Suzanne Shepperd
Aleeyah Amanda Ali was involved in charity work long before the COVID-19 pandemic caused a sudden rise in poverty in this country. But when she saw a child about to eat a dried coconut because the family had no food it broke her heart.
Ali and her team, who have been going around the country delivering emergency supplies of fresh food, vegetables and basic necessities to people hit hard by the pandemic, came across the family of ten living on a small compound.
“We were so happy that we could bring food to this family, so they could make a meal for themselves.”
Ali is well known for her work with various animal shelters and associations. She provides hundreds of kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables for endangered animals on a daily and weekly basis.
Interestingly, she is also a clown. As Redzi the Clown she has brought her own brand of fun and laughter to children.
Then came the global pandemic and the demands on her organization grew almost overnight, as families who were struggling before, now lost whatever little incomes they had as the national lockdown closed all but essential businesses.
Amanda rose to the challenge, rallying her team which included her husband Krishna, who all worked to get emergency supplies of fresh food, vegetables and basic necessities to families across the country, including Tobago!
According to Aleeyah “we went to one family where there were about 10 people living in a small compound. One of the children was about to eat a dried coconut as there was nothing left in the house…it broke my heart and yet…we were so happy that we could bring food to this family, so they could make a meal for themselves.”
How do you describe a girl like Aleeyah?
Describing this ball of energy would be very difficult in normal terms. She’s not just an advocate for good governance but is also passionate about teaching life skills and legacy creation. Plus she is also a clown! Redzi the Clown is her own brand, bringing fun, laughter and learning together for the little ones in the country.
But this clown wears her heart on her sleeve, blending compassion for the underprivileged with a passion for development and empowerment in women, children and the elderly.
To say she is a go-getter is an understatement as she has started and heads organisations that serve the community in myriad ways.
At any given day, her social media pages show an array of activity, from hamper deliveries to Mayaro and Princes Town, to the collection of fresh produce from farmers to distribute to families in need, to her outspoken views on current affairs of the day.
She has chosen to walk the talk and has been engaged in farming and animal husbandry for several years. This is all in an effort to “go local”, eating what her farm produces and sharing with her communities.
Her network of like-minded individuals all share the same passion for helping their communities and have come together to share whatever resources they have gathered to provide food and fresh produce hampers for families adversely affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. To date, without any state help or funding, they have delivered over 200 hampers and counting!
If you wish to help in these efforts please contact her on – 758-1823 or email: aleeyahamanda@hotmail.com
