By Gabriella Chapman

– Miss Bartica Regatta 2018

MISS Bartica Regatta 2018 Arian Dahlia Richmond, has lived up to her pledge to ensure that the youths of Bartica benefit during her reign. On Monday, she commenced her Youth Development Camp for Barticans aged eight to 18.

Dahlia said the camp aims to create a space for youths to use their time to develop their talent into skills during August and onward. It also seeks to enhance individual development, as it provides the youths opportunities to generate effective community change.

She is hoping that the camp will also help the youths to build social skills and learn how to interact in new settings.

The queen told this newspaper that the onus lies on every member of each small community to better their lives through productive actions, noting that these will cause a ripple effect that will create positive change for Guyana as a nation.

“We can cultivate innovative youth with the involvement of parents, local businesses and municipality, and the region can prosper from a healthy mental and physical population. Socio-economic dysfunctions within hinterland communities contribute to the mass of social ills such as statutory rape, mental and physical illness and drug use, among other hindrances to their growth,” Dahlia said.

She related that while doing research, she learnt that in a UNICEF study of local Indigenous women and children in 2017, it was found that 35.5 per cent of the population is under 15 and young people 15-19 represent about 8.9 per cent.
The population of the hinterland regions, comprising more than two-thirds of the land area, is 10.9 per cent.

Hence, she believes the investment in youth is a direct investment in Guyana’s longevity and it is against this backdrop the Youth Development Camp was launched.
Dahlia is still seeking the support of businesses, organisations and individuals to make her project a success.