Any gathering with the aim of addressing the welfare and safety of children is welcome and to be lauded. That, however, must not mean we must dwell in decorative actions that are meant simply to ease pressures and make it look as if we are doing something meaningful.
Unfortunately, that is the predicament in which President Ali’s initiative on Friday fell into. His convening of important personages and the commissioning of a task force will yield nothing of substance and only detain the actions that should have already been taken. The regular presence of the judiciary at these gatherings convened by the President is also troubling as they connote disinterest in the separation of powers.
All of the recent grief that has enveloped society about the safety of children has been triggered by the death of six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran. His father has been charged with his murder and there are heinous angles to this brutal killing that are still to be explored.
This is a family that had been in strife for a long time. Orlando’s mother Navita Ramnarine said the father had obtained custody of their three children after she left an abusive relationship. Ms Ramnarine said they had shared a 12-year relationship during which he allegedly abused her. She initially took custody of the children when she left but Mr Jaikarran subsequently sought custody through the court.
“He went to the court and he fight for them and I just give he them,” she said. In a twist, Ms Ramnarine said she pays maintenance through the court, with payments sometimes amounting to $16,000 or $20,000. She had not checked on the children regularly because of their father’s behaviour, she said.
What the President really should have done on Friday instead of organizing this confab was to ask his Minister of Human Services and Social Services Dr Vindhya Persaud whether in the six years she had occupied the office she or the various agencies under her ministry had ever been in touch with this family. If the answer was no then it is clear that the ministry in six years has not done enough to reach out to struggling families. If the ministry had been in touch with this family what efforts did it make to protect all of those who were at risk from the toxic relations? There is still time for the President to undertake this task.
It makes no sense for the President to convene a task force when in theory all of the various institutions which should be protecting children exist in the ministries of human services, home affairs, labour and health. There is a Child Care and Protection Agency in the Ministry of Human Services. There is a Rights of the Child Commission (RCC). A sectoral committee in Parliament addresses social services. Local government bodies are expected to have means of grounding with their communities and referring problems relating to children. There is no need for anything else. The institutions in place just need to function.
There is one other incident that is worth mentioning that would again expose the failures in the various government ministries and their outreach services. On September 19 this year, in the remote village of Baramita, three farmers were killed following a horrific domestic dispute. Those who died were 40-year-old Joy John, her 38-year-old husband Amar Thomas, and 62-year-old Tony Williams.
According to police, the incident occurred around 9:30 am at a camp where Ms John and Mr Thomas lived with their five-year-old son. Mr Williams reportedly resided at another camp approximately 20 miles away.
Police said Mr Williams went to the couple’s camp, where an argument subsequently developed between him and Ms John. Mr Williams allegedly chopped Ms John to her neck with a cutlass.
Ms Thomas, who was reportedly returning from his farm at the time, confronted Mr Williams, resulting in an altercation during which both men sustained injuries from sharp objects.
Ms John was found motionless at the camp, while Mr Thomas was found about 50 feet away. Mr Williams was later found approximately 100 feet from the camp along a track. All three were later confirmed to have died. Ms John was found with a wound to her neck, Mr Thomas with a stab wound to his left groin area, and Mr Williams with a stab wound to the left side of his chest. There was no mention of the child.
More than a month later, there has been no word from any ministry or the Office of the President on these killings which are the result of a long history of grave social malignancies in Baramita. These relate to entrenched misogyny, alcohol abuse, child sexual abuse, suicide, domestic violence, patriarchy driven by the lust for minerals and other grave societal problems. These were problems that the various ministries of amerindian affairs and indigenous peoples were well aware of. The problems clearly remain judging by the three recent killings.
Sufficient has already been heard in recent months about the sinking of the MV Barima to discern that there is good reason to feel that indigenous communities have not been paid sufficient attention to and that appears to be the case with the community of Baramita. Adding bureaucracy like the President intends to do on child safety will not lead anywhere. The institutions must be given the requisite resources and leadership and put to work.
In a statement on Thursday, the RCC made suggestions that the President should take on board.
It called for greater institutional coordination among the Childcare and Protection Agency, the Guyana Police Force, health and social services, educational institutions and other relevant agencies to
ensure that credible concerns about children’s safety receive timely and appropriate attention.
It also urged adequate resources and sustained investment in child-protection services, including professional social work, counseling, family support, parenting education and accessible services for children and caregivers experiencing crisis. These are good places to start.
Discussion