THE Guyana Association of Retired Persons (GARP) will be officially launched on Monday, October 19, 2026, with STARR Computer already backing the new organisation with equipment and an offer of hands-on technology access for its members.
The launch begins at 4:00 PM at the Georgetown Club, 208-209 Camp Street, under the theme “Empowering Seniors, Strengthening Communities.”
Starr Computer has donated a business-grade Lenovo computer and an HP printer to GARP’s administrative office.
The company also said it will expand its “Field Trip” offering, currently available to students, to GARP’s membership as a starting point.
GARP is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to the welfare, dignity, security and social inclusion of retired persons across Guyana. Its leadership includes President Joseph Harmon, Secretary Faye Hunte, Treasurer Denis Jaikaran, and Trustees Leslie Sobers and Dr Dawn Stewart. The association is based at 25 Hadfield Street, Werk-en-Rust.
TAPPING RETIREES’ EXPERIENCE
In an interview with this publication, President of STARR Computer, Mike Mohan, explained that Starr Computer’s support is rooted in a broader argument about the country’s workforce and its young people. With Guyana’s legal retirement age at 55 and life expectancy rising, a wealth of experience and wisdom is going unused after people leave formal employment.
Mr. Mohan argued that these retirees could be reskilled to help ease the country’s labour shortage.
He pointed to the harm that social media is doing to the attention spans, cognitive control and mental health of younger Guyanese, and said links between the generations could help redirect them.
GARP’s own executive summary identifies several challenges facing retirees: financial insecurity, limited awareness of pension and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) benefits, social isolation, healthcare concerns and little representation in policy discussions.
The association plans to respond with advocacy, education, financial literacy training, health and wellness initiatives, social activities, community outreach and volunteer opportunities. Over the long term, it aims to become the country’s leading advocate for retired persons and to build a national network.
Meanwhile, Starr’s Field Trip programme gives participants a free digital business card, along with other benefits at Starr Computer and its partners. Visitors experience the company’s technology products and speak directly with trained staff about the solutions available in Guyana.
The visit includes refreshments, small gifts, and a career-path or IT presentation at the company’s Innovation Center. It ends with a tour of Starr’s in-house farming operation and its solar installation. The company said 54 per cent of the energy it consumes comes from the sun.
Starr also holds a Senior Discount Day every Tuesday for purchases.
Starr Computer said its interest in the project reflects its history. The company brought computer technology to Guyana in 1991 and trained Guyanese to produce, sell and manage computers under the STARR brand. It said the technology spread quickly across retail, merchandising, manufacturing, distribution, education, consumer, business and government sectors, helping move the country from manual processes to automation.
Many of Guyana’s established IT companies, the company noted, began with a close relationship with Starr before becoming independent operations. It named Courts, Fogartys, Riaz, Gizmo, NT and NexTech among them, and said companies from elsewhere in the Caribbean have since come to Guyana to do business.
The company said its core goal remains helping Guyanese develop their skills and livelihoods, and that this is why it is backing GARP.