The Human Services and Social Security Ministry has reported that the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) received 2925 cases of child abuse in 2013, all of which were investigated and addressed.
The ministry also registered and licensed more than 200 day care facilities throughout the country, placing 207 children in foster homes, 212 in state residential care and 600 in privately run homes and orphanages.
Towards child protection, the Mahaica Children’s Home was commissioned for girls who have been victims of sexual abuse and incest. The new building was formally opened in November, accommodating 80 children.
Agreement
In September, the ministry signed an agreement to collaborate with Forward-Guyana and Child Link towards establishing the first one-stop centre for the victims of child sexual abuse.
In addition to protecting children across the country and to make them more aware of some of their fundamental rights, three updated booklets of the Child Friendly laws were printed for distribution.
These were the Adoption of Children Act (2009 & 2011), the Custody, Contact, Guardianship and Maintenance Act 2011 and the Status of Children Act, Number 19 of 2009.
The CCPA continued to play its role in investigating child abuse cases reported throughout the country in 2013.
National Commission on the Family in a bid to develop strong families, also conducted 20 workshops in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six, aimed at developing better parenting skills.
The ministry in 2013 continued its efforts to cater for sections of the population who were affected adversely by poor socio-economic conditions and circumstances through the implementation of several programmes aimed at poverty alleviation.
The sum of Gy$9.18 billion was spent, bringing greater relief to the vulnerable and included interventions inclusive of a 25 per cent increase in pension, electricity tariff waiver of Gy$20,000 for pensioners, and the commissioning of a child-friendly home and another for the homeless.
Effective from May 1, 2013, pensioners began enjoyed a monthly grant of Gy$12,500, an increase of 25 per cent while for the first time, pensioners who are on the Guyana and Power and Light (GPL) service benefited from an assistance of Gy$20,000 per annum towards their electricity charges.
A total of 8523 pensioners from Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Seven benefited from this initiative.
Pensioners also benefited from the distribution of free spectacles under government’s eye care assistance programme, the privilege to travel free on government’s ferries and exemption from paying water charges to Guyana Water Incorporated in 2013.
Over 20,000 pensioners were exempted from paying water bills, while others, who so require it, received a grant in the sum of Gy$10,000 as assistance for the acquisition of spectacles. This year promises to be better for senior citizens as the ministry will make provision for special training for health officials in caring for the elderly.
A great step was realised in 2013 toward moving the less fortunate off the streets.
In October, the Hugo Chávez Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintegration located at Onverwagt was commissioned, and soon the ministry would begin looking at occupancy of the building.
Meanwhile, the Night Shelter in La Penitence continued to provide 200 homeless persons with a safe haven, meals and medical and rehabilitation services.
Programmes and policies to empower women, especially those who are single parents continued as hundreds more were trained under the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) for Single Parent and many more were empowered via the Women of Worth (WoW) programme
Thus far, 1326 women have received loans under the WoW programme, allowing them to establish small businesses.
Through BIT, 447 single parents were certified in 2013, empowering them and raising their living standards.
There continued to be a strong commitment towards the “stamping out” of domestic violence and violence against women and children.
Awareness
The 16-days of activism to heighten awareness on the scourge culminated on December 10 with more calls for community involvement to fight against the social ill.
The Men’s Affairs Bureau continued to work with the Education Ministry in its mandate to sensitise students in schools across the country. They were engaged in helping and encouraging men and boys to realise and fulfil their potential as fathers, husbands, brothers, partners and positive role models in communities.
To protect women and children from falling victim to Trafficking in Persons (TIP), the ministry in 2013 again collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and embarked on a series of awareness campaigns to vulnerable hinterland communities.
The sum of Gy$3.1 million was allocated by the ministry to support TIP victims. Eleven cases of trafficking in persons were reported and 38 focal points were based in the 10 administrative regions conducting sensitisation sessions on the issue.
