EU gives €200,000 to help children in difficult circumstances in Guyana

[www.inewsguyana.com] – on Monday (January 20) EU Ambassador to Guyana, Robert Kopecký and Omattie Madray, Programme Director of ChildLink, signed a grant contract to implement a project titled “Empowering Children in Difficult Circumstances”.

The grant involves the support of a maximum of   €200,000 and will be funded from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) 2012-2013 country allocation for Guyana.

The overall objective of the actions by ChildLinK is to strengthen policies, practices and approaches to ensure social welfare services to prevent and protect twelve thousand six hundred and fifty (12,650) children from sexual violence by December 2015. Further, the activities foreseen under the grant supplement work done already by ChildLinK under two (2) previous grants totalling €180,000, which were funded from previous EIDHR Call for Proposals put out by the EU Delegation in Guyana.

Ambassador Kopecký highlighted that, “Human Rights are one of the core values of the European Union and its Member states going like a silver thread though its many, if not all activities. The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights provides the possibility to support civil society projects in this area also in Guyana.

“The rights of vulnerable groups, especially children are particularly important in this regard and the Childlink proposal convinced us. We look forward to a successful implementation that we perceived to be fully complementing the Government of Guyana’s priorities, activities and intervention in this area.”

Ms. Madray explained that, the project seeks to protect children, specifically children who are at risk of sexual violence through the Tell Campaign and children who have been sexually violated, through comprehensive services in three Child Advocacy Centres.

This initiative has been developed in partnership with the Ministry of Human Services – Childcare and Protection Agency, Forward Guyana and ChildLinK Inc., and funded by the European Union, UNICEF and other local donors.  The European Union grant will over the next two years staff and equip the centres, build the capacity of the staff and increase advocacy to stop the abuse of children.”

ChildLinK Inc, a local Non-Governmental Organisation, was established in 2009 and its mandate is to work with its partners towards a Guyanese society where every child has the right to grow up in a safe and secure family and community.

Meanwhile, The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) is a self-standing financing instrument that provides assistance for the promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide and specifically aims at assisting civil society to become an effective force for political reform and defence of human rights. The European Union launches regular call for proposals under this initiative.

ChildLinK Inc has previously received two grants totaling €180,000, both funded from the EIDHR initiative.