TWENTY residents of Black Bush Polder were last week presented with Certificates of Participation, after satisfactorily completing a two-day Training of Trainers Workshop on social issues confronting the community.

The workshop which began on Tuesday last at the Mibicuri Baptist Church, was organised by the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund Committee in collaboration with the First Lady Foundation and the Ministry of Labour.
Participants were drawn from Mibicuri, Yakusari, Johanna and Lesbeholden – all homesteads in Black Bush Polder and included teachers, youths (including a University of Guyana student), religious and community leaders and self-employed businessmen and women.

TRAINING OF RESIDENTS
The objective of the workshop was to equip a cadre of trainers with the knowledge necessary to effectively respond to the social issues evolving within the homesteads of Black Bush Polder, so as to avoid disastrous outcomes. The persons selected to pioneer the initiative are all possessed of a passionate commitment to working robustly towards addressing and stemming the tide of known social ills plaguing the community. They will in turn train others so that the training of residents of the community will have a powerful multiplier effect.
Participants were coached in such areas as Conflict Management, Suicide Prevention, Alcoholism/Substance Abuse, Child Labour, Domestic Violence, School Drop Out and the Value of Good Parenting.
The team of facilitators, headed by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Patrick Findlay; included Deigo Mario Alphonso, Stephen Singh and Prandatt Basdeo – all officials of the Ministry of Labour. Basdeo is also a representative of the First Lady Foundation.

(By Shirley Thomas)