Dear Editor,
The recent brutal murder of sixteen-year-old Sanesha Lall by an adult male paedophile brings the issue of child rights and protection to the fore yet again in Guyana. Children dropping out of school, children lacking adult supervision and guidance, children engaging in dangerous activities in order to earn money, children minding other children, vulnerable children being exploited by predatory adults – Sanesha’s life story is sadly commonplace in Guyana. Reports are that young Sanesha and her siblings were orphaned several years ago and while family members and government agencies provided them with some assistance for some time, the fact and circumstances of her death show clear failure on the part of the system that should have protected them.
Of particular concern to us is the glaring lack of action on the part of the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC). Part of the task of this Constitutionally-mandated body is to monitor the activities of the governmental and non-governmental entities that are engaged in safeguarding children from all forms of abuse. This Commission has been operational and receiving funding from the National Budget from over a decade, but we are hard pressed to identify any significant achievement or initiative they have undertaken to improve child rights in Guyana. We believe that the Commissioners do indeed care about the plight of children in Guyana and we appreciate the letters and statements that they have shared with the Guyanese public over the years. However, public education and advocacy is simply not enough to safeguard child rights; much more is needed.
This Commission has a critical oversight role to play, as well as the power to influence the functioning of government agencies and the NGO sector. However, it does not appear as if the Commissioners are aware of this fact. As Guyanese who are committed to child rights and concerned about good governance, justice, and accountability, we urge the Commissioners to do more. We would like to see the Commission working more closely with both government and non-governmental entities, pushing them to improve their child protection measures. We would also like to see the Commission’s strategic plan and their annual reports from the past decade.
Of note is the fact that this week is the 31st anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. As we observe this important date, we need to critically review our child protection programmes in order to identify the gaps in services which fail our children, especially those without adequate parental care like young Sanesha. We need a more strategic approach and we need every stakeholder with the mandate to protect children to harness their functions and to make visible a national framework for protecting children from all forms of abuse. We need the RCC to take up their role as the watchdog of this national framework, to monitor these gaps, and to work with the established government and civil society agencies to address these and bring greater protection to all our children.
We also call on the Government of Guyana to review the life of the Commissioners in all the Commissions and appoint Commissioners who will reinvigorate these bodies so that they become real agents empowered to advance positive change in our nation, as opposed to just symbolic, toothless entities.
Yours faithfully,
Bibi Ahamad- CSNRG,
SpotlightAnnan Boodram- Caribbean Voice
Juanita Burrowes- United Bricklayers
Karen de Souza- Red Thread
Ashome Clark- ChildLink
Maureen Hope
Omattie Madray- ChildLink
Sherlina Nageer
Gary Prescott
Parbattie Ranglall
Rev. Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth
Kobe Smith- SASOD
Akola Thompson
Hasani Tinnie
Sharlene Williams
Derwayne Wills- CSNRG,
Spotlight
