To combat the issue of child abuse, the Human Services and Social Security Ministry has launched its “Every Child Safe” initiative at Company Road Primary School, Buxton, East Coast Demerara, to increase awareness of child abuse at the community level.
The initiative was launched on Friday during a Ministry outreach.
According to Minister Vindhya Persaud, the hope of the initiative is to help the public recognise warning signs of child abuse.
Human Services and Social Security Minister Vindhya Persaud speaking with some children during the launch of the programme
Dr Persaud along with Deputy Chair of the Child Care & Protection Agency Levine Gouveia hosted a sensitisation session on child safety with children from the school where she candidly chatted with the children about verbal and other kinds of abuse. The sensitisation session was in line with the Ministry’s “Every Child Safe” campaign.
She told the Department of Public Information, “I had a good session with the children on child abuse because that’s a part of what we will do through ‘Every Child Safe’, and also work with parents and members in the community to make communities safe, so we have less and less of child abuse.”
The Government launched the three-year “Every Child Safe” campaign back in 2021, to expand its reach at the community level to eliminate the high number of reported child abuse cases in Guyana.
In addition, the Ministry also launched the “Every Child Safe” short story competition which will target children between the ages of 12 to 17 years, to create stories on child care, child safety, and child abuse.
