First Lady encourages residents of the Rupununi to empower themselves

-as one-week robotics and self-reliance workshops conclude

Georgetown, Guyana – (October 5, 2018) First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, today, encouraged the 100 graduates from the Self Reliance and Success in Business and the STEM Robotics workshops, which were held from October 1-4 in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine) to take full advantage of their newly acquired skills and certificates.

The First Lady delivered this charge in her address at the simple graduation ceremony, which was held at the Bina Hill Institute for Research, Training and Development located in Annai. This workshop was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protection, Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development, STEM Guyana, Interweave Solutions and oil company ExxonMobil Guyana.

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger (left) along with Canadian High Commissioner, Ms. Lilian Chatterjee (second right), UNDP Resident Representative to Guyana, Ms. Mikiko Tanaka (sixth right) and other partners arrive at the Bina Hill Institute today.

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, seated third from right, trainers from Interweave Solutions and graduates of the Self Reliance and Success in Business Workshop (pictured standing) at the Bina Hill Institute.

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger (seated, centre) is flanked by, seated, from left to right: CEO Iwokrama, Mr. Dane Gobin; Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Ms. Lilian Chatterjee; Senior Director of Public Affairs; ExxonMobil, Ms. Deedra Moe; Community Relations Manager, Public and Government Affairs, ExxonMobil Guyana, Ms. Suzanne De-Abreu; Director, Resource Management and Training, Iwokrama, Dr. Raquel Thomas-Caesar and UNDP Resident Representative to Guyana, Ms. Mikiko Tanaka.

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Ms. Lilian Chatterjee, UNDP Resident Representative to Guyana, Ms. Mikiko Tanaka and a representative of the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs smile as this student of the Annai Primary School showcases a robot.

In her address, the First Lady reiterated the need for residents of the Rupununi to embrace science and technology. “We are continuing to develop STEM in Guyana… this implies that we have good internet capacity and I heard that EGov [the National Data Management Authority], was checking out the area during the week, so we hope that your internet will improve to do all the things that modern school children can do, including learning STEM subjects,” Mrs. Granger said.

At the close of the programme, representatives of ExxonMobil and the Iwokrama centre presented four robotic kits to the students who participated in the STEM workshop from the Annai Primary and Secondary Schools and the Bina Hill Institute. These graduates also received certificates and are expected to start STEM Robotics clubs soon.

Meanwhile, the First Lady encouraged the graduates from the Self-Reliance workshop to capitalise on business opportunities.  “The certificate you get in this workshop is recognised by micro lending facilities like the Small Business Bureau … if you ask them they will come in and show you how to package and how to market and so on …This is development and there are so many products that you can get out of this region, that you can access money,” she said.

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Her Excellency, Ms. Lilian Chatterjee; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative to Guyana, Ms. Mikiko Tanaka; Chief Executive Officer of the Iwokrama centre, Mr. Dane Gobin and Senior Director of Public Affairs, ExxonMobil Guyana, Ms. Deedra Moe also attended the event.