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March 2004
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Women Take Action in Guyana: Augmenting Social Services and Working for Change by Sacha Geer Guyana is a small English speaking country perched on the North coast of South America. Listed by major funding institutions as a Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC), Guyana’s government and social services are stretched to the limit trying to provide basic services for the nearly 750 000 citizens. Many women however, many approaching the average age of HotFlash readers, are working hard to make a difference. The following are just three examples of what some women, through donation of time and creative fundraising efforts, are doing to help ease the strain. The United Women for Special Children (UWSC) headed by Ann Geer, is a group formed of in the late eighties with a mandate of providing services for children who are abled or differently abled, have special needs, or learning delays. UWSC seeks to work with existing services provided by local government and community groups, providing additional teachers salaries, training for older students, feeding programmes and aqua therapy programmes for their students. Mothers In Black is an advocacy group started by Denise Dias in the capital city of Georgetown over three years ago after a tragic road accident. Denise, and dozens of other women make their lobbying physical by dressing in black and protesting weekly outside government offices to demand that road safety rules be enforced. They sponsor awareness campaigns on local television stations and lobby to protect the lives of drivers and children who often play near roadways. The Gentlewomen’s Society is one in a long and proud line of groups who have administered a home for elderly women in Georgetown. The group, headed by Alana King, works to administer the home by maintaining the grounds, building and working with staff. The residents are assisted by local and overseas sponsors who take care of their health needs, and pay a monthly stipend for their stay. Write sageer@uwo.ca for more information on any of these wonderful women and their work. |