– in areas of education, health and the environment

THIRTY-THREE Peace Corps volunteers have been sworn in to assist Guyana in the areas of education, health and the environment at a ceremony hosted at the U.S. ambassador’s residence on Wednesday.

The occasion had in attendance First Lady Sandra Granger, Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence, Public Affairs Minister Dawn Hastings-Williams, Chief Education Officer (CEO) Marcel Hutson, head teachers from several regions and members of the diplomatic corps.
The Peace Corps volunteers have just successfully completed 10 weeks of pre-service training on the Essequibo Coast and will render their services to Guyana over the next two years.

Eleven of the volunteers will provide educational services, 12 will deal with environmental education and resource protection, while 10 will address adolescent health and well-being and maternal and child health issues.

Minister Lawrence said Guyana has a high level of adolescent pregnancy and suicide and the services of the volunteers are most welcome in the national effort to address these matters.

“My dear volunteers, I am sure that you are apprised of our health challenges, our youths in Guyana, like their counterparts globally, are challenged by a range of adolescent health issues. Among them are depression, early pregnancy, unsafe sex, Sexually Transmitted Infections and suicide where Guyana ranks highly, globally,” she said.

Lawrence added: “You will be severely tasked in changing harmful health behaviours at the outset. But I am deeply convinced that over an extended period of time, your intervention with the schools coupled with your interaction with parents and the health care workers will certainly impact significantly and influence positively the choices our youths make, so that the avoidable risk factors linked to non-communicable diseases will be reduced and healthier attitudes and actions will prevail across the length and breadth of our beautiful country.”

She further stated that Peace Corps Guyana’s Health Project will work to support Guyana’s National Adolescent Health Programme, which falls within the recently developed draft National Adolescent Health Strategy.

GIVE YOUR BEST
Lawrence also urged the volunteers to render high-quality service by using their skill-building talents to build trust among youths and community members, which will better facilitate the great task ahead.

“I know that I can rely on your goodwill and benevolence to create adolescent-friendly environments in those communities in which you would be stationed. I am very confident that you, like those who have been before, will rise to the challenges and find innovative ways to ensure acquisition of knowledge and requisite skills to empower our adolescents and youth to become healthy citizens in the future,” she said.

Last last month, the U.S. Embassy signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ministry of Education to collaborate with primary and secondary schools in the areas of education, health and the environment.

These include helping children learn how to read through the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) pilot Literacy Project; strengthening science teachers through NCERD’s Education and Sustainable Development Project and supporting adolescent health and well-being through the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) curriculum.

Chief Education Officer (CEO) Marcel Hutson, encouraged the volunteers to courageously execute their duties, as government works to do its part.

“As a nation, we recognise the critical nature of education in the process of transformation,” he said, noting that “The Ministry of Education will continue to work with all our stakeholders to ensure that we maximise the performance of our children in the school systems.”

Public Affairs Minister Dawn Hastings-Williams said the volunteers will now have the chance to serve as “shining examples” for the country’s youths.

“The Peace Corps has continued to assist us in a significant way as we battle against these hindrances to development. The support of Peace Corps Guyana… by this batch of volunteers in the areas identified is most welcomed by the Government of Guyana,” Hastings-Williams said.

The 33 volunteers were guided through their swearing of the Peace Corps oath and pledge by U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway.

Throughout their years of service, the 33 volunteers will live with host families within four regions, while other volunteers previously stationed will continue to serve in the remaining regions of Guyana.