Mainstay/Whyaka women among beneficiaries of BIT’s tractor operation training

Eight women from the Amerindian Village of Mainstay/ Whyaka, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), are part of a group of 18 set to benefit from the Ministry of Labour’s- Board of Industrial Training (BIT) tractor operator course.

The course was tailored specifically for the development of the Amerindian village which currently has no tractor operators.

Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton expressed satisfaction for the number of female participants in the male- dominated course.

He said the experience should encourage other women to continue breaking barriers and stereotypes in the technical field.  

“I’m hoping that you can influence other young women to think outside the box. So, what you’re doing is not just for yourself, is to become an example to become a trailblazer for a young woman who can say that if you can do it, I also can. You have to think outside the box,” he stated.

The training programme will span four months and will see participants engaging in a community enhancement component. This component was conceptualised to have participants test their practical knowledge to enhance their communities.

Meanwhile, DPI spoke with several participants who lauded the initiative.

Forty-nine-year-old, Shirley Fernandes said she was eager for the opportunity to learn more and add to the development of her community.

“I feel as a woman, women should come out some more and do things for themselves and not just allow the men to do everything. You need to play a part in your life especially if you are married and have a husband. And I think I can do something more for my village and I have something in me that I want to learn more so that’s why when anything in my village come up, I usually take part in everything.”

She also extended gratitude to the government for hosting the training within the community.

“Thanks to the government because this training is all over Region Two, not only in our village and I should say a special thanks to the government bringing it so far into the village and we don’t have to go out on the coast or so, we have it right here in our village and its free,” she noted.

Another trainee, Ricky Reynolds said, “I was deprived very early in childhood and not having the opportunity to qualify myself educationally. So, this opportunity is very great and I don’t want to miss it.”

Anastasia Joseph said she was eager to learn this skill and was pleased with her performance.

“I always like take up challenge and as soon as I hear about this programme, I put my name down, I was the second person. I always wanted to learn to drive different things, especially tractor. This is the time and just now I feel really nice when I jump on, on that tractor and know I could’ve moved it off. It is really, really something nice. I mean this should encourage other young girls that still deh in their shell to come out and do certain things.”

In Region Two alone, some 152 other persons from Charity, Airy Hall, Mashabo, Dartmouth and Bethany are being trained in several courses.