Two Child Advocacy Centres opened in Region 6

- Will provide support, counselling for child sex abuse survivors

Two of Guyana’s first-ever Child Advocacy Centers were, in February 2021, officially launched in Springlands and Whim, East Berbice/Corentyne (Region 6), under the Guyana Spotlight Initiative for eliminating Violence against Women and Girls. The initiative was executed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the Child Care and Protection Agency within the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and ChildLink (an implementing partner).

The centers will offer one-stop services for child survivors and their families in Region 6, including investigating, treating, and managing child sexual abuse cases. European Union Ambassador to Guyana, His Excellency, Fernando Ponz Cantó; former United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Mikiko Tanaka; UNICEF Representative, Nicolas Pron; and UNFPA Liaison Officer, Adler Bynoe attended the commissioning.

According to an article by the Department of Public Information (DPI) Guyana, during the commissioning ceremony at Springlands, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud lauded the initiative as they are the first such centers to be opened in Region 6.

“We have seen last year over 3,000 cases of child abuse; [it’s] very early in the year [2021] with over 300 cases. Something needs to give, and we need to ensure that wherever we are or whoever we are, we not only speak up and against child abuse, but we develop a culture of encouraging children-young people to report it and to develop a culture in adults so that when they see it, they report it,” she said.

To date, advocacy centers have been established in Regions Two, Four, Five, Six, Seven and Ten. Minister Persaud said the aim is to have these centers replicated in all the administrative regions.

“With the Child Advocacy Centers mushrooming across the country and offering that alleviation of a scourge that has dogged not only this country but the entire world for a very long time. Maybe we might just make the kind of impact that we want to see in the world of children,” she said.

This will complement the 914 domestic violence hotline, which was launched in December. Minister Persaud said the Ministry would be taking steps to ensure that children are familiar with the hotline number.