Twenty Venezuelan families will soon benefit from government assistance for the provision of essential services, following the launch of the Social Protection Ministry’s Shock Responsive Social Protection System.
This was revealed in a Ministry of the Presidency press release, which related that the initiative is intended to lessen the impact of multiple deprivations faced by migrants and their host communities. This will be done by subsidizing the cost of services valued at up to $50,000.
The support system will target those who have no or inadequate income or sources of income to ensure their basic needs are met; mothers and fathers or other legally appointed relatives who are the primary/principal caregivers for a child or children under 14 years old; persons who are legally landed in Guyana and are willing to be registered to legalise their status; and migrants, particularly those over 18 years old, who agree to attend an appointment and agree to be registered with the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA), MOTP explained.
The system, which will be available to migrants situated in Georgetown, will provide support in agreed upon areas, which may include rent or the provision of school supplies, with the ministry facilitating services to the family for payment of up to $50,000, the release stated. It added that the funds will not be handed over to the families, but will instead be paid to the suppliers of the services.
It was stated that all beneficiaries of the programme will be registered with the Social Protection Ministry, which will constantly monitor them to determine the families’ progress and the status of the children in school.
Furthermore, the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) will be providing support in documenting the successes of and lessons learnt from the initiative.
Skills training
Government, through the Kuru Kuru Training College, will also be partnering with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to offer vocational skills training to Venezuelan migrants.
This was announced by IOM representative of the Department of Citizenship’s Multi-Stakeholder Committee, Denish Persaud, at a stakeholder meeting on Monday to address the Venezuelan migrant situation.
Persaud explained that the training programmes will be offered in Georgetown and the Pomeroon (Region Two) initially, where courses in the areas of garment construction, refrigeration, air conditioning repairs and maintenance, building and construction, welding, food safety mechanisms and electrical installation will be rolled out. Those courses will run for six to 12 weeks, beginning in August.
The curricula will be translated into Spanish for ease of learning, however, Guyanese students will be included in the courses so there can be integration, the release said.
Based on the response to the initiative, the programmes will be rolled out in other regions that have seen an influx in the Venezuelan migrant population, Persaud noted.
