Adoption Board praises orphanages, foster families for caring for children

With gender-based violence leaving dozens of children parentless, the Adoption Board of Guyana has taken time to acknowledge the positive role of orphanages, adoptive families and foster families who provide a loving environment for these children.

This comes as the board joins with the United Nations Women, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the rest of the world in advocating for an end to gender-based violence by participating in the #OrangeTheWorld movement, #16days of Activism.

The Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud had informed that a total of 17 women have been killed for the year thus far by their spouses, leaving 43 children motherless.

To this end, the Adoption Board said children may be neglected and become orphans due to death of their mother and incarceration of their father.

This has long-lasting effects on the child’s development and can contribute to the continuation of a cycle of violence.

“We believe that a stance by the Adoption Board in solidarity with the campaign to end violence against women and girls is imperative. Ending violence against women is everyone’s business,” the Adoption Board said in a statement.

In a bid to explain its involvement in the fight against gender-based violence, the Board said: “Let’s not allow silence to be compliance to a culture of violence. It may simply be to Listen, Believe and Support every time you hear a survivor’s story. You can also sign up to adopt a child, be a foster parent or volunteer at an orphanage. Positive influences in children’s lives help to break the cycle of violence.”

Members of the Board are: Anya Rahaman-Persaud; Subhadra Sukhai; Anuradha Persaud; Vanessa Benn; Sarah Ibrahim; Dwayne Adams; Sylvia Conway and Anne Greene, Director of CPA, an ex-Officio member/Secretary.