38 Girls graduate from Parushi Club SRHR Mentorship Programme
― Parushi Club focuses on women empowerment and adolescent development
By Onika Bobb
DPI, Guyana, Saturday, May 18, 2019
“Parushi is a fairly new addition to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). It is a social programme that has provided empowerment and awareness for maximum of three years,” Yvonne Barrow, Project Coordinator of The Parushi Club.
She was speaking at a graduation ceremony held today for teenage girls of the Buxton community. The ceremony was held at Grand Coastal Hotel, Le Ressouvenir, East Coast of Demerara.
Barrow added that the personal inspirational stories shared during the Saturday afternoon sessions served to empower the young girls to face unfair social practices.
Assistant Chief Commissioner of the Guyana Girls Guide Association, Schmel Patrick said that in the Guyanese society, matters pertaining to sexual reproduction is labelled “taboo”.
She implored parents present to support young girls in the Buxton community saying “we need to give our girls the resources to make informed decisions”.
Additionally, she encouraged the girls to share the knowledge that they have acquired through the programme.
Thirteen-year-old Oshornde Joseph, a member of the Parushi Club, said that young women from her community came out every week to offer “words of encouragement to achieve” their dreams.
Thirty-eight girls graduated from the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Mentorship Programme through the Parushi Club.
SRHR Adventures launched the Parushi Club on Saturday, March 2, 2019, at Buxton Health Centre. Parushi is an Akawaio word meaning girls.
The Parushi Cub was a mentorship programme which catered for adolescent girls living in Buxton and Annadale. Members met every Saturday afternoon to discuss matters, such as sexual reproductive health, bullying and fundamental life skills.
The club’s activities were funded by a grant from FRIDA, the Young Feminist Fund. FRIDA is a feminist organisation that provides support to young leaders to “amplify their voices and bring attention to their work”. The core values are flexibility, resources, inclusivity, diversity and action.
Images: Ameer Sattaur.