SEVERAL students of the Tuseneng Primary School in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), are in Georgetown on a Schools Educational Tour as part of activities for the 2017 Indigenous Heritage Month of Celebrations.

The students who are accompanied by a teacher arrived in the city on Monday for a week-long tour. The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs was the third stop on the first day of the tour for the students, who are on their first outing to the city. They also visited the National Library and the Red House.

During their visit to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, the students met Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock; Minister within the Ministry Valerie Garrido-Lowe; and Permanent Secretary, Alfred King.
In welcoming the students and teacher, Minister Allicock took the opportunity to brief them about the daily operations of the ministry, as well as key personnel who are tasked with ensuring that the ministry’s mandate to the Indigenous peoples is executed efficiently and effectively.

Students were also briefed on the ministry’s flagship programme — the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) — an initiative geared at empowering Indigenous young people.
Minister Allicock said: “This is to bring some opportunities to our young people across the country so that they can earn from their own creations by exploiting the natural resources without too much harm, meaning you can get things from the forest without cutting down all the trees, you could get into eco-tourism, selling your work or handicraft and sharing your way of life.”

Minister Garrido-Lowe, whose responsibility is for women, children and sports, told the students whose ages range between 10 and 11 years, that “you will find me talking with women, forming women and children’s groups, finding out what is it you need. You obviously need to learn music, have more sports equipment, more books to read, uniforms, long boots, raincoats. So I represent you”.

Permanent Secretary, Alfred King who is a former teacher, noted the importance of the exercise saying: “We believe that it is indeed a worthwhile experience where you can come into Georgetown and learn about life, learn about economic and other activities, and of course make a comparison with the life that you know about in your community and it will allow you to appreciate more and value more the things that you have in your community”.
The students will also be given the opportunity to tour the National Museum, Banks DIH Ltd and several monuments located across the city.

It is all part of the activities in celebration of Indigenous Heritage Month. Every year, schools from the hinterland are given the opportunity to travel to the city and learn more about life on the coastland and on their return share the knowledge they have gained.
On Tuesday, the students made their first visit to the National Museum.