Latest update April 8th, 2025 7:13 AM
More shelters needed for abused women and children
– Only 45 spots available Region Four Shelter
As the Help and Shelter continues its efforts to combat domestic violence, more shelters are needed to adequately cater to all victims throughout the nation, Coordinator Margaret Kertzious said.
Help and Shelter Coordinator Margaret Kertzious
For more than 2 decades, Help and Shelter has been providing protection and support to women and children who were experiencing abuse. Currently, the shelter provides shelter to 45 persons at one location. However, Kertzious said this is not enough to facilitate all 10 Administrative Regions of Guyana.
According to the organisation’s Coordinator, Help and Shelter’s work is sometimes stymied by geographical constraints. She explained that persons who live far from the shelter’s location do not receive adequate support. She added that there is a demand to have shelters in specific regions for different purposes.
“Like, there may be need for a shelter in Region Two and other outlying regions, such as regions Nine and Ten,” Kertzious said. She further said that the need for more shelters is also frequently raised when the organisation is conducting outreaches.
“You may have a call from Kwakwani in Region Ten …or from one of these outlying areas. Persons call and say that they are being abused…but we can’t help someone through the phone,” Kertzious noted. In these cases, she said, Help and Shelter tries to use a contact to help abused persons. However, the ideal situation would be to have a shelter available to provide services to the abused women, Kertzious said.
“We are relying on social workers and the police to assist us,” she added.
Furthermore, Kertzious said, some women are not prepared to move from their communities to an area far away and instead, choose to remain in their circumstances.
More support needed
Kertzious also made a call to both the government of Guyana and non-governmental organisations to provide additional support to its ongoing efforts.
According to Kertzious, the Guyana government provides a $10m grant each year to the organisation. However, she said, much more support is still needed.
The Coordinator explained that the organisation has been lobbying for some time for an increase in the grant’s amount. She added that funds given to the organisation are used for the management of the shelter.
The funds not only provide shelter to victims but also afford them security, meals, and clothing. In the cases of children, money is used to continue sending them to school, Kertzious said.
Additionally, the Shelter provides skills training and is hoping to upgrade its poultry project.
“Everything is just going up and we need more money for upkeep,” Kertzious said.
Furthermore, Kertzious said that the money received from the government goes towards its shelter and not towards the organisation’s Crisis Service Centre.
“We don’t get money from the government for this; we rely on projects from international donors for our Crisis Service Centre,” she said. She explained that the centre, which is based at Help and Shelter’s Homestretch Avenue Headquarters, is separate from its shelter. The centre provides a number of services including the organization’s hotline, counseling, and public education projects.
In the meantime, Kertzious said the organisation tries to supplement its funds through fundraising activities. She explained that, throughout the year, both the Board of Directors and Help and Shelter volunteers carry out a number of activities.
In the case of the Board of Directors, Kertzious said one major fundraising event is planned and this goes towards the organisation. With the volunteers, activities are carried out every quarter and the funds are used for the maintenance of the public awareness campaigns. Use of the funds would include transportation for volunteers, Kertzious added.
The Coordinator further said a fundraising activity is planned for March 20. This event will be a dinner at the Georgetown Club and all funds will go towards the upkeep of the organisation.
Help and Shelter has been in operation since November 1994 and has become a recognised leader in the fight against violence in Guyana – particularly domestic, sexual and child abuse.
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