OVER $43M has been invested in capacity building of indigenous youth in several villages in the Upper Demerara area, including Three Friends, Old England-Siberia and Coomacka Mines.
According to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, youths from Silver Hill and Kairuni, close to the mining town of Linden, also benefitted from the initiative. The ministry, in a release, said that the investment was made via its flagship youth program, the Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS), during the second phase of the program which commenced in August 2017 and concluded in July 2018.
The program saw 21 youths from the communities fully capitalising on this investment, as they venture into lucrative business ventures. During a ministerial outreach to the respective communities on Wednesday, which was led by Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, the youths spoke passionately about the positive impact the HEYS program is having on their lives.
Nola Lamazon, a participant from Three Friends, while expressing profound gratitude to the government for the program, said her business continues to expand and is at a point where she is now able to provide employment opportunities. “I started out as the eldest on the HEYS participants list and when we had to sit in the classroom for six months, I said I have to make some money on the participants, so I started making egg balls, plantain chips, tamarind balls and drinks, even though that was not my ambition, which was to sell clothes. So I saved more and I switched out and started selling clothes. To date, I bought some chickens which would produce eggs for my egg ball business. I also bought a freezer and support the HEYS participants who sell chicken. And you would find that you would want to do so much, so you find a job on the side, so I have a part-time employee who would work with me”, Lamazon said.
Rowel Douglas from Siberia-Old England said, “I must thank the government for bringing this program to Old England/Siberia, because it has done a lot for me. I started off with 50 chickens and now I can buy 200 chickens and I’m bringing it in stages. I cannot provide for myself because when I’m finished plucking, it’s all sold out and I don’t even have any for myself”.
Triana Khan, also of Siberia-Old England said “thank you for giving us a second chance, my business was only drinks, but I developed my business whereby I do an event every Friday night (karaoke every Friday night) where I gain an extra something, and my business is developing more. I have learnt communication skills, how to deal with negativity and positivity, how to deal with competition, how to speak boldly and I want to say thank you once again.”
Like Three Friends, the community of Siberia-Old England received approximately $9.5M dollars through the HEYS program; monies which would have contributed significantly to the community’s economy.
Some fifteen youths benefitted in Silver Hill, which saw an investment of $5.4M in stipend being spent; each of them received a grant and two facilitators were paid monthly. Over the last two years, 3,095 youths in 222 villages and communities across the Hinterland benefited from training in life skills, vocational interests and entrepreneurial skills.
In 2019, youth with existing businesses would receive a further boost of an additional $50,000. This is a defining moment in the lives of the nations’ indigenous youth, the staunch commitment made by the David Granger-led coalition government to the indigenous peoples. Minister Garrido-Lowe, who has responsibility for women, children and youth, was visibly moved to tears on hearing the testimonies of the youth and the positive effect the HEYS program continues to have on their lives.
“It is a joy to serve my people and a special joy to work with young people because young people are the leaders of tomorrow, and if you work with them today, you can sit down in your old years and admire the product you have helped to nurture in your community and country. Everybody deserves a second chance and your government, the APNU/AFC government, has invested close to two billion dollars in our young people; it shows we care and that we have confidence in our youth and our people. I can assure you that your government has created so many opportunities for you, so it is time for you to go after those opportunities,” the minister urged. Villages visited during the outreach also received their HEYS resource kits which will further boost their business ventures.
