IN a bold move to tackle the root causes of violence and break harmful cycles passed down through generations, Guyana has opened its first facility dedicated to supporting boys and men in becoming better versions of themselves.

On Tuesday, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud officially launched the BRAVE Centre at Leonora, describing it as a long-overdue “missing piece of the puzzle” in Guyana’s fight against gender-based violence.
Housed on the ground floor of the West Central Mall, the BRAVE Centre is a pioneering step towards helping men redefine what it means to be men in a society struggling with cultural norms that too often excuse violence.

“Men have to redefine men,” Dr. Persaud declared, capturing the essence of the new centre’s mission. For years, the Ministry has led initiatives to protect and empower women and survivors of abuse, but the minister stressed that sustainable change must also include the men often at the centre of the violence.

“Let’s call it BRAVE, because to make yourself so vulnerable, where you have insight first to see that you have a problem or a challenge and then to step further to say, not only do I have a challenge, I want help, it requires an enormous degree of bravery,” Dr. Persaud explained to those gathered for the launch.

Operated under the ministry’s Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit and the Family Enhancement Services Section, the BRAVE Centre will offer counselling, conflict resolution, mentorship, and emotional support for men and boys in a stigma-free environment.

A COMMUNITY EFFORT
The centre is the product of collaboration between the Ministry and key partners, including the Region Three Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Cementing this alliance, both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the launch, with the Chamber agreeing to waive the rental fee for the first year of operations.

The goal is clear: Give men the tools to heal, reflect, and take responsibility for their actions. “The BRAVE Centre asks men to do something: Have a sense of responsibility and accountability. Big words. Being responsible and accountable for their own actions,” Dr. Persaud emphasised. “Only men are responsible for who they are.”
The launch comes at a critical time for Guyana, following a series of high-profile cases of gender-based violence that have shocked the nation. Dr. Persaud pointed to the deeply rooted cultural patterns that normalize violence, noting that the task ahead is enormous but necessary.

“Violence is something that is culturally embedded, not only in this country, but just look across the world at what is happening today. Violence is there. People deal with their emotions, people seek to address conflict many times with violence, and we have taken on an onerous task to try and combat and curb violence,” she said.
For the Minister, prevention starts at home. She urged parents and communities to raise boys who respect themselves — and by extension, respect the women and girls around them. “If a man respects himself, he will never raise his hand on a woman. Parents, you have to start raising your boys to respect themselves and to respect the females in their lives,” she urged.

MORE THAN A CENTRE
While the launch marks a significant milestone, the BRAVE Centre is only the beginning. The Ministry plans to replicate this model across the country as part of a broader strategy that includes youth-friendly hubs and policy reforms.

Rawle Small, the programme’s consultant, explained that BRAVE is already laying the groundwork for a nationwide reach. “Although still in its early stages, BRAVE will seek to work with men across Guyana; with counsellors and facilitators being placed in various communities,” Small said. “We just did the pilots and right now we are still doing the facilitator training. The plan is to develop teams of regional facilitators. For example, in Region 4 we will have East Bank and East Coast facilitators, and maybe we will do one for Georgetown. But the idea is to have at least three facilitators per corridor.”

Already, the Ministry has set up three youth hubs nationwide — with ten more promised this year — giving young people safe spaces to speak up, heal, and find guidance. The launch of BRAVE follows closely on the heels of the Ministry’s new men’s policy, “Bridging the Gap,” which aims to bring men and boys into the conversation on gender-based violence and prevention.

A HOPE FOR GENERATIONS
“For the first time in the history of this country, a centre dedicated to men called the BRAVE Centre,” Dr. Persaud reflected. “Let this be a catalyst where more of these will spring up, where every person, one at a time, we can make a difference in their life, simply because everyone matters.”

In a society where conversations about masculinity often happen behind closed doors — if at all — the BRAVE Centre throws those doors wide open, daring men to look inward, take accountability, and step forward with the courage to change.

For Guyana, it’s a message as powerful as it is overdue: true bravery is not about power over others, but the willingness to transform oneself. And sometimes, that’s exactly where real change begins.