SEVENTY per cent of the youths in villages across Guyana who are participating in the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) programme have already received stipends, with the exception of those in Regions Seven and Eight.  Youths and facilitators from Regions Seven and Eight will begin receiving their stipends in the coming days, a release has said.

The outstanding stipend of $20.8M for youths and facilitators from Region One is available, and will be paid during this week.

According to Programme Coordinator Murray Greenidge, teams are currently in Regions One and Nine completing the first payment tranche of stipends.

This timely initiative has, to date, made remarkable strides in meeting its desired goals in spite of a few teething problems which have caused some delay in terms of payment of stipends. Despite the delay, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs continues to receive full support from the Ministry of Finance in giving the programme priority.

Close to 2000 youths and 400 facilitators nationwide are involved in the HEYS Programme.

The Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, who also has direct responsibility for youth empowerment, continues to encourage youths to embrace opportunities the programme has created, since it seeks to pave the way for economic and social development.

During last month’s Heritage Celebrations in Hururu Village in Region 10, the minister said “your vision” must be clear, and the incumbent Government has created that enabling environment where development in all villages and communities across Guyana, moreso Indigenous villages and communities, is imminent.

Participants are engaged in six core courses, namely capacity-building, life skills, entrepreneurship, eco-tourism, agriculture, and the flagship course: concentrated language experience. They are also exposed to a number of vocational skills, not limited to carpentry/joinery, garment construction, auto-mechanics, masonry, cake decorating/catering, electrical installation, craft and information technology.

Just over $977M has been approved by the David Granger-led Administration to execute the HEYS Programme, intended to give youths a second chance at numerous opportunities available.

Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, continues to play a key role at the level of the Cabinet in ensuring this initiative is embraced by all its members, and given full support.

The Hinterland Employment and Youth Service, one of a number of initiatives of the Granger-led coalition to stimulate economic impetus and personal and professional development among youths who may be disadvantaged due to geophysical challenges beyond their control, was launched in October 2015.

It was piloted in six villages in Region Eight, and then rolled out in 106 villages across all 10 administrative regions.

Most of the villages are almost at the halfway mark of the programme duration, and participants have expressed great enthusiasm and satisfaction with the quality of training received so far.

Young males and females between the ages of 16 and 35 have hailed the programme as a fulfilment of the promise of a “good life”.