HGP NIGHTLY NEWS – Guyana may be becoming wealthier, but the Alliance For Change says the country must ask what that progress means if children continue to lose their lives under tragic and violent circumstances.
The party issued the warning as it joined the national condemnation surrounding the killing of six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran, describing his death as an act “of the most vile and gruesome nature.”
But rather than focusing solely on the circumstances surrounding Orlando’s death, the AFC said the tragedy should trigger deeper reflection on the moral state of the country.
“In this era when our national wealth is increasing exponentially, it is important that we do not lose our humanity,” the party declared.
The AFC pointed to what it described as the deaths of several children in recent months and questioned how those expected to protect children could instead become a source of violence against them.
“Every child deserves to be loved, cared for and protected,” the party said.
“As a nation, we must examine where we went wrong when the arms that should protect a child become the very arms that inflict death.”
Orlando, a pupil of Bath Primary School, was found dead in a canal at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, after being reported missing.
His father remains in police custody as investigators continue their probe into the child’s killing.
Against the backdrop of Orlando’s death, the AFC is now calling for religious leaders to become more actively involved in what it described as a necessary “moral revival” of Guyana.
The party said adults have a responsibility to create an environment in which children are loved, protected and given an opportunity to reach their full potential.
It has also proposed establishing a national day of remembrance for children whose lives have been cut short under tragic circumstances.
For the AFC, however, Orlando’s death has raised a larger question about the direction of a country experiencing unprecedented economic growth.
The party argues that Guyana’s development cannot be measured solely by increasing national wealth, but also by how effectively the society protects its children and preserves its humanity.
