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28 differently-able persons complete skills training
Early morning showers could not cast a shadow on the jubilant atmosphere as
Family members and differently-able persons present at graduation ceremony yesterday.
twenty eight children with physical disabilities graduated from the Ruimveldt Parent Support Group (RPSG) with certificates in various skills.
The activity which was held at the Ruimveldt Playground, Festival City, North Ruimveldt, on Wednesday certified the children in block making and block laying, and basic knowledge of accounting, marketing and customer service techniques.
RPSG Project Coordinator, Ms. Carmelita Layne said that the programme was initiated after President Jagdeo in 2011, disbursed a $20M fund to assist organisations aiding persons living with disabilities in Guyana. She added that in order to access the fund, each organisation had to submit a proposal for approval.
RPSG’s proposal was approved in 2013, and the organisation was able to commence its good work. Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) and the Institute of Private Enterprise Development
One of the graduates receiving his certificate in block making and block-laying.
(IPED) partnered with the organisation, in order to achieve the vision.
Layne explained, “…we drew up a proposal and were able to secure a little over $900,000…We identified block making and laying as the project we wanted, because it was something that all the children can participate in.
She added that RPSG has a membership of 48 and consists of a mixture of children that are deaf, dumb, have Down’s syndrome, and are differently abled in many other ways. She said that working with the organisation throughout the years has been an exciting experience.
Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Disability (NCD), Beverly Pyle, explained that her organisation is a part of the team in charge of managing the fund that was set up by the former president. She further explained that it was through her organisation that this project was able to blossom, and a variety of proposals were granted to other organisations to aid in entrepreneurial projects.
“These are projects that would help them to bring in earnings – projects that would be training persons with disabilities. RPSG successfully marketed their potential, and they were accepted,” Pyle recalled.
RPSG was founded by Mrs. Doreen Barrington in 1996. The founder told Kaieteur News, that she started the organisation because she has a son with special needs, and she wanted to help in removing the stigma attached to such children
“I have a son with special needs so I felt that I can help other mothers to appreciate the children that they have, and to help remove the stigma which is one of the major problems.
I worked through the health centre, with the health visitors, in order to have an idea of who were the children that had special needs in the area. At that time, my son attended David Rose Special School, and I was able to get some contacts from there too.”
Mrs. Barrington explained that she communicated with other Caribbean disability organisations, which served as a learning experience, since parents and children with disabilities were able to travel to other Caribbean countries. This experience, Barrington related, was able to expose Guyanese mothers to the opportunities available to differently-abled persons in other countries, since a common reaction locally has been to hide these children away.
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