The Canadian Bank Note Company (CBN), parent company of the Guyana Lottery Company (GLC), has donated G$5 million to the Hope, Empathy, Aid, Resilience and Trust (HEART) Initiative, which was established by President Dr Irfaan Ali to support survivors and bereaved families affected by the MV Barima tragedy. This donation was announced by President of the Lottery and Gaming Division at CBN, Kirk Arends, during the GLC’s 30th Anniversary Dinner and Awards Appreciation Ceremony on Friday evening at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Georgetown. In a video message, Arends recognised the impact that the July 18 capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima ferry has on Guyana and its people. “Our thoughts remain with the survivors, the families who lost loved ones and all those affected by this heartbreaking event. As a demonstration of our support and commitment to the people of Guyana, Canadian Bank Note Company is pleased to announce a contribution of five million Guyanese Dollars to the HEART Initiative to help provide ongoing support to survivors and bereaved families affected by this tragedy,” the CBN official stated.

This donation comes in light of some GLC staff members being related to the victims of the tragedy. According to GLC’s General Manager (GM) Kalima Ali, they are also cognisant that those affected by the tragedy might also be customers of the lottery company. “As you know, we are a company stretched across Guyana…and we thought that [the HEART Initiative] would have been the best way to channel our contributions to reach the [affected] families – through a national-coordinated mechanism,” the GLC Head stated. On July 18, the MV Barima capsized and sank off the Essequibo Coast while en route to Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini), with 179 people onboard. While 76 persons survived the horrific boat accident, 73 persons have been confirmed dead and another 30 remain unaccounted for. The Guyana Government has initiated efforts to recover the sunken vessel and recently invited bids from specialised marine salvage companies to carry out the operation.

Additionally, President Ali has also appointed a five-member Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the capsizing and sinking of the ferry. The Commissioners were sworn-in on July 30 and are currently finalising arrangements for public hearings as well as addressing the legal and administrative requirements that will guide the proceedings. Meanwhile, the Guyanese Leader also established the HEART Initiative, which brings together humanitarian assistance, psychosocial and trauma counselling, social services, spiritual guidance and other forms of support for survivors and bereaved families of the victims of the MV Barima tragedy. “We hope this contribution will assist in the recovery process and serve as a small expression of our solidarity with those impacted during this difficult time,” Arends stated in his video statement on Friday.