THE Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute (GWLI) is set to be revived and expanded in 2021, according to Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud. The revival will result in the provision of wider, more modern training opportunities.

“It is going be a training hub; there is going to be a marketing component to it, and women are going to be trained specifically in nonconventional types of skills,” Dr. Persaud said.

She specified that training will be provided in areas such as Information and Communications Technology (ICT), video editing, graphic designing, interior design, business management, and fashion, which would also include a jewellery-making component. Catering, as well as adding value to food will also be taught, “Whether it is convenient foods or street food,” the minister added.

Dr. Persaud pointed to the recent launch of her ministry’s mobile street food kiosks initiative, which will see standardised kiosks being constructed and established across the entire country. In addition to providing employment to mainly women, the kiosks are expected to be strategically positioned countrywide, in an effort to boost culinary tourism.

Apart from being made of locally produced materials, including Guyana’s high-standard timber, the kiosks will be operated in a strict hygienic manner, and will serve some of Guyana’s most delectable and unique street foods, such as our ‘scrumptious’ eggballs and thirst-quenching mauby drinks.

Under the food kiosk initiative, potential vendors will be mandated to undergo a three-stage training programme, which will emphasise good hygiene, safe food handling, proper waste food disposal, as well as entrepreneurship. Nonetheless, as she spoke to reporters on the sidelines of a community outreach in Albion on Friday last, Dr. Persaud explained that the institute will serve as a principal comprehensive component of the government’s Cottage Industry Initiative which seeks to provide critical support to Guyanese, both male and female, seeking to establish or expand their small businesses.

The institute, according to Minister Persaud, was established as a component of the Human Services Ministry in the early 1990s when the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) first assumed office.

“But it has lapsed for about five to six years,” she acknowledged. The institute is housed in a facility located at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara.

In addition to skills training, the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute will also execute sensitisation sessions on various social issues including gender-based violence, women and gender equality, etc. The institute will also serve as a conduit to other supportive services offered by the Human Services Ministry; Dr. Persaud is hopeful that the institute will be up and running in the coming months.

The GWLI, according to its original design, has a mandate to develop, promote, educate and support women and girls as potential leaders and decision-makers. A Board of Directors to govern the institute was recently installed, and will be headed by Patricia Bacchus. The other members include Deputy Chairperson, Camille Deokie, Padmini Singh, Saudia Ferouz, Sarah Brown, Gina Arjoon, Roshan Khan Jnr., Marissa Scott, Louanna Abrams, Macaela Cameron and Asha Kissoon.

Nonetheless, Friday’s outreach at Albion served as a one-stop shop for persons curious, or in need of services provided by the Human Services Ministry, with emphasis on youths and pensioners. The activity hosted at the Albion Community Centre Ground, provided free health services, including eye and dental check-ups, as well as HIV testing. Present were several of the Ministry’s ‘Young Influencers’ who were on sight to provide guidance to young people on issues stemming from bullying and peer pressure to career guidance and self-development.

“We thought it would be the best thing to reach out to communities in a format that we call community outreach – taking the ministry to the people. We have visited a number of communities including Regions 10, Two and Five,” Dr. Persaud noted.

She explained that the idea behind the outreach is to provide a forum which “troubleshoots” all of the issues affecting people within each region, and see if these can be dealt with on the spot, or if other interventions can be mobilised to bring relief to affected citizens.

“It’s quite an expansive team that I’ve brought up here today [Friday]– dealing with public assistance, pensions, difficult circumstances, application processes to get into our various training programmes – child care and protection, healthcare, etc.,” the minister noted.

She said that the activities also serve as a base to assess the ministry’s performance within each region, and provide guidance on where gaps may exist and how these can be remedied. More outreaches are expected in other parts of the country, within the coming weeks.