Amid much fanfare and high expectations, two new sub projects, implemented by the St. Francis Community Developers (SFCD) and Friends of St. Francis, were launched Tuesday in Berbice. Described as an opportunity to brighten lives and to set the stage for growth in Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne) and Guyana, the two sub programmes, Project ‘Cell’ in New Amsterdam  and Project ‘REACH’ in Black Bush Polder ,are being implemented under ‘RESCUE’, a UNDP/EPTSI funded project supported by Friends of St. Francis.
SFCD, along with eight of its partners, collaborated to develop a comprehensive project titled “Reforming Education, Skills and Capacity for Ultimate Empowerment”- RESCUE.
Project RESCUE was implemented to target residents of the region through capacity building and support of social services providers.
Among those gathered at New Amsterdam and Black Bush Polder for the occasion were representatives from various donor agencies including the Resident Representative of the UNDP, Dr. Kiari Liman Tinguri; Deputy British High Commissioner, Mr. Michael Kearrey; Representative from EPTSI, Mr. Trevor Clark; Developmental Officer at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Mr. Anand Harrilall; and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative, Dr. Pirro Tomaso.
In opening remarks, President of the SFCD, Mr. Alex Foster, lauded project CELL as a great accomplishment and pointed out that it was realized despite numerous challenges.
He said, “Many challenges and difficulties were overcome,” adding, “It is a miracle.”
Referring to REACH and the launch of the Green House Nursery Component of the project, the SFCD President said, “This is only the beginning of a greater project; there are plans to have three more green houses implemented in the region.”
“There will be 20,000 seedlings produced every eight weeks from the green house; we will move this region to greater heights, “he added.
Alluding to the many benefits of the various programmes, Foster continued, “Residents will be educated so that they can be liberated and I hope, with continued donor support, we will continue to contribute to the emancipation of the human spirit,”
Expressing his gratitude to the donor agencies and the volunteers who worked diligently on the various projects, Foster said, “Our collaboration is bearing fruit as we have all worked together to produce fantastic results.”
Highlighting the primary purpose of the programmes, Mr. Foster said, “With the creation of jobs, everything will fall into place fostering social cohesion to make Guyana a better place.”
In addition to facilitating job creation, Project CELL will allow for life skills and empowerment training, building of social cohesion among residents, hosting community events to foster better understanding, the establishment of a green house nursery and organic farm on five acres of land, creation of a social cohesion space, career guidance and any responsive services deemed fit to correct challenges in the region.
The second sub project, REACH, targeting the Mibicuri community in Black Bush Polder, facilitates outreach/ technical support to farmers, professional training, youth involvement in agriculture through the green House Initiative, development of a permanent training complex for farmers, and includes activities that build trust, awareness, and respect and encourages residents to engage in community activities that seek to enhance security of all stakeholders.
The representatives from the various donor agencies all echoed sentiments of pride at the accomplishment of the two communities.
Resident Representative of the UNDP, Dr. Kiari Liman Tingur, lauding the Green House initiative, said, “Agriculture is the future, you will succeed in being good examples for Guyana, the Caribbean and the rest of the World.”
Project Manager of the Enhanced Public Trust, Security and Inclusion Project (EPTSI), Mr. Trevor Clark, expressed delight at being able to witness the “amazing evolution” of the projects.
He said, ‘Despite the challenges, they did a great job.”
“We are impressed at the accomplishment and happy to have had the opportunity to brighten lives and to set the stage for growth in Region Six and Guyana,” Deputy British High Commissioner, Mr. Michael Kearrey commented.
In his address, (FAO) representative Dr. Pirro Tomaso pointed out that food security is at the core of his organisation.
He said, “It is gratifying to see the progress made, by growing your own food you control the quality ensuring healthy production.”
In addition to their praises for the successful implementation for the projects, the donors all applauded the efforts of the SFCD and the volunteers and pledged their future support for such programmes.
The private sector support was also evident as the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) is set to donate several computers along with free internet connection towards the advancement of the project.
In recognition of their hard work and commitment, Marketing Executive of GT&T, Mr. Wystan Robertson, also presented participants of the projects with tokens of appreciation.
STARR Computers, in partnership with GT&T, will also seek to make computers more affordable to the residents of Region Six.
St. Francis Community Developers was established in August, 1986, and has been at the forefront for the past 20 years in ensuring that the poor are given every opportunity possible to enjoy their basic human rights, while creating sustainable service delivery to all, through networking.
Under Project RESCUE, there are several other sub projects in Region Six, including CELL and REACH. These are ROSE in Fryish Village, SOLE in Kildonan Village, LIFE in Limlair ,COPE in Eversham, SAFE in #58 Village and SLICE in Orealla.
President of SFCD pointed out that all of the seven projects which have already been realized across the region were intertwined and were designed to supplement each other.