Helping differently abled children find their rightful place in society

By Kurt Campbell

[www.inewsguyana.com] – The United Women for Special Children Organisation – a local non-profit NGO that works to support differently abled children – has called for the raising of the level of awareness for the challenges affecting the community.

Speaking to iNews on Sunday, October 27 at a Halloween fair organized to raise funds to support special aid schools, former President of the UWSC,  Ann Geer said “we must continue to give differently abled children an opportunity to find their rightful place in society… they might have a disability of some sort but they are able, they are just differently able.”

In this regard, the group as part of its advocacy work continues to organize events to raise the awareness level in Guyana in terms of recognizing the children, according to Geer.

Geer said the fair which is being hosted for the seventh time this year coincides with the body’s 20th anniversary celebrations. The group of 27 dynamic women has been around since 1987 but became a Non-Profit Organization in 1993.

“One of the things I’d really love to do today is to thank the people that have really been in our corner not for the last 20 years but since 1987,” she added.

The high point of the fair was the drawing of a raffle which Geer noted was the biggest income generation for the body.

The first prize winner received a diamond necklace, second prize winner won a trip for two to Trinidad and third prize winner won a trip to the majestic Kaieteur Falls.

The fair saw hundreds of children in attendance dressed in costumes that were definitely thrilling.

Support

“In terms of support we have not gone to international organizations, remember we are a support group of 27 women and right now we are functioning on big hearts, we ourselves do not truly understand what differently abled really means because it’s so multi – faceted,” Geer said.

She added that the group works very closely with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and Education, particularly in relation to its work with the special aid schools.

The body recently completed repairs to the New Amsterdam special aid school.