President Ali wants more social workers to support communities directly 

President Dr Irfaan Ali has urged social workers to shift their focus from reacting to social issues to preventing them, stressing the importance of working directly with communities.

“The role of a social worker is not to intervene after an issue or a challenge. The role of the social worker is to avoid that challenge,” Dr. Ali said while addressing the opening ceremony of the Guyana Prison Service Annual Senior Correctional Officers conference on Monday.

According to President Ali, real solutions to problems require a hands-on approach and direct interactions. He said engaging directly with communities allows social workers to understand the underlying causes of social problems and provide meaningful, sustainable support before challenges escalate.

“We have to get to the ground, to the grassroots, to the root of the problem and create an integrated approach,” Dr. Ali said.

In a wide-ranging presentation, the President also lamented the presence of gangs in schools. To tackle this growing issue, he said, more community work is crucial.

The President called for a coordinated effort involving religious groups, civil society, and community leaders to identify at-risk areas and vulnerable youth.

Highlighting the social factors contributing to crime, he noted that some children grow up in environments shaped by trauma, lack of positive role models, and the influence of gang leaders and drug lords.

“If crime is normalised, that is going to be a learned behaviour. If violence is normalised, that is going to be a learned behaviour,” he warned.

President Ali stressed that the priority in building secure communities must bbe to support youth through targeted reorientation and early interventions.