Education, birth certificate woes affect Indigenous communities – UNICEF study

In an attempt to bridge the gap between the hinterland communities and the coastland, several studies documented on the hinterland communities and people were on Wednesday released to the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry for further revisions.
The report contains a year of recordings and research projects that were spearheaded by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, with persons from various hinterland communities in Guyana.
The programme was developed with the main focus on women and children, which

is expected to aid in women empowerment in these communities.
Representative from UNICEF Sylvie Fouet noted that while this was the first study of its kind in Guyana, there have been several projects that were conducted in the past to assist with the acquisition of sustainable development goals. This was so, since there were many failed projects in the past which resulted in the people being dependent on the Government for support.
Two findings from the research indicate that some 20 per cent of the 78,000 Indigenous individuals do not possess a birth certificate while many children fail to continue with the secondary education programme after graduating from the primary system.
“The challenge is quite common in different areas. It’s more if you have sufficient teachers and settings to absorb but the absorption and the entry are not much different in the hinterland and coastland,” she stated.
Fouet stated that one of the key reasons why children fail to attend school is because they have to leave their communities to access these classes; a transition which many are afraid to do.
Meanwhile, Minister within the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry Valerie Garrido-Lowe noted that this study was important, so as to better the understanding of the authorities who are attempting assist these communities.
“Indigenous peoples were indeed a vulnerable group so we decided that we should focus on a study of Indigenous women and children so that we can get facts to help us, as to how to deal with Indigenous communities.”
She commented on the action plan that the Ministry is hoping to execute by supplying remote communities with basic necessities and educational facilities that are lacking, which was determined as a result of the study.
Additionally, the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock highlighted that those persons residing in the hinterland communities are accustomed to their own practices and language. Hence, it would require the need to implement these modern ideas into the areas without any effects being demonstrated onto the people.
In the coming future, major issues that will be dealt with include the availability of birth certificates, adequate health facilities, systems to report sexual abuse and mechanisms that will ensure that children complete their secondary education programme.