Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud
In observance of World Day against Trafficking In Persons on July 30, Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud recently launched the “592STOP” hotline during an outreach at Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) on Friday last.
This initiative is aimed at encouraging persons whose first language is either Spanish or Portuguese, to report any case of human trafficking 24 hours a day.
During the launch, Minister Persaud emphasised the Government’s zero tolerance attitude towards human trafficking.
Minister Persaud pleaded with those in attendance to recognise the signs and forms of human trafficking as she outlined some of the activities being held this month including “Through My Lens.” This initiative enables persons to get a first-hand mental image of the severity of the crime and the devastating impact it has left on the lives of survivors.
As part of the launch persons in attendance were asked to open umbrellas or wear hats that bore the message “Stop the Trafficking of Persons”
Minister Persaud noted that Guyana has retained its Tier 1 status due to its fulfilment of minimum standards to curb TIP as announced by the US state Department and as such, lauded the efforts of the Countering Trafficking In Persons (C-TIP) department.
“Even though it may be a bit hard or difficult you can still report and work with law enforcement agencies to have more convictions of traffickers,” she noted.
Head of the C-TIP Unit, Tanisha Williams-Corbin gave an overview of the work of the unit and shared vital information on the number of reported cases, convictions and how persons can access assistance and support from the unit.
She also mentioned that there will be an awareness drive-by activity in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and more training of stakeholders.
So far, training has been done with the Joint Forces, regions, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) along with public awareness through engagement in public spaces in various regions.
Persons who attended the event were able to access many of the services offered by the Ministry. They had an opportunity also to interact with Minister Persaud, get vaccinated, free eye tests, blood sugar and pressure checks.
Meanwhile, members of the public are encouraged to call and report all suspicious TIP activities to the Ministry’s TIP hotline numbers: 227-4083, 623-5030 or 624-0079 (Spanish hotline). Persons can also visit the TIP Guyana Facebook page.
