–to help counter society’s ills

By Navendra Seoraj
THE Guyana Association of Professional Social Workers (GAPSW) is calling for “all hands on deck” to help combat society’s many ills.The call was made on Monday as Guyana joined in observing World Social Work Day.

By “all hands on deck,” GAPSW means all social groups, whether government or non-governmental, and individuals and what it ideally wants is that they all band together in the fight against social ills and to realise the importance of a social worker to society.

GAPSW President (ag.) Akilah Deorris told the Guyana Chronicle on Monday that “the month of March has been designated as Social Work Month, while March 15 is celebrated as World Social Work Day around the world.”
During this month, social workers intensify their operations, coming together and planning activities to demonstrate their actual role in society.
Under this year’s theme for Social Work Month, “Promoting Dignity and Worth of People,” the GAPSW got on the move to ensure that people know their importance to society.

‘WHOLE OF LIFE’ APPROACH
Deorris said that GAPSW’s daily work, apart from this day and month, is to take a “whole of life” approach towards helping individuals, families and groups cope with life’s stresses, to respond to challenges, and advocate for gender equality, among other things.
Therefore, in keeping with the international theme of the International Federation of Social Workers, the GAPSW said it will demonstrate its commitment in doing what really matters when it comes to combating social problems such as suicide, depression, abuse, sexual exploitation and other ills that pose a threat to society.
According to Deorris, they have planned a number of motivational sessions aimed at schools within Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica).
Moreover, they intend to reach out to third and final-year University of Guyana sociology students in an effort to recruit them and enlighten them about the operations of the GAPSW and its upcoming activities.
She reiterated the need for an inclusionary approach towards the alleviation of social ills, highlighting that their mandate is not just to work single-handedly, but to collaborate with other advocates and agencies.
This partnership, she said, is needed because of the limitations and scarcity of resources. Therefore, “we must not compete but co-operate, because we want organisations to know about our skillsets in order to work along with us.
“We extend our hand in collaboration with the government [and] civil society, because we want them to help us continue the good work, and create a future partnership so that we can make the world a better place,” said the GAPSW president.
The GAPSW said it is a professional, non-governmental organisation with a rich and successful history of over 42 years in the area of professional development of their members; creating positive social change in the lives of the disadvantaged and vulnerable; and enhancing the general welfare and well-being of local communities and the country as a whole.