History of Beacon Foundation (1985-2025)

Reflections by: Mr. Clairmont Lye

How It Started

                The 1970s were stressful years for almost everyone living in Guyana. With shortages of basic food items, in addition to political repression, it was no different for Clairmont Lye and his family, and resulted in them migrating to Barbados. However they eventually decided to return to Guyana in 1982 to begin life all over again.

                 As a form of thanksgiving on their return, they would prepare cooked meals every Sunday for people living on the street. It seemed to them that every week the number of meals was insufficient; and soon they were making lunch for over 50 persons. 

                In 1983 Clairmont and his wife started the Coalpot Restaurant in Hinck Street and they decided to continue providing meals for the street dwellers, this time for six days a week at the rear entrance to the restaurant.

                Two years later, the daughter of Clairmont and Gloria died from an incurable illness. For months later, their good friend Doreen De Caires and Clairmont would have lunch together at his restaurant, often not saying anything to each other.

                One day Doreen asked Clairmont what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He told her that he and Gloria were thinking of starting a charitable organisation. Doreen immediately responded, “Count me in.” And within hours they decided on the name: Beacon Foundation. The name seemed appropriate, in the hope that their Beacon might give light and comfort to those experiencing the choppy waters of life.

Formation of the Organisation & Acquisition of Property

                Doreen and Clairmont then consulted with Doreen’s husband David who was a solicitor. He advised, that in the absence of a Charities Act, they should register under the Companies Act. David was so taken by Beacon’s mandate of self-sufficiency in helping anyone in need, that he made the very first donation.

                Clairmont and Doreen then identified a suitable vacant property at Carmichael and Murray (now Quamina) Streets, owned by the Kissoon Group of Companies. They contacted Hemraj Kissoon, with an offer to buy it. When the Kissoon family heard what Beacon intended to use the property for, they immediately approved the sale for an unbelievably low figure of $300,000 for what was a sizeable piece of real estate. Permission was also given for them to occupy the property immediately, before passing of the title, so that development could begin without delay. Now all they needed was the down-payment.

                Just weeks later, one of Clairmont’s friends told him that when her parents living in Toronto heard of Beacon’s intentions, they decided to donate a piece of land in Kitty to the project. Doreen, then a real estate agent, managed to sell it for $30,000, exactly what was needed for the down-payment.

                In December 1985, five proposed directors met at the Red Rooster Restaurant for the very first meeting of the Beacon Foundation Ltd. The board comprised Keshav “Bud” Mangal, a medical doctor; Vickram Oditt, businessman; Albert Rodrigues, architect; Doreen De Caires, Stabroek News manager and real estate agent; and Clairmont Lye, restaurateur. They were quite a motley lot.

                At that meeting three main decisions were made: First, that all directors should serve on a pro bono basis. Second, that because those were difficult times economically for both the private sector and people in general, directors could not depend on regular donations to fund their charitable programmes. It was therefore decided to start a snackette, the profits from which would meet those needs. Third, that CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) should be approached for initial funding for the snackette.

Funding & First Snackette

                 An application was subsequently made to CIDA and they were so impressed by the novel concept of Beacon’s charitable programmes being continually funded by profits from the proposed snackette, that they immediately approved a grant of Can $30,000. Without delay, this was used mainly to purchase equipment to start the snackette and to make renovations to the property. 

Feeding Programme

                Extensive renovations began in 1986 overseen by architect volunteer Vibert Lye, Clairmont Lye’s brother. The snackette was opened in 1987 on Beacon’s premises, and was a resounding success.

                A feeding programme for needy persons was immediately implemented, and soon meals were provided for up to 100 persons six days a week. Those needy persons were identified initially by Wendy Grenada, one of Beacon’s first volunteers, who started a register of beneficiaries, and later by Sharon Campbell, Beacon’s full-time social worker. At nights Sharon would go out into the streets seeking out persons in need and inviting them to have a hot lunch on Beacon’s premises. This personal touch helped considerably to establish a rapport with those poor people.

                Part of the CIDA grant was used to buy a washing machine and clothes dryer, and beneficiaries were soon able to use washroom facilities to have a shower on Beacon’s premises and to get a clean change of clothing while their own clothes were being washed. This lifted their spirits immensely.

Expanding the Business

                Two additional snackettes were later added, one in 1988 on a site provided in Water Street by the John Fernandes Group, and the other in 1990 by Central Garage Ltd on High Street, both being rent-free.

