Blossom Inc Guyana
Commonwealth Point of Light 176. Ayo Dalgety-Dean
Ayo Dalgety-Dean, representing Guyana, is the founder of ‘Blossom Inc’, an NGO which supports children who have experienced sexual abuse or trauma by providing psychological counselling and support with the judicial process.
Ayo, who has a background as a family therapist, set up the charity in 2014 after being approached by the Child Protection Agency of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security to help victims of child sexual abuse cope with their trauma, and realising that there was a gap in the childcare system for the level of support needed. The organisation has since grown to become one of the country’s foremost child protection support services, creating a Child Advocacy Centre which operates in six locations across Guyana and can provide support to hundreds of people every year. During the Coronavirus pandemic, Ayo has helped adapt the organisation’s services to continue providing care safely for children and families, with ‘Blossom Inc’ offering over 1,500 telephone support sessions per week.
Ayo said:
“I’m speechless. Thank you. I am very grateful to be recognised for the work that Blossom does, which is difficult, but rewarding.”
Ross Denny, Acting British High Commissioner in Guyana, said:
“Ayo continually puts the needs of others before herself. In creating the charity Blossom she has ensured hundreds of abused children and their distraught parents have received psychosocial support to help them through difficult times as they struggle to come to terms with the traumas they have faced. It is an honour for me to be able to congratulate Ayo on this highly deserved reward, which I hope will serve as a modest but heartfelt token of our recognition and appreciation for the work she has done.”