Region Ten gets Local Board of Guardians

Apr 24, 2016 News

By Jacquey Bourne
Eleven members were inducted as a new Local Board of Guardians, an extended arm of the Ministry of Social Protection, on Thursday at the Egbert Benjamin Conference Centre, Linden.

Local Board of Guardians

The Board members – Orlando Roland, Coretta Brathwaithe Walton, Stanley Collins, Sandra Adams, Faye Allicock and Berneita Primo. Kwakwani – Mavis Lewis, Kurt Simon and Denisha Jeffrey, and Ituni – Keisha Griffith and Gail Adolph.
Delivering the feature address was Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence. She said the task of the Board is critical to help them to achieve their objective.
She said that the Ministry has an overarching issue to address and that is poverty.
“I have noticed that over the years that this particular arm of the Ministry has not impacted our communities as it ought to. I don’t want the new Board to come in and do what the old Board was doing.”
In sharing the vision of the Ministry and the Government as a whole, Minister Lawrence that said some people need help in a holistic way and they are here to serve.
“Poverty has no face, race, religious or political persuasion and I’m very serious about that. This is Guyana; One People, One nation and this Government is forging for One Destiny…. That is a good life for all.”
Minister Lawrence told the Board Members that their decisions must be evidence-based and not by perception. “I am not saying that you must wear your heart on your sleeve but you must walk with your heart. Please allow people to walk away with their dignity.”
Minister Lawrence reminded the newly installed Board members that they are not a law unto themselves and that they are not the probation officers.
“You are just Board members. The Probation Officers are the professionals and so you have to develop a relationship with the Welfare Officers. You must have information to share to come to a decision.
“We don’t want to take up time with problems so get it right.” She posited that each child must go to school so that is one reason for a child to get public assistance. She also warned the Board Members that sometimes they have to look their friends and family in the eye and say, “You don’t qualify”.
Region Ten Chairman, Renis Morian, also shared the sentiments of the Minister. He said that the Board members have an important job to do and that he is very happy that a new Board is installed.
“I’m tired of complaints from residents, people with children and some people I know based on the criteria you have qualified for support.”
Morian said that it is a job that calls for human acts and he is happy to see new faces that will look at the challenges people are facing and help to bring stability and help to them.
He said that Region Ten is no different to the other Regions and the situation is very peculiar and urged them as they become involved in the lives of people to make them feel secure.
“Your actions can make people and can break people. While your actions would be in support of people and I want to extend it by saying as we talk to those persons help them to see that there is a better life ahead.
“All the persons who have given up on the system, who have given up on life. So the needs of a lot of persons might not be a voucher, their needs might be hearing from somebody who might offer a word of advice.
“As Chairman, I know how important it is just to hear somebody. Somebody just want somebody to listen to what they are going through and some people don’t even have the answer but all they want is for somebody to hear them and along the way you might get the answer.
“So I’m saying that your job is just not about a voucher, your job entails thinking ahead and giving a word of advice, patting somebody on the shoulder, shaking somebody arm and saying, ‘Look I’m with you’.”
He reiterated that he was very happy to see a new Board installed because he knew what happened with the past Boards. “People driving car getting public assistance. Your task is without political connections, race, colour and creed.”
The Regional Chairman urged them to discharge their responsibility in an environment of Humanity, peace and kindness.
Also present were the Minister within the Ministry responsible for Labour, Keith Scott; Director of Social Services Wentworth Tanner; Direction of Child Protection Ann Greene; Member of Parliament, John Adams; among others.