– under UNICEF-funded project
UNICEF handed over equipment for play parks to the Saint Francis Community Developers (SFCD) of Rose Hall, Corentyne and its partners during the launching of eight Children Community Care Point Projects.
The parks were set up at the centres where eight play-schools with Child Friendly Spaces had already been established with funding from UNICEF to promote early childhood development and to stimulate learning.
The projects are being undertaken by the SFCD and eight of its 22 partners along the Corentyne and in New Amsterdam.
Apart from the swings, seesaws, slides and other items for the play parks, the groups also received four “standing” scales, seven double-door 9-cubic ft. refrigerators, one industrial gas stove with three bottles of gas and six large cradles. They also benefited from a video camera with accessories, interactive games and school supplies for 300 children, kitchen utensils for low cost meal preparation training, a water tank and public address system among other items.
Alex Foster, president of SFCD said the play parks are the only ones in the eight areas and they would be utilized by everyone, including students of nearby schools and other social services providers.
Foster said the parks would help to create a safe environment for children to play while aiding in their early development and would also “create an environment that allows at risk children to have their first contact with project services.”
He said staff and volunteers would utilize the space to observe and interact with children as a trust building exercise.
Further, he said, “These centres would add to the variety of interest areas already available to ensure that a comprehensive range of services are offered from central points.”
The long-term vision, he said is that “the Community Care Points must become part of a one-stop-shop for residents…”
He expressed gratitude to UNICEF for its “faith and confidence in the Friends of St Francis as a trusted partner and conduit for effective service delivery” with special mention to the officers of the Child Protection Unit and the finance department.
He also thanked the suppliers including International Pharmaceutical Agency, R Sarabdial, Courts, A Ally & Sons, Modern Industries Ltd, and the Guyana Book Foundation.
At the formal ceremony to hand over the items, Deputy Country Representative of UNICEF Rudi Luchmann said he was impressed by the depths the SFCD and its staff has reached and the role the community is playing in providing support for children.
He such support is needed in order for children to reach their full potential, noting that protection is an important right of the child.
It is also the right of the child to have an education and be cared for by family, he said.
In her address, Regional Education Officer Shafiran Bhajan said parents’ awareness of pre-school education would now be heightened and the child-friendly pre-school environment would now be formally designed to help the children to develop in different ways.
She said one of the challenges facing the region is the lack of readiness by the pre-schoolers as they embark on early childhood education at the nursery level.
Luchmann and Head of Child Protection Services Doris Roos along with members of the International Labour Organization and the media were taken on a tour of the facilities.
Visits were made to the St Mark’s Mothers’ Union at Alness, Shining Star Community Developers at Limlair Village, Eversham Community Developers at Number 58 Village, Mibicuri Community Developers at Black Bush Polder, Albion Chapel Library and Skills Training Centre and the All Saints Presbyterian Develop-ment Centre in New Amsterdam.
The groups are also engaged in counselling and referrals and nutritional enhancement programmes for needy children. Some of the groups also offer services such as skills training in craft, sewing and cooking as well as hamper distribution.
Some of the groups face challenges in acquiring finance and volunteers for the activities but would commence economic ventures soon. The Swing Star group has been operating a joinery workshop where persons in the community are trained to produce items including rolling pins, pastry boards and spindles.
The products are being sold in the community to offset expenses for the group which would soon embark on a project to supply furniture to the other centres.
Bobsie Humphrey of the Shining Star group which is currently facing a problem with adequate space for its projects said they would be located to another area by next year where they are in the process of acquiring a plot of land.
The group would also establish a chicken farm through a project titled Leadership Innovation for Empowerment (LIFE) and would rear over 3,000 birds.
Candy Thomas, coordinator of Eversham Community Developers said her group would launch a project titled Community Opportunity for Progressive Empowerment (COPE). The project would be part of the group’s economic venture where they would be bottling locally made jams and other products.
Director of the Mibicuri group, Jacqueline Cummings-Johnson said that along with the funding for the playschool, child friendly space and the play park, UNICEF is also funding a low-cost meal preparation project.
The project entails three-month cooking courses for persons in the community. Only 25 persons can be accommodated per course but due to the positive response 52 persons have registered, including two men.
During the tour the participants displayed food items they learnt to prepare and samples were given to each visitor. At the end of the free course persons would be presented with certificates. Cummings-Johnson said it is a “full package to have women empowered.”
The concept of the project, she said is to develop the village care point which would help to distract the women from negative activities.
She described BBP, a predominately Indian-Guyanese area, as “sensitive” and said because of their culture people hardly speak out against issues like domestic violence. The area, according to her has the highest rate of suicide in the country.
