PM reiterates govt commitment to empowering hinterland youths

DPI, Guyana, Friday, August 25, 2017

The government has set aside approximately $1 Billion towards the continuous development of hinterland youths. Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo emphasised the president’s commitment to move education to another level.

On Thursday, during a special “Let’s Gyaff” radio programme on VOG, the Prime Minister said that hinterland youths must in no way be left out of the education and empowerment of youths all across Guyana.

“As the President said the other day, education must move to another level. It must move to empowerment so we don’t want to just educate our youths, Amerindians in particular. We want to empower them, put them in a position where they can start up a little business.”

The earmarked funds will go towards a better Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS) programme, to ensure young persons are adequately trained to be independent individuals.

“We have now converted the programme that was there before under which youths were offered stipends. As you know, there was no money as of April 2015, remaining in the programme to pay any of the young people… We want the youths to be trained in a programme, we have now the Hinterland Employment Youth Service this is a new scheme under which they will receive their stipend but they will undergo training.” The Prime Minister noted.

At the end of August, qualified instructors will train those enrolled in the service. Trainees will receive a stipend at the end of every two-months . At the end of each year, trainees will be offered a start-up fund to enter into small scale business.

The Prime Minister Nagamootoo said, “Those youths, I think 100 or so of 20 communities, they will be given a start-up fund of $ 50,000 a month so they will be receiving some training and the training will be to start up some kind of business (for) self-employment.

 

By: Delicia Haynes