“Before HEYS it was hard” – beneficiary
–$8M in stimulus grants distributed to 161 young entrepreneurs
–Stay on course – Min. Allicock encourages
DPI, Guyana, Saturday, April 6, 2019
Young people across the country are now empowered and independent due to the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS); a programme initiated under the coalition government in 2015.
Today, thousands of young people can now provide for themselves and families. For others, it was the silver lining in that dark cloud, giving them a chance at life when everything seemed unachievable.
This is the story of 22-year-old Kelly Blount of Siberian/Old England, Region 10. Blount said, “my life before HEYS was very hard”. According to the young lady, before she was a part of the programme, she would depend on her mother, a single parent for everything. However, that has changed completely, Blount proudly said.
“When I said my life was very hard, I mean very hard. My mother used to clothe me, feed me and pay my medical bills because of my sickness, that I wish I never had,” she detailed.
Blount suffers from seizures on a regular basis. Nevertheless, the determined young lady said at times she would become frustrated but that did not stop her from accomplishing what she had set out to do. She is now an entrepreneur and the proud owner of ‘Kelly’s Ice Cream Corner’.
“HEYS has done much for me today. I am my own boss, I started with ice cream and cones. I saved my stipend to buy my freezer and scoop. Then I started to save my other stipend and my grant allowed me to purchase other items fudgesicle and popsicle… I still suffer from seizures, but my life is easy now.” Blount said that her business has now expanded to include soft drinks, juice, biscuits and confectionaries, along with her ice cream.
She is one of the 161 young entrepreneurs from the Upper Demerara-Berbice Region who benefitted from the second disbursement of the stimulus grants of $50,000. A total of $8M in grants has been disbursed to the 161 youth entrepreneurs. With the funding received, Blount plans to expand her business.
The young people, drawn from 16 villages in Region 10 and were given the money to further support their businesses. Those selected successfully completed the training and have established a wide range of small businesses.
A presentation ceremony was held at the Coomacka Community Centre on April 5 and was attended by Minister Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock.
The minister noted the creation of entrepreneurs is one of the government’s main goals. He said with the testimonies of various HEYS beneficiaries, he is certain that the strides are being made and that young people are taking the lead.
“We are very proud, very happy, very encouraged to know that those who stayed with the programme or who stayed with the movement, is doing well but they need a little push to make then even bigger, brighter and more successful.”
He encouraged them to stay on the path and use the money to further develop their businesses. They were also urged to take advantage of the loans being offered by the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN).
Launched in October 2015, the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) initiative is a flagship programme that provided training for 4,000 youth of the hinterland; it would lead to the creation of almost 2,000 small businesses. Through this programme, the APNU+AFC Government has, over the last three years, invested more than $2Billion in hinterland youth empowerment.
Isaiah Braithwaite.
Images: Leon Leung.