~says CPA Director as country sees an increase in child labour amid COVID-19 pandemic

DUE to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which has to date affected over 200 countries, many have suffered from economic setbacks after some businesses were forced to close which resulted in jobs being lost as well as schools being closed.
Owing to that and in a bid to provide for their families, many have been ‘hustling’ by all means necessary to look after themselves and children, however, disturbingly since Guyana recorded its first case of the virus there has been an increase in the number of children on the streets begging, vending and doing odd jobs in an attempt to assist their parents.

Ann Greene, the Director of the Childcare and Protection (CPA), during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle expressed immense disappointment with the number of reports that are being made daily to the CPA about children in the streets ‘hustling’ during the pandemic.
In condemning such acts she said, “No child is supposed to be at a corner begging or selling anything. The parents can do that if they want to [but] the children must not be with them on the road begging and so on so we are discouraging that. Every time we get a report of a child [doing so] we are going out to get the child and to work with the parents so that the child will not be on the road.”

She noted that on a daily basis the CPA would receive calls and respond to children selling on the streets of Georgetown.
“We would receive calls and we would go and pick them up and we are working with the parents so that they would understand that they are exposing their children to the pandemic,” Greene explained.

She further disclosed that the CPA has been working closely along with the Guyana Police Force as well as the Ministry of Social Protection which has been assisting with some safety net programmes for children who are in vulnerable living situations.
The director further stated that to date CPA has a number of housing facilities and some 36 children are currently being housed at the recently constructed Children and Family Care Centre in Georgetown.

Additionally, Ms. Greene disclosed that the CPA has teams in all administrative regions monitoring and responding to calls of children begging and vending on the roadways. She noted that in such cases the respective teams would try to find a foster home to house the child/ children or the child/children would be sent to Georgetown where they will be housed at the care centre.
In April 2019, the Ministry of Social Protection, in collaboration with international partners, officially launched Guyana’s National Policy on Child Labour and National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) where the Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally noted that the government will ensure the safety and protection of Guyana’s most valuable resources: its citizens.
It was during the launch of the policy, she said, “A nation can neither achieve nor sustain prosperity on the backs of its children. The exploitation of children must not be tolerated under any circumstances or for any reason. When children are exploited for the economic gains of others, everybody loses.”