                Although director Vic Oditt had a similar snackette in direct competition with Beacon’s, he got his mother to teach the Beacon staff how to make excellent roti and puri, for which the business soon became famous.

                 These two snackettes turned out to be similarly profitable to the first, and allowed the Beacon directors to expand their charitable programmes exponentially.

Night Shelter

                In 1989, recognising the increasing number of homeless people, a night facility was established for women and men in separate areas. All meals and washroom facilities were provided. Soon the Matron for the Night Shelter was able to find odd jobs for several persons. She observed, “I think what I learnt most of all was that they were individuals with specific needs like anyone else, and how much a kind word could brighten their lives.” That sentiment was to become Beacon’s focus in the future.   

                However it was later found that most persons preferred the freedom and community of the streets to the discipline of the night shelter, and this project was terminated in 1991, the first “failure” experienced by the Beacon directors.

                    Despite this, the Night Shelter Matron thought it “was successful in other ways”. She reported that she had counselled one resident and she was later reunited with her son until she passed away. One boy went on to become an officer in the Defence Force. Residents were also encouraged to start a savings account. When one woman died, her funeral expenses were paid out of her savings, rather than by the State.

Handicraft Programme

                       On visits made by the directors to St Cuthbert’s and Santa Missions in early 1990, they recognised that Amerindian craftswomen were barely surviving on the little they were earning from their trade.

                Beacon consequently linked up with CESO (Canadian Executive Service Overseas) in providing the services of a Canadian handicraft expert who had worked with the native people in Canada. The programme was otherwise jointly funded by Beacon and SIMAP (Social Impact Amelioration Programme).

                Thirty women from Pomeroon River, St Ignatius, Moraikabai, Silver Hill, Georgetown, and Santa, St Cuthbert’s and St Francis Missions participated in a three-week residential course in a building provided by the Catholic Church.

                During the training it was found that all but one woman had defective vision, and they were provided with spectacles co-financed by Gomes Optical Service and Beacon Foundation.

            The quality of their work increased immeasurably, and the programme was so successful that in just two villages, the number of women making a living from handicraft increased from 23 to 205.

                One woman said that she was making more money than she ever dreamed of, and she herself began handicraft lessons for other young women. She added that because she was now earning her own money, she had a greater say in her home.

                Other women said they were now “confident and empowered,” some subsequently travelling to several countries to attend craft conferences and workshops.

                Beacon also taught the women how to set up exhibitions for their craft, and helped them to form the Amerindian Handicraft Association (AHA).

             They also taught the women how to price their goods and made them set up a quality control committee in each village. Only after the committee was satisfied, was a “Made by AHA” tag affixed to the product. 

                The following observation was made by a senior official of the Global 2000, Carter Center, “Beacon is certainly an impressive organisation. Your work with the Amerindian Handicraft Association is particularly notable, and I very much enjoyed their handicrafts exhibition during my visit.”

Day Care Centre

                With a staff of 100 in 1990, many of them single mothers, directors decided to initiate what was the first Day Care Centre started by anyone in the private sector.

                The staff comprised a Nursery Supervisor as well as Beacon nurses and doctor who had offices in the same building. This resulted in great relief among mothers, and productivity increased considerably.

                A member of staff had this to say, “When I joined Beacon in 1991 my child was only seven months old. I had no one to take care of her. The nursery has played an important role in looking after my children even until they started to attend primary school. It has also helped many other mothers while they worked at Beacon.”

Staff Management & Feeding Programme

                From the inception, staff wages and salaries were higher than what was paid by similar businesses. Fifteen years later, the dedication and satisfaction of staff was shown in the average length of service being five years.

                The early success of the business and the contentment among staff was in no small way attributed to Mrs Olive Seepersaud, whose quiet and efficient management held the staff together as a family unity. However she subsequently emigrated and was much missed by all.

                Because of the great success of the snackettes, in the first year alone, a total of over 80,000 meals were prepared. And for the first 17 years, 1,300 persons benefited every day either from cooked meals or raw foodstuffs.

                In addition to this, Beacon financed a lunch programme for children attending the Ann’s Grove Primary School for 27 consecutive years. The Foundation supplied the cooking ingredients and equipment, and mothers of the children volunteered to do the cooking and sharing of meals. Needy shut-in seniors in the village were later added to the programme.

