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The WISH Centre

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The WISH Centre - Demographics

DEMOGRAPHIC, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS FOR THE NEED OF THE WISH CENTRE.

CHILD ABUSE & DYSFUNCTION: There is a chronic problem of child abuse in Barbados, particularly sexual and incestuous forms of abuse, which has affected a significant number of families in Barbados. There is a governmental agency in Barbados that is legally vested with the child protection mandate, but because there are such a large number of children affected by these various abuses, there is still great need for an organization such as The WISH Centre that
will focus on the rehabilitation of mothers and children who have experienced the trauma of these various abuses who are going through its programs.

In a UNICEF report derived from a study carried out across the Eastern Caribbean between October 2008 and June 2009, it highlighted child sex abuse as a problem in Barbados. The problem of child sex abuse (CSA) in Barbados, particularly intercourse with minors, incest, and increasing instances of older men preying on minors, have been identified in a new report. “This situation was described as an escalating phenomenon that warranted the urgent attention of society, especially parents,” noted the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report entitled “Perceptions of, Attitudes to, and Opinions on Child Sexual Abuse in the Eastern Caribbean”.
In 2009 the then Minister of Youth, Family and Sports, Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo, said “children in Barbados are being abused frequently, and in many different ways. Every month the Child Care Board gets new cases of children who have been abused in one way or another - sexual abuse, physical abuse, children who are victims of domestic violence, emotional abuse, abandonment and neglect," she said. "Child prostitution occurs in this country and we know child labour and pornography are also issues around the world, as well as trafficking of children. We haven't seen much of that, but we are vigilant...because we know that if it is happening across the waters that we are not shielded from it. So, we have to work to put the necessary systems in place to prevent some of these things from happening."
In March 2010 Barbados Child Care Board officials, representatives from the United Children's Fund, the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports, and relevant stakeholders met at Hilton Barbados for discussions on the need to establish a National Child Abuse Protocol. During the one-day meeting, it was disclosed that sexual violence in the Caribbean surpasses the global average, and that the number of child sexual abuse cases "is alarmingly high".

Child prostitution is a gross violation of children’s rights and dignity. UNICEF characterizes it as “one of the gravest infringements of rights that children can endure.”

THE WISH CENTRE – HELP IS ON THE WAY:
In light of this, and with an incredibly burdened “heart”, UCT is desirous of taking action and providing help and resources to address these challenges by establishing The WISH Centre which will be a rehabilitation center for women and children of Barbados.