FORMER President of Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA), Ms. Beverly Braithwaite-Chan has been named its new Executive Director.

The announcement was made Wednesday at the GRPA Quamina Street, Georgetown where the appointee said her primary objectives are to look at redefining the organisation and acknowledging gaps in resources.

From left ,Public Relations Officer of the GRPA Mr. Orin Major, Executive Assistant Ms. Deborrah Thomas-Maison, Executive Director Ms. Beverly Braithwaite-Chan, President Ms. Pamela Nauth, Programme Director Ms. Sheila Yaw-Fraser and Corporate Services Director Mr. Simon Pollard.

Describing her new position as extraordinary, Braithwaite-Chan said GRPA must be able to make shifts even in the middle of a success story.

Pledging that the organisation will work along with other entities, as well as the Ministry of Health, to carry out the mandate, she said it will continue helping parents grapple with some of the forces on which to focus in these times.

Praising her late predecessor, Mr. Frederick Cox, who passed away last July, Braithwaite-Chan said he did the best with the resources he had.

GRPA President, Ms. Pamela Nauth said Braithwaite-Chan was instrumental in moving the institution to where it is and is someone who would take it places.

Also in attendance on the occasion were Public Relations Officer, Mr. Orin Major; Executive Assistant, Ms. Deborah Thomas-Maison; Programmes Director, Ms. Sheila Yaw-Fraser and Corporate Services Director, Mr. Simon Pollard.

Familiarly called ‘Bev’, Braithwaite-Chan brings to her job experience as a trained first class teacher, a professional social worker and development practitioner, certified family life educator and counselor and a trained Court appointed mediator.

She is a graduate of the local Teachers’ Training College, University of Guyana (UG), University of Dalhousie, Nova Scotia and Andrews University, in the United States (U.S.)

Functioned
Braithwaite-Chan began work in the area of Project Development at the community level and functioned as a community intervention adviser for several donor agencies, after teaching at several schools in this country and held posts as Programme Officer and Programme Manager of the Canadian Hunger Foundation- a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) founded project; Head of the Project Development Unit, Poverty Alleviation Programme funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Guyana Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP) and Programme Manger of the Management Governance Programme- another project funded by CIDA.

Braithwaite-Chan received the United Nations Population Fund ‘Goodwill Ambassador Award’ and the Guyana Medal of Service (M.S.) award, for the GRPA, during her tenure as its President.

Other recognitions include a ‘Woman of Distinction’ award from the Bahai Community and two Community Service Awards from the Caribbean Union Conference and the Guyana Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventists, respectively.

She received, as well, a ‘Distinguished Service’ award from the Caribbean Union Conference Family Life Department for her contribution to Family Life Education in the Caribbean, a Volunteer Service Award from the Government of Guyana and serves as an Ambassador of Peace for the World Federation of World Peace.

Braithwaite-Chan is proud to be a successful wife, mother and homemaker, too, who has written on several issues related to women and children.

The GRPA is a not for profit non-governmental organisation (NGO) which was established in 1973 and registered in 1975, as an educational and training institution under the Friendly Societies Act.

The establishment was a result of a conference that was convened by London-based International Alliance of Women and attended by representatives of the Guyana Women’s League.