Minister Persaud returns to Bartica to deliver on promises made

Having conducted an outreach to Bartica in Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) recently, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud and her team paid a follow-up visit on Monday to deliver on some of their undertakings.

Yvonne Braithwaite literally could not believe her eyes when she tried on her new pair of spectacles and found that she was now seeing as clearly and brightly. She was among the hundreds who tested their eyes on the last occasion and was now receiving their spectacles.

Coming from Quarter Mile, Bartica, Braithwaite said she was happy that the ministry has returned with her glasses because she couldn’t afford to get them privately. “I just tried them on and they’re perfect,” she expressed, noting that they will especially come in handy for her BIT (Board of Industrial Training) sewing class which has been hindered due to her inability to thread the machine needles.

Minister Persaud told residents that she was extremely pleased to be able to present spectacles to over 200 persons in the region, which represents one of the largest deliveries under the ministry’s programme.

Also presenting walking canes and wheelchairs to persons living with disabilities in need, Minister Persaud visited homes to enquire about the efficacy of the Ministry’s shut-in and assistance programmes.

She interacted with residents and brought them up to date on various programmes by her ministry and how they can access them. Emphasis was paid to the modality of delivery by the Ministry on the measures announced by President Ali that will benefit pensioners, public assistance recipients and persons living with disabilities.

Dr. Persaud also explained why women should look at starting up their own businesses, why they should network with others in doing so, and how the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) training programme and newly launched business incubator and advertising App could prove useful to them.

She also highlighted that several groups will be formed with men and women in the regions and that more training opportunities will be opened through these groups. Senior officer from the Gender Affairs Bureau, Ms. Lagan was on hand to provide pointers on the group formation. Groups will benefit from valuable training on combatting social ills.

Meanwhile, Minister Persaud last Friday visited the Coomacka, Three Friends and Old England villages in Region 10 where she assured residents that her ministry was constantly working to improve the services being offered, and will stop at nothing to ensure that access is made easy to them.

She pointed out how the ministry has shortened the time for providing pension books, how pensioners can now present their life certificates via WhatsApp if they cannot go to an office, how alternative venues for payment have been established, and how the banking system for delivery was made possible. All of these new systems, Minister Persaud noted, were put in place to cater for the issues that pensioners have been having. Free eye testing was done, and hampers were distributed to the elderly, single parents and persons living with disabilities.