By Cassandra Khan
A VARIETY of agencies under the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security assisted Mocha-Arcadia residents on Monday and had discussions with them.

Residents benefitted from parenting sessions and received child-safety books, counselling, queries for old age pensions and public assistance, registration for WIIN classes, and more.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, said that the ministry had visited Mocha before, but in a different area where she got insights into issues affecting the area and has held this outreach to better deliver human services more effectively and efficiently in the area.

Residents were able to alleviate frustration or make enquiries about old age pensions, such as how pension can be delivered more effectively and efficiently; whether pensioners choose to do it via the bank, post office, MoneyGram, or if it would need to be delivered to persons who are unable to walk or see.

“In addition to that, the other big area which I know sometimes people send a number of complaints on is public assistance, and this is an area where we’ve been working… all you need is your application and a medical report. That’s it and you apply for public assistance, and you should receive it without having to apply again and again, and you go until you are pensionable with public assistance,” Minister Persaud said.

Concerning the Women’s Innovation Investment Network (WIIN), Minister Persaud encouraged the attendees to become involved in WIIN.

She explained to residents that it is a free training programme for women and no academic background is needed.

“We train you in a number of technical/vocational areas, notably garment construction… and what I’ve been suggesting is something that will help you to have quick income generation: school uniforms, shirts, pants and hospital linens,” she said.

Minister Persaud added: “My personal desire is once people complete the sewing course, we can work towards getting those sewing machines, so leave that part to me. For now, I want you to work on being in the courses like child care, patient care, graphic design, videography, and photography.”

Minister Persaud explained that after being trained, entrepreneurs are produced, and the ministry continues to work with them in the female incubator through the women and WIIN in business clinics.

“If you want to know how to start your business, how to grow it, how to sustain it, and who you have to contact, we don’t just tell you, we bring the partners [such as] GRA, NIS, whoever it is they come to the WIIN in business clinics,” she related.

Additionally, for those interested in child care, there are added modules to deal with special-needs children and early childhood developments. Minister related that the child-care programme aims at the residents opening their own day-care or night-care facility.

“A lot of women work long hours, and they need somewhere safe to leave their child or children, so we have to create those safe spaces,” Minister Persaud said.

She noted that the ministry will train residents, work with them to have facilities set up, work with them to be in tune with the minimum standards, help them register, and give subsidies.

As for child abuse, Minister Persaud noted that parents should get their children screened, instead of the normalized “beating and hope” where parents beat children with the hope of them getting better, but she told parents that a child could have actual issues, so it is better to get them screened.