Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s Future; Service to Humanity Dinner & Dance Fundraiser

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Thank you so much for coming,” is the first statement that came out of Habeeb Alli’s mouth when I arrived at his Spring into Easter, Dinner & Dance Fundraiser on Thursday, April 18^th, 2019. Despite the rain, the Elite Banquet Hall and Convention Centre was bustling with activity. The hall was bedecked in black, gold, and teal, and the guests were all dressed in their Sunday best, even though it was a Thursday.

“Please grab something to eat and sit anywhere,” Habeeb told me, and then he went off to continue entertaining his many guests and supporters. I could tell that Habeeb was not new to this lifestyle; his smiling face and charismatic attitude were obvious indicators that this man was passionate about his work.

Habeeb Alli is a Guyanese native and a Queen’s College graduate. He has also spent some time in India where he graduated with a Masters in Islamic Theology and Arabic Language. He has a love for writing, which helped him obtain a Diploma in Journalism, and also is one of the reasons why he has authored over 16 books on the topics of: Guyana, Islam, and Poetry. His dedication to the community is evident in his daily work; he is a member of the Canadian Council of Muslim Theologians, and an Honorary Director for the Moeen Centre for Persons with Disabilities. I was also introduced to Rehanna Nizrudin, Habeeb’s co-host who is a beautiful soul, with a beaming personality.  Along with being Habeeb’s right-hand, and go to, she is a: Paralegal & Commissioner of Oaths and Affidavits, a College Instructor, and a Certified RTW Coordinator. It became very apparent why these two work together so well, and why they have been responsible for putting on charitable events including the Annual One Love Gala, and the Ramadan Interfaith Gala.

This event did not disappoint as the night was filled with great food, great entertainment, and humorous banter. During dinner, the guests were entertained with musical performances and special guest performances. The highlight of the evening came when Councillor Jim Karigiannis, Councillor for Ward 22 in the city of Toronto presented the Humanitarian Award to none other than Terry Gajraj, nicknamed Guyana’s Baboo, and Guyana’s most recorded artist with over 30 released albums.

Terry was actually sitting at the table with me, and you would never know that this unpretentious man has dominated the Guyanese music scene for the past 25 years. Not only is he the most recorded artist, but he is also Guyana’s most toured singer, and he is the first singer from the Caribbean to perform at the Bollywood Music Awards (the Indian equivalent of the Grammy’s). After the award ceremony, and some playful dialogue with Councillor Karigiannis, the fundraising portion of the night began. It was then that I found out the reason for the event and the importance of why we were there.

Skeldon Guyana is a small town in eastern coastal Guyana, on the estuary of the Courantyne River, which forms Guyana’s border with Suriname. The island has had to face some tough times since the closure of several sugar factories in 2017. The closure has displaced over 5,000 workers from the Skeldon Sugar Estate, the Rose Hall Estate, the East Demerara Sugar Estate and the Wales Sugar Estate. The impact has been catastrophic and has forced some families to abandon their places of residence, while others wait patiently for the severance pay that cannot come soon enough. What is really sad is that there are families with children who go for days without food; Habeeb made a trip down to lend his service, saw the need, and brought the mission back to Canada; it is this need that spawned the Spring into Easter, Dinner & Dance Fundraiser. Proceeds raised that night went to the Service to Humanity Food Program in Skeldon Guyana. This program was forged to help provide students of the Skeldon area with hot, fresh meals and school scholarships.

One of the guests won $200.00 as one of the fundraising prizes. The winner generously donated the money back to the Service to Humanity Food Program, and it goes to show that doing great work, and helping others can not only be gratifying but also fun.