-141 secondary schools, 10 TVET institutions, four special needs schools set to participate in national water purification, sustainability initiative

THE Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) has partnered with Recover Guyana and the Ministry of Education to launch its signature project, ‘Project FLOW’, a national water purification and sustainability initiative for students across Guyana.

The GGI is a US$100 million investment by the Stabroek Block Co-Venturers, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, Hess Guyana Exploration Limited, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, to support capacity development, sustainable economic growth, and build prosperous communities in Guyana beyond investments in the oil-and- gas sector.

This historical project is being launched in 141 secondary schools, 10 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, and four Special Needs Schools across the country.

Project Flow is more than clean water; it is a national movement for health and sustainability, where innovation meets education, and each drop of purified water becomes a promise to students, communities, and Guyana’s future.

In March this year, Recover Guyana, with support from the Education Ministry and the GGI commissioned the pilot water purification system at the West Demerara Secondary School, a project that, within two months of opening, eliminated the use of 10,000 single-use plastic bottles.

A transformative change, the GGI built on that success to implement Project FLOW. It is the aim that by the end of 2029, this project will equip each of its target institutions across each region.

This initiative, according to Socioeconomic Manager at ExxonMobil Guyana, Mrs. Lorna Carlson, is a testament to the creativity of the youth to get out of their classrooms and seeing what is possible.

Project FLOW uses reverse osmosis to remove salts, metals and contaminants out of the purified water before it is stored and passed through a UV light to eliminate bacteria and viruses for an added layer of safety, then cooled and dispensed.

Keeping it fully energy-efficient, each system will be solar-powered, reducing energy costs and carbon emissions.

Regular quality assurance testing will be conducted by the laboratory, which will be GYS 170 standard certified, and in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

Recover Guyana’s co-founder and President, Dr. Davindra Lalltoo expressed that this is a transformative effort that will touch the lives of over 50,000 students daily, eliminating approximately 25 million plastic water bottles, further aligning Guyana with the global call of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Low-Carbon Development Strategy 2030.

Dr. Lalltoo explained, “Flow will enable significant cost savings for schools; resources that can be redirected towards other high-impact initiatives within schools. Imagine that these schools can now reinvest into classrooms, learning materials, and expansion of student support service.”

“The potential for long-term educational impact is both powerful and promising. Flow will empower students, through their environmental clubs, to maintain and sustain these systems for years to come. By 2030, more than 1,500 students and teachers will be trained in environmental sustainability,” he added.

The project allows for job creation, education, and opportunities. Every installation creates local employment for carpenters, electricians, solar installers, and plumbers, while TVET students will gain hands-on experiences as interns, preparing them for future careers and skill development.

Continuing, ExxonMobil’s President Allistair Routledge said STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), is something that the Flow Project is founded on, and is fundamental to the future growth and prosperity of Guyana.

“The world is developing in technology. The world’s economies are growing on a technological basis, and so, for Guyana to compete; to become a sustainable economy for the future, we need to grow science, technology, education, and maths capability in the country. Continue to enhance the curriculum, give more opportunity for students like those that are here today to be enthused about the possibilities, to be excited about what STEM education has to offer” Routledge declared.