A Child Advocacy Centre was yesterday inaugurated in Port Kaituma, Region 1.
A release from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that the Centre, the first of its kind in the community, is a one-stop-shop where children and caregivers can access services to prevent, respond and report physical and sexual abuse.
It was inaugurated by UNHCR Guyana, Blossom
Inc, the Ministry of Human Services & Social Security, the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 1.
“Violence against children often goes underreported, especially in remote areas without access to services,” said Cecilie Saenz Guerrero, Head of UNHCR’s office in Guyana.
“Refugee and migrant children are more vulnerable, particularly when they do not speak the language of service providers.”
The Centre, managed by Blossom Inc, will mobilise specialised staff to address the needs of child violence survivors. The release said that services include psychosocial attention, therapy and trauma recovery support in different languages for all children, including refugee and local children. It will also manage and carry out outreach activities to increase awareness of child protection services in remote communities of Region 1.
According to the CPA, 3,129 cases of child abuse were recorded in 2020, a quarter of which were of sexual nature.
“This is one of the regions that has recorded one of the highest number of cases of child sexual abuse,” said Milton Smith, CPA’s Senior Child Protection Officer with responsibility for Region 1.
“Collaboration and partnership are essential ingredients in the formula for protecting our children here in Guyana,” said Ayodele Dalgety-Dean, Blossom Inc.’s Founder and Managing Director.
The release noted that Guyana is host to an estimated 23,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants who fled insecurity in their country and widespread shortages of basic items. The release said that the risks of violence and abuse are higher during the cycle of displacement.
The establishment of the centre – the seventh across the country – is part of UNHCR’s efforts to provide a protective environment for refugee, migrant and local children in Guyana.
Officials from the Ministry of Health, the Police, Immigration, the Prime Ministerial Office, the Ministry of Education, the Regional Democratic Council and the Neigh-bourhood Democratic Council, were also present at the event.
