PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands; Thursday, August 13th, 2009 - The Gender Affairs Department in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Human Services conducted two two-days workshops in Grand Turk at the Ona Glinton, Primary School and at the Environmental & Coastal Resource Center, the Bight, Providenciales. The workshops were held on the 5th and 6th and the 11th and 12th August 2009 respectively.
The objective of the workshops was to sensitize male and female single parents and to build their skills to cope in single parenting in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The following areas were presented as a part of the skill building efforts: Economic Empowerment; Spiritual Fulfillment; Education & Personal Development, Health Psychological Well-Being; and the Social Impact of being single parents
Mrs. Rita Gardiner, Director, Gender Affairs and Ms. Barbara Handfield, Deputy Director, Gender Affairs extended a warm welcome to the participants, while the Hon. Karen Delancy brought brief remarks and declared the workshop open in Providenciales.
Mrs. Cheryl-Ann Jones, Director of Training at O.P.M.S in Grand Turk and Mrs. Keziah Nash, Programme Officer/ Assistant Coordinator, National AIDS Programme in Providenciales delivered the opening remarks. Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Nash chaired the workshop sessions respectfully.
The participants were drawn from all sectors of the communities in Grand Turk and Providenciales and were actively involved in the discussions at all levels. In the evaluation exercise, participants indicated that the workshop was very informative and timely.
Facilitators were drawn from the communities in Grand Turk and Providenciales. In Grand Turk, presentations were made by Ms. Sandra Bindrauf, Nurse; Dr. Patrick Prince, Clinical Psychologist; Dr. Karen Toussaint, Professor, at the Community College; Mr. Jay Hamilton, Senior Business Advisor /Trainer at TC Invest; Mr. Earl Fulford Director, Social Development; Mr. Andrew Gardiner, Social Development Department; and Ms. Yaa McCartney, Senior Crown Counsel –Commercial, Attorney General’s Office.
In Providenciales Mrs. Sophia Thomas, Senior Business Advisor/ Trainer at T C Invest; Mrs. Marjorie Bassett, Principal, Brics Academy; Ms Sandy Talbot an entrepreneur; Dr. Beate Gray Private Gynecologist of Eva Care; Ms. Donna Doran, Child Psychologist; and Kenneth Barnes, Senior Welfare Officer, Social Development, Providenciales. Professor Richard Taylor and Mrs. Karen Malcolm were the repertoire for the workshop in Grand Turk and in Providenciales.
At the end of the workshop a unanimous decision was taken by the participants to form a single parents support group, which will drawn other single parents of the community. A meeting to discuss the way forward for the support group is planned for the end of August.
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