Forty women graduate from self-reliance workshop

Nov 19, 2016 News

The Self Reliance and Success workshop held at the Linden Enterprise Network over the

First Lady Sandra Granger presenting a participant with her certificate.

past five days, yesterday culminated with the 40 participants receiving certificates. These certificates would be recognized by the Ministry of Business and micro institutions.
The Workshop was funded by the Ministry of Social Protection.
It was the second such workshop to be held in Linden. Guyana’s First Lady Sandra Granger, was on hand for both its commencement on Monday and culmination yesterday.
Mrs. Granger applauded the women for their participation and handed out certificates.
She was also presented with tokens of appreciation from the proud participants.
The “Self Reliance and Success in Business” workshops were first rolled out last year under the auspices of the Office of the First Lady.
Participants were drawn from communities such as Prosville, Amelia’s Ward, Kara Kara, West Watooka, Christianburg, Sibirien and Blue Berry Hill among others.
One vendor, Emelda, said that the workshop has helped her greatly. “I learnt a lot of things, including the six p’s of business, because I used to wonder why my business was just going and coming, but now with the new things I have learnt, like customer service and so on. I feel empowered to go forward. The workshop was very good-very edifying.
“I can say to other women to look out for this programme when it comes to your community so that you can empower yourself through self reliance.”

Linden Mayor, Carwyn Holland, and other regional officials at the ceremony.

Merle Bourne-Niles, a nail technician, said that the Workshop was very educational as it taught her the importance of bookkeeping among other things.
“My experience with the workshop is very wide. I have learnt so much to take my business to the next level. I have learnt to do book keeping, to legalize my business and make it more reachable for customers.”
Mayor Carwyn Holland said that the workshop was a great initiative. “Today we have a group of forty women being empowered and they are moving forward confidently.
Forty women being empowered to me, are 40 families being empowered, and 40 families being empowered means that you have so many persons who will be empowered in Linden. This is a great initiative- it is embracing sociology of enterprise and I believe that is one thing that will move this Town forward, where persons can move on with an enterprising mindset instead of sitting at home waiting for an answer to a job application. Persons will become more entrepreneurial and business oriented.”
Holland pointed to the difference in attitude that was displayed by the women upon completion of the workshop compared to when they first began- adding that they were far more positive in their sales ‘pitches’ at the end of the programme.
Pointing out that women are great financial managers, Holland posited that it is important to have financial accountability for the success of any business, and it thus augers well to empower them, as it would mean empowering an entire family.
First Lady Sandra Granger said that the workshop could not have been a success without the persons who worked behind the scenes.
Mrs. Granger wished the participants success in their future endeavors and extended thanks to her staff, coordinator Sandra Adams and team, and Interweave Solutions who facilitated the workshop.
She also thanked Regional Chairman, Rennis Morian, and Mayor Carwyn Holland.
The Workshop was facilitated by Wayne Barrow of Interweave Solutions, a Non-Governmental Organisation that assists local organizations and congregations in developing and creating self-reliance by providing requisite training to kick start and promote their own businesses. He was ably assisted by Johann Sanjay Pooran and Marcia Meredith.
The aim of the workshops is to empower women by teaching them to manage and sustain their small business ventures.