Help & Shelter, with support from the Spotlight Initiative, through UNICEF begun the implementation of a project in January 2021, within the communities of Grove/Diamond and Mon Repos, Good Hope, Lusignan. The project title: Support, public education and referral for survivors/victims of GBV/DV and Child Abuse during the Covid-19 Pandemic through strategic community-based action.

The project funding provided was 1.4 million (GY)

Specific Objectives:

• Enhanced response to the needs of individuals affected by GBV/DV and Child Abuse, and other cross-cutting social issues.

• Development and printing of IEC materials for dissemination within the community at Health centres, shops, Faith-based Organisations, institutions, youth/ community groups and other focal points in the community.

• Increased knowledge and awareness of helping agencies/institutions and focal point within the project catchment area.

• Remote training and awareness forums for community leaders and stakeholders of the Grove / Diamond and Mon repos, Good Hope and Lusignan catchment communities.

The first phase of the project action was completed in April 2021 and proposed second Phase was proposed for extended community-based action and interventions.

Project Update

In October 2021, Spotlight Initiative. (UNICEF) and Help & Shelter signed an agreement to implement a second phase of its previous project which had ended in April 2021. The title “GBV awareness raising as well as referral of survivors of DV and GBV, incorporating youth-based action for peer support during the COVID-19 pandemic

The focus of the project to engage in and out of school Youth / Adolescent community members in the same catchment communities (Mon Repos – Lusignan and Grove Diamond) in violence prevention activities via training and community-based campaigns which establish a youth base response to violence within the respective communities. The sustainability of Youth and adolescent action via Peer education, media messaging and advocacy is one of the main objectives of the project action with 4million support funding from the Spotlight Initiative.

After a no cost extension the project phase was extended to April 2022, with possible increase for the Youth based activities engaging in and out of school youths / Adolescents.