PERSONS with disabilities from the Centre for Equity, Innovation and Opportunity in Palmyra, Berbice, are being equipped with skills in food packaging and preserving as part of an initiative aimed at expanding employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
First Lady Arya Ali attended the opening of the Packaging and Preserving Training Programme on Tuesday at the Empower Guyana Building.
The programme was organised by the Office of the First Lady in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and facilitated by the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC).
The training is designed to provide participants with practical knowledge and skills in packaging and preserving, with the broader objective of helping them pursue income-generating opportunities and greater economic independence.
Participants are also expected to gain experience in developing products that could eventually be introduced to the local market.
According to the initiative, products produced during the programme will be eligible for entry into the local market following completion of the necessary certification process by the GMC.
The certification process is expected to provide an important pathway for participants to move beyond training and into commercial activity, including potential small-business ventures.
The programme forms part of efforts to create more inclusive economic opportunities for persons with disabilities while recognising their capacity to contribute to productive activity and entrepreneurship.
The initiative also seeks to provide participants with practical avenues to apply their skills and develop products that can potentially generate sustainable livelihoods.
The collaboration among the Office of the First Lady, the Ministry of Agriculture and the GMC brings together training, technical expertise and market-related support, with the intention of helping participants translate their newly acquired skills into viable economic opportunities.