One hundred women are set to benefit from Massy Group Guyana’s $1.5 M Women’s Grocery Voucher Programme dubbed “SAFE – Stop Abuse, Stay Empowered” which was launched today at the Massy Distribution headquarters at Montrose on the East Coast of Demerara
Under this initiative, which is being done in collaboration with the Human Services and Social Security Ministry, each woman will receive a grocery voucher value $15,000. The vouchers are redeemable at any of the five Massy Stores located at Providence, Plantation Turkeyen, Montrose, Vreed-en-Hoop and Ruimveldt.
The project aims to assist women who are in abusive situations, and the Human Services Ministry will screen and identify the 100 recipients.
Snr. Vice President of the Group, Navindra Thakur spoke of the group’s Corporate Social Responsibility projects over the years with specifics to women empowerment and committed to the Group continuing the SAFE Grocery voucher programme in the years ahead.
Meanwhile, Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud said, “I am very happy to have this collaboration with Massy as it ensures that an initiative that I have long wanted to happen really manifest in the sense that we are able to provide survivors of domestic violence with the wherewithal to provide for themselves, with our support, when they are leaving their homes.”
Financial abuse occurs in almost every domestic abuse situation and because of this, many people in such situations cannot provide for themselves thus they find it difficult to leave.
The minister said Massy’s financial contribution will help survivors to procure basic needs when they leave.
“I want to thank Massy for coming on board as the first company in this invaluable step,” she said, while adding that the ministry will continue to seek more support for those affected by domestic violence.
Notably, the Women’s Grocery Voucher Initiative is just one part of Massy’s 2022 activities to support its staff and the wider community as it relates to mental health well-being and professional life, suicide prevention and domestic violence.
Assistant Vice President and Head of the Group’s Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Steering Committee, Christpen Bobb-Semple shared that the objectives of the SAFE grocery voucher programme are twofold.
First it seeks to empower women by bringing immediate relief so that they do not have to second guess and subject themselves to abusive and at-risk situations.
Secondly, the programme will provide counselling to men to engender positive coping behaviours. He also shared some of the activities the Group has embarked upon for 2022.
