Latest update March 29th, 2024 12:59 AM
Mar 28, 2021 News
Kaieteur News – NGO St.Francis Community Developers on Friday opened the doors to two research centres at their head office in Portuguese Quarters, Port Mourant. The two centres will provide a service in Care for the Elderly and Sick and Early Childhood Development and were officially launched by the Minister of Human Services and Social Protection Dr. Vindya Persaud.
Both centres were launched under the Spotlight Initiative that is powered by the European Union and will facilitate the residents of Berbice in the areas of training for employment, women and youth empowerment, care for the elderly, counselling, psycho-social support services and pre/play school.
Minister Vindya Persaud during her feature addressed praised the work the NGO has been doing and attested to the fact that projects such as the centres will directly and indirectly foster development in the lives of children and people in general.
Referencing a rape that was committed on a 12-year-old by her own father, Minister Persaud said that “the Spotlight Initiative puts light on the dark acts of people out there who feel they can get away with these atrocities, so I say right away sitting here as Minister, we have zero tolerance for that kind of behaviour and I now encourage and appeal to all of you that you have zero tolerance for this… It is unacceptable. Violence, abuse against any age, any gender is unacceptable.”
The Minister further said that one of the main focus of her Ministry is the early childhood development and in that light appealed to parents to create an environment that will ultimately have a positive impact on the lives of the children so that may be in the future “a positive contributing adult to country.” CEO of the St. Francis Community Developers, Alex Foster who facilitated the Minister on a tour of the centres on Friday stressed on the importance of local content to be entwined into the developmental programmes and centres and in that regard the Minister said she has taken note of that and her Ministry will be working with UNICEF “on increasing the materials that are available.”
Also launched on Friday was the “Dress for Success Closet” which will be made available for persons who may be going on a job interview but need to look professional. Alex Foster mentioned during his address that the United Nations has injected $8M over the past four months and it is with their support and the support of others that all goals that were set out by the NGO have been achieved. The Spotlight Initiative was launched at the NGO several weeks ago with sites in New Amsterdam, Corentyne and Skeldon. Foster added that the launch is a continuation of the project with UNICEF pumping some $2M more into the initiative.
Thus far, two behavioral change officers have been kept and those persons will be moving around in the communities of New Amsterdam, Rose Hall, Corentyne and Port Mourant, Corentyne. He also spoke of a collaboration with the Ministry of Human Services enabling them to also hand over ten children friendly spaces across Region Six.
Representatives from European Union, United Nations UNICEF and UNFPA along with beneficiaries were present at the event on Friday. Minister Persaud was also given the opportunity to plant a tree.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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