To better serve Guyana’s indigenous community, Guyana’s Ministry of Amerindian Affairs has been

strengthening institutions of the Welfare Department.
“Social welfare is about how people, communities and institutions in a society take action to provide certain minimum standards and certain opportunities. It is generally about helping people facing contingencies”, (Canada’s Unique, 1998).
At present, an Amerindian Residence Management Plan is being developed to strengthen the operations of the Amerindian Hostel and to improve its services.

At the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, staffers strive to help all Amerindian peoples, dealing with child abuse; child labour; HIV/AIDS; domestic violence; birth certificate registration; illness requiring special care and human trafficking, among others.

The ministry also provides a comprehensive programme for hinterland scholarship students and strives to offer them support as they pursue their academic goals. At the Amerindian Residence, the welfare department works with individual patients, families, and groups to deal with issues such as grief, loss, teen pregnancy, and coping with their medical diagnosis.

The team comprises Social Welfare Officer (Welfare and Labour Issues), Senior Social Worker 1 (Patient Care), Senior Social Worker 2 (Scholarship Department), and HIV and AIDS Focal Point (Sexual and Reproductive Health/HIV and AIDS Department).
The Department has two offices, with Senior Social Workers I and II being both located at the Amerindian Residence to deal directly with patient issues and rights, and with the scholarship students. The Amerindian Residence is located at 216 Princess Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, while the Social welfare Office of Welfare and Labour Issues and the HIV and AIDS Department is located at 251-252 Thomas and Quamina Streets, Cummingsburg, Georgetown.
This year, enhanced focus will be placed on the implementation of the Presidential Grants and National Hinterland Development programmes, while the ministry’s Strategic Plan (2011/2012), will see emphasis being placed on titling, demarcation and land extensions.

To facilitate the latter, there is need for the speedy release of the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) funds, Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai said during the opening ceremony of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) meeting at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal.
 
“Two years on and we are now closer to conclusion, notwithstanding the tremendous pressure placed on the ministry, to respond to queries as to when lands are to be titled and demarcated, also reminding us that the Village Councils followed all the legislative process, before submitting applications,” she said.
However, development of Amerindian communities continues apace as government continues to invest in the development of the first peoples of the nation.