Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
Jan 11, 2019 News
Some 2,000 small, but successful businesses have been established under the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs flagship youth programme, the Hinterland Employment Youth Service HEYS initiative. This initiative commenced in 2015.
Young people from across the hinterland have received the necessary tools to become financially independent, and bring much needed development to their respective communities and villages.
Omay Sammy, 19, from Kako Village, Region Seven the proud joint owner of a Computer and Paper Shop said, “The HEYS programme empowered me. I was able to learn both theory and practical in various areas.
“I have mostly learned about ICT; now I have opened my small business. It is very beneficial to me and my village, especially teachers and school students.”
According to Omay, “I do printing photocopying and scanning”.
Reflecting on village life prior to the introduction of the HEYS Programme Omay said, “There was nothing to motivate and involve young people before HEYS. The young people were just playing football as part of exercise and recreation.
“There was no real commercial activities that can create jobs for the young people. Fortunately there came a programme called Hinterland Employment Youth Service. This programme really taught me a lot and thanks to the Government who had proposed the programme and create jobs in every community”.
Last November, the churches that had gathered for the annual Upper Mazaruni Youth Congress (Seventh Day Adventist Youth Congress) would have given Omay’s business their full support..
Omay partnered with Dera, Gretchen and Maeria to ensure the business thrive.
Sherry Austin, 27, from Chenowing Village, noted that “as a young person HEYS has taught me the skills that I can now apply to establish my business. During training I have learnt other skills that I am now practicing for the development of myself so I can be a better individual in my community.”
“I have established my business named Sherry’s Variety Store. I begin it from scratch and am now improving although there are challenges faced in transporting stocks from Georgetown. However it is under control …and is beneficial to myself and my village,” Sherry testified.
The youth programme also came in for high praises from 29-year-old Annicia Edwards from Phillipai Village, also in Region Seven. Annicia Edwards is the owner of Edwin’s Mini Mart.
“You know how it is sometimes. I have my business; the selling is kinda slow at times but it is still on. I plan to buy some more stocks. I also make handcraft and sell it back to the community from my shop.”
Edwards said the programme has allowed them to build the capacity where they can utilize their skills effectively and as such, has enabled her not only to be able to run the day to day affairs of her business, but to also provide support to her village.
She noted, “As a young person during my training in the HEYS programme I have gained a lot and now I’m putting it into practice”.
According to the young entrepreneur, the training has enabled her to practice good leadership skills and she has since been actively involved in voluntary community work. “At present I am working as a Phillipai Nursery Committee member and as the Community Emergency Response Team leader because I want to show my good values and qualities.”
She was also appreciative of the support received from her relatives, who during her absence, would take the reins and run the day to day affairs of her shop.
Minister within the Ministry Valerie Garrido-Lowe during her Budget 2019 presentation in the National Assembly said, “The Hinterland Employment and Youth Service, has provided one year of training to 3,795 youths in 222 villages over the last two years.
“This training allows for capacity building, strengthening of life skills, bolstering literacy and numeracy skills, creating self-awareness and building esteem, strengthening individual vocational interests and entrepreneurial aptitudes.”
Businesses range from cattle rearing, Poultry Rearing (Broilers, Layers and Ducks), Crop and Vegetable Farming, Nursery (Grafting of Fruit Trees), Fishing, Fish Farming, Sheep, Goat and Pig Rearing, Cassava Bread/ Quinches/ Cassareep Production, Honey Production, hardware stores, floating grocery store.
“You name it and the HEYS are doing it,” the Minister pointed out.
Government has invested some $2.3 billion for the development of youth in the hinterland. According to Minister Garrido-Lowe, “In the 2019 Budget, in order to ensure that these businesses grow in strength and flourish, a further $176.1 M is allocated for monitoring and mentoring, along with additional monetary support”.
Jan 18, 2025
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