2014… Human Services Ministry continued to meet needs of underprivileged
Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA, December 18, 2014, Source - GINA
The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, with its mandate of providing services to those sections of society that are affected by poor socio-economic circumstances, especially women, children, elderly and the homeless had a very fulfilling year as it continued to execute programmes that are aimed at bettering the lives of these vulnerable groups.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster speaking to the media on the performance of her sector for 2014
This year, the Ministry relocated from its Water Street office, to the former Guyana Revenue Authority’s building on East and Lamaha Streets which was rehabilitated at a cost of $58, 448, 407.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster at a press conference today, said that the ministry was able to complete 95% of its capital programme.
Homeless
Minister Webster announced that this year, 30 persons (25 males and 5 females) were relocated from the Night Shelter in Georgetown and placed at the Hugo Chavez Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintegration at Onverwagt, Region Five.
These residents are actively engaged in agricultural activities, and were privileged to receive counselling and interact with officials of several faith-based organisations who have visited.
This facility, which was commissioned in 2013, has a staff complement of 23 which includes the administration and a senior officer, who deals with the maintenance operations. The Ministry will be relocating another 70 persons during 2015.
Homeless persons also continued to benefit from accommodation, meals and medical attention at the Night Shelter in East La Penitence.
The Hugo Chavez Centre for Rehabilitation and Integration at Onverwagt, Region Five
Pension increase
This year, pensioners benefited from an increase in monthly pension, which upped their monthly grant to $13,125. Over 42,500 pensioners benefited from this intervention.
Senior citizens also benefited from Government’s electricity subsidy of $30,000. For the first half in 2013, 7,925 pensioners benefited from this programme, 106 in Region Two; 184 in Region Three, 3,374 in Region Four, 694 in Region Five, 1,647 in Region Six, and 120 in Region Seven.
In the second half of 2014, a total of 2,555 people benefited, 215 of whom are from Region Two, 374 from Region Three, 1,182 from Region Four, 227 in Region Five, 540 in Region Six, and 17 in Region Seven.
Meanwhile, 23,810 pensioners benefitted from water subsidies amounting to $227, 361, 552. The Ministry also began its pension book distribution and to date, 33, 542 books have been distributed.
Child Protection
The sum of $382.5 million was allocated to the Ministry for delivery of childcare and protection services in 2014. Minister Webster said that during the year, the Child Care and Protection Agency focused mainly on interpersonal and inter-agency collaboration, with the aim of providing services for vulnerable children across Guyana; and family assistance and support to reduce the number of children in need of alternative care.
During the year, there were approximately 520 children for whom the state had to find alternative care. At present there are more than 800 children in residential care, with approximately 250 in state care centres and the remaining 500 in privately managed children’s homes and orphanages.
The agency also continued to operate its 24-hour hotline service and was able to respond to 2,181 child abuse reports during the year and placed 262 children in alternative care arrangements.
Adoption
The ministry received a total of 153 applications for children, 121 of which were presented to the Adoption Board which was installed during the year. Five of the cases were denied and one is still pending.
There were also 58 cases of domestic adoption, 489 cases of Guyanese living abroad and 14 cases of international non-Guyanese.
Foster care
Additionally, Government through the Child Care and Protection programme has been promoting foster care, and currently there are 203 in this programme. Training was also conducted for 45 new foster parents together with the 126 other parents in communities at Linden, Georgetown, and East and West Coast Berbice.
Meanwhile, training was also provided to parents and families in the area of parenting, and 20 children were identified to be reunited with their biological parents. Efforts we also made for children to visit their parents who are incarcerated.
The agency also sought to improve the skills of persons who have aged out of foster care so that they can gain employment, while the Ministry was able to complete the half-way home at Sophia which is meant for children who were in institutional care to be relocated to assist them in achieving a level of independence.
In collaboration with Child Link, the Ministry offered assistance, including parental education and training to 3,153 families, and prevented the separation of 1,448 children. The One Stop Shop centers facilitated 50 sexual abuse cases.
The Ministry also upped the ante, to ensure that all foster homes and orphanages adhered to the national standards.
The Child Protection Agency also engaged 192 day care facilities across the country, 10 of which were found to be unfit for children, and the ministry is in the process of establishing training programmes in this regard.
Sexual Offences Act
Minister Webster said that the Sexual Offences Act of 2010 has allowed for the implementation of a National Task Force, which has a responsibility for implementing programmes to mitigate sexual offences and provide guidance to victims.
She announced that in compliance with the act, a new national plan of action was developed by an independent consultant and embodies a series of initiatives and programmes that will empower professionals, address reports of sexual violence and safeguard the victims, especially women and children. The plan covers the period 2015 to 2020.
Guyana observes International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Women
Under the Women of Worth (WoW) microcredit initiative, 97 women, received loans to support income generating activities. These include second, third, fourth and fifth term borrowers.
Minister Webster said that the ministry is looking to increase the amount allowed per borrower, while providing training for the beneficiaries.
The Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute (GWLI) and the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), as well continued to provide training to women in various areas.
Domestic violence
The Ministry also continued its drive to eliminate violence, and violence against women and children. The Men’s Affairs Bureau (MAB) in collaboration with the Women’s Affairs Bureau (WAB), held a number of activities in keys areas, to bring greater awareness on the issue of suicide, and provide counselling sessions.
The MAB also continued to work with men and boys in communities, helping them to develop their skills and knowledge to realise and fulfill their potential as fathers, husbands, brothers, partners and positive role models in communities.
TIP
The Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) concluded a series of awareness campaigns in hinterland communities, especially in the mining areas. Awareness programmes were also done in 30 schools.
Sixteen (16) cases of Trafficking in Persons were reported thus far for 2014.
Public Assistance
The Ministry’s public assistance programme, which allows for disadvantaged individuals to benefit from monthly support countrywide, continued.
Stephane Rutherford expanded her food business with the help of a WOW loan
Source - http://www.gina.gov.gy/home/in...s-of-underprivileged
