EU donates to community transformation initiative in East Ruimveldt
Rev. Simon Harris addressing the gathering at the launch of ‘East Ruimveldt Cooperating for Community Transformation Project’ last Friday. From left at the head table are Ms. Donna Collier; Head of Co-operation, European Union Delegation to Guyana, Mr. Ewout Sandker;  Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Collin Croal; and Chairperson, Ms. Lyris Primo
Rev. Simon Harris addressing the gathering at the launch of ‘East Ruimveldt Cooperating for Community Transformation Project’ last Friday. From left at the head table are Ms. Donna Collier; Head of Co-operation, European Union Delegation to Guyana, Mr. Ewout Sandker; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Collin Croal; and Chairperson, Ms. Lyris Primo

THE Ministry of Local Government in collaboration with the European Union on Friday launched a community transformation initiative in East Ruimveldt.

A section of the gathering
A section of the gathering

Dubbed the ‘East Ruimveldt Cooperating for Community Transformation Project’, it seeks to bring about positive change and improvements in the lives of residents, particularly the young people.
The project was funded by the European Union and designed with the improvement of the community in mind. The launch took place on the East Ruimveldt Community Centre tarmac on the western end of East Ruimveldt.
The project will be implemented through collaboration with four churches and residents in the East Ruimveldt community. The churches involved are East Ruimveldt Brethren Church; Church of God of Prophecy; Restoration Ministries and the Ruimveldt Life Improvement Centre.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

GBTI Buxton Steel Orchestra renders pan music for the gathering
GBTI Buxton Steel Orchestra renders pan music for the gathering

The general objective of the project is “to prepare citizens for informed participation in civic and democratic life so that they are ready and able to take ownership of their communities,” said Rev. Simon Harris, Pastor of Ruimveldt Live Improvement Centre, who delivered the feature address.
Other areas of focus for the project are:
* To map the community needs of East Ruimveldt, to increase knowledge of their rights and responsibilities as citizens; to build capacity so the East Ruimveldt residents can organise to achieve common goals;
* to create a community council through which the community can plan and manage local initiatives, and build dialogue and cooperation with the entire community
* to improve local conditions; to mobilise the community to implement community development through community involvement and to increase awareness of and access to social services that will enhance the lives of residents in the community.
Permanent Secretary, Collin Croal, who on behalf of Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker, officially launched the project, congratulated the movers of the initiative. He declared: “Government supports projects of this nature that seek to bring about positive changes and improvement in the lives of people, and by extension the communities in which they live.”
Croal took note of the fact that what the group has recognised, is the need to compliment the work of Government and other local government bodies and agencies in meeting the needs of the communities across Guyana.
To this end, he said, the initiative of the Operation Restoration East Ruimveldt Group must be commended, and likewise the European Union which provided funding for the project.
He commended the complement of the bodies tasked with moving the project forward, adding, “In the quest for transformation, the church and our young people are important participants in what must be a collaborative effort as we strive to improve the quality of lives of our people.”
He emphasised that the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the Government of Guyana, see a role for as many as would wish to come on board and are prepared for the challenges of development.

CHANGING LIVES
Meanwhile, Head of Co-operation of the European Union in Guyana, Mr. Ewout Sandker, took pride in announcing that his organisation had taken on the responsibility of funding yet another initiative in the fight against poverty. He said that so far the European Union had spent some 8 million Euros locally in funding initiatives aimed at fighting poverty. Mr. Sandker said that what matters most is how the projects change the lives of people.
The EU representative said his organisation looks forward to the combined labour of the community and the churches. And as they flow with each other, the end result could only be a bountiful harvest, he added.
Chairperson, Ms. Lyris Primo noted that faith-based/non-governmental organisations and communities working together for their improvement is not a new concept but a process established many years ago by the slaves. She added that community leaders are more in touch with the day-to-day struggles and can better represent them to central and local government. Primo, on behalf of the entities, said that they committed themselves to make East Ruimveldt the beacon of success in Guyana as a whole.
And Rev. Simon Harris, Pastor of the Ruimveldt life Improvement Centre declared: “I am happy about what is being berthed here today… In my estimation the future can only look good.”
Harris commended the European Union for bringing on board that component so necessary for the transformation of the community – the funding, adding that by doing so, they have demonstrated that they do care about the community’s transformation. That component, he said, will cause the people to see possibilities and imagine great things.
He briefly traced the history of East Ruimveldt and alluded to the impact of dysfunctional families on the community wherever these exist. For this reason, Pastor Harris emphasised that the church working together with the families of the community becomes crucial in the scheme of things. “Our nation needs people with a moral base, and that comes from the family institution,” he stated.
Harris was, however, heartened that there were clear instances of persons from the community who, through ambition, hard work and perseverance, had risen to great heights, making not only East Ruimveldt proud, but Guyana at large.
This is a clear indication, he said that with the ‘East Ruimveldt Co-operating for Community Transformation Project’, there is hope. “Despite negatives, I see this area as having a lot of potential,” he concluded.

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