Indentureship Indian Heritage Month May 05

Young flood victim
gets her new home

DeSinco Trading Ltd. yesterday handed over the keys to a $3.2M house to nine-year-old Vivean Bacchus of Lot 118 Lusignan South, East Coast Demerara.

During the January floods, Managing Director of DeSinco Trading Ltd, Frank DeAbreu saw the Primary 2 student in chest high water on the front page of the Kaieteur News captioned ‘No Way Out', and felt compassion for her.

He took a copy of the newspaper to his board of directors, and after much discussion, decided to help improve the little girl's future.

With help from the newspaper company, DeAbreu along with Attorney-at-Law Kemraj Ramjattan went on a journey to find the child.

Attorney-at-Law Kemraj Ramjattan

After much searching, they were able to locate her. She was at the time living with her extended family of eight in a dilapidated logie.

Upon seeing the condition under which the family was living, DeAbreu promised to build a new home for the child and her family.

Yesterday, at a handing over ceremony, the DeAbreu family presented the brand new three-bedroom 45x30 house to nine-year-old Vivean.

Vivean's father, Amoallie Bacchus signed the Deed of Gift document which was prepared by Ramjattan on behalf of his daughter.

Ramjattan told the small gathering during a short address that it was out of hard work for years that the DeAbreu family can today help others to have a comfortable future.

“With the [high incidence of] poverty that we are living in today, poor families need the assistance of the wealthy community,” Ramjattan noted.

Assistant Managing Director of the Company, Mahendra Jaikaran said that the average price for a house such as the one that was given to Vivean would be at least $5M.

“It cost the company only $3.2M because the contractor was very generous to us,” Jaikaran said.

Frank DeAbreu told the gathering that he believes that every company must be profitable and helping persons in need should never be any trouble for profitable companies.

“A company must be profitable. A company must provide its staff with proper working conditions and whatever makes them comfortable. A company must help the community in which it operates. If a company fails to do any of these then it is not worthwhile [for anyone] to be a part of nor is it any company at all,” DeAbreu said.

Speaking with Kaieteur News after the presentation of the house, Vivean's mother, Routie Bacchus said that when the DeAbreu's told her that they were going to build a new house for her family, she had expected an ordinary house.

“I never expected nothing as massive and big as this. I don't think that we would ever have been able to build a house like this for we self. Thanking this family is not enough for me. I don't know what I can say or do to let them know how grateful we are to them. All I can do is pray to God for them every day,” Mrs. Bacchus said.

The house was constructed by RS General Contractors, which only charged DeSinco Trading for the labour.

“When we consider a venture like this, we decided to only charge Mr. DeAbreu for the labour. No profit was made or taken for this work,” Manager of RS General Contractors, Rabindranauth Sukha told Kaieteur News.

Before the presentation, the Scouts, Cubs and Venture Scouts of Marian Academy planted a cherry tree at the back of the house.

One of the students told Kaieteur News that they planted the tree for Vivean as a means of promoting peace.

In 2001, DeSinco Trading Limited had constructed a home for a single-parent household of 10 in South Sophia, Georgetown.

The company also assists CXC and GCE students with their examination fees each year.

Sunday 10-16-2005