HELP and Shelter, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development/Guyana Democratic Consolidation and Conflict Resolution (USAID/GDCCR) project, has initiated a public education campaign to combat human trafficking.
The US$100,000 initiative, scheduled to continue through July, 2007, obligates Help and Shelter to provide accommodation and skills training for victims of trafficking in persons (TIP).
Counselling and other related activities are also part of the undertaking, Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy, Mr. Michael Thomas explained to a gathering Wednesday in the Conference Room of the National Library, on Church Street, Georgetown.
He said, in addition to the non-governmental organisation (NGO) being a crucial lifeline for many victims of domestic violence who had nowhere else to turn, it is now taking on another major activity.
Thomas said the aim is to increase public awareness of TIP, upon who it impacts, what forms it takes and how to deal with it.
The diplomat commended the efforts of the Guyana Government, in addressing TIP through the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security.
“The ministry embarked on a programme to increase awareness of trafficking in persons through visits to communities and training of community facilitators to recognise and report the incidence,” he noted.
“We acknowledge that significant efforts have been made to address the issue of trafficking in persons and that there has been appreciable progress over the last two years,” Thomas said, adding that those programmes were made possible with another US$100,000 contribution by the U.S. Government.
He said his government remains committed to being a reliable partner in efforts to reduce incidents of TIP.
Thomas assured of continued cooperation between the two governments, NGOs and other donors, to increase the percentage of TIP cases reported to the proper authorities and offer better assistance to victims.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Ms. Priya Manickchand, called for swifter prosecution of persons charged with TIP to ensure confidence in the law is maintained.
According to her, eight trials are pending in court and none have been prosecuted to completion.
She said finding witnesses some nine months after a matter is taken before the court is a major problem and, therefore, the cases should be dealt with expeditiously.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues, pledged the support of her ministry for any activity which would highlight the TIP problem.
She said, for this year, more than 100 TIP reports were made to her ministry, as Amerindian men are often taken to work out of the areas in which they reside and then told their pay would be posted to them on their return to the respective villages.
Rodrigues said, when the employers are contacted, they sometimes pay but, at other times, challenge the ministry to file court proceedings.
She exhorted TIP victims to speak out in order to get help and suggested that more income generating activities be created in the hinterland to avoid “degrading and humiliating” experiences.
TIP is the recruitment, transportation, harbouring or receipt of human beings by means of fraud, force or coercion for the purpose of sexual and labour exploitation.
It manifests itself in domestic servitude, too.
The function Wednesday coincided with the 11th anniversary of Help and Shelter.