The Disability Movement is moving ahead on many fronts and stakeholders are now looking to involve children as ‘Child Advocates’, in an effort to affect behaviour and attitude change, as well as influence policy.
With support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) the disability movement, yesterday, concluded a three-day workshop which focused on strengthening capacity and train trainers of the child advocates.
Lead Facilitator, Ms. Janice Jackson, told the Guyana Chronicle that more emphasis is being placed at the regional level, hence the move to involve children from the community.
“We are training the trainers who will facilitate the inclusion of the children…the whole idea is to raise awareness and we believe children will be very instrumental here,” she said.
She pointed out that this undertaking is a pilot project that will be expanded to other regions soon.
The participants of the workshop were from Regions Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands/ West Demerara), Four (Demerara/ Mahaica), Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne), Nine (Upper Takutu/ Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara/ Upper Berbice).
The concurrence of the participants, numbering close to 20, was that the workshop was beneficial and effective and will assist in the skills transfer that is being aimed at.
This workshop is a follow-up from a similar session held in 2009 that focuses on the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Jackson said, “There has been much growth from last year to now and individually the participants have themselves developed in terms of their confidence level. They are more motivated and in Region 10 some have managed to mobilize their own resources.”
She added that at the community level there is much potential and the interest is strong.
According to the lead facilitator working so closely with the community has benefits on many levels, primarily in the area of registering persons with disabilities with the National Commission on Disability (NCD).
A database of persons is expected to facilitate assistance in different areas: to assist persons with disabilities who have regular clinic dates with transportation; to be a reference point for persons with disabilities who have to address public assistance issues; and to provide certain statistical data.
Additionally, with the Disability Act now it place, a register is a requirement.
Persons with disabilities are asked to contact the Guyana Council of Organizations for Persons with Disabilities at 225-0495 or 226-2880 or the NCD at 226-4566 to ensure they are included on the register.
Another facilitator and a volunteer with the Support Group for Deaf Persons, Mr. Monty Chester, in an invited comment, said the next step will be supporting the trainers and child advocates.
“Children get the message across more easily, more effectively because they are more open. We have to ensure we support this because it will determine what happens in the next generation,” he said.