National dialogue on domestic violence for August 3

First Lady Sandra Granger, in opening the second Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop for residents of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) on Monday, announced there will be national dialogue centred on domestic violence in Guyana.

This event, slated for August 3, 2018 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, will see participation from persons across the 10 administrative regions of Guyana.
“This [domestic violence] is a scar on our national life…I have been in discussions with some people about how we really go about addressing domestic violence in Guyana… We also have to deal with the issue of under-reporting or non-reporting of issues of domestic violence in our hinterland and our rural areas… We are planning to have a national dialogue…I think we have to face up to it, and make it clear that we cannot tolerate this any longer,” she said.
The First Lady urged the participants to see the many opportunities a workshop of this nature can bring in terms of small and micro-enterprise development, and reminded that the certificates they would be receiving at the end of the programme are recognised by the Small Business Bureau and other micro-financing organisations.

“I saw the benefits [of this programme] not only to the persons who would have participated, but to their families and their communities as well. It is what I would call an holistic approach to success,” she said.
Region Three Executive Officer Denis Jaikaran, in his remarks, said the first Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop had led to establishment of the Region’s first salted fish factory.
He expressed his appreciation to the First Lady for taking the workshop to the Region for a second time, and pledged to assist the participants in rolling out future projects.
Meanwhile, Director of Interweave Solutions (Guyana) Incorporated, Sanjay Yohann Pooran, who facilitated the workshop, provided the participants with an overview of the programme. He indicated that the workshop’s main objective is to educate the participants on how to start, manage, and grow small businesses; help them to lead balanced lives; and provide them with the opportunity to give back to their community through the formulation and implementation of a community action plan.
In an invited comment, Latoya Adams said she was thankful for the opportunity to participate in the workshop, and looks forward to the community action plan that would be established.
“I see this workshop as a great opportunity, and I especially look forward to the community action plan, since I see the progress the last participants made in the establishment of a salt fish factory,” she said.
The workshop is organised by the Office of the First Lady, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protection and Interweave Solutions (Guyana) Incorporated. This is the third Self-Reliance Workshop for the year 2018.