Earlier this year (January, 2022), we had written a story about a Guyanese woman who is trapped in a Syrian Refugee camp with her two children, and who is appealing to the government of Guyana to repatriate her. However, despite being aware of the situation, the government has done little to help. Calls to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by this publication have been met with the Royal Push Around.
However, we were informed that the Ministry and the government in general is aware of the situation and that several top level officials and media houses have visited the family of the young woman.
Rafena contacted this publication again on the 25th of October, 2022, and asked us to publish the letter below, which is yet another appeal to the government of Guyana, to President Ali, and to anyone in power who has the capacity to assist, to contact the Syrian government and request her repatriation – which is all that is needed right now, and is a very simple thing.
Dear Sir/Madam
I am Rafena Kumar, a Guyanese citizen that’s trapped in a refugee camp in northern Syria with my two children. I left Guyana in March 2015 to join a humanitarian group in helping Syrian children affected by the never-ending war as I was aware that their basic needs of food, clothing, medicine, health, and emotional support have been stripped away from them, and because of the chaos the country was and is still facing, people were afraid to travel in such area to render them assistance.
My intentions were only to help and make the world a better place for the children, to offer compassion to their broken lives, to show them that Guyana stands with them, to show them humanity is not against them, and they are not forgotten.
Unfortunately my efforts went in vain and I was delivered to the group ISIS instead of that organization that aided the civilians. I plead for your help to return home with my children. I hope you can find it in your heart to give my children a normal life. My children have lots of dreams and because we are one people, one nation that fights for one destiny, I hope that the president and country and the citizen of beautiful Guyana work together to give my, our, the children of Guyana a better life…one that was taken away from them because of my carelessness.
I apologize to Guyana for not being more careful, and not being able to make a difference, for not doing enough research, and especially for breaking the rules of Guyana, but I promise it was unintentionally and I regret any inconvenience I have caused. The President of Guyana along with the board/ministry have the power to do anything and I pray they do the right thing in giving the Guyanese children who are stuck in Syria and Iraq a chance to be Guyanese and enjoy the beautiful land of Guyana, also to give me and my brother a second chance to make a difference in our own lives and to correct our mistake.
As a citizen of Guyana, it makes us liable to all democratic laws whether my brother and I are in Guyana or not. We respect and accept the laws of Guyana and promise to abide by them. I am kindly pleading that you request and accept the return home of me and my brother along with our children to the land of the free, beautiful Guyana .
