President Bharrat Jagdeo in an address at the launch of a campaign against child abuse stated that finding a solution to this problem should not be influenced by foreign circumstances but should be tailored to the Guyanese reality.
The President was speaking at the ‘Emerging Voices’ concert held at the Guyana International Conference Centre on Saturday where the ‘Voices against child abuse’ campaign was launched. The campaign, which aims to raise awareness and garner support for abused children, was launched by the Hindu Dharmic Sabha, according to a GINA release.
Jagdeo went on to commend the Sabha on its initiative which he said deserved the support of the entire country. He stated that government’s “promise” to “strengthen the legislative environment to protect children” led to the creation of the Child Protection Agency which would ensure that the problems encountered in the past would be resolved.
According to GINA, one such problem highlighted by the President was law enforcement. He noted that this was a problem for the state as well as a cultural issue, and ordinary and religious non-governmental organisations had to play a greater role in effecting cultural changes.
The President lamented the number of children on the streets, which he gave as 300, noting that it was a complex matter beyond placing them in institutional care. “Let us be careful, let us fight abuse in the extreme form, but do not… [succumb] to western or other people’s definition, because we can end up dispersing our efforts so thinly that we don’t focus on the real problems, which at this point in time are the extreme abuse in the form of physical violence against children,” GINA quoted the President as saying.
Meanwhile, Dr Vindhya Persaud of the Sabha, while urging the young generation to speak out against all forms of abuse stated that a shelter would be constructed in Berbice to house abused children. And the government pledged its support in this initiative, GINA said, by undertaking the full cost of the construction of the shelter which will house 30 children.
Additionally, attempts will be made to reintegrate the children into society and their families if possible. The Sabha will be collaborating with NGOs and stakeholders to assist in this regard, GINA stated.
