Human Services Minister fulfills promise to Bartica

FOR A VERY LONG TIME, YVONNE BRAITHWAITE’S VISION WAS BLURRED.
Then a visit by Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud, to mineral-
rich Bartica in Cuyuni/Mazaruni (Region Seven) clear that up. Literally!
“I just tried them (a pair of spectacles) on and they’re perfect,” Braithwaite yelled as she could
see images clearly after a long time.

The return of Braithwaite’s visual acuity was a result of a fulfilment of an earlier promise to
Barticians by minister Persaud. She was among hundreds who got their eyes tested by specialists
accompanying the government official on the visit.
Braithwaite, from Quarter Mile, Bartica, admitted she couldn’t afford the glasses out of her own
pocket, and was elated it became possible when the Human Services and Social Security
Minister made the pact with residents.
The aspiring seamstress has been unable to thread needles for a long time because of her visual
limitations, and minister Persaud was “extremely pleased” to present spectacles to over 200
residents in the Region Seven community.

That recent distribution on that visit, the minister said, represented one of the largest deliveries
under the ministry’s programme. The government team also handed out walking canes and
wheelchairs to persons living with disabilities and in need of help.
She also listened to residents’ concerns about their pensions, public assistance and challenges
faced by persons living with disabilities. Minister Persaud challenged women to become
entrepreneurs, form networks and exploit benefits to be had from the Women’s Innovation and
Investment Network (WIIN) training programme and newly-launched business incubators and
advertising Apps.