Canadian High Commission launches joint migrant project with Guyanese NGO

– to increase protection for vulnerable Venezuelan migrants in Guyana

The Canadian High Commission has announced the launch of a joint migrant project that will target vulnerable Venezuelan migrant groups in Guyana, in collaboration with the HIAS Guyana Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), which was formed last year.
In a statement, the High Commission explained that it signed an agreement to make a contribution to HIAS Guyana, entitled “Increasing protection and awareness for vulnerable Venezuelan women and adolescent girls in Guyana who are survivors or at risk of gender-based violence (GBV)”.
According to the release, the project aims at addressing the needs of the Venezuelan migrant population in local communities, specifically with a focus on providing GBV prevention and responsive services to migrant women and girls currently residing in Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini); Georgetown, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni)).
In the statement, Canadian High Commissioner Mark Berman pointed out that there were over 5.6 million Venezuelans who have left or fled their homes since 2015, with over 4.6 million remaining in the region.

He explained that on a large scale Canada was supporting the migrant population by hosting the next International Donors’ Conference in solidarity with Venezuelan refugees and migrants on Thursday, June 17, 2021.
Berman explained that this was being done in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and that Guyana would also be a participant in the conference.
“At the conference, Canada will be collaborating with various partners to bring forward the voices of those affected by the crisis with the objective of highlighting the progress achieved to date; raising awareness of key opportunities and priorities, including the impact on women and girls; mobilising additional resources and identifying future actions to maintain focus on the crisis.”
“Funding from the 2020 International Donors’ Conference provided food, health, protection and cash-based assistance to the Venezuelan migrants and refugees, including women and girls. Due to the crisis, many of the migrants are placed in vulnerable situations,” the statement said.
High Commissioner Berman also noted that the needs were growing for the Venezuelan migrant community and the partnership with HIAS in Guyana was timely, given the global call for support at the upcoming conference, as well as Guyana being a host country for Venezuelan migrants.
“The Government of Canada, through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, is thrilled to be associated with this project. I am also pleased that our Government has contributed in a very tangible way to supporting the Venezuelan migrant communities in Guyana. I must commend HIAS Guyana for the valuable work being undertaken,” Berman said.
It was explained that this new project being undertaken in Guyana would work to provide services to migrant women, adolescent girls and LGBTQI+ identified survivors of GBV. The needs of these individuals will be assessed to provide psychosocial support, legal assistance, and the implementation of an action plan for the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the cases.
Through the project, hygienic and self-care products will also be distributed to the women, girls and other GBV survivors to promote physical well-being, alleviate family budget constraints and ensure they can move around despite their periods.
The kits will also include health and protection information, which will raise awareness on hygiene, reproductive health and GBV. The project will be executed over the course of one year.
HIAS is an international Jewish humanitarian organisation that provides vital services to refugees and asylum seekers in 16 countries. It advocates for the rights of refugees to rebuild their lives and seek to create a world in which they find welcome, safety, and opportunity.