The first ever female drug rehabilitation centre in Guyana is set to open by the middle of next month and there are eight potential clients on the waiting list, according to Clarence Younge, head of the Phoenix Recovery Project which would be manning the new centre.
The centre, which is being funded by the US and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), will be located at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.
Younge said that they already have a core group of counsellors on hand but are still looking for a few more.
And in light of the imminent opening of the centre, CRS and the US have funded a five-day workshop for a cross-section of participants dealing strictly with the counselling of female addicts.
The workshop, which was opened on Monday at the Hotel Tower, is being facilitated by Social Solutions International Inc. (SSI), who are said to be experts in the field of Gender Responsive Treatment.
Younge said the workshop is timely and the participants are drawn from ministries, non-governmental organisations and other treatment facilitators.
It is hoped that at the end of the workshop there would be a cross-section of persons who are capable of counselling female addicts.
Although the centre is being funded, Younge said they are still in need of financial support from corporate citizens, especially in the area of food as in the early stages of the treatment clients eat a lot. Such assistance would greatly reduce the cost for the clients.
The centre is located at lot 90 Block CC Mon Repos and the contact number is 220-6852.