                The feeding programme that started on their premises in 1988 made the Beacon Foundation become a by-word in reference to helping people on the streets, and continued for 25 years, until operations ceased in 2013.

                However a similar programme was started in 2016 for 70 children at the Clonbrook Primary School. The Headteacher reported that “We are proud to say that due to your intervention, we have seen great changes in that more children are now able to eat a balanced diet. They are now attending school regularly for both sessions since they do not have to walk long distances for their lunch at middays. The attendance rate is now much higher since we started this programme.”

Remedial Education Programme

                In view of the high number of children on the street, a remedial education programme was started in 1990 for 30 boys. Volunteers included retired teacher Mrs Olga Bone, the Salvation Army, and a mason who taught concrete-block making. Meals and accommodation were provided for some of the boys.

                On one occasion, five boys were caught stealing from the Anglican Church. The parents and guardians of those boys made a direct appeal to Beacon for help. As one mother said, “We object to our children being called street children. The reason they are on the street is because our living quarters are so small that they have to take turns sleeping, resulting in them having to be on the street.”

                The Beacon directors then instructed their Social Worker, Sharon Campbell, to appear in court on the boys’ behalf, and the magistrate decided to release the boys into Beacon’s care. The boys never committed another offence while at Beacon.

                  The boys often had traumatic experiences on the street. They said they were often picked up at night by the police, then sexually molested and threatened with physical harm if they ever spoke of what happened.

                   The remedial programme was doing extremely well when it was shut down by the government in 1991 for “harbouring criminals” and “having children on the premises during school hours.” This was a most painful blow to Beacon’s good intentions, and might have gone a long way to reforming those boys. This initiative was financed entirely by the Foundation.

                Mrs Sylvia Conway, former Chief Probation and Welfare Officer, went on record as saying, “The Beacon Foundation residential care programme was the first of its kind to be offered to homeless children. They were given balanced meals and their personal hygiene needs were adequately met. Many children were given individual tutoring and special attention. I consider it a privilege to have been associated with the Beacon programme with which I worked, thoroughly enjoyed, and learnt so much.”

Well Drilling

                In 1991, at the request of the Minister of Health, Gail Texeira, Beacon drilled water wells in seven North West villages in response to the threat of cholera prevalent across the border in Venezuela. This was financed by the Canada Fund, the head of which later inspected the work done. He reported that of all the projects he had previously inspected, Beacon’s was the most effectively and efficiently done.

Medical Clinics

                  In 1991/92, The Beacon nurses carried out a vaccination programme and medical clinics in St Cuthbert’s, Santa Rosa, and Santa Missions in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Other clinics were done in Bee Hive and Meten-Meer-Zorg. This was financed entirely by Beacon.

Arawak Language Classes

                On a visit to Santa Mission in 1991, directors learnt that the Arawak language was dying in that village. A decision was taken on the spot to employ the services of an Arawak elder to compile an Arawak dictionary and to teach the language to 60 Amerindian children and 30 adults. The programme proved to be very popular with residents there, but was eventually taken over by the government and introduced as part of the school curriculum. However the government never paid the teacher, and he regrettably had to withdraw his services in 1992.

Women’s Support Group

                With sewing machines donated by Food for the Poor,  the Foundation ran a Women’s Support Group from 1991 to 1998, training 50 women in tailoring, sewing and cake decoration. Jobs were found for several of these women, and many subsequently became full-time seamstresses and cake makers and decorators.

Ambulance Service

                As unbelievable as it might sound, there was no ambulance facility in Georgetown for some years in the late 1980s, and sick and injured persons had to find whatever transportation possible to get to the hospital. With an ambulance donated by the British High Commission, Beacon started a free service to the public in 1992. Training of the ambulance crew was provided by a Canadian consultant identified by CESO.

                The Field Director of the VSO (Volunteer Services Overseas) commented in 1994, “We were most impressed by the level of efficiency and support on the two occasions that Nigel brought out the ambulance for us and by Nigel’s cheerful and helpful manner.” Unfortunately the Foundation was unable to sustain the high operating costs, and had to terminate the service after four years.

Catering

                The Foundation also did considerable commercial catering, and from 1996 to 2006 they won the tender for supplying three meals daily for up to 260 students at the Cyril Potter College of Education. 

