President Bharrat Jagdeo pledged to give the Salvation Army $5M to boost its drug rehabilitation programme when the charity launched its Christmas appeal on Monday.
Major Sinous Theodore told this newspaper that the programme needs funds urgently. He said since it was established it has never increased the $40,000 monthly fee it charges in-patients at the Kingston treatment centre. He said that money is used to provide meals, pay counsellors and generally maintain that section of the institution.
Theodore said the organisation will set up a committee and that the members will identity specific areas in the rehabilitation station programme where the money will be utilised. He also said that though the centre offers counselling services to women it does not have an in-patient programme for women because of a lack of accommodation. The major said for this reason they have not recorded any real success with female abuses as they are forced to return to the same environment after the counselling session.
Captain Matignol Saint-Lot, who heads the rehabilitation programme, reiterated that the money is greatly needed as the land to build accommodations for women is available. He said they were forced to discontinue the counselling session for women in 2006 because their efforts proved futile as the women would quickly revert to habit. He said this was very “discouraging” and they were forced to stop. Saint-Lot estimated that it would cost $50M to build and equip the women’s accommodations.
The captain said a public appeal was made for support for the project but they received little or no response. He is once again appealing to the public for assistance. Theodore also pointed out that the organisation is always in need of assistance not just for the rehabilitation programme but for the other services it provides to the public. He said although they launch an appeal at the end of the year they would be grateful for assistance throughout the year.
The Christmas appeal was hosted at the Umana Yana.
