Volunteers training to assist persons with disabilities

Twenty-two volunteers on Thursday commenced a one-year training programme to equip them to deal with persons with disabilities so as to enable them to have equal opportunities to participate in the social and economic life of their country.

The programme is being facilitated by the Guyana Community Based Rehabilitation Programme (GCBRP) and will be held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported. Programmes will be conducted by Sonia Beinemann of the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), Patricia Thomas, coordinator of the East Bank GCBRP and programme coordinator Jeanette Jordan.

The training will take place at the East Bank Demerara branch of the GCBRP, GINA stated.

Volunteers will learn more about disabilities, their nature, causes and implications, as well as how to manage some difficulties. In addition to acquiring rehabilitation, counselling and advocacy skills, volunteers will receive a certificate recognised by the University of Guyana.

The organisation said that six months each will be devoted to theoretical and field work, and each volunteer will be assigned two clients.

Following the training, GINA said, GCBRP volunteers will work with persons with disabilities from their own communities. Through their service, they will enable their clients to become more independent and involved in their communities.

In 2006, nearly 100 persons from groups in Essequibo, Corentyne, West Coast Berbice and East Coast Demerara were trained and are now working with persons with disabilities, GINA reported.

Meanwhile, GCBRP’s next training programme will take place in West Demerara, commencing at the end of February.

The organisation which came into existence in 1986 focuses on four main areas – vision, hearing and speech movement and learning.