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Crane Social Worker awarded EU’s 2024 Human Rights Award
Founder of Youths with Purpose, Maureen Hope
Kaieteur News- For her hard work and dedication in addressing social issues among youths and women for more than 20 years, Founder of Youths with Purpose, Maureen Hope, was on Thursday evening awarded the 2024 Delegation of the European Union (EU) Human Rights Award.
Presenting the award to Hope on Thursday at a simple, yet significant ceremony, was EU’s Ambassador Rene Van Nes who said that the annual award commemorates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Hope, a dedicated social worker who resides at Crane on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), has dedicated more than 20 years of her life to addressing social issues and empowering local youths in various communities in Region Three.
Sharing a brief background about her work and what prompted her, Hope said it all stemmed from her own childhood experiences.
“It is the passion that is in me. I started this work more than 21 years ago and the work that I am doing, it’s being done with just the local people in my community, the children especially. I’m not ashamed to say what prompted or guided me to do that, it was my early childhood, we were poor. I’m not ashamed to say that and so when I became an adult and I saw people in the situation I was in, it moved my heart to help them,” she explained.
The awardee noted that she first initiated her non-governmental organsiation from Sunday school a few years ago after working closely with ChildLink Inc. at the time. “I was working with ChildLink and we were working with the children in the communities and so I would go and work with these children and these children begin to share their stories. And so, we begin to work with them, mentoring them and there was great behaviour change so the parents wanted to know what happened so they too came along and we started a group,” she said.
She registered her organisation in 2018 and since then she has been working with youths and women all across Region Three.
Hope shared that the name of the orangisation came from working with the youths, who she would usually tell “Regardless of what is happening in your life there is a purpose for you, you have purpose and you must fulfill that purpose.”
Maureen Hope receiving the 2024 EU Delegation of Human Rights Award from Ambassador Rene Van Nes on Thursday.
Expressing gratitude for the award, Hope also thanked those agencies that helped to build her capacity as a better facilitator and help shaped her organisation to where it is today.
In his brief remarks, Ambassador Van Nes said that the EU has been indirectly supporting Youths with Purpose through ChildLink and has seen the outstanding work Hope has been doing in addressing social issues with the locals in her community.
It is through her initiatives in uplifting young people, educating and teaching them skills and making sure that young women can actually earn their own living, that the EU honoured her this year.
“We give that award each year to people that do fantastic work and not immediately get the recognition. So, this is to be mindful of those people that devote their lives to making sure that this world is a better place and do expect absolutely nothing in return,” the Ambassador stated.
He added that the Human Rights Award is really to highlight that the EU and the EU Delegation here in Guyana is a firm believer in the role of civil society and the role played in protecting human rights.
Since 2017, the EU Delegation to Guyana has been presenting the Human Rights Award to recognise and honour individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights within the country.
The award underscores the EU’s commitment to supporting human rights defenders and civil society organisations in Guyana.
(Crane Social Worker awarded EU’s 2024 Human Rights Award)
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