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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Muslim group donates food to impoverished First Nation

By: Kevin Rollason

10/06/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 11

Dr. Susan Ghazali and Hussain Guisti with boxes of food and clothing their Muslim charitable organization is sending to Garden Hill First Nation.

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Dr. Susan Ghazali and Hussain Guisti with boxes of food and clothing their Muslim charitable organization is sending to Garden Hill First Nation. (PHIL.HOSSACK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

A Winnipeg-based Muslim foundation, moved by news of the death of a Garden Hill First Nation baby, has flown a load of food to the remote reserve.

Last night, the Zubaidah Tallab Foundation, created in 2007, flew 450 loaves of bread from City Bread and 240 pounds of chicken bought at a discount from the Clearview Colony to Garden Hill.

Once there, the bread and chicken were to be distributed by the band council to reserve members who most needed it.

Hussain Guisti, the foundation's general manager and chief financial officer, said it has sent two smaller donations of food and clothing to Garden Hill in recent weeks, but this is the first large shipment.

"A charity is finally working up in Garden Hill to help them," Guisti said on Tuesday.

"We have charities working overseas and there is poverty here. Maybe this will raise the eyebrows of other charities and they will also help."

Garden Hill Chief David Harper said he is grateful for the help from Zubaidah Tallab.

"So far they're the only ones that have helped us," Harper said.

"We are very pleased."

The charity is best known for spearheading the construction of the Masjid in Thompson, the province's most northern mosque.

Under the charity's objectives, it says it wants to relieve poverty by helping needy refugees, students and the poor in Winnipeg.

But Guisti said the charity's executive decided to expand that objective beyond Winnipeg after he was encouraged to visit Garden Hill in the wake of the death of a six-month-old child from there.

Last March, Chace Barkman died of a rare form of meningitis that wasn't diagnosed at the nursing station.

The child's parents, and the reserve's chief, blamed the health care treatment given the child by the reserve's nursing station.

The chief said non-aboriginal communities the same size as his have hospitals instead of nursing stations.

Guisti said when he met with Harper to see how his charity could help, the chief invited him to the reserve to see for himself.

What Guisti found out first is flying is the only way to get goods into the community of almost 4,000 residents, 615 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, at this time of year. The only other way is through a winter road.

Guisti said that's why food is so expensive there, including $4.95 for a loaf of bread, $10 for two litres of pop, and $12 for a gallon of milk.

Cheez Whiz is $15 a jar.

Guisti said he has seen with his own eyes how much help the reserve needs.

He said 500 homes need to be built and because there is no running water and sewers there, residents use outhouses or buckets.

"It's just appalling," Guisti said.

"I saw one house with 25 people living inside. They use pails to defecate in. I didn't think this happened in Canada.

"There isn't an inch of paved road. There is no industry."

Garden Hill has had 36 young people commit suicide in the last eight years while another 300 tried to kill themselves.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 10, 2009 A3

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11 Commentscomment icon

...there are ways to reduce the high price of groceries: a) the "food mail" program, and b) air-freight on the scheduled flights. I've used both and find them helpful and reasonable.

Without comment on the generosity of anyone, I think we have to ask the question: "Why are the conditions on reserves as they are?" When we can answer, or are willing to answer, or open our minds enough to accept the answer, to that question, then ACTION can be devised/taken to improve things. And... I'll give you a hint - the answer isn't "resedential schools."

Viva la Zubaidah Tallab!

blessings going out to the people in Island Lake and the surrounding communities. Something has to be done with the outrages prices of groceries and all the basic needs there. I would like to thank the Zubaidah Tallab Foundation for the generous donation. Well done.

of all the organizations we have in winnipeg, let alone canada...id like to give praise and thanks to the muslim people who have initiated the first attempts at helping the St.Theresa First Nations people with their help of food...
hopefully all others will help in their time of need and bond as a nation all together to overcome this dark time..
hopes and prayers to all the First Nations people

I am happy to see this wonderful work being done. I am equally happy to see such great news about a muslim organization. Perhaps this positive press will help to change some negative stereotypes of muslims held by some people in this country. Well done.

MAYBE...it's time for Garden Hill First Nation to reintegrate with the rest of society. Living in the remote area of Manitoba is detrimental to the health and livelihood of all band members.

Wow that is terrible maybe it is time to move out of that mess. it might not pay to have 4,000 people living like that. It is kinda like having people living on the moon we could do it but does it make sense. Pour money into that community might not make sense if they can not live there what is the point.

Bravo, Zubaidah Tallab Foundation!

It is encouraging to see that finally there is some help coming from organizations to assist the poverty in Manitoba's Northern Reserves. So much time and effort goes out to helping people ovrseas when there is so much poverty here in Manitoba. May God Richly Bless Hussain Guisti and the Muslim Charitable Organization.

This article drew tears to my eyes. Finally other people can see what really is happening in these remote communities. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. God Bless you. I believe that this is a significant donation and I pray that other groups will follow suit. This is definitely a health, economic,and poverty crisis that the Government of Canada and unfortunately alot of mainstream Canadians do not see.

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