AN EVENING OF HOPE- for the less fortunate children and seniors


Tuesday, September 23, 2008

THE New Jersey Arya Samaj Mandir, Inc. Humanitarian Mission (NJASMHM) of Jersey City, New Jersey in association with the Natraj Center for The Performing Arts, as part of its on-going efforts to continue to raise funds to provide a better life for the disadvantaged children and seniors of Guyana, will be holding a grand fund-raising concert on Sunday, September 28, 2008 at 14:00 h at the James Ferris High School, 35 Colgate Street, Jersey City, NJ.

Performing on stage for the first time in New Jersey will be two legendary sons of Guyana, Shri Prakash Gossai and Devendra Pooran, who will serenade the audience with their soul stirring songs and scintillating music.

The popular Geeta Bisram will lend her singing prowess to the occasion and will be accompanied by tabla virtuoso, Dexter Raghunandan of Texas.

The Natraj Center for the Performing Arts will mesmerize the audience with their sizzling dance performances, and there will be special guest appearances by popular radio host of Indian Melody Time, Lake Persaud, as well as, Dr. Ramesh Sugrim of the Guyana Chapter of NJASMHM. Dancer Brianna Harrideo and Sandhya Sugrim will also entertain the audience.

The concert, fondly called, “An Evening of Hope” in honor of the less fortunate children and seniors of Guyana, will also be attended by Guyana’s Ambassador to Washington Mr. Bayney Karran, as well as, the Mayor of Jersey City and other dignitaries.

They will join the audience in showing their solidarity and strong support for the NJASMHM magnificent efforts at promoting culture, dharma and giving hope to the hopeless in a practical way.

Funds raised in this project will help to improve the living situation of Guyana’s most needy children and seniors, whose existence has not been a pleasant one.

Their stories are heartbreaking. Children in and out of orphanages between the age of One and 16 years will benefit from education grants to cover school supplies, food vouchers, and travelling expenses. Assistance extends to health care and housing, also.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the NJASMHM has been organizing a fund-raising effort to help fund the children’s basic educational needs.

According to Project Director and President of the organization, Pt Suresh Sugrim, over 500 children are likely to benefit from this year’s fund-raising drive. So far, they have already assisted over 3,000 children.

How are the children identified for help? The local (Guyana) Chapter NJASMHM will visit potential needy families’ homes and assess the children’s needs. Once the children meet the criteria set down by the Mission, they will be selected to participate in the programme.

The NJASMHM does not discriminate in the grant of aid. It serves people of all faiths and ethnicity. For example, they contributed to 7-year-old Fazeena Ali’s heart surgery in India, and made grants to multi-ethnic orphanages such as “Alpha’s Children Home,” New Amsterdam, and “Cannan’s Children Home” at Port Mourant, Berbice and others.

Pt Sugrim says that there are many orphanages in Guyana, and they are happy to help as many of them depending on their funds. Later on, they may be able to expand their reach in this area, too.

How effective are these humanitarian programmes? Realizing that funds/supplies can be misused and abused, Dr. Ramesh Sugrim, President and Magistrate Chandra Sohan, Public Relation Officer of the Guyana Chapter and other officers of the NJASMHM, will monitor the various programmes to ensure that the funds/supplies are utilized for the purposes intended. So far, they have encountered no major problems.

The NJASMHM also provides regular help to about 40 seniors by providing them with monthly food vouchers and wheel chairs, etc. In partnership with “Food for the Poor” a US-based charity that has a Chapter in Guyana; beneficiaries also receive two-burner gas stoves and bicycles.

The NJASMHM Empowerment Programme has just begun with a pilot project in Canje, Berbice.

It covers single parents, school dropouts, and other disadvantaged persons, who are given the opportunity to develop or improve a skill in areas such as sewing and cooking. If everything goes well there, they plan to expand the programme in other areas across Guyana.

But the scope of the NJASMHM extends beyond the above-mentioned projects. They participated, in saving lives for example, in a Blood Drive, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, on July 19, 2008; collected over 50 pints of blood.

In collaboration with the New York based Nirvana Humanitarian Foundation, they hosted a Comedy show “Laff Til Yuh Belly Bust” at Albion Sports Complex, Berbice, on July 7, 2008.

The public response was overwhelming. Over 12,000 people attended. Proceeds from that event will help to fund on-going NJASMHM programmes in Guyana.

Given the tremendous volume of humanitarian and social work done by the NJASMHM, it’s important you turn out to support the fund-raising concert on Sunday, September 28, 2008 in Jersey City.

I hope you’ll join our efforts by making a generous contribution for us to continue with our outreach and charitable programme today.

Learn more, by visiting our website www.njaryasamaj.com and make your donation right now! It’s fast and convenient. Your generosity will help us provide immediate care for the most vulnerable children and families.

While we understand that the artistes are attractive enough to capture your attention, the “cause” is probably more compelling.

In supporting the concert, you are also adding some sunshine into the lives of thousands of needy children, including seniors.

Without your help, their lives are likely to become darker. And the accomplished artistes hold this effort in such high regard that all of them are donating their services towards this noble cause. Let’s join!