THE Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) last Friday hosted a Stakeholder Forum, which explored what development experiences can teach us about future efforts and how implementing entities build lasting capacity, preserve community benefits, and consider practical ways to sustain their work.
The event was held under the theme, ‘From Impact to Insight: Lessons Shaping Guyana’s Future.’ What brought each stakeholder to the event was a shared commitment to creating opportunities that improve lives and strengthen communities.
Over the last six years, the GGI has funded a number of initiatives that touch on several areas including education and training, economic development, and community health. While each programme focused on a different challenge, it all originated from the same belief: the meaningful and lasting change that can be created when organisations work with the communities they invest in.
Speaking at the event, Senior Director of Programmes at Miller Center for Global Impact Zaki Raheem said this event was an opportunity to reflect on what the GGI and its partners have learned, to plan for the next phase of work, and ponder on the benefits of these investments, as well as how to continue to advance beyond an initial grant or initial follow-on grant.
He said the foundation has already been set by the GGI. In its first seven years, the GGI executed 42 joint initiatives which positively impacted some 250,000 lives across all regions of Guyana.
”Behind these numbers, we have people accessing services, developing skills, finding opportunities. More than 2,000 women and girls accessing cancer screening services. Project FLOW already bringing purified water to 18,000 students nationwide. 26 instructors from 11 TVET institutions gaining internationally recognized health and safety qualifications. More than 1,100 poultry farmers being trained, just to name a few,” he said.
However, these achievements reflect different contributions: community shaping priorities and bringing local knowledge, government providing leadership services and institutional support, and civil society organizations bringing reach and trust.
Recognising that the GGI has already placed emphasis on capacity building and sustainable models, Raheem said the Stakeholder Forum was an opportunity to build on this work.
The GGI is a USD$100 million (GYD$20 billion) investment by the Stabroek Block co-venturers—ExxonMobil Guyana, Hess Guyana Exploration, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana. For ten years this initiative has supported capacity development programmes across Guyana, expanding on existing efforts and reflecting the co-venturers’ long-term commitment to advancing Guyana’s growth and development.
With a focus on education and training, economic development, and health, the GGI aims to strengthen the Guyanese workforce, increase the competitiveness of local businesses across sectors and lay the foundation necessary for a thriving business environment and sustained economic growth.
As programmes develop, national and local leaders, community members and the private sector will be engaged to bolster the effectiveness of the endeavor and ensure alignment with Guyana’s development priorities as they evolve over the coming years, the GGI said.
