THE Domestic Violence Counselling Centre (DVCC) at 24 Rahaman Park, Springlands, Corriverton, Corentyne is playing a meaningful role in keeping resolvable matters out of the courtroom and has been assisting many families to resolve differences.

The DVCC became functional on April 16th 2012, through the vision and patronage of former Magistrate Krishndatt Persaud. The centre currently serves persons from Number 35 Village on the Corentyne to the Amerindian Village of Siparuta, along the Corentyne River.
The objective of the DVCC is to assist families who are distressed and in need of moral support. The counsellors at the centre deal with spouses, truants and neighbours who are in conflict, and soon the centre will commence pre-marital counselling for young couples.
Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Head Counsellor, Ms. Helene Baijnauth said that since the establishment of the DVCC, they have dealt with close to 2,000 cases in a calendar year and more persons continue to seek the assistance of the centre.
She said that it is a challenge for a staff of six counsellors, but they give their best in resolving common domestic and social issues.
“We would advise married couples to develop trust, which leads to love and understanding and that would assist children to take good example of. We also encourage children to develop good manners and discipline which would enable them to perform better in school and help them to focus on their studies. They are also warned about the negative effects of pre-marital sexual relationships that can impact on their future. Neighbours are also encouraged to live well with each other since they are the closest ones to render assistance to each other in times of need,” she said.
Founder and Patron of the DVCC, Mr. Krishndatt Persaud said that he’s heartened by the response of the public in seeking the assistance of the centre in resolving their problems.
He declared: “As a former magistrate, I had seen too many persons being charged and placed before the court for petty matters and I thought it was a wise idea to establish this centre to deal with some of those issues and try to resolve them amicably. The chronic matters, no doubt would have to be dealt with by the law, since we are not here to shield anyone who is bent on disrupting domestic or public peace.”

PREVALENT CASES
Among the prevalent cases that were dealt with by centre from April 2012 to April 2013 are various forms of abuse – alcohol, drug, physical and verbal – along with cases of persons in financial distress and those with suicidal tendencies.
For that period, it was noted that the DVCC, has dealt with 30 suicidal and 18 child protection cases. The centre also conducted three outreach programmes, 35 hospital visits and eight home visits along with seven field trips to investigate cases, while 18 matters were also referred to the court.

PROJECTIONS
The DVCC intends to continue educating women about domestic violence and suicide, while the counsellors will also be working towards the establishment of a recreational centre. They also intend to train members of the community to deal with cases of domestic violence. The centre would also be working in collaboration with other non-governmental organisations in assisting more females to gain employment and become self- sufficient.
Under the motto ‘Make The Change, Make The Difference, Stop The Violence’, the DVCC is run by a board, headed by Dr. Vishalya Sharma and services are provided by Helene Baijnauth, Michelle Austin, Gagthmotieranie Persaud, Shakuntalla Bhoj and Chandardat Totaram. Shakuntala Sukhram and Nagma Kanaya are responsible for the documentation of cases.
The centre is open to the public from Monday to Saturday, between the hours of 9:00am – 5:00 pm. For further information on the services of the DVCC, persons can call 335-3887.