Human Services Ministry’s storyboard initiative targets girls – as a means of breaking barriers

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has opened an avenue for vulnerable young women to safely share their stories, through the ‘storyboard initiative.’

The programme was launched on Monday, and saw 25 young women receiving book-bags containing toiletries, an Amazon Fire Tablet and a scrabble board game.

Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud in her address, at the programme’s launch at the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute (GWLI), in Cove and John, encouraged the young women to utilise the platform of creative writing to express themselves.

“Stories are powerful forms of communication. Every one of us would’ve read a story of someone out there who struggled, who had a hard life and yet they were able to go beyond that difficulty, beyond those challenges and they made something of themselves.

But more than that, not only did they make something of themselves, they were able to inspire someone else or many people to become successful, to help them pass their own difficulties because they shared an experience.

You are the pioneers of this programme that will push you in many different ways.”

Dr. Persaud said the emphasis is on literacy, and reading and comprehension.

“Once you have that in your hands, that is power. You can use that powerful gift and you can create your stories and tell them exactly as they are because you are sharing a piece of yourself with the world. So, the storyboard will enable each of you to tell a story, your story.”

Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ann Greene said the initiative would be therapeutic.

“Today [Monday] is the day for the girls. This programme is being launched all for your benefit. There is more to be done and particularly girls that are vulnerable, girls that have gone through issues, abuse and so on. The whole activity with the writing of the story and so on is part of occupational therapy, it will help you to deal with any issues that you may have. And young people do have issues, sometimes you can’t get persons to listen to you, to hear you, so it is a way of expressing yourself.”

The programme, geared at helping 50 young women to hone their writing skills, will last six weeks with journalists and writing specialists as trainers. At the end of the training, the young women will collectively produce and publish a book, the proceeds of which will assist them to further their writing careers.

Additionally, the human services minister during her visit to the Region Six one-off cash grant campaign for pensioners distributed an Amazon Fire Tablet, Book bag with essentials and toiletries and scrabble board to the remaining 25 young ladies at several orphanages.