Two women employed as excavator operators

Two young women from Region Five are now mini-excavator operators. The women were hired by the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary Agriculture Development Authority (MMA-ADA) after they completed a training programme under the Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

In an effort to support internal drainage works within the scheme, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, handed over two excavators, valued at $27 million to the MMA-ADA.

One of the recipients, Venita Chatergoon, expressed her immense gratitude for the opportunity, describing it as a dream come true.

‘I want to say thank you because this was an opportunity that wasn’t there before for females,” Chatergoon said.

She added, “It is a great opportunity that I can say I am a part of this to enlighten other females in the field…I want to show them that once you take that first step nothing is beyond you.”

The other beneficiary, Divya Ragbir, also expressed her hope to contribute to the betterment of her community.

Together, the two women plan to construct dams and improve access to fields for farmer and boosting the country’s food production.

Since 2020, the government has provided extensive training to over 12,000 individuals under BIT. The goal is to prepare women such as Chatergoon and Ragbir with skills necessary for the job.

To date, the government has invested $305.7 million in the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) to enhance the country’s human resources.

Minister Mustapha stated that this initiative has already generated significant positive change and will continue to do so with the employment of the two graduates.

“I know they [the two women] will work hard and they will work continuously, so this is an example for other areas to follow.” The minister underscored

Minister Mustapha also highlighted the MMA-ADA’s efforts to improve drainage facilities across the region. Thus far, the MMA-DDA has constructed and cleared several canals, dams and new farming areas.