THIRTY-EIGHT participants of the Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS) Program from the Essequibo Islands –West Demerara region are in a better position to develop their businesses, after $1.9M was disbursed to the group recently.
Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, led a seven-member team to the region, on Wednesday last, where he met with the participants with existing businesses under the HEYS Program.
The young participants were drawn from the villages of Saxacalli, Bonasika and Caria Caria along the Essequibo River where the grant total was distributed.
According to a release from the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, passionate testimonies were shared by the youth who noted, with excitement, the positive impact the HEYS Program has made on their lives. Karen DeNieuenkirk of Caria Caria said, “it has been a good learning experience, I am now in a better position to operate my own little business and I know that by God’s grace I will be successful.”
Celine Sampson, another participant from Caria Caria, expressed appreciation to the government and the Ministry for giving the youth a second chance at life. “This program has allowed me to discover hidden talents that I am now using, my life has changed and I have a business up and running, my moral life and academic life have improved and I am confident that things are better with me now than before. I will be happy if this program can come back where more young people can have a chance to improve their life,” said Crystal Decamp who is also a participant from Caria Caria.
The HEYS Program also caters to the needs of the differently-abled in society and Courtley Jones, a youth from Saxacalli, with assistance from his sister Candida Allicock noted that “[I] started my business with a small amount of chickens and now I have forty three laying birds and I would like to improve my business. I would like to thank the Government for what they have done and will continue to do for the youths”.
Following the testimonies of the participants, Minister Allicock said that he was extremely pleased with the commitment demonstrated by the youth who have embraced the HEYS Program and positive outcomes were being realised. “What I can see and what I can hear, you are poised for a great future ahead, the mere fact that you have said these things for yourself is very encouraging. Mr. Courtley Jones your story from the chickens and eggs is very refreshing, it means that you are passionate and a lot of people might think that when you are differently- abled that you can’t help yourself and here is a very, very good example of what could happen as long as you are focused and dedicated,” he said.
The Minister further noted that, “I am extremely impressed with the number of young women taking up the challenge. I think there are only five or six males and the rest are females who are leading in this which is a very, very good sign and I would like to ask the young men to take an example of what the young women are doing”.
Courtley Jones took the opportunity to capitalize on the marketing opportunity and sold fourteen trays of eggs to those attending the meeting including Minister Allicock who bought four trays to take back to the city. Leaders from the respective villages encouraged the youth to thrive towards building on this opportunity which one leader described as “transformative”. In the recent past, the HEYS initiative was deemed no more a “Program but an Irreversible Movement”.
The Program which was introduced in 2015, is the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Flagship Youth Program, one that has transformed the lives of close to four thousand youths across the Hinterland. The program is one that was part of a ten- point plan for Hinterland development by President David Granger during his address at the opening of the National Toshaos’ Council Conference in 2015. To date, the “movement”, according to the ministry, has brought tremendous benefits to the youth and already plans are being formulated to have a third cohort rolled out before the end of 2019.
