Five-year plan to be crafted to empower indigenous women, youth - Minister Garrido-Lowe
Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA, July 7, 2015, Source
The Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs will be working on a five-year plan, to better equip Indigenous women and youths in order that they are empowered to contribute to their own development, and that of their country.
Minister in the Ministry, Mrs. Valerie Garrido-Lowe who is responsible for the welfare of women, children and youths, noted that the Government has recognised the importance of women in society, and as such, special emphasis will be placed on empowerment among Indigenous people. Minister Garrido-Lowe was at the time speaking during a community meeting at Rockstone, Region Ten on Sunday.
Pointing to the roles of women in maintaining the family, she said the Ministry plans to hold empowerment programmes when teams visit indigenous villages. She urged the residents to identify what are their needs in the community and the Ministry will assist. “If we have a women’s group, be it cake decorating, tourism or pastry making … the ministry is going to help, in collaboration with sister ministries,” she pointed out.
In the area of youth development, the Minister mentioned that the Ministry is reviewing the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP), and is looking to provide a programme where students will receive skills training and become certified.
“You are the leaders of tomorrow and we have to get you better equipped to manage your communities and the country,” Minister Lowe told the youths.
She said that the Ministry will be providing scholarships for Indigenous youths to attend higher institutes of learning, such as the University of Guyana and the Government Technical Institute (GTI) in Georgetown. This will be done in collaboration with the public service department of the Ministry of the Presidency.
“We are here to make sure that the systems are put in place so that the youths can be guided in whatever field suits them.” She referred to the Bina Hill Institute in Region Nine, where youths can learn tourism, obtain a certificate and secure a professional job in the tourism sector.
Birth certificate is also an issue across the hinterland, where some persons were never registered or were born over the borders, and according to Minister Garrido-Lowe, the Ministry will be addressing that to ensure that every person is a citizen of this country.
