Press release
THE Ministry of Natural Resources, Youth in Natural Resources Apprenticeship Programme 2019 was recently launched and the 29 participants are engaged in community

development projects, many of which have been conducted in mining communities across Region Ten. Some of these were Bosai Mines Linden, Kwakwani, Calcuni Mission and Wiruni, both located up the Berbice river. While the primary reason for touring these communities was to expose and educate them on the various forms of mining – bauxite, gold, rare earth, sand, petroleum and forestry – the youths also made social contributions to these communities.

At Kwakwani, Calcuni Mission and Wiruni, the participants donated garbage bins, farming tools and fruit trees to the Toshaos and other community leaders. At Wiruni they installed leatherette over the windows, which was a promise delivered by Minister Raphael Trotman, after the teachers complained about the rain blowing into the school and damaging furniture and floor.

In Kwakwani, the youths commenced work on the Kwakwani Workers Club which has been the hallmark for entertainment and theatre shows in the community, but has been in a deplorable state for some years. The youths made several donations to the Wisburg Secondary School in Linden. Those included a sewing machine, solar lights for the ball field, seedlings, and sporting equipment. The school’s pigpen was also expanded to boost agriculture.

At Coomacka, the team presented residents with a combo swing set, inclusive of a seesaw and slide. The play area is expected to be further developed with the installation of benches. During the handing over, Ministry of Natural Resources, Regional Coordinator, Devin Sears said, “While YNR III affords travel of apprentices across our beautiful country, there is a bigger picture being painted, it is about touching lives, making an impact, creating change; and with these donations, it only reflects a very small portion, a pixel of what the APNU+AFC Government has in store for you the resident and Guyana in its entirety.”

The 2019 Youth in Natural Resources Programmes, will conclude on August 30, 2019. The programme which is the brain child of Minister Trotman forms part of the Ministry’s corporate social responsibility progamme and is the brainchild of Minister Trotman.