Keen focus on hinterland as 1200+ children already listed for new grant
Schoolchildren in Kaikan, Region Seven (Cuyuni- Mazaruni) greeting President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Friday (Photo: Office of President/ June 17, 2022)
More than 1,200 children with disabilities have already registered with the local authorities as part of the government’s plan to distribute a special $100,000 one-off grant and lifetime public assistance to them.
And President Dr. Irfaan Ali has urged the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security to ensure that no child with a disability, who resides in a hinterland region, is unable to benefit from the new plan.
The Guyanese Head of State, while engaging residents of Kaikan in Region Seven (Cuyuni- Mazaruni) on Friday, assured them that the government aims to cater for the needs of marginalised or underserved groups of people.
The recently announced one-off $100,000 cash grant for children with disabilities and the new plan to provide lifetime public assistance for all persons living with disabilities and some illnesses, he said, should help achieve this aim.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali addressing results of Kaikan, Region Seven (Photo: Office of the President/ June 17, 2022)
Even so, he acknowledged that keen attention must be placed on hinterland communities so that no eligible individual would be unable to benefit.
“I urged them to ensure that they enquire in all these communities so that no child who is differently- abled will be left off that register,” the President said during the meeting on Friday.
Registration for the grant commenced on Wednesday and is expected to continue at locations countrywide until June 24. Offices, it was reported, should be open from 08:00hrs to 16:30hrs on weekdays and 09:00hrs to 14:00hrs on Saturdays.
Parents or guardians will be required to provide a form of photo identification along with a form of identification for the child. Birth certificates will be accepted in the absence of photo identification of the child.
A detailed medical report of the child from a private or public doctor will also be needed. However, if a medical doctor has not yet assessed the person, the registration sites will have doctors on-site to evaluate the child.
For shut-in cases, the parent or guardian will need to visit the health facility where they will fill out the form and will be provided with the necessary verification methods.
When the distribution of the grant gets underway, the Head of State believes that the “holistic needs” of the targeted groups can be aided.