– officials
THE discovery of the decomposing body of a baby in a pit latrine late Friday has once more drawn attention to how much more has to be done to protect children, officials said yesterday.
Police arrested the 18-year-old mother of the eight-month baby, Unita Charles, after the body was found in pit latrine at Parika, East Bank Essequibo. In an invited comment, Deputy Chair of the Rights of the Child Commission (ROC), Mrs. Rosemary Benjamin-Noble, refrained from judging the actions of the mother, saying there should be more awareness of the options available.
“The Ministry of Human Services has many services available, but sometimes the problem is lack of awareness…in my years I have dealt with people who made a decision based on the little they know,” she said.
Benjamin-Noble added that among other areas, the commission is focusing on increasing awareness of the options in the interest of preserving life and protecting the rights of each child in Guyana.
“This incident shows us that there is still much more work to do,” she said.
Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ms. Greene said, “I am not in possession of the circumstances surrounding this case and an initial check with the case work supervisor revealed that this case is not on record. But stories like these bring to the fore that in spite of all that is being done more is needed.”
She said child protection is not only the business of the agency and the subject ministry, but is everyone’s business.
All must be involved in watching out for a child, she said.
She stressed that neighbours, community members and community groups could be part of the solution to the problem of child abuse and neglect by seeking out families who find themselves in grave and vulnerable situations and linking them to services, or by just reporting the situation to the authorities and keep reporting until something is done.
“This is a teen mom without the much needed support…it appears more could have been done at the family and community level,” she said.
Greene added that the agency provides psychosocial support and other assistance to prevent child abuse and the separation of children from their parents.
She said collaboration is also done with other agencies, religious bodies and groups to bring relief to families and assistance for social dysfunctions.
“Only recently, we established a partnership with the Guyana Mothers Union to conduct parenting classes at the community level across Guyana.  This project is supported by UNICEF.  This partnership with the mothers union in our parent programme is a start”, she said.
According to her, more organisations and individuals need to come on board if Guyana is to win the fight to provide children with the best care possible.
She observed that the Child Care and Protection Agency long ago recognised the need for forging partnerships in building a comprehensive child protection system for the children of Guyana.
She acknowledged that the agency has a mandate to provide education and training for parents and caregivers of children to ensure children are safe in their homes, receiving the care and attention that promote their wellbeing and for them to realise their highest potential.
However, she said this could only be successively accomplished with the involvement of members of the community.
“I have repeatedly said that the community is our eyes and our ears. We only know a child is being abused if you tell us and keep telling us until action is taken,” she said.
The agency’s hotline number is 227-0979.
Greene added, “It is tragic — the loss of a child’s life in such a manner and at the start of Child Protection Week 2010.  Let us work together to ensure that our children are safe.”
In June of this year, the body of a newborn baby was found with its throat slit by school children at the Kingston koker, Georgetown.
Also in that same month, a premature baby girl was found in a garbage heap in Linden. She subsequently died.