A LARGE section of society focuses a lot on women-related issues, as the female populace is usually the more oppressed group.

Nonetheless, there are issues that surround predominantly men, such as drug and alcohol addiction. And while more can be done to tackle these issues, there are some agencies, organisations and private groups that assist in this regard.

The Salvation Army is one such group, based in Guyana, that focuses specifically on transforming the lives of young and senior men.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Major of the Salvation Army Guyana branch, Pierre Antoine, shared the length to which the religious group goes, to save vulnerable men.

With over 26 years of service in Salvation Army, Antoine is now housed at the Salvation Army Men’s Social Centre on Water Street. He said that the Centre has been in operation since 1996, and has saved hundreds of young and senior men.

“Countless men have been treated in this centre, and their lives were changed. Men who were addicted to drugs, smoking, and drinking, and this centre has made a great impact in their lives,” he said. Explaining further what they provide, he said that the clients taken in, have access to counsellors who work on a daily basis, and they teach the clients to help them through recovery.

This is not as easy as it sounds, Antoine said. As dealing with programmes of this nature can be quite challenging.

“Running this programme is not easy, and challenges will always be around. Nothing comes without a challenge, specifically with the kind of programme we have, to turn people’s lives around. But the main challenge is when they come, the first challenge is for them to stay. Because when they come, their freedom is taken away. They can’t have money, not allowed to do business, not allowed to go on the road alone, all these are challenging for them to upkeep because these are big men,” he explained.

“But later when they realize they need the programme, they make the effort to stay. But of course, some walk out before they finish the six months programme,” he added.
The Centre is opened for any male addict who has the desire to change and they are welcomed at a monthly cost, since accommodation and meals are provided.
Antoine said that they would take in a few clients, who cannot afford it, for free.
“But we cannot keep taking because the programme is expensive. Our budget is more than 34 million a year, and we are assisted with a grant from the government of 10 million dollars,” he added. The plan for 2020 however, is to create solutions to some of their challenges.

The Major said that they are working to get security on the premises, which will cater to ensuring persons don’t walk out before completing the programme. He said since finance to run the programme is also a challenge, they are going to implement some fund-raisers next year.

Additionally, the Major said that their current clients and clients coming in as of 2020, will be exposed to learning a trade as part of the programme. “We realised that, after treatment, when they go out there, they don’t have a trade and it is difficult to get something to do. So then our plan for 2020 for unskilled clients, as they have been placed here, they should be able to learn a trade in the centre. Getting something to do is very important because some of them come in without any trade,” Antoine said.

Not having a skill when they go out back from the programme, he said can result in them going back and use drugs or alcohol. He explained too, that, after six months in the treatment programme, some of the clients are transferred to the half-way house.

“Having a trade, they can go out and work and do their business, and work their way back to independence,” Antoine said. “We have two ideas presently. Cabinet and furniture making, and the blocks factory… We have people who are very intelligent and clever, and computer-skilled. If we can get some computers, we will make them computer literate and make them do something. So this is our main goal for 2020,” he further disclosed.