Young persons with disabilities are to benefit from a guidance and counselling programme courtesy of the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD).
The GCOPD in a press release yesterday stated that it had launched its Guidance and Counselling programme for young persons with disabilities earlier in the day at the Baridi Benab at State House in Georgetown. The programme is being implemented in partnership with the Office of the First Lady of Guyana.
The programme was officially launched by First Lady Arya Ali and in her remarks she underscored the importance of mental health during the current pandemic and its impact on persons with disabilities. She also reiterated the need for society to be more inclusive of persons with disabilities.
GCOPD programme coordinator Ganesh Singh who provided an overview of the programme said that the programme was in the works for over three years but due to the lack of funding, his organisation was unable to get it off the ground. He thanked the First Lady for supporting the implementation of this “important” initiative through the funding of two social workers for a one-year period.
GCOPD is the umbrella body that represents the majority of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO) from across Guyana, working in the areas of advocacy and capacity building. The DPOs represent all types of disabilities.
According to the release, the Guidance and Counselling programme for young persons with disabilities is being piloted with students from the Special Education Needs (SEN) schools, young members of the DPO and the orphanages that house young persons with disabilities in regions Three and Four. Through the programme, the beneficiaries will benefit from job coaching, psychosocial support, career guidance, and capacity building, among other areas of support and empowerment. The programme will eventually be expanded to regions Five, Six and Ten.
Ministry of Education SEN National Officer Savvie Hopkinson, highlighted the importance of such a programme to the overall empowerment of young persons with disabilities. Hopkinson welcomed the programme and pledged her department’s support to the implementation of the initiative across the various regions.
The release informed that GCOPD is cognizant of the importance of providing guidance and support to young persons with disabilities as they transition into adulthood and enter into the world of employment. Further, the organisation is also aware of the limited exposure to guidance and counselling services and empowerment activities that young persons with disabilities experience. To this end, the organisation has ensured that the empowerment and development of young persons with disabilities was prioritised as one of its core programme areas, the release added.
