The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will be collaborating with the Anglican Diocese of Guyana to provide assistance to street dwellers and vagrants.
This has been revealed to the media by Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green during an interview with operatives late last week.
Vagrancy has for years been a prevalent issue in Guyana, particularly in the city
Vagrancy is a prevailing situation in Guyana. Besides the non-governmental organisations that lend their support to tackling vagrancy, there is a night shelter at Arapaima Street, East La Penitence, which takes in the homeless and is run by the Social Protection Ministry. To gain admittance to that institution, a homeless person must provide proof that he/she is homeless and must submit to a medical examination and, in some cases, provide a police clearance.
Administrator of the Shelter, Shelia Veersammy, made this policy known back in January 2017.
The night shelter at Arapaima Street, East La Penitence
At the time of Chase-Green’s announcement, she had just concluded a courtesy call with the Anglican Bishop of Guyana, Reverend Charles Davidson. She made it clear that besides the church, the M&CC is willing to work with anyone to make the streets vagrant-free.
“The Bishop explained the reason for his visit. With this new council that we have, we’re willing to work in collaboration with everyone. While it doesn’t come under our responsibility, we still have to care for those persons,” she detailed as she added that she is happy that more persons are getting involved in efforts to assist homeless persons.
“If you leave here now and go into Cummings Street, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Homeless people just sleeping there, they just decide that they can put up a tarpaulin or tent and rest on our streets,” she said.
Chase-Green acknowledged that the Dharm Shala has been providing assistance to the homeless. This charitable entity, which is located at 140 King Edward and Sussex Streets in Albouystown, also has a branch in New Amsterdam, Berbice.
“But some people don’t want to go there,” Chase-Green revealed. “Maybe we’ll have an alternative facility. We spoke about medication for (street dwellers), people seeing doctors and so. And so with this collaboration with the Anglican Church and Bishop, we see this as part of developing the city to improve the lives of people.”
Among the possible shelters for vagrants is the Hugo Chavez Centre located in Region 5 (West Coast Berbice).
Vagrancy comes under the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Protection, though there is scope for collaboration with other agencies.
Back in 2015, then Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, had announced that this Ministry would be working with a welfare committee to evaluate and possibly reintegrate the homeless into society.
The committee comprised persons from the Ministry of Social Protection, Public Health, Public Security, Agriculture, and the Mayor and City Council.
When speaking on the issue in 2015, Minister Lawrence had stated that there must be an evaluation, because you have various persons out there. You have the addicted, the mentally challenged, the homeless, and persons who see it as an economic means.
She had also acknowledged that there are those who use begging as a means to earn an income, even sending their children to beg. Saying that a programme has to be put in place to educate these individuals, Lawrence had pledged the Government’s support in tackling vagrancy.
It is not clear what fruit this collaboration has borne, since begging and destitution, including among juveniles, remains fairly prevalent in the city.
