Help & Shelter will soon commence a 12-month project to increase awareness of domestic violence and child abuse at “identified” health centres, following the approval of funding from the Canadian High Commission’s Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, a release said.

The work at the health centres will proceed with approval from the Regional Health Service of the Ministry of Health.

According to the release the project will target pre-and post-natal mothers and fathers at 12 health centres in Regions Three and Four through a series of short workshops and distribution of educational leaflets. In addition, 24 health workers from the 12 health centres will benefit from a four-day workshop on the dynamics of domestic violence and child abuse, including prevention and helping strategies and referrals.

A public service announcement on child abuse is to be produced and broadcast on TV and radio and a poster will also be produced and distributed.

The project is expected to increase awareness and knowledge about the different forms of domestic violence and child abuse, including physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse; how to recognize the signs of such abuse, how to understand the effects of this abuse on victims and how and where to get help.