SVP England and Wales is 'twinned' or linked with 15 local SVP Conferences in Guyana, providing both financial and spiritual support. Guyana is split into 10 Administrative Regions and there is an SVP presence in seven.
Similar to the SVP's 'one-to-one' approach in England and Wales, the core work of local SVP groups involves visiting and supporting families in need with food hampers, medicine and items such as bedding and school uniforms. They also run several care homes for older isolated people in the capital, Georgetown. More recently, the SVP is supporting refugees from neighbouring Venezuela where political unrest and rampant inflation has led to severe food and power shortages.
As part of our efforts to support self-sufficiency through our Twinning links, we help fund income-generation projects in Guyana. The basic idea for all the projects, which are mainly run by members from local SVP groups is to raise funds to support the work with families in need in the community. These projects include renovations and a “snackette” at the care home for older people in Georgetown, two SVP shops selling general goods, produce from a chicken rearing project, crafts and piety items and two sewing businesses producing much-needed mosquito nets, bed linen and school uniforms.
