Bilkiss Jaffaralli
14 January 2008
Port Louis — The Prime Minister's office has launched a 'Women And Children's Solidarity Programme' to support NGOs in their fight against abuse and violence against women and children. With the various partnerships between the government, the private sector and NGOs, the government has called upon some NGOs to extend their reach out to more vulnerable and needy people.
As stated in the Budget 2007/2008 speech, the government has made provision for Rs 25 million to help victims of abuse and violence. This programme is project-based and will involve at least two or three social partners registered with the Registrar of Associations. The NGOs are called to work primarily upon areas such as diminishing abuse and violence against women and children, provide support to such victims and to neglected children, educate and provide assistance to children with disabilities and serious illness. The programme will mainly benefit the victims but there are possibilities for training to empower volunteer field workers who will be entreated to work upon the grassroots social problems.
NGOs who have the profile, experience and expertise in such fields have been called to send their applications to support under this programme. The allocation of funds under this programme will be decided by a committee including the Prime minister's Office, the Office of the Ombudsperson for Children, the ministry of Women's rights, Child development, Family welfare and Consumer protection; the ministry of Social security, National Solidarity and Senior Citizens Welfare and Reform Institutions; and the ministry of Finance.
The advent of such programme will indeed be a great motivational factor for NGOs to go ahead and be determinant in the fight against social ills. "It is a very good initiative of the government to launch such programmes. Violence in Mauritius is in constant rise. Helping such victims through NGOs and making the public conscious of the violence in Mauritius as well as changing the violent attitude of people is very important. Instead of violence, we must invite people towards an attitude of negotiation through communication ", comments Mrs Manda Boolell, president of the MACOSS.
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