Stivoki workers still without money

The workers at the Foundation for Children (Stivoki) still have not received any money. They haven’t been paid for their labor since August. Referring to the Stigesu foundation, Robby Naarendorp, chairman of the union at the foundation, wonders if it is the government’s policy to close down children’s homes. The Foundation for the Handicapped in Suriname (Stigesu) urgently needs a financial injection from the government in order to stay afloat. Stigesu has not received any state subsidy for the past 2 years. Murwin Dubois, chairman of the foundation’s board, told Times of Suriname that the board would meet with officials from the Ministry of Social Affairs this week. “It is possible that things will become clear after the meeting,” said Dubois. The union pointed out that “feels left out.” Naarendorp made it clear that the ministry is only talking to the foundation’s board. ‘Nobody is saying anything. One keeps coming across a blind wall.” The workers who stopped working over a month ago contact the union chairman every day because the situation has become unbearable. When they had not been paid for several weeks, they decided to stop working. Stivoki is a children’s home that provides shelter to children who have been neglected and sexually abused. The union hopes that its questions will soon be answered. “Neither the board nor the ministry have said when the workers will receive their salaries and what the future holds in store for them,” said Naarendorp.