MPs urge single parents to grow food

-absentee fathers an age-old phenomenon
Kaieteur News – April 30, 2008

Member of Parliament (MP) Indra Chandarpal has said that Guyanese must examine their attitude to the land as the alarming rise in food cost continues to pose a global threat.

Ms Chandarpal was speaking at the launch of the National Single Parent Register at the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security on Monday.

She pointed out that single parenting is an age-old phenomenon, but years ago mothers used the land to ensure the survival of their children.

“If we carefully examine it, single parenting goes back to years, but those mothers used to plant to ensure their family’s survival,” she said.

She added that single mothers must return to the land and support the “Grow-More” initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture. “It is in their best interest to do something to help themselves,” the MP said.  

Mothers’ Union to stage celebrity cricket match

Stabroek News – April 30, 2008

A celebrity cricket tournament involving a former Test player, four former first-class players and an ex-Guyana under-19 batsman will be the feature attraction on May 5 when the Diocese of Guyana Mothers’ Union holds its Family Fun Day at the YMCA ground in Thomas Lands.

The six-over per-side competition will involve six teams, each led by a ‘Celebrity’ player and all proceeds from this Charity match and the Fair is in aid of the Work of the Mothers’ Union (MU) in Guyana.

The Mothers’ Union (MU) is an organization with 3.6 million members worldwide, all dedicated to promoting stable family life, empowering people through community projects, fellowship, policy and prayer.

The action starts at 10:00hrs and former West Indies off-spinner Clyde Butts, Mark Harper, Neil Barry, Roderick Lovell, Shawn Holder and Rayon Griffith (who replaces former Test pacer Reon King who is unavailable due to his GCC commitments to the WIPA 20/20 tournament in Trinidad), will hope to roll back the years with outstanding performances for their respective teams in the soft-ball competition.   

Ferreira-James bound for Beijing

Stabroek News – April 30, 2008

Guyana’s leading female football referee Diane Ferreira-James is Beijing bound following her appointment by FIFA, football’s world governing body to officiate at the forthcoming Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Ferreira-James was chosen along with several other female referees from CONCACAF, the Confederation of Central and North America and the Caribbean Football Union to the panel of referees to officiate in the Games billed to kick off in August.

The well-decorated local referee was chosen along with Kari Seitz of the United States and Trinidad and Tobago’s Shane DeSilva, while the assistant referees named are Lynda Bramble and Cindy Mohammed of the Twin Island Republic, Marlene Duffy and Veronica of the USA and Rita Munoz and Isabel Maria Tovar of Mexico.

Ferreira-James officiated in many international tournaments including the Women’s World Cup finals.

Female ministers talk up single-parent registry

Stabroek News – April 30, 2008

The Human Services ministry led a team comprising the female Cabinet ministers to educate the public on the importance of the single-parent registration process in the light of its May 15 deadline.

The registration process is a precursor to the disbursement of the $100M assistance budgeted for this purpose, a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said. Registration has since been conducted in regions two, three, four, five and six.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand said this initiative is one of several being undertaken to assist vulnerable persons. It was noted that with the rising food prices and other increasing pressures single parents are facing, this initiative has been developed to cushion the effects.

Manickchand said that in single parent households children feel the brunt of the effects as many of them do not attend school or have limited access to education.