THE Volunteerism Support Platform (VSP) of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport continues to host Action Learning Network sessions every six weeks in an effort to provide a regular forum for information-sharing and networking, to build the capacity of the voluntary sector in Guyana.

This was disclosed by Volunteerism and Youth Development Specialist at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Ms. Lesley Abraham, yesterday in a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle.
Ms Abraham said the last two sessions were on “The Development Agenda and the Voluntary Sector”, facilitated by the VSP staff on May 3; and “Civic Engagement and Active Citizenship”, facilitated by Dr. Janice Jackson on June 14. The VSP has also continued working with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and other partners on the “Keep Guyana Clean” anti-littering campaign to help support the recruitment, mobilisation, training and recognition of volunteers on the project.
She related that the VSP recently launched a new quarterly newsletter that is intended to highlight and support volunteerism in different sectors across Guyana, and demonstrate how voluntary efforts contribute to national development.
Ms. Abraham, a volunteer from CUSO International, one of the founding organisations of the Volunteerism Support Platform project in Guyana, said the VSP is also working to develop a website and database, which she hopes would be up and running by July or August of this year.
She explained that the aim of this website and database is to help connect individuals and groups with volunteer opportunities in Guyana, to highlight the importance of voluntary activities, and to highlight other resources and opportunities for the voluntary sector in Guyana.
According to her, the VSP has also been working at various schools in Georgetown to promote efforts to participate in voluntary activities, and to create voluntary school clubs.
She informed that the schools with which they are currently engaged are Josel Secondary, Monar Secondary and the Adult Education Association.
Pointing out that the VSP held its first Volunteer Management Systems training workshop in April of this year, she said a three-month follow-up will be done next month, to check in with the participants to see how they have used the training in their work, and to discover other ways the VSP may be able to support them.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, had said at the workshop in April that the ministry’s ultimate objective is to be able to create a national network of volunteers, in order to make necessary changes within the various communities.
Dr. Anthony had also said that the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry was also looking to institutionalise volunteerism by teaching young people about its importance from a young age, which he believes will result in more unselfish behaviour within communities.