Hundreds of youths participated in the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) fun day on Sunday in Region Two, to facilitate students of the facility mingling and interacting with other youths of the area and surrounding communities. The event was sponsored through a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Students were involved in softball cricket, table tennis, football, dominoes, volley ball, tug-of-war and rugby. The winners were awarded prizes.
The Guyana Rugby Union presented two balls to the students to promote the game in the institution, as well as in the community.
In addition, there was the NOC’s steel band, “The Young Impressions,” that played for the crowd.
Director of Youth, Carl Brandon, commended the organizers of the event and stated that the Ministry is promoting the continued development of youths, particularly those of the institution.
He emphasised that the NOC is committed to providing an opportunity for the all-round development of its students, as they are engaged in academic and recreational activities.
“All youths have potential, and it is the responsibility at the level of the Ministry to ensure that this is developed,” Brandon asserted.
He encouraged residents of the Region to support the activities of the institution for it to perform effectively.
Assistant Director of Youth, Devanand Ramdatt, expressed hope that the event would be an annual one, which would aim to build partnership among students, staff of NOC, and residents of Region Two communities.
Region Two Chairman, Ali Baksh, noted that the event will ensure that the children relax and have fun, and at the same time instill discipline through various sports.
The NOC, Guyana’s only juvenile correctional centre, was initially established as a disciplinary centre for young males, under the name the Essequibo Boys’ School. It was renamed the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) in the 1970s.
Students are sent to the institution through court orders mainly for loitering, petty larceny and other juvenile delinquent acts, and are kept there for a three-year period, where they undergo counselling and are provided with academic and vocational ventures. (GINA)