                The Vice-Principal went on record as saying “Beacon workers have become the mothers of our students, always courteous and giving valuable advice to them.”

Paediatric Ward Project

                In 1995, at the request of the Minister of Health, Beacon entered into a $24 million joint-finance venture to replace the decrepit Children’s Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital with a new facility with new medical equipment.

                Building donations were made by the Guyanese public and the NIS (National Insurance Scheme). Hospital equipment was provided by the Rotary Clubs of Calgary and Georgetown, Children’s Aid (Canada), and Jesuit Missions of London. Training of nurses and medical students was done by volunteer nurses and doctors from British Columbia Children’s Hospital of Canada.

                When the project was completed in 1996, the Minister of Health was told by a visiting Walt Disney architect that the Paediatric Ward was one of the best he had ever seen.

Rupununi Programmes

Emergency School Meal Programme & New Focus

                In 1998, Beacon Foundation made a radical change in focus to the Rupununi. On their very first visit to the Rupununi the then president, Clairmont Lye and his wife, along with the present president Patrick De Groot saw for themselves just how desperate the situation was in the Region. (Clairmont and his wife immediately took a spontaneous decision to move to Lethem in order to better administer badly needed programmes in the Rupununi. They eventually remained there for 27 years.)

                Following a prolonged drought in that Region in 1998, the Regional Chairman asked for Beacon’s assistance in providing meals for the school children there. School attendance had dropped off considerably as children were too weak to walk to school. Beacon then made a public appeal for foodstuffs for a hot meal programme.

                The response was so overwhelming that in just two weeks, enough material was received to provide hot lunches for 1,820 children in 14 schools for 5 months. A total of $10 million in cash and food supplies was donated by the Guyanese public, Beacon Foundation and Trinidad-based FEEL (Foundation for Enhancement and Enrichment of Life).

                But of all the many contributions, the most heart-warming and significant one was made by an elderly arthritic woman who donated one tin of sardines. This was what the Bible calls “the widow’s mite.”

                Cooking utensils were provided to all participating schools and cooking was done by volunteer mothers. Eventually the need was so great that the programme was expanded to include pre-school children who themselves were under-nourished.

                The Headmaster of the Maruranau Primary School wrote, “The staff and pupils wish to express our sincerest gratitude for the food supplies delivered to us by your organisation. We all join in saying a Big Thank You and we hope your kindness can continue to assist many more people like us.” The letter was co-signed by 154 students.

                A letter was also received in 1999 from the Confidential Secretary to the President, in which she said, “Her Excellency Janet Jagan was very happy to hear about the activities of the Beacon Foundation in the Rupununi. Her Excellency was particularly glad to hear about the school meals programme and is hopeful that this particular activity will continue. I wish to convey on Her Excellency’s behalf best wishes for continued success in your undertakings.”     

Electrical Wiring Course

                 At the same time of the emergency feeding programme, Beacon implemented two other activities in 1998. First they provided the services of an electrician from Georgetown who ran a basic course in house wiring for 17 Amerindian youths prior to electrification of St Ignatius in the Rupununi.

                Two youths were subsequently employed by the Lethem Power Company, one going on to be trained in hydro power in China, the other being appointed as a supervisor at the power company. This activity was funded by CIDA.

Micro-Credit Programme

                The second activity was a Micro-Credit Programme. Since there was no bank or other loan facility in the region at that time, Beacon started a Micro-Credit Fund for small business ventures and house construction. A total of 330 loans were disbursed (55% to women), with a default rate of only 3.5%.

                This programme was discontinued six years later after IPED (Institute for Private Enterprise Development) offered a similar service in Lethem. The programme was funded jointly by IPED and Beacon.

Student Assistance

               In 2001, with assistance from Beacon Foundation, grants were provided to students in need. One Rupununi girl received a subsistence grant of 200 pounds sterling for four years from the UK-based Commonwealth Countries League Education Fund. She came out top CSEC student in the region in 2005 with three grade ones.

                She wrote, “Because of (the trustees of the Commonwealth Fund) my schooling was made easier than it would have been. Also, it was because of the wonderful people of Beacon Foundation that I was able to do so well at the CSEC examinations.”

               Another boy received a grant of $25,000 from Women Reaching Out, an organisation with which Beacon had links. He pursued a course in Agricultural Mechanics at the Georgetown Technical Institute and later became a senior supervisor at Farm Supplies Ltd.

