First Lady Mrs Sandra Granger has urged those in attendance at the National Youth Week Symposium to seek inspiration from individuals who have overcome adverse circumstances, and to invest in themselves by capitalising on the opportunities available to them to acquire marketable skills to empower themselves. The Symposium was held on Thursday at the Guyana Police Officers’ Training Centre at Eve Leary, Georgetown.
Saskia Hinds, Alleah Hamid and Nickesha Daniels, all Four Humanities students of St. Rose’s High School, pay keen attention to First Lady Mrs Sandra Granger during her address at the National Youth Week Symposium
“Let us be inspired by the teenage mothers who struggle to raise their children in the best way possible while continuing their education and serving as mentors for their peers. Let us be inspired by the differently-able child who wants to lead an independent life. Let us be inspired by the young women and men who decide that they will become entrepreneurs. Let us be inspired by the young girls who have been trafficked, who take their courage in their hands and identify the predators; even moreso when they begin to develop a sense of self-worth and recognise and stand up for their own humanity. Let us be inspired by the young members of the LGBT community who demand equality. Let us be inspired by the youths who speak out against HIV stigma and discrimination. They demonstrate to me that our Guyanese civilisation is growing and developing in a positive way; because if we let our minds roam free and understand and appreciate the views of others, we will become a better-informed, more open-minded society,” she said.
The First Lady said that while many of this generation may not have benefited from the same kind of nurturing environment that she experienced, it is not too late for young people to take charge of their lives.
Alluding to the fact that more than half of Guyana’s population comprises youth, she said the onus is on the adults to accept that the torch has already been passed on to the younger generation. As such, they must be “nurtured, guided, and encouraged to pursue the path to (their) own and our country’s development”, Mrs Granger posited.
Further, she said that in keeping with the theme of the week of activities, “Inspiring our youth: Celebrating their achievements”, it is also important that the sentiments expressed therein become a reality. “Having given our youth the environment and the tools through which their minds can blossom, let us celebrate their creativity, their innovation, and their boundless energy and enthusiasm as they contribute to the growth and development of our beautiful country, this dear land of Guyana,” she was quoted as saying in a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency.
Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Education, Ms Nicolette Henry, said the National Youth Week Celebration is a demonstration of the Government‘s commitment to youth. “Many of the young people and some of you in the audience were involved in a number of activities that not only showcased your talents and skills, but also recognised your worth to the nation. You were provided with opportunities to interact and learn from one another, to air your views, and to learn about possible courses of action that you can pursue for your own development… The more opportunities you have, the better it will be for you to become fully empowered,” she said.
In an invited comment, Ms Saskia Hinds, a Four Humanities student at the St. Rose’s High School, said, “My expectations are that after this symposium that youths will be more informed about the things that are happening around them and the tools that they can use to make life better for [themselves]. I think that it was very important that [the First Lady] was here, because she is very influential and she is very involved in youth programmes, and I think that she will have an influence on the youth. I think they will listen to her.”
Her classmate, Ms Alleah Hamid, expressed similar sentiments. “I personally was very honoured to be here. It was very interesting the way [the First Lady] spoke about youths and the empowerment of youths. With the technology that has been going around the world, Guyana needs to be more [tech savvy],” she said.
In addition, Ms Alliyah Adolphus, a Four Arts student at the North Ruimveldt Secondary School, said she was particularly impressed with the First Lady’s presentation. “I felt her participation was meaningful, since she compared her life to our present [generation] and it is far different. She compared the different usage of technology… Its advances [have] contributed really meaningfully to our society…I expect that they are going to have more technology programmes for the youth, and I hope that they do so because, in our current society, technology is something that most youths use almost every day,” she posited.
The symposium also included presentations by Mr Ryan Belgrave of the Guyana Youth and Students Movement and Ms Cynthia Rutherford of the Alliance For Change, among others. It also featured a panel discussion on the topic ‘Youth Employment, Entrepreneurship and Technology’. Students were also treated to an inspiring spoken word performance by Nacaesy Adams.
