THE Linden mother of five, Onika Kingston, whose reputed husband allegedly doused her with a pot of boiling rice, was paid a visit by Minister Simona Broomes and team at the Linden Hospital Complex Intensive Care Unit, where she is currently hospitalised.
Broomes took a gift for the woman and encouraged her to gain strength. The woman revealed that her main priority is her children and she needs a job so as to become independent.

“You got to fight it for your children, don’t feel sorry for yourself, think what you will do to help the doctors to get strong to come out of here,” Minister Broomes encouraged.
She said women must gather strength to leave abusive relationships.
“We have to change the cycle, that as women we are so vulnerable. You won’t risk throwing hot water on him; you won’t risk it because you studying what he will do to you. We gotta demonstrate that strength too, that he won’t risk throwing that hot water on me,” Broomes said.

Kingston related to Broomes that she and her partner, Leslie Woolford, with whom she shares a visiting relationship, started to argue and he then threw the pot of rice that was on the stove on her. She managed to turn her back and run into the bedroom. Hence her face was saved, but the upper part of her body was badly burnt, especially her arms. Woolford, who is a cook, is expected to be charged in the new week.
The incident occurred on Thursday at Kingston’s Silver Town residence, in the presence of her eldest son. “Women in abusive relationships never change; most time the end to abusive relationship is death …. Find independence and walk away…. We can break the cycle, we cannot hand this down as a legacy as Guyanese women…. I wanna encourage women, you have to be strong, to withstand, we need to put our bars and keep it higher.”
Speaking on domestic violence in Linden, Broomes said a lot of work has to be done to bring awareness to women, especially young girls who have been reaching out to her.
The minister has started a girl power movement in Linden to tackle the issue and for women and girls to be their sisters’ keeper.

“I want to move motions, I want to see us as women in Guyana raising the bar and not only pitching our voices, but ensuring that we put a stop to it…. I am calling upon all in society to let us join together, leaders, every sector, every area, we can make a difference,” Broomes said.

During the past week, two Lindeners were sentenced for raping young girls. The minister revealed that a women forum is in the pipeline to encourage women to speak out against physical and sexual abuse. “With the churches, with the NGOs, I think we can start to make a difference for Guyana right here in Linden.”