Child Advocacy Centres for Kwakwani and Timehri

─ site evaluation conducted at Kwakwani Hospital Complex

DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, 17, 2019

An evaluation exercise was conducted by the officials from the Ministry of Social Protection, the Region 4 RDC and UNICEF, at the Kwankwani Hospital Complex to establish a Child Advocacy Centre.

Regional Health Officer, Region 4, Dr. Quincy Jones disclosed, in an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), that the facility will focus on combatting all forms of child abuse. He credited the initiative to the Ministry of Social Protection.

He noted that the ministry is working assiduously to ensure that children who are exposed to child abuse, can be cared for in a child-friendly environment which is staffed by counsellors, parent-skills educators as well as forensic interviewers.

[In the photo, from left] Ministry of Social Protection representative, Tonni October, UNICEF Resident Representative to Guyana, Sylvie Fouet and Regional Health Officer (RHO) Region 4, Dr. Quacy Jones with the signed document for the donated equipment earlier in June

Regional Health Officer (RHO), Region 4, Dr. Quincy Jones

“We have already received millions in donation from UNICEF for these centres and we are working to ensure each location sees the establishment of a Child Advocacy Centre before the end of 2019. At the Kwakwani Hospital, the facility will be set up within the Hospital and at the Timheri Health Centre for that district. The Timehri Health Centre is presently under construction and the establishment for that Child Advocacy Centre was also budgeted,” Dr. Jones explained.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) donated $4M in equipment including televisions, forensic kits and computers to be utilised in the establishment of the centres.

The Child Advocacy Centre is a child-focused, facility-based programme in which representatives from law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical and victim advocacy work to provide healing for survivors of abuse.