BVHS establishes a Women and Children’s Shelter

 

 
The Barbados Vagrants and Homeless Society (BVHS) has moved to establish a Women and Children’s Shelter, given the number of women, accompanied by their children, who seek out its services.
 
“Over the years, the Barbados Vagrants and Homeless Society has seen a tremendous increase in the amount of women coming to the organisation for help and in that regard, we have also seen an…increase in the amount of women coming to the organisation with children,” President of the Barbados Vagrants and Homeless Society (BVHS), Kemar Saffrey told members of the media yesterday, during a press conference held at BVHS Headquarters in Tudor Street, Bridgetown, St. Michael.
 
“If anyone had asked me (previously) if there were women and children on the streets, I would have said women, but not children, but we have seen a tremendous increase in the (numbers) and with that, the BVHS has taken on an initiative to obtain a home for these women and children,” Saffrey explained.
“We have had cases where women have been sleeping on the streets whilst pregnant. We have had cases were women have been pregnant and have had a child (with them). That for us is worse than having a man on the streets. Having children on the street with women, poses a serious problem,” Saffrey further lamented.
 
Furthermore, he pointed out that there are varying reasons why these women end up homeless. Noting that there are about 20 women who need help from the BVHS, Saffrey stated that some have lost their jobs and are unable to pay rent and some are battling family disputes, which see them being put out on the streets.
As of last month he said, the BVHS placed a number of women and children in a home, at a location that will remain undisclosed. The BVHS was able to do so in partnership with Courts Barbados and the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust. “The home has a capacity for six women and a number of children,” Saffrey said.
Tisha Dhayle, Marketing Officer with Unicomer (Barbados) Ltd., trading as Courts, noted that her organisation was touched by the events unfolding and came on board to provide furnishings for the shelter.
 
“We were approached by the Vagrants and Homeless Society. They wrote to us and told us about the shelter and it was pretty much a no-brainer, an instant yes,” she said.
 
“They gave us a list of the items that they required, basic things like beds, chairs, fridges, stoves, washers, we readily answered the call and supplied them,” Dhayle commented, while pledging further support to the organisation.

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