JULIUS Variety Store has gifted the non-governmental organisation Women Across Differences (WAD) babies and children’s items worth about $100,000 to aid in its work.The presentation was recently held at the WAD office at Lot 34 Anira Street, Queenstown. Coordinator Clonel Samuels-Boston and Canadian Volunteer Danielle Blondin were on hand to receive the donation.
The WAD representatives were very pleased to be recipients of the gifts, which included four baby carriers, four strollers and one play pen. The gift items will be used to assist young mothers, especially school drop-outs who bring their babies and children along for classes at the location.
Father of the proprietor of Julius Variety, Lawrence Mentis said his son Julius Mentis plans to make similar donations in future, and that this donation to WAD was the first of its kind.
Coordinator Clonel Samuels-Boston told the Guyana Chronicle that the major challenge presently facing WAD is space, because WAD is stuck in a cramped bottom flat apartment for which they pay a monthly rent.
She added that WAD is a women’s organisation which was established in 1996 to enable women and girls to empower themselves through access to social and economic resources.
Samuels-Boston stated that it provides a forum for women to meet and encourage them to make their collective voices heard in the area of public policy.
She added that investment in girls is an investment in a generation, and WAD aims to have girls and women participate in empowerment workshops and programmes.
Samuels-Boston said that UNFPA is a donor agency, and they make do with donations and cater for girls and women in batches, ensuring they benefit from training; they have a one-year programme which offers a certificate upon graduation.
WAD offers courses free of cost in personal development, sexual reproductive health, entrepreneur development and physio-social support. There are 25 volunteers taking these courses. WAD partners with other NGOs and plans to expand to cater for a daycare once greater accommodation has been obtained.
Canadian Volunteer Danielle Blondin said she arrived in Guyana in October this year, and has since been working with WAD. She said the experience has been good so far, and she was successful in the creation of a manual for WAD.
By Michel Outridge