Racist insults are alleged to have been hurled. A teacup was thrown and smashed. The remote control for a television set was also reported to have been pelted. The fallout is that now allegations of assault are been hotly denied.

The incident took place between Housing Minister Keith Rowley for the ruling PNM government and Chandresh Sharma, UNC Member of Parliament for Fyzabad on September 15 in the tea room in Parliament. The two were arguing over the issue of Grenadians being granted refugee status in Trinidad and Tobago when it turned ugly.

According to reports, they exchanged racist insults. Fingers were pointed and obscene language was used.

Sharma told the media MPs were watching cricket on television prior to the start of the Finance Committee meeting when he complained to Rowley that areas like his constituency continue to suffer from inadequate housing. This is so, even as the government is on a massive housing development programme as part of an election promise.

Sharma said Rowley accused him of being racist and then became annoyed. Sharma, who later attended a meeting of the Finance Committee, claimed he was hit. He reported the matter to the police.

At a post-Cabinet briefing on September 16, Rowley denied that he cuffed Sharma.

"I want to make it abundantly clear that during the verbal exchange with Mr Sharma yesterday, no blows passed between us. He did not strike me and I did not strike him.

"I saw a picture in the newspapers...with MP Sharma pointing to the right side of his face showing where he was struck by a teacup. I did not throw the teacup. I didn’t.

"He broke the government teacup. I’m a right-hander. If I had, in fact, hit MP Sharma in his face, he will not be pointing at that side of his face."

 Four on present TCCF help list

In its drive to help kids from the Caribbean to get medical assistance for ailments not treatable in their native country, The Caribbean Children Foundation (TCCF) has now taken charge of four kids to be given treatment at Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital.

Being Guyana’s First Lady doesn’t mean just sitting by the seawall sipping coconut water and taking in the breeze.

For Mrs. Varshni Jagdeo it means reviving community spirit, a term which her father often spoke of.

"Community spirit is about seeing all of us as one universal family, where you see your neighbors child as your own child."

Mrs. Jagdeo has taken steps towards making this a reality through her involvement with the Kids First Fund, of which she is a patron.

The First Lady was in Ontario last week promoting the Kids First Fund, which is "the only charity in Guyana that provides emergency medical assistance for poor and needy children."

The four-year old organization is dedicated to helping Guyanese children up to the age of 21, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation.

"For instance" said Mrs. Jagdeo, "we even have links with the captains of Amerindian villages so all sick kids can be seen, and given a chance."

Amerindians, the original inhabitants of Guyana, are sequestered in the interior regions of the country and generally have less access to social services, such as health and education, than those living in the cities and coastal areas.

"Where are poor families going to get $15,000 U.S to afford surgeries for their kids?" Mrs Jagdeo saw an urgent need to permanently set something up for these children".

The wife of the Guyanese Head of State added that the Kids First Fund assists people in need of wheelchairs, crutches, and walkers. "We have established free shipping links to make sending these items to Guyana easier."

At the Gandhi Bhavan Mandir last Sunday, Mrs Jagdeo appeared before the congregation and spoke modestly about why she is so immersed in charity work.

Her Guyanese parents moved to England before she and her two sisters were born.

"There, my house was like a hostel" she said.

"People coming to England from Guyana, had my dad’s phone number, and called him when they arrived."

Those with no place to go, stayed with her family in their home which she noted "was like an elastic where there was room to fit everyone."

While the visitors stayed, her father enrolled them in night school, and helped them get jobs.

"We grew up this way. Getting into this work was inevitable because of the exposure I got from my parents… very humble parents."

Mrs. Jagdeo described her feelings as a child, " I was in love with Guyana, the stories, the life, the history and the politics. […] We ate, slept, and drank Guyana though we were in England."

In 1997, she returned to Guyana to live permanently.

The First Lady shared her vivid recollection of one Thursday night at 7 p.m. when a child with a brain tumor was put into her arms.

"I had to call my dad right away and ask him what to do."

From then on, she took the necessary steps to raise $15,000 U.S for the child’s surgery, the equivalent of three million Guyana dollars.

Mrs. Jagdeo spoke to many people and was able to get assistance from the Ministry of Health in Guyana, and a reduced fee for the surgery from the hospital.

"The child went, and had his surgery, and he’s fine now" she said with a smile. Since then, the fund has assisted "thousands of children."

But Mrs. Jagdeo also touched on the negative experiences she’s had working with this organization.

"It’s easy to criticize, still, people think you’re putting money in your pocket…but I have none" she said smiling, in her pink Indian cultural wear.

She encouraged the audience to support the fund. In addition, she offered to personally spend time with those who visit Guyana, to show them places they can go to feed poor children, and to "show you hospitals to see where your money is going."

Mrs. Jagdeo stressed that "our organisation has zero administrative costs. 100% of donations go to the charity."

Despite her personal relationship to the Head of State, she said that the Kids First Fund is a non-governmental charity.

When Guyanese patients of the Kids First Fund don’t have access to the necessary surgery in Guyana, they are brought over to Canada where the patient is put into the hands of the Three Rivers Kids Foundation. These two charities are closely affiliated.

Last Saturday night, Mrs. Jagdeo attended a fundraising dinner for Rehaaz Mohammed, a Three Rivers Kids patient. The total amount raised has not yet been tallied.

Last Sunday, at the Gandhi Bhavan Mandir, over $1500 was handed to the First Lady for the Kids First Fund.

Mrs. Jagdeo aspires to open Kids First branches in America, Canada and the U.K.