Computer Course

                Despite negative remarks made about the useful purpose of computer training for Amerindians, Beacon linked up with CRIDNET (Caribbean Rice Industry Development Network) in 1982 and ran a free four-week course for 40 persons, half of whom were women.      

                 Almost everyone said that even if they never used a computer again, the course made them feel better about themselves. One year later, at least seven persons from the course were actively using computers in Lethem.

                One participant wrote, “Prior to the Beacon Foundation computer classes in 2002, my knowledge of computers was very limited and all of my work (at Trans Guyana Airways) had to be hand-written, which was very time-consuming. With the knowledge I gained from that course, work that took me six hours to complete, I now do in about one hour. The Beacon course has made me more efficient and punctual, especially when doing financial reports. I am very grateful to Beacon Foundation for the opportunity to attend the course.”

Peanut Development Programme

                Although the Rupununi had the ability to produce peanuts, availability was sporadic and productivity low. In a USAID-funded programme called the Peanut CRSP Program, Beacon was chosen as country facilitator and coordinator.

                Under this five year project (2002 to 2007) scientists from the Universities of Georgia and Florida as well as Beacon specialists worked with Rupununi farmers to increase their productivity. Farmers who followed the recommended practices saw their average yields per acre increase from 1,200 to 3,000 pounds.

                After four years, peanut production increased from 400,000 pounds annually to 1.3 million pounds in 2004, with a farm gate value of over $65 million.

                In that four-year period, the Rupununi economy improved by $240 million. This project had the active support from the Ministries of Health, Education, and Amerindian Affairs.

                The then Regional Chairman had this to say, “What we have noticed with the project is that farmers are making profits and they are using the profits to improve their lives. You see them buying bicycles for transportation. You see them improving their houses. We know that this project will help us reduce poverty, and that is the key element of it all.”

School Meal Programme

                The success of peanut production then led to the development of the peanut butter industry. Beacon Foundation made a proposal to the Minister of Education, Henry Jeffrey, to replace the school meal programme of sweet biscuits and skimmed milk with more nutritious cassava bread with peanut butter and a fruit drink.

                Peanut butter processing equipment was funded by CRIDNET and soon several villages became completely self-sustaining, as the men cultivated the cassava and fruits, and the women made the cassava bread and peanut butter. Approximately 1,500 students in 14 participating schools received those daily snacks, and school attendance improved noticeably..

                Beacon Foundation set a price for each meal provided, and each school billed the Ministry of Education appropriately. The price was calculated so that a profit would be made on each meal. Profits were then to go towards community activities in those villages.

                This innovation was so successful that the two biggest schools had an excess of $1 million each in the bank at the end of the first year.

                The programme was so well received by the Minister that he wrote, “This project has been quite successful with over ninety percent of the parents, teachers and students being supportive of it. It provides a snack of higher nutritional value than the regular milk and biscuit programme, delivery is consistent, it provides employment opportunities for women and a market for local commodities. The Ministry has been pleased to be associated with Beacon Foundation on this project, and we hope to expand the initiative to 20 more schools and to improve the efficiency of the project.”

                The then Minister of Agriculture, Crops & Livestock, Satyadeow Sawh, added: “The recent activities of the Beacon Foundation in improving access to technology that have increased peanut production and productivity of the farming and land use system of the region is itself laudable. However it must have required special vision to take the process further to transform peanuts into peanut butter and make it part of a school feeding programme that has impacted so positively on children’s attendance at School.”   

                The leader of the Georgia Peanut CRSP Program summed up the success of the programme as follows: “As I look back on the changes that have occurred in peanuts since 2002, I am in awe of the progress. The economy is spiralling outwards. A truly startling progress in alleviating poverty, developing local industries, and changing nutrition has been achieved. The achievements of Beacon Foundation are being cited and the approach copied around the world.”

Rice Cultivation Experiment

            Around the same time as the peanut project, Beacon embarked on a Rice Experimental Programme. As residents of the region were highly dependent on that product, the aim was to determine to what extent rice could be grown successfully in the Rupununi.

                  With essential technical assistance as well as a $1 million grant from CRIDNET, 14 different varieties were planted at Moco Moco. The best strain was identified and planted the following year. Soil samples were analysed by EMBRAPA, Brazil’s foremost agricultural research organisation. Instructions were provided with regard to the process of “no-till” farming, as well as additives that were required for the virgin savannah soil.

