DURING a recent visit to Region One, First Lady Arya Ali donated laptops to seven primary schools as part of ongoing efforts to expand Information and Communication Technology (ICT) access to hinterland and remote communities.

The schools that benefitted from the donation were Haimaracabra Primary, Wallaba Primary, Santa Cruz Primary, St. Bedes Primary, Chinese Landing Primary, Kokerite Primary, and Kariako Primary.

A post on the First Lady’s official Facebook page said: “As the government continues its aggressive push to develop ICT hubs in Indigenous communities nationwide, students will also be equipped with the tools and resources they need to enhance their learning experience.”

“These initiatives are crucial to ensuring that Guyana becomes a digitally inclusive society in the shortest time possible.”

In addition to the First Lady’s efforts, another government agency that has played a major role in aiding in this type of venture, is the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Industry and Innovation Unit (IIU).

The IIU has played a strategic role in the introduction of ICT in hinterland communities. IIU is mandated to create an enabling environment that will support ICT driven private sector, drive economic growth, eliminate social inequalities and level the playing field for equal access and economic upliftment to all Guyanese.

At the concluded Innovation Challenge 2024 in August, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips emphasised government’s commitment to inclusivity and the belief that everyone, regardless of age or background has a role in shaping our country’s technological future.

PM Phillips stated, “And what we have done, in keeping with that mindset, we have over the last six months invested in the purchase of a thousand Starlink devices so we could connect to the low-Earth orbiting satellites out there in an effort to have our citizens who live mainly in the hinterland, be connected to the Internet and therefore bridge the digital divide.”

Added to this, the PM said they expect that at Innovation Challenge 2025, there will be more participants from the hinterland regions.