Safe spaces for youths to be established countrywide
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, July 10, 2018
A number of spaces across the country are being resuscitated or established to provide young people safe spaces to deal with and discuss social issues affecting them without fear of discrimination.
Director of Youth, Melissa Carmichael-Haynes.
This was disclosed by Youth Director, Melissa Carmichael-Haynes who said that social issues troubling young people must be addressed head-on: “The youth department has taken on board to look at the resuscitation of youth-friendly spaces in a number of regions so that young people will be able to have a safe space, will be able to have open conversations, they will feel free to discuss with the facilitators on these issues. So efforts are on board and efforts are in place to ensure that social issues development is a priority for our young people.”
The youth-friendly spaces will be resuscitated in Regions Ten and Four while new ones will be established in Regions One, Two, Seven, Eight and Nine. Carmichael-Haynes noted that there are already youth-friendly spaces in Regions Three, Five, Six and in West Ruimveldt where young people are being engaged on topical issues.
“The youth officers, the social workers as well, they have also have been working with schools and communities, the RDCs, the NDCs to put together afternoon programmes. Edutainment sessions, crime prevention workshop, good governance sessions so that young people can be engaged,” she underscored.
The development of the youth-friendly spaces, the Youth Director explained, is in keeping with the theme for International Youth Day 2018 “Safe Spaces for Youth”, to be observed on August 12.
This initiative by the Department of Youth signals the government’s drive to secure and develop the leaders of tomorrow. Only recently, eleven young people from across Guyana received funds in excess of $500,000 to either start up or expand their businesses. Other programmes include the $70M Youth Innovative Project of Guyana (YIPoG) which provides young people with access up to $2M to find solutions to problems within their communities.
By: Isaiah Braithwaite.
Image: Anil Seelall.