Latest update November 21st, 2024 10:15 PM
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Lifeline counselling celebrates 15 years
– as plans for annual walk-a-thon takes shape
Having catered to some 270 Persons Living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (PLHIV) and with 379 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) during its recently concluded fiscal year (September 2010 – October 2011), officials of Lifeline Counselling Services are satisfied with the entity’s continued service to the local society.
With financial aid from its Corporate Sponsor, Digicel Guyana, and more recently Neal and Massy, some support from the Guyana Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS (GBCHA) and a number of other organisations, the non-governmental organisation has been reaching out to communities in Georgetown and its environs, according to its Executive Director, Mrs. Falicia Adams.
The main focus, she offered, is directed at ensuring that people are free from the fear of HIV-related stigma and discrimination and that people living with or vulnerable to HIV infection are supported to become self reliant in a non-discriminatory, safe and comfortable physical and emotional environment.
In order to continue its passionate drive to raise awareness about HIV, the entity will on Sunday spearhead its Annual Phillip
Ms. Shonette Moore (standing at right) receives a plaque on behalf of Digicel Guyana for the entity’s continued support to Lifeline Counselling Services.
Vanderhyden Walk-a-thon under the theme ‘Getting to Zero’.
The entity is calling on members of the public to join its efforts to help increase greater awareness and promote prevention of HIV/AIDS in Guyana. The walk, which is undertaken in honour of one of the founding members of the NGO, the late Phillip Vanderhyden, will start at 06:00 hours in the vicinity of the Bank of Guyana and move south into Avenue of the Republic, east into Durban Street, north into Cummings Street, east into Regent Road, north into Albert Street and culminate at the National Park.
It is expected that a wide cross-section will seek to be a part of the meaningful and sensitization venture aimed at targeting all walks of life and age groups.
In fact, it has been the mission of Lifeline Counselling Services since its commencement on October 22, 1996 to “work towards reducing the psycho-social impact of HIV for persons living with or affected by AIDs through education, counselling, care and support, training and networking with public and private sector organizations.”
As part of its 15th anniversary celebration, the entity, since earlier this month, streamlined a number of activities, among them the honouring of several supporting organizations and staff.
In its genesis, Lifeline initially provided counselling for persons living with and affected by HIV. However, over the years its services increased and broadened to meet the changing needs of clients.
In 2004, Lifeline was among the agencies that qualified for funding from USAID to implement Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) and Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) programmes.
However, in 2006 the entity commenced providing Home Based Care, which has since broadened to Community Home and Palliative Care (CHPC). The thrust of the entity’s Care and Support OVC programme has been capacity building and empowerment of parents and caregivers of OVC through parenting training and capacity building workshops to ensure that they provide optimal care to OVC; increased access to education including extra tuition, literacy classes, and life skills development through Lifeline’s vibrant youth club and day care facilities.
The programme is so designed to ensure that children in the entity’s care receive optimal care and opportunities to improve their quality of life and reduce their vulnerability to disease and poverty.
The Care and Support CPHC Model is aimed at providing optimal care to people living with HIV through capacity building of staff and clients to ensure optimal care including adherence by parents; life skills development and improving the quality of care for PLHIV.
However, with the impact of the global financial crisis and the funding reduction that is currently affecting the NGO society, the entity will have to solicit additional support from both private and public sector agencies even as it seeks to fulfill its mandate to “…Keep People The Heart of the Matter.”
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