A group of four students of the University of Guyana Social Work Programme have embarked on a community project in the Stevedore Housing Scheme, South Ruimveldt, to build capacity in a single parent female.
In that light the group met with Tessa Fraser and her two children who were very happy to welcome the project, a press release from the group said.
The single parent mother indicated to the group her areas of need and the group responded to two of those needs – teaching her baking skills with an eye to opening her own small business and assisting the children with their academic performance.
According to the release, the group worked with Fraser over a four-week period to conduct teaching sessions. Fraser subsequently acquired skills in the preparation and marketing of items such cheese straws, dhal puri, cheese rolls and cheese scones.
In addition, one of her daughters ably assisted in creating a name for the potential business and generating the labels for the items in preparation for marketing the products.
And since the family’s needs were prioritized, the release noted, the group tried to make a difference for them through education, skill training and the provision of relevant resources.
“We saw this as a means of assisting this single parent to acquire a sense of power and ability to affect the outcome in the lives of her family. We have therefore assisted her in identifying and recognizing her unique qualities and strengths,” the group said.
Meanwhile, the group is hoping to sensitize the public on how social services can contribute to positive changes in the lives of persons and the community as a whole. The students are therefore advocating that persons in the community who have the resources should embark on similar ventures, the release concluded.