Girls in Linden engaged in Empowerment Camp
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, 15 August 2018
Over seventy young ladies between the ages of fifteen and eighteen are participating in an empowerment camp in the town of Linden.
The two-day camp organised by Girl Stand Up is being hosted at the Egbert Benjamin Conference Center and is designed to equip young girls with developmental skills which will empower them.
The event, which is in its third year, is an initiative by three young Lindeners who wanted to give back to their community.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) spoke to Collette Bryan, one of the programme coordinators who said the members of the organisation “recognised the need for such a venture in Linden.”
According to Bryan, the participants are engaged in multiple empowering sessions, career guidance sessions, self-esteem and confidence building talks. The hope is at the conclusion of the forum the girls would have some direction on where they want to go career-wise.”
The Mayor of Linden, Waneka Arindell, while lauding the initiative, expressed her belief “that these are the kind of sessions we need for the young girls in our community.” Arindell noted that “girls need to understand their role, need to understand their importance and need of course to understand the need to stand up to represent themselves,” adding that once they have acquired self-confidence, “they can achieve anything they think they can.”
Crystal Charles, a participant, told DPI that after this workshop she “expects to use the skills learnt to be more outspoken.”
Another participant, Rosanna McDonald, who described herself as a shy, expressed the hope that after attending the programme, her confidence will be bolstered.
While the workshop is being hosted in Linden, the organisers are hopeful that they will be able to expand their reach and empower young women all across the nation.
By: Anara Khan & Asadia Husbands
Images: Karime Peters