other served a s bedroom and part of it as a kitchen. There were two
sets of toilets and baths in the yard, which were used by six families.
About three years ago when the friend left the country she was expected
to pay a rent of $7,000, which she could not afford.
However, now that Cruickshank and three of her four children Kelvin, Kenwin and Keisha were moving into their new home, they will be required to make monthly payments lower than the previous rent. Georgetown Affiliate's National Partner Stanley Boodie reinforced the importance of making timely payments into HFHG's revolving fund. Mrs.Cruickshank vows to do everything in her power to even make these payments early in order for other families like hers to become beneficiaries.
Habitat
for Humanity provides an opportunity for hard working persons, who do
not qualify for a loan from conventional financial institutions to build
affordable houses through the help of volunteers. The organisation charges
no interest and makes no profit. In addition to being able to make the
monthly payments, the family must have land to build on, be prepared to
work with other beneficiaries and have at least one child under 15 years.
Last year Managing Director David Burgess and Marketing Director Mark
Durham of Courts (Guyana) Inc. along with a group of employees visited
the construction site and formally handed over $1,000,000, the second
disbursement of a 2 million commitment Courts had made for this fiscal
year. The Georgetown Affiliate also gratefully acknowledges the contribution
of groups of missionaries of the Church of Latter Day Saints of Prashad
Nagar, who for over a year have regularly worked four hours a week on
construction sites of the Georgetown affiliate.
