Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana Riding on the Crest of Truth
Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 20:59 by GxMedia
Minister of Human Services, Jennifer Webster presents the cheque to Carmelita Layne, Secretary of the Ruimveldt Parent Support Group (RPSG). Also in photo are Desiree Pestano, Treasurer of the RPSG, Sabine McIntosh of the Deaf Association of Guyana, Beverley Pile, Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Disability (white jersey) and the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Lorene Bairdpartly hidden).
The Deaf Association of Guyana (DAG) received $1.5 million towards its project for ‘Skills development and income generation through shade house farming’. This project is intended to train teachers and deaf youths at three special needs schools in shade house farming and how to effectively manage the small agricultural enterprise. The schools undertaking the project are David Rose School for Handicapped Children (Georgetown), Special Needs School (Diamond, East Bank Demerara), and the New Amsterdam Special Needs School (Region Six).
The Ruimveldt Parent Support Group (RPSG) also received a donation of $555,664 toward a block making/laying project for youths who are hearing impaired, deaf, and physically disabled or have Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities. The idea is to create employment for the participants, who will undertake the project with the support of their parents and care givers. The beneficiaries are hoping to establish a small business enterprise in the North Ruimveldt community to generate income, thereby relieving their parents and caregivers of some financial responsibility to cater to their needs.
A donation of $1,639,970 is earmarked for another group, the Wismar Baptist Church Sign Language Group towards their ABLE HANDS project. The cheque will be presented to the group on Monday and is intended to assist them with funding for a cottage industry/micro enterprise.
These sums reflect the first tranche of the total donations to be made to the group. Presenting the cheques, Minister of Human Services, Jennifer Webster expressed Government’s appreciation for the work these organisations have been doing with the differently-abled persons and voiced her optimism that the projects will progress successfully