                The trial proved to be a success. Yields were comparable to those on the East Coast and crop rotation with peanuts the following year showed a 33% increase. It was also demonstrated that paddy bug could be effectively controlled with neem-based oils rather than the dangerous pesticides then being used along the coastland.

                A report was presented to the GRDB (Guyana Rice Development Board), but unfortunately they did not act by notifying farmers of Beacon’s results. Funding and equipment and machinery were provided jointly by CRIDNET and Beacon. Seed was provided by GRDB. 

 The Flagship: Beacon Hospice

                However, as successful as Beacon’s many projects and programmes have been in the past 40 years, the history of Beacon Foundation would not be complete without mention of the longest-lasting and most successful of all. And that is the flagship of the organisation: The Beacon Hospice.

                The Hospice started in direct response to cancer patients dying in pain, and was the first of its kind in the Caribbean and entire South America. Invaluable advice was provided by Dr Mary Baines, consultant to St Christopher’s Hospice in the U.K.

                Dr Baines met with the Beacon directors, and advised that because of the close-knit social structure that existed in Georgetown, Beacon’s Hospice should be a domiciliary one, where patients would be treated and die in their own homes, rather than in sterile in-hospital conditions.

                With this information, three nurses and the medical doctor, Dr Mangal, were trained at the St Christopher’s Hospice. And it was then, in 1989, that cancer patients began to be treated free of charge, in their own homes, and dying with little or no pain.

                But the concept of Hospice goes well beyond dispensing pain-relieving drugs. The Beacon nurses also attended to the emotional, and often spiritual needs of patients as well as their families.

                One patient’s relative referred to them as “Beacon’s Angels of Mercy,” and was astonished to see them at the funeral of their mother. This was indeed a common occurrence, and they would also visit families after a funeral, and send cards on the death anniversary. They saw relatives as patients themselves.

                For the most part, the story of the Beacon Hospice has been full of stories of humanity. For instance, there was the case of a terminally ill woman living in Hubu on the East Bank of the Essequibo. She told the nurses that her last wish was to get married, as she had been living “in sin” for over 20 years.

                The nurses made arrangements with the parish priest, and the ceremony was carried out with much merriment with her two adult children present. However, while the nurses were on their way back to Georgetown, they got a phone call. Their patient had just passed away.

                But the history of the Hospice would be incomplete without mention of its first two pioneer nurses – Marina Ramsden and Cecilia Bennie. Marina actually started as the Night Shelter Matron and continued as a Hospice Nurse. Both she and Cecilia worked with Beacon for over 25 years. Unfortunately Marina passed away some time ago, and Cecilia is now Head Nurse at the Public Hospital’s Oncology Department.

Closure of Snackettes

                Regrettably, the snackettes in Water Street and High Street had to be closed in 2013 because the numerous pavement vendors were obstructing customers and preventing staff from making food deliveries. Appeals were made to the Police and to the Mayor, but with no effect.

                The Quamina Street snackette was terminated in 2015 after losing the Cyril Potter College contract which accounted for a significant part of Beacon’s revenue. A decision was made to sell the property that year and the nurses then moved to a temporary office in Quamina Street.

A New Beacon: 2015-2025

                  It was at this juncture that Beacon Foundation underwent a new image. In 2017 a property at the corner of Newmarket and Thomas Streets was bought and considerable renovations were carried out. The hospice nurses moved into their new office the following year. This provided accommodation for the nurses, a sitting area to meet with patients and their relatives, and a hostel.

                 The hostel was intended for out-of-town female cancer patients who required chemotherapy and other treatment on three days of the week at the Oncology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital across the road. The first patient was recorded in January 2018.

                The hostel is run by a matron who provides meals free of charge to patients as well as to female relatives who accompany them.

                 The present matron of the hostel is Ms. Anna de Morias. No better supervisor could be found to counsel women who have just been diagnosed with cancer than someone who herself is a five-time cancer survivor. Indeed Anna is a special person.                 

                   It takes a very dedicated person to be a Palliative Care Nurse. Many patients consult the Beacon Hospice at stage 4,  which meant that there was no further treatment that would cure them. The purpose of the Hospice is to provide appropriate medication and get their patients to pass peacefully, free of pain, with their loved ones close by.

