DESMOND HOYTE has lived more than half of his life giving freely to others as a volunteer with non-governmental organisations such as Nation Builders Barbados and The Show A Helping Hand Association.
“From [a teenager] when I was moving around Barbados, I would see some situations where people needed help and one of my goals from then was to help alleviate poverty in Barbados,” he said.
It was out of that desire that the group, Community Services For The Disadvantaged Administration, was born. Hoyte, who serves as founding chairman and president, started it when he was 16 years old and now, at the age of 32, he was able to just celebrate its 16th anniversary on April 19.
The group now has a membership of about 20 people and Hoyte has big plans for the future.
“We have a lot of requests and applications for help. There are some houses that are dilapidated and [we] are currently raising funds to help with repairs, but with more volunteers [we] will be able to get it done faster,” he told the DAILY NATION.
He said the situation had become more dire than when he first started.
The group recently made a presentation of a walker to a Clyde Rowe after seeing his appeal in the newspaper.
“We also have a programme where we distribute foodstuff and he [Rowe] is one of the recipients,” Hoyte noted.
There is also a homework assistance programme, one for food supplies and the provision of items for the elderly based on needs. Hoyte said many families had benefited.
He explained that even though the organisation was based at Waterford, St Michael, it lent assistance to people across Barbados and there was a hope of taking it to the region and if possible internationally.
Hoyte, who works in the area of sales and trading, said they were hoping to launch several councils for the organisation to deal with health and social care, human resource development, family life and gender affairs, education, youth, culture and sports, and environmental matters.
“Sometimes you see old people in a situation where they cannot help themselves. It gives me even further inspiration to help because if I do not, then who will?”
The former Alma Parris Secondary student said he also wanted to develop programmes for young people because they were not getting any work.
For him, the labour of love will continue for years to come.
“It is something that I really enjoy, to see that I can make a difference. I started out feeding the homeless in the City of Bridgetown from years ago; I was one of the first youngsters who started that,” he said.
However, Hoyte wants people to continue to motivate the youth to get involved in good works that help to build the nation. He said it was true that young people just needed to get up and focus more.
He said all young people were not all bad.
“There are more good young people doing positive things that need to be highlighted, so that they can see it and be motivated to help others.
“Keep on motivating the young ones who are doing good so that they will be inclined to continue doing the good work,” he added.
