PROVIDENCE, EAST BANK DEMERARA, Guyana — Seventy-five-year-old pensioner Abdool Nazir and his wife, Zanita Persaud, have received a newly constructed home through the government’s Men on Mission (MoM) initiative, providing the couple with greater security and improved living conditions.
Nazir, who is living with end-stage kidney disease, had faced difficulties completing a house on land allocated to him by the government. He subsequently sought assistance from Men on Mission, which helped make homeownership possible for the couple.
Speaking about the assistance, Nazir expressed gratitude to everyone involved in constructing the house, describing the support as life-changing for him and his wife.
“If it wasn’t for the Men on Mission, I would never own a home,” he said, thanking the initiative, contractors and workers who contributed to the project.
New Home Provides Security and Stability
The keys to the newly constructed home were handed over during a ceremony at Providence on the East Bank of Demerara.
Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning Keoma Griffith attended the event alongside Men on Mission National Coordinator Lieutenant Colonel Bhageshwar Murli, Region Four Chairman Juan Edghill and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning Indranie Ramnaraine.
Griffith said the handover demonstrated how community support and coordinated efforts by public- and private-sector volunteers could improve the lives of vulnerable citizens.
He encouraged eligible individuals and families experiencing hardship to seek assistance through the programme.
The minister also emphasised that national development must go hand in hand with investments in people, noting that the future of the country depends on the well-being and opportunities available to its citizens.
Men on Mission Expands Housing Support
Lieutenant Colonel Murli said the latest handover reflects the initiative’s continued efforts to provide safe and stable housing to vulnerable households across Guyana.
He described the home as more than a physical structure, highlighting the protection, dignity and stability that homeownership can provide.
Launched by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali in October 2022, Men on Mission has expanded beyond its original mentoring objectives to include the construction of houses, repairs to existing homes and the provision of building materials for people in need.
The programme has supported pensioners, single parents, persons with disabilities, disaster-affected households and other vulnerable individuals and families.
According to the Department of Public Information, approximately 161 homes had been handed over through the initiative, with the programme’s wider housing efforts accounting for more than 170 homes constructed.
Additional Support for Youth and Families
Beyond housing assistance, Men on Mission also operates Youth Empowerment Programmes in Georgetown, Region Nine and Region Six.
These programmes provide children with meals, homework assistance, literacy and numeracy support, life-skills training and sporting activities.
The initiative is also advancing a Men Empowerment and Mentorship Programme aimed at strengthening relationships between incarcerated men and their children, providing guidance and helping to break cycles of offending.
Men on Mission continues to assess applications for housing assistance, with priority given to vulnerable individuals and families who meet its eligibility requirements.
For Nazir and his wife, the new home marks an important step towards a more secure future, following the challenges they faced in trying to establish a permanent place of their own.