Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe last week encouraged the more than seven hundred residents of Hururu to continue working in partnership to execute their Village Plans which is pivotal to economic and social and development.
The Minister was speaking during Hururu Village’s Heritage Celebrations in Region 10.
Residents were asked if they are pleased with the progress made in the village and the Minister pointed out that once there is a desire for development to occur, the next fifty years will be progressive which will epitomize the current government’s developmental agenda.
According to the Minister the youths are the future and the village received commendations for ensuring the youths are able to obtain an education.
Minister Garrido-Lowe said “you have a secondary school and congratulations for here sustaining that yourselves but have a plan on how many doctors you would want to produce between this year and this year’s how many engineers you would want to produce, how many teachers you would want to see trained, how many artists, singers, writers, many professions our people are capable of achieving but they have to be encouraged and supported.”
The Minister also reminded parents that they have a critical role to play in ensuring their children are given their full support in achieving their goals.
“Parents have to play a role in guiding their children if your children shows the natural ability towards Math and Science then you encourage them and one day you will be so proud that they may be the most brilliant doctor in Guyana specialized because right now in Guyana we need more specialist, heart specialists, eye specialists.”
The Minister said “your vision” must be clear and the incumbent government has created that enabling environment where development in all villages and communities across Guyana more so Indigenous villages and communities is imminent.
One such development is the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service HEYS Program which was rolled out last year six villages and an additional one hundred and six earlier this year in all ten administrative regions since 2015.
The Minister said this has created an opportunity where the youths participating can be given a second chance at acquiring a skill thus creating their own independence to face the world of work.
Youths are being exposed to carpentry/joinery, garment construction, cake decorating/catering, electrical installation, auto-mechanics, masonry, information technology among other vocational skills.
The program to date has made remarkable strides in meeting its desired goals, however a few teething problems has caused some delay in payment of stipends.