UNICEF donates $4M in equipment

― to Social Protection, Public Health Ministries

― donation to positively impact Child Advocacy Centres

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, June 27, 2019.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) today donated $4M in equipment to the Ministries of Social Protection and Public Health to assist in their efforts to curb all types of child abuse.

UNICEF Resident Representative to Guyana, Sylvie Fouet said the donation, which included televisions, computers and forensic kits, will assist with the establishment of Child Advocacy Centres in Region 1, 2 and 4.

[In the photo, from left] Official from the Ministry of Social Protection, 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.

[In the photo, from left] Official from the Ministry of Social Protection, Tonni October, UNICEF Resident Representative to Guyana, Sylvie Fouet and Regional Health Officer (RHO) Region 4, Dr. Quacy Jones signing the papers for the equipment donated by UNICEF.

“In Region 4, a centre will be set up in Clonbrook and Timehri, in Moruca, Region 1 and Mabaruma Region 2. Our focus is to ensure that services are readily available for children outside of Georgetown,” Fouet explained.

She noted that it is very important to accelerate the decentralisation of services offered by the Child Advocacy Centres to, “once and for all,” safeguard the future of Guyana’s children.

Regional Health Officer (RHO), Region 4, Dr. Quacy Jones noted that UNICEF’s support and collaboration with the Region 4’s Regional Democratic Council (RDC) have served to boost first line response to child sexual assault cases.

“This is another gesture of UNICEF’s continuous drive to collaborate with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in Region 4 to ensure the delivery of service. The Ministry of Social Protection has been an essential partner and we work together to breach the gap of services at the local level,” Dr. Jones said.

The first Child Advocacy Centre (CRC) was established in Guyana in 2014 and provides services to children who have been either sexually or physically abused. It offers a child-friendly environment and is staffed by counsellors, parent-skills educators as well as forensic interviewers. The centre was the first of its kind in the Caribbean region.

Images: Ameer Sattaur