Youth Network recognises outstanding young Guyanese
29-year-old Medical Doctor from Manchester Village, Corentyne Berbice, Amanda Gray
29-year-old Medical Doctor from Manchester Village, Corentyne Berbice, Amanda Gray

THE Aspire Youth Network recently recognised young people from across Guyana, who have contributed to the improvement of society through their work and actions.

Through their Youth Recognition Project done on social media, the network called for locals to nominate persons from across the length and breadth of Guyana, who have created some positive impact in the country. After receiving a number of nominations, the organisation recognised 14 young persons.

19-year-old Ayodele Roach

Twenty-nine-year old medical doctor from Manchester Village, Corentyne, Berbice, Amanda Gray was recognised first.

“I am very enthusiastic about health in general, however, I have taken a keen interest in women’s health, taking into consideration the [number] of health problems that are associated with women daily,” she highlighted.

Georgetown’s youngest councillor, 19-year-old Ayodele Roach, was also recognised.

Roach is currently the vice-chairperson of the Youth for Change (YFC), and a member of the Alliance For Change (AFC). According to her, throughout 2018 she has been engaged in several civic engagement projects that stemmed from her passion to effect positive change in society.

This passion led her to involvement in the Local Government Elections (LGEs) held in November.

“In doing so I took the first step to motivate young persons like myself to “get up and go” make a positive change. I got myself involved in Local Government Elections and ran as PR candidate under the AFC, campaigning for youths to become more involved in exercising their democratic right,” she highlighted.

Also recognised was Schemel Patrick, the former Advocacy and Communications Officer at SASOD where she worked for four years, focusing on human rights and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT), youth and women and gender issues. She is also the co-founder and the secretary on the steering committee of SASOD Women’s Arm Guyana (SWAG).

Twenty-five-year-old youth, migrant and gender rights advocate Derwayne Wills, was also among the cadre of young persons recognised. Wills currently serves as interim chairman of the Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC)- where he has also been a volunteer since 2013.

Artist and now undergraduate student at Yale University, Ashley Anthony and First Responder at the Guyana Red Cross Society and volunteer, Alan Hussain, were also recognised. And the current under-21 Caribbean Women’s Champion and Women’s Open Bronze Medalist, Chelsea Edghill was recognised for her contribution in the field of table tennis.

From the small farming community Golden Fleece on the Essequibo Coast, Rovindra Lakenarine also did his bit in 2018.

Rovindra Lakenarine

He is a recent graduate of the University of Guyana with a BSc. Biology (Distinction), and received the University of Guyana Student Society Award (2018) for making significant contributions to the University of Guyana in areas other than academics.

After graduating he was retained by the Department of Biology at the University of Guyana, where he currently works as a tutor. Rovindra is also a founding member and former president of the University of Guyana Biology Club.

Also an awardee and recent graduate from UG is Carla Cassiano. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Optometry.

Upon receiving the recognition, she said: “I go by a simple motto: ‘We give sight to everyone we meet’. I am always willing to serve whenever the opportunity presents itself and I never say no.”

Other young people recognized, included: 22-year-old Shaliza Yarde, who was recently crowned “Miss Lethem 2018” during the annual Lethem Town Week pageant; 18- year- old volunteer with local civic engagement organisation, Young Pioneers, Shivani Rambharose; 25-year-old Fitness Coach at TopEnd Training Systems, Dominic Vincente and young Divya Doerga, who is a certified John Maxwell coach, trainer and speaker.

In an on-line post, the network said: “Even though we aimed to only highlight 10 persons, we ended up recognising 14 individuals under the age of 35 years. We look forward to following their journey throughout the years to come.”

“ASPIRE” stands for “Advocates for Safe Parenthood; Improving Reproductive Equity” and is a youth-led organisation, aiming to empower and serve the youth demographic.

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