Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2008 2009

Details for Mechanism ID: 2741
Country/Region: Guyana
Year: 2008
Main Partner: United Nations Children's Fund
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: Multi-lateral Agency
Funding Agency: USAID
Total Funding: $430,000

Funding for Care: Orphans and Vulnerable Children (HKID): $430,000

UNICEF's support with PEPFAR funds will continue to focus on the policy and legislation level as well as

the institutional level, which will contribute to accelerating UNICEF's continued support to community-based

interventions for OVC as well as other interventions pertaining to child protection. The key strategies based

on the global frameworks will be to strengthen the capacity of families to protect and care for OVC; ensure

access for OVC to essential services; protect the most vulnerable children through improved enforceable

policy and legislation; raise awareness at all levels through advocacy and social mobilization to create a

supportive environment for OVC and their families.

While institutional care in Guyana normally forms one of the first level of response for children who do not

have parental care for reasons of orphan-hood and other vulnerabilities, it hinders the development of

sustainable solutions and often does not meet the complex needs of children. Hence, UNICEF will continue

to work with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, residential care facilities for children,

community and faith based organizations to establish and reinforce minimum standards of care for children

in institutions, reintegrate children from residential institutions to their families or other community care

options, and strengthen the capacity of the MOHSSS, through training of social workers and child care

professionals, and, the maintenance and expansion of the child database.

Birth registration of children is crucial given the disparities in access to this service especially for children in

hard to reach areas in Guyana, and the attendant problems. UNICEF will therefore promote a national

campaign to encourage registration (which will also support the PMTCT initiative in determining more

accurate target population estimates). In addition, access to legal aid support for OVC is imperative to

ensure that they are not exploited through child labor, trafficking or cheated out of inheritance. Activities will

include the establishment of a legal aid system in 7 regions to support OVC and their caregivers. In this

regard, UNICEF will collaborate with the Ministries of Health; Labor; Culture, Youth and Sports; Human

Services and Social Security; Legal Affairs; and Education.

UNICEF was mandated to be the lead Agency in the development of a national policy on OVC and the

subsequent National Plan of Action, to ensure that children's issues are on the Agenda of policy makers.

To this end, UNICEF will continue to provide technical assistance for and facilitate the adoption and

enforcement of the National OVC Policy which was formulated and approved by the Ministry of Labour

Human Services and Social Security, as well as the finalization; adoption and implementation of the draft

OVC National Plan of Action.

The response to OVC requires a multi-sectoral approach. UNICEF is therefore supporting the institutional

strengthening of multiple line Ministries, including the MoHSSS, MoH and Ministry of Education (MoE).

Activities will also include strengthening the institutional capacity of the MoHSSS through the setting up of a

cadre of ‘child specialists' in the OVC Unit, enhancing the monitoring and evaluation system for OVC,

including the expansion of the Child Protection Monitoring System, strengthening an institutionalized referral

system and informal mediation mechanisms at the Regional level, developing a user-friendly version of the

Children's Bill, supporting the roll out of the life skills component of the Health and Family Life Education

(HFLE) program in selected primary schools in Region 4, and building the capacity of health sector and

education sector professionals to respond to the needs of OVC. Technical assistance will be provided to

the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security to establish Child Protection Teams at national as well

as regional level.