– also information on social services
Residents of Cane Grove, Strathavon, Ballfield, and Unity turned out in their numbers to benefit from the government’s Eye Testing and Spectacles Vouchers programme and other services provided by the Ministries of Health and Human Services and Social Security.
The distribution exercise got underway at the Learning Lab in Unity, Mahaica on Friday. It saw the residents provided with vouchers worth $2000 for eye testing. Once persons require spectacles, they can receive another voucher worth $15,000 to purchase a pair of spectacles.
Banwagdin Ramsaram, a pensioner from Cane Grove, spoke with the Department of Public Information during the exercise.
“I must thank the Government of Guyana for this initiative of eye testing and spectacles which is a great assistance for me and others who can not afford spectacles on their own”, he said.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vidhya Persaud, who spearheaded the event, emphasised the importance of outreaches like these where residents can benefit from the government programmes and get information on services.
“This is something we do all through the year and this is taking the ministry’s services to the communities, giving me and the entire team a chance to engage with you, to understand how we can better serve you, how we can deal with any challenges that you have with our services,’’ the minister said.
Staff from various ministry departments including the Difficult Circumstances Unit, Childcare Protection Agency, and Family Enhancement and Services Section were also on-site to provide immediate service.
“We are setting up a sewing hub and a youth-friendly space for youths at the craft centre in Cane Grove youths to be trained for free and further start their own income-generating business with assistance from the Government of Guyana,” MinisterPersaud stated.
She also educated participants about the 914 hotline which is a toll-free number that provides telephone services to victims and survivors of sexual offences and domestic violence.
The Difficult Circumstances Unit also distributed wheelchairs and walking canes to senior citizens and differently-abled persons.
