Empowering people to activate their income-generating skills

THE Roadside Baptist Church Skills Training Centre, Inc. (RBCSTC), is a place where thousands were trained in a wide range of income-generating skills – many of whom now operate their own businesses.

It is located at #68 Village Carnarvon, Upper Corentyne, Berbice and RBCSTC targets vulnerable, at- risk youths; disadvantaged and abused women and children; school drop-outs; women with very little or no skills and senior citizens. They also work with men and perpetrators of violence.

The support services available are counselling –- especially for all, including at risk folk, the abused, school drop-outs — individuals and family affected by HIV/AIDS and other social problems; survivors of attempted suicide and suicide-prone people.

RBSCTC is a skills-training centre which came out of the church in 1995, founded by the late Yetrawatee Katryan, who passed away in 2017.

They started off with a few sewing classes, cooking tutorials, cake-decorating sessions and remedial education in literacy, Mathematics and English.

These days, the centre has grown and they are offering other courses such as computer application, computer software, CSEC and cosmetology.

Indrawattie Outar is the Programme Manager, who is also a teacher. She told the Pepperpot Magazine that they have five part-time staffers and together they have classes for learners, including repeating CSEC students and they have a total of 17 learners on roll.

RBSCTC has spacious classrooms in the upper flat and also in the auditorium, a canteen, and IT Room, a Library, adequate washroom facilities and play area.

They observe all COVID-19 protocols and they have different sessions daily, so at no time there is a large gathering at the centre.

Outar stated that they depend on cost-recovery fees and donations to keep their doors open, since they charge a minimal fee for courses offered and had partnered with conduit agencies in the past.

She related that they would host a monthly programme for seniors in the village, and they offer a meal and a take-home package for 40 elders.

And this year, like every other, they have a special meal for the seniors, but there will be no gathering, so they will visit and pick up their meal and goodies to go.

Outar disclosed that the donations from Poonai Pharmacy at Rose Hall assists them greatly in this annual Christmas fete for the seniors and they are very thankful.

This year they are catering for 200 seniors and this is an event to which the people look forward, so they do not want to disappoint them.

“Thousands of people pass through this centre and left with a lifeskill that will assist them to generate an income and that is our main goal, to empower people to become gainfully employed,” she said.

Outar added that they have had many success stories and a lot of their learners are employed at banks, the sugar estates and other places, while others have small businesses.

At RBSCTC they have a display corner where all things, including arts and craft made by learners are displayed and kept secure.

The husband of the founder, Almond Katryan, is the Director of RBSCTC and is also the pastor at the church.

“This place isn’t a profit-making one, but is a centre where people can come to be empowered through life- skills training and other courses to improve their standard of living and to bridge gaps with the community,” she said.

Outar reported that they have classes for slow learners and also remedial courses and the people asked for more when they started with just a library.

RBSCTC also provides secretarial and photocopying services for a small fee for the general public.

Meanwhile, Administrative Manager Shaminee Rohit pointed out that they are also teachers and they do the managerial aspect of the centre as well and it is voluntary work.

“We get what needs to be done to keep the centre open and we have supportive staff to assist us,” she said.

Her husband is also a pastor at the church and he is Terry Rohit.

The RBSCTC is opened on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 08:00hrs to 17:00hrs and on Wednesdays from 08:00hrs to 16:00hrs.

The centre has wash sinks with soap and water for hand- washing and they also have the ‘No Mask, No Entry’ policy, as well as others including no chewing gum on the premises, no cellphones during classes among others.