RE-OPENING OF SHELTER - March 2006

Help & Shelter is pleased to announce that its shelter for abused women and their children has been reopened.

The reopening of the shelter, which was shut in February 2004 due to lack of funds, has been made possible through an arrangement with the Government of Guyana whereby the shelter will be used as both a place of safety for female victims of domestic violence and as a temporary home for female and under-14 male victims of trafficking in persons.

Assistance with the acquisition of furniture and other items for the shelter has been received from the British High Commission and a number of local businesses and individuals. It is hoped that, as in the past, assistance with the day to day running of the shelter will be received by way of regular donations of foodstuffs and other supplies and that expenditure will also be reduced by self-sustainability projects.

At the simple re-opening ceremony held on Tuesday 7 March 2006, both the British High Commissioner, Mr. Stephen Hiscock and the U.S. Ambassador, Mr. Ronald Bullen expressed their firm support of Help & Shelter in its work to reduce violence in all its forms.

Residents of the shelter will receive counselling and training in traditional and non-traditional skills and arrangements can be made for children to attend a local school if necessary.

Help & Shelter recognises the reluctance on the part of most abused women to leave their homes, irrespective of the danger they are in by remaining. A significant part of our public education will therefore be aimed at encouraging victims of domestic violence to consider the shelter as temporary place from which a life without abuse could begin.

Help & Shelter’s Crisis Centre on Homestretch Avenue will handle all admissions to the shelter, which may be direct application or referral by the police, health services, government agencies, other NGOs etc. The telephone numbers are 227 3454, 227 8353, and 225 4731.