240 youngsters complete recreational camp hosted by MOE, USAID

(Georgetown, August 25, 2017) – The Ministry of Education’s Youth Department and USAID today hosted a graduation ceremony for 240 youngers from Sophia, East Ruimveldt, East La Penitence and Lodge who participated in a one-month recreation camp in their respective communities.

During the camp the youngsters were exposed to teaching in design, arts and craft, animation, sports and life skills.

This year’s Youth Camp was held under the theme ‘Greening: Empowered to foster Development.’

The Department of Youth in keeping with the five key strategies of the National Youth Policy embarked on these summer camps. The aim of the five strategies were to:

• Improve the social, cultural and emotional skills of youths;
• Produce a productive and enterprising workplace;
• Develope quality education and market oriented skills;
• Encourage leadership, participation and representation; and
• Promote good health, security and safety.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary, Mr. Steve Ninvalle in his remarks noted that the primary objective of the camps was to carry out a mixture of activities with youths that could improve their resilience to constant exposure and buffeting of negative social influencers. “Moreover, youths were provided with skills that could increase their employability and enhance their awareness of youth and citizen responsibilities, duties and rights,” he said.

“What’s more, is that one of the expected outcomes of the camp is that the teens, who have completed these camps, are expected to influence other young people when they return to their communities.  Their peers will gravitate to be like them and emulate their improved skills and behaviours, thus having a pull effect,” Mr. Ninvalle emphasised.

This program must have been impactful since, during the period, participants were exposed to tailored training in selected life skills, employability and citizenship set, not available anywhere else, but identified from the Government’s National Youth Policy.

“It can be therefore be affirmed that this year’s youth camp serves as a testimony to Department of Youth’s and the Ministry of Education’s commitment to departing valuable knowledge and life skills to the young people of Guyana,” the DPS indicated.

Despite the many financial obstacles, youth camps will be a continuous feature of the DOY’s work plan as the Department will continue to make every effort to secure sponsorship to make these camps possible. Thus, upcoming youths of Guyana can, therefore, rest assured that they too will be able to benefit from an extraordinary opportunity such as this.

In his remarks, Mr. Mark Oviatt – Principal Officer of the USAID recalled his days of attending camps. He noted that at those camps he made the best friendships.

While emphasising the importance of the recreational camp, Oviatt indicated that the USAID partnership with the Department of Youth will continue to ensure the continued development of the youths.