– Gets help through ‘Love Revolution’

A runaway boy, now incarcerated at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC), the country’s main juvenile detention centre, has his eyes set on returning to school.And he is getting help to do that through collaboration between the President’s Youth Award Programme (PYARG) and its Trinidadian counterpart.
Amafika Luke and Timmy Temal, Director and Assistant Director Training of the President Award Trinidad & Tobago during their visit to the New Opportunity Corps last week as part of their visit to Guyana in assisting with training leaders of the local award under the new international licence, partnered with the local award programme in their ‘Love Revolution’ programme.
The Trinidadians partnership will see the sponsorship of one of the inmates, Granville Odle, who grabbed the attention of the training directors.
The inmate, who was interviewed during the annual Christmas luncheon, convinced the Trinidadians when he spoke about his work and the skills attained since being at the institution.
At age 10, Odle, from the South Ruimveldt area in Georgetown, ran away from his parents’ home to the streets where he got entangled with the law and was sentenced to four years at the New Opportunity Corps.
He said boldly during the friendly conversation with the award leaders that he got one year of his sentence reduced and is presently working at the institution’s Stock farm as custodian of the duck section.
Daily tallying and care is his responsibility, and while he enjoys the programme, he has learnt new techniques in duck farming from his instructor.
Since he was placed at the New Opportunity Corps, Odle’s mother has never visited. He said he did not know his birth date, though he knew it is sometime in March and he is now 13-years-old.
He could not say what his home address was; he said he was not keen on returning anyhow.
Odle said he would welcome the opportunity to go back to school and study agriculture.
The local President’s Youth Award Programme Guyana Executive Officer Mr. Allister Collins was then informed and has undertaken to work the New Opportunity Corps in outlining the details for the inmate to be a part of the ‘Love Revolution’ programme.
Clothes and other personal and education materials will be sent to the institution and a monthly update on the inmate will be submitted for monitoring.