Corriverton NGO gets US$13M for after-school programme

The United States Government has partnered with a community-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) to encourage positive development among young people.
Family Awareness Consciousness and Togetherness (FACT), a Corriverton-based NGO, received a US$64,800 (GY$13,353,000) grant from the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Community, Family and Youth Resilience (CFYR) programme to carry out after-school activities in Corriverton.
The programme will provide 80 children, between the ages of 10 to 18, from five schools, with after-school activities which include lessons and homework support integrated with creative arts, life skills, and sports.
This follows a call for proposals to organisations operating in five target communities in Guyana, including Corriverton.
The successful grantees will deliver comprehensive interventions in Corriverton, East La Penitence, East Ruimveldt, Lodge, and Sophia. The activities will encourage student participation in positive youth development activities that reduce vulnerability to risky behaviours that lead to violence.
Although the event focused on the Corriverton community, the after-school programmes will eventually reach the remaining aforementioned communities. The programme will increase youth’s self-efficacy, improve their computer knowledge and skills, and ultimately improve school attendance by engaging them in a stimulating and rewarding set of activities.
Moreover, parents will be encouraged to get involved in the academic life of their children and share in the journey by participating in regular meetings for the duration of the programme.
CFYR is a USAID programme designed to reduce youth involvement in crime and violence. It features a comprehensive package of interventions that build the resilience of youth ages 10-29, strengthen family support, and encourage community cohesion.
Each of the five communities participating in the CFYR programme is supported by a group of volunteers who form Community Enhancement Committees that help residents to identify and implement local solutions to reduce violence and support positive youth development.