Investment in Youth

Feb 03, 2019 News

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Government has invested more than $43M towards building the capacity of indigenous youth from Three Friends, Old England/Siberia and Coomacka Mines in Region Ten and Silver Hill and Kairuni in Region Four.
This investment was made possible through the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Flagship Youth Programme, the Hinterland Employment Youth Service HEYS, during the second phase of the programme, which commenced in August 2017 and concluded last July.
The programme saw 21 young people from all of the communities except Silver Hill with 15 youth, fully capitalizing on this investment as they venture into lucrative business ventures.
During a Ministerial Outreach to the respective communities on Wednesday, Minister within the Ministry Valerie Garrido-Lowe, youth spoke passionately about the positive impact the HEYS programme is having on their lives.
Nola Lamazone, a participant from Three Friends in expressing profound gratitude to the Government for this programme, said her business continues to expand to a point where she is now able to provide employment opportunities.
“I started out as the eldest on the HEYS participant list and when we had to sit in the classroom for six months, I said I have to make some money on the participants.
“So I started making egg ball, plantain chips, tamarind balls, and drinks even though that was not my ambition. My ambition was to sell clothes so I saved more and I switched out and started selling clothes.
“To date, I bought some chickens which would produce eggs for my egg ball business. I also bought a freezer and support the HEYS participants who sell chicken. And you would find that you would want to do so much so you find a job on the side, so I have a part time employee who would work with me”, Lamazone said.
Rowel Douglas from Siberia/Old England said, “I must thank the Government for bringing this programme in Old England/Siberia because it has done a lot for me. I started off with fifty chickens and now I can buy 200 chickens and I’m bringing it in stages.
“I cannot provide for myself because when I’m finished plucking, it’s all sold out and I don’t even have none for myself.”
Triana Khan of Siberia/old England said, “Thank you for giving us a second chance, my business was only drinks, but I developed my business whereby I do an event every Friday night (karaoke every Friday night) where I gain an extra something, and my business is developing more.
I have learnt communication skills, how to deal with negativity and positivity, how to deal with competition; how to speak boldly and I want to say thank you once again.”
“I want to thank the Government on behalf of not just Siberia/Old England community with the HEYS Programme, but throughout Guyana.
“It would have benefitted many young people who would have had a second chance. I didn’t just do chicken, I had a variety of businesses when I was doing the chicken, I was doing chips, for the Christmas I provide some preserved fruits, I’m also starting a new business –brush cutting and spraying of yards, beside that I would like to go into lettuce and celery planting.
“This is one of the projects that they would have teach us to be self-sufficient,” Maurica Rudder of Siberia/Old England acknowledged.
Candacy Wolfe, of Silver Hill, is also expressing gratitude. She stated, “I have extended from a small grocery shop and I have a small fast food outlet where I sell chicken and chips. I had a refrigerator and I could have afforded to buy another one and also a bigger engine so that I could have pushed both refrigerators and I want to get into ice cream business so we are thankful to the Government that I can build myself in so many ways.”
Arrienna Hosea noted, “I am grateful and thankful for HEYS. The business that we have is a partnership (siblings Annia Hosea). We started small and we have grown from the time we achieved all the things HEYS give to us. We see where we develop. I also buy another shop and around June, I will open that shop, and I know because of HEYS that is where I am. I don’t really have words to say how grateful I am.”
Like Three Friends, Siberia/Old England, received approximately $9.5M dollars through the HEYS programme, monies that would have contributed significantly to the community’s economy.
Over the last two years, 3,795 young people in 222 villages and communities across the Hinterland benefited from training in life skills, vocational interests and entrepreneurial skills.
In 2019, youth with existing businesses would receive a further financial boost.
This is a defining moment in the lives of the nations’ indigenous youth, the staunch commitment made by the David Granger led coalition Government to the indigenous peoples.
Minister Garrido-Lowe, who has responsibility for women, children and youth was visibly moved to tears on hearing the testimonies of the youth and the positive effect the HEYS programme continues to have on their lives.
Villages visited during the outreach, also received their HEYS resource kits, which will further boost their business ventures. The kits were handed over by Minister Valerie Garrido-Lowe.

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