                  The head of Beacon’s Hospice team is both a registered nurse and midwife. She was trained in Palliative Care at St Christopher’s Hospice in England and has been at Beacon for nine years. Three other registered nurses underwent online training from St. Christoper’s, and have been with the Hospice for the past two years.

                  The only cash Beacon had at this point was the difference between the sale of our original building and the price paid for their new location. Some income was also received from the rental of the ground floor of their building. However current finances would have been depleted in about 10 years if patient numbers were kept below 100.

                  It was at this stage in late 2022, that the Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, recognised the key role Beacon was playing in the health system, and he providentially undertook to pay the Beacon nurses’ salaries as well as a 50% increment.

                  Beacon Foundation Hospice would therefore like to say a special thank you to the Minister for saving the day and so allowing Beacon to continue providing their free palliative care services.

                  They would like to say a special thank you to KFC for donating a new vehicle in April 2023 when the vehicle we were using was about to expire. We are also thankful to the President who granted us a duty-free concession for the vehicle.

               Since Beacon started four decades ago, their accounts have been audited every year. For the last 38 years the audit was done by Ram & McRae free of cost. In this way all transactions have been totally transparent, and donors are assured their contributions are meaningfully used.

                  Special thanks are due to Christopher Ram for the selfless part he has played. He and his staff need to know how much their service is appreciated by the entire Beacon community.

The Next Step Forward

                  According to data from the Ministry of Health, the incidence of cancer is increasing annually.  Awareness has increased, screening and detection has improved with greater access to diagnostics and treatment.

                  Beacon Foundation recognises that with this increasing burden of cancer in our society, the need for palliative and hospice care would be greater and hence this is their new priority.

                    To be able to effectively provide palliative services to the patients and support to their families, it is planned to collaborate closer with the government health sector for earlier referral of patients to the Hospice and to be more proactive in appropriate education both medical practitioners and the general public.  

                 We would also like to assist the Ministry in getting their nurses in the outlining areas trained in palliative care. This can now be done via online courses, the only setback is because of the 5-hour time difference from the UK, the courses start at 3am Guyana time.

                  This is the first time in 40 years that Beacon is letting the business community and general public know what they do, and once the word gets out, patient numbers will increase greatly. At present they have about 130 patients on their register. Nurses visit each patient at least once per month and depending on their health condition they will visit them more frequently. It is expected that with the increase in patient-load, operational costs will increase considerably. Fund-raising activities will have to become a priority in order to realise the new objectives.

Beacon’s Formulas for Success

                  The success of the Beacon Foundation has not been due to any single factor or any single individual. To begin with, the original board of Directors was unusual in several respects. Apart from working without compensation, directors actually donated either personal cash or equipment over the years. It is heartening to see that this commitment has continued with the current Board. They all contributed their $100,000 cash grants in 2025 to purchase food hampers for their patients.

                  The founding Board also remained the same for the first 15 years, and later changed only because of death or illness of directors. During that time no vote was ever taken on any issue, as there was always consensus on every programme or project proposal.

                  Success was also due to links with other entities. For instance, in the first 20 years Beacon Foundation had positive relations with over 40 local businesses and organisations, and with 20 organisations from Trinidad, Canada, UK, USA and Germany. This was in no small way due to the credibility and transparency of Beacon in those years.

                  The Foundation received several memorable landmarks during its first 40 years of existence. For most of that time it was the only NGO in Guyana that submitted audited reports on time, year after year. And in 2005, USAID announced that it had started to replicate Beacon’s cassava bread and peanut butter programme in schools in Ghana.

                   Perhaps Ian McDonald summed it up when he wrote that the patch of efficiency, honesty, goodwill and thoughtfulness that Beacon Foundation was clearing was much bigger then most. He added that, “Beacon is a quite extraordinarily competent, successful and beneficial enterprise. If ever an organistion deserved a national award, Beacon does.”

                 Also, as can be seen from the number of times they partnered with Government, from obtaining tax-free and duty-free status in their early years, to the current invaluable involvement on the present Minister of Health, Beacon Foundation has shown that Government and NGOs can indeed work together for the benefit of the people.

                  With the current Board of Directors, the reputation of Beacon Foundation remains in good hands. May God continue to guide its mission, and may the Beacon light continue to shine brightly for people in need in Guyana for a long time to come.