THE youth group formed by the Guyana Police Force E’ Division (Upper Demerara Upper Berbice), is participating in a number of constructive activities, that are keeping them meaningfully occupied.

The Wisroc Police Youth Group is currently engaged in an agro-processing project and the youths have related that the project is transforming their lives drastically.

The 34 members between the ages of 15- 20 are currently processing and packaging green seasoning and pepper sauce and are selling these commodities in their communities. The ingredients for the products are produced by the same youths on a plot of land in Block 22, which they managed to acquire. For the green seasoning, they plant thyme, and other green local herbs which are blended with onion, garlic and ginger to create the perfect concoction of a natural product to marinade meat, fish and other foods.

The pepper sauce is also made with all natural ingredients and has no preservatives. After processing the ingredients, they are packaged to suit local marketing standards. While the group has been in existence for over three years, this project was initiated in 2018 and has been receiving positive response from the officers stationed at the various police stations as well as the Linden community. They will be taking the products in the new week to Georgetown in an effort to have them bought by super market owners.

Secretary of the group Zeekhariah Williams said that project has exposed the youths to a very important life skill; farming. “It teaches us how to farm not just to farm one day and stop but to continue so you can always have produce to make the items,” he said. Seeing how successful this project is, they will soon commence a fruit juice project and they are optimistic that this too will create a growing clientele.

In addition to this agro processing project the youths take part in other social and educational exercises such as camping, marching and impromptu speaking which aim to build their self-esteem. Williams said that joining the youth group is one of the best choices he made in life and it has transformed and improved his entire persona.

He also sees it as a means of keeping the youths off the streets and from participating in unconstructive activities such as drinking, smoking and gambling which often lead to committing petty crimes. “Before I joined this youth group, I was this quiet, shy person and now since I have joined it I have become more opened, I find it easier to talk to people and in this way I am able to get more friends and it helped me in certain life skills such as farming,” he said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by the President Jamal Moseley who said, “I learnt how to speak out, do public speeches and not just keep to myself, I learnt to interact with youths, to do motivational speeches,” he said.

Supervising the youth group is Commander of E’ Division Senior Superintendent Linden Lord who said that he is giving the youths his full support and it is not only enabling them to become better persons but to gain finances for themselves, no matter how little, which serves as added motivation. Seeing the success of this one group, plans are underway to have a youth group in every district where there is a police station present.

He posited that initiatives as these also result in less youths becoming delinquent and juvenile offenders. “Basically when you get the youths meaningfully employed, there is generally a lower crime rate because they are now doing something constructive with their time,” he said. Lord often visits the districts and holds chats with youths who have not yet joined and encourages them to do so.