THE non-governmental organisation (NGO) Every Child Guyana on Wednesday began its transformation into a different entity with the inauguration of ‘ChildLinK’. The Country Director, Ms. Omattie Madray said the transition will see it taking ownership of the work it has been doing, in Guyana, for nearly 15 years.
“The transition of Every Child Guyana to ChildLinK commenced some time ago and the profile we are inheriting is a positive one,” she said in the National Library, Church Street, Georgetown, where ChildLinK was formally inaugurated at a gathering of stakeholder.
Madray said the first years of the organisation were in Agricola and East La Penitence, under the name Christian Child’s Fund of Great Britain, since 1995. The efforts then were aimed at providing direct aid to children, which included hot meals, school uniforms and help to poor families.
However, in 2000, new initiatives were developed to provide quality services rather than giving aid.
After that, in 2002, Every Child Guyana served as a field office of Every Child UK, an international charity advocating for the rights of vulnerable children and providing opportunities for them to grow up in safe and secure environments, free from violence, exploitation and any form of abuse.
Madray said: “We have worked with over 500 parents and caregivers and over 6,000 children received services. About 100 faith-based leaders and professionals accessed new information, as well as training and development to care for children in their best interest.”
She said sensitisation to the protection of them was done consistently on a national level to give Guyanese children an opportunity to grow up in loving families.
Madray said some of the ongoing programmes include the OneLife Project, which provides psychosocial support for children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable children; the Pickney Project, developed in partnership with Help and Shelter, to strengthen community mechanisms in Sophia for the protection of children; the Agricola Project, which works with children, caregivers and teachers to recognise and respond to violence and abuse and the Foster Care Project, which addresses de-institutionalisation of children, by placing them with foster families, giving them a chance to grow up with parental care.
She praised the partnering agencies, among them the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Dorothy Bailey Municipal Centre, Ruimveldt Children Aid Centre and the United Nations agencies.
Niche
“Every Child’s niche was established through assessing our work globally, which revealed that we work mainly with children who are separated from their families and communities,” Madray explained.
She noted that much work has gone into clarifying the NGO’s specific target, which is working with children without care.
In this regard, Madray said the future of ChildLinK is being looked at as an opportunity to redefine relations with Every Child UK and continue supporting local partners and, by extension, the cause of vulnerable children.
“The hallmark of the programme has been the introduction of the rights based approach to children’s development, giving children a voice and strengthening their participation and inclusion in matters that concern them and collaborating with agencies to take protection of children higher up the agenda of key decision makers,” she stated.
Chairman of ChildLinK, Mr. Nigel Hawke said strides have been made but there is much more to be done.
“The task is a herculean one but, with the cooperation of all who are involved, we can be successful as a new entity. If we work hard enough and link, make linkages, with other organisations which are advocating for the rights and needs of children, we can make Guyana a better place,” he maintained.
Hawke said the primary projections of the NGO are touching the entire nation; taking step by step to address the needs of all vulnerable children and forging partnerships for impact, an effort which will focus on empowerment through knowledge sharing.
“We have to impact our churches, our temples, our mosques. If we want to see change, we must impact these organisations, because these will, in turn, impact families. If we are able to build strong families, we will have better children and, in the end, a better society,” he said.
Hawke observed that ChildLinK is all about forming linkages to impact and make a difference for children.
“This is a national institution advocating for the rights of the Guyanese children,” he reiterated.
Also present on the occasion was Ms. Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive Officer of Every Child UK, who said ChildLinK has the support of the international NGO, as it becomes a national entity in its own right.
“We are doing this because we believe that we have a responsibility to support local organisations to achieve social development and that this needs to be owned by citizens in their own countries,” she said.
Feuchtwang affirmed that her organisation will continue partnering with ChildLinK, sharing and learning about efforts made and offering technical advice and assistance.
Campaign
“We will continue to research, develop policy and campaign internationally for children,” she pledged, acknowledging that ChildLinK has grown out of brave and innovative efforts.
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Deputy Representative, Mr. Rudi Luchmann asserted that the work of NGOs is important, as they act like a bridge that strengthens partnerships, creates a protective environment for children and fills the gap in the provision of services.
He said the birth of ChildLinK is testimony of the good work of NGOs and visibility, particularly at community level, in advancing the delivery of services.
Luchmann said ChildLinK stands out from other NGOs because it has knowledge of what is happening at the community level.
“It knows what is happening with families, it knows where the shortfalls and gaps are,” he opined.
Luchmann encouraged ChildLinK to continue building partnerships to advance the interests of children.
He declared that is not the responsibility of the Government or service providers or NGOs or families alone but everybody’s business.
“A safe childhood should not be a dream but a reality,” Luchmann said.