Social Cohesion Dept. conducts sensitization and outreach in Baramita

Dec 23, 2018 News

The Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport collaborated with the Baramita Ministerial Task Force to conduct a Community Outreach and a Social Cohesion Sensitization programme in the village of Baramita.
The activities commenced on December 13th and concluded December 18th. During this period, the residents were engaged in activities, which were all hosted with the aim of improving their lives and fostering development within the community through social and economic growth.

Ms. Olive Gopaul, Technical Officer within the Department of Social Cohesion hands over sports gear and equipment to Ms. Jennifer Williams, Headmistress of Baramita Primary School.

The outreach was hosted in keeping with the mission of the Department of Social Cohesion to support actions that strengthen key partnerships across sectors and facilitate bridging gaps within and across communities to promote social, economic and cultural development in the process of creating enriched lives for all Guyanese.
At the opening of these activities, Ms. Olive Gopaul, Technical Officer within the Department of Social Cohesion, educated the residents on the work of her Department. Ms. Gopaul urged residents to actively participate in the process of building a unified country and to understand what it means to have access to social and economic equality, job opportunities and safety within their community, as those are areas the Baramita Ministerial Task Force was established to improve within the community.
Mr. Balogun O. Osunbiyi, Senior Psychologist attached to the Mental Health Unit of the Ministry of Public Health, through his presentation, addressed the challenges of the community stemming from diminished mental health resulting from depression and alcohol consumption. He engaged the residents in activities, which highlighted the ills of consuming alcohol and the positives of channeling their energy into activities such as sports. Mr. Osunbiyi also addressed the high incidence of suicide plaguing the community by highlighting preventative and supportive measures to combat this occurrence.
To encourage residents to participate in various sports as an outlet to foster a greater sense of cohesion within the community, as well as access to the opportunities provided through participating in sports, the collaboration of the Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport and the Baramita Ministerial Task Force resulted in the formation of the Baramita Sports Club, the first official sports club within the community.
The five-member executive of the club is expected to provide guidance in all aspects of sport participation for members of the club. Initial coaching sessions were conducted by Coach Gordon Brathwaite of the National Sports Commission who provided training to club members and potential coaches from December 13-17.
Speaking to the community on the importance of sport participation, Ms. Melissa Dow-Richardson, Assistant Director of Sport, Department of Sport, further encouraged the residents to become active members of the Baramita Sports Club.
Ms. Dow-Richardson in her discussion on “The Role of Sports in the Development of the Lives of Young People” within the community of Baramita, engaged residents on the various sports which are currently active in Guyana, as well as the benefits of sports to physical health, socializing, mental health, academic achievement and positive contributions to community development.

Getting ready for a football session with Coach Gordon Brathwaite

Upon conclusion of the activities hosted, residents expressed satisfaction with the intervention. Mr. Eustace Smith, who represented the Jehovah Witness Organisation within the community, expressed heartfelt gratitude for the initiative. He stated that the community is in need of greater efforts to combat the challenge of illiteracy, and added that his Organisation will support any initiative, which will help to empower the residents and bring development to the community.
Toshao of Baramita, Sharmain Rambajue, also gave her views, stating that, “Anything which will help the young people stay away from alcohol will be good. I see sports and education as outlets, because then they will channel their energy in that direction; that way they can help to develop the community”
Further, discussions with the newly signed members of the club revealed a sense of enthusiasm among the youth. Twenty-eight year-old Kevon Elkena also voiced his opinion on the formulation of the Baramita Sports Club, “This sports club will benefit everybody who is interested in sports. We need a sports club where the young people in the community can actually come together and do things other than partying and drinking”
The outreach concluded with the official handing over of sports gear and equipment to the executive of the newly-formed Club and a Stihl Brushcutter donated to the community by Farfan and Mendes, through the Department of Social Cohesion.