DUE to the resounding response, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MHSSS) will be holding its ‘Every Child Safe’ short story writing competition for a second time.

In the initial competition, approximately 220 entries were received from children across the country.

According to a press release, the initiative seeks to engage children between ages 12 and 17 years on issues surrounding child safety, child care and child abuse. The young writers will be given a word limit of 600 words with stories needing a title.

“Children safety is priority for the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. Safety is important in so many different situations especially to children and it is imperative that they understand that they must, at all times, consider their own safety and those of others and also be aware of how they can report and get to safe spaces in the event that they are confronted by anyone or anything that is harmful to them.

Bringing this storybook competition for a second time allows them to discuss and think about it, to put thoughts on paper. We have a second storybook emerging where their words and their thoughts and experiences can influence other young people their age so I am looking forward to seeing what they will write,” Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud said.

Under ‘Every Child Safe’, more is done than to just make information available to the public; a personal and consistent check-in with members of communities all across Guyana is carried out to help them to identify perpetrators and bring relief to those experiencing violence, abuse and other harmful experiences.

The campaign fosters heightened vigilance on child abuse in communities and people will now be more aware of crimes that they should look out for and how they should report cases of child abuse, utilising the 914 hotline and all the other avenues available to them through the Ministry.

Stories must be written in Standard English but creole may be used in dialogues. The top 10 stories will be selected by a panel of judges from the Ministry with a keen interest in capturing the imagination of the readers while speaking to the issues listed in a creative and culturally sensitive form.

These stories will be published by the Ministry and supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). These books will be circulated countrywide. Writers will be given a maximum of two entries and each must be affixed with name, address and contact number. Prizes will be presented to the winners.

Stories could be emailed to prmohsss@gmail.com or dropped off at the Ministry’s offices located at 357 Lamaha and East Streets or Lot 1 Cornhill Street Stabroek or the Childcare and Protection Agency located at Lot 7 Broad and Charles Streets, Georgetown. Closing date is midnight on July 27.