Government puts youth at centre of development in Region 7

Region Seven youths have been engaged by the Government in an effort to ensure that they benefit from all the opportunities that are available to them as Guyana develops.
Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat and a team of senior officials visited Region Seven and interacted with youths on Saturday, a Department of Public Information (DPI) report highlighted.

While speaking with the young men and women who gathered at the Bartica Community Centre, the Minister acknowledged that they are the future leaders of Guyana and said that he wanted them to express what issues were affecting them.
“We want to know what are those issues. We want to know what are those challenges. We want to know what are your recommendations, your suggestions, your ideas as young people so that we can work together as Government and young people to ensure that we provide a better life for our young generation that will become the future leaders,” he stated.
Minister Bharrat noted that the Government believes in young people and has given them opportunities, placed trust and confidence in them.

He highlighted the many opportunities that exist in the various sectors and for training for youths to enter whatever field they desire. During the outreach, the youths interacted with the Minister and his team. Youths took the opportunity to raise concerns and issues that they would like to see addressed.
Following these discussions, some immediate actions were announced.
These include the donation of one million dollars for the upgrade of a playground, provision for computer tablets for school children, and persons were also given the opportunity to be part of training opportunities in skills such as jewellery making.
“It was a very nice experience to come out here and listen to everything that has been all of the opportunities that would be given to our youths and the projects that will be in place for our youths, so, it could further their development in their field which is sports or anything that they desire,” said Obina Garraway a participant at the activity.

Meanwhile, Delroy Jacobs, the Cricket representative at Bartica, told the DPI that he was elated following the meeting with the Minister.
“I’m very pleased with this activity that took place here today. Minister donate 1 million dollars to the cricket and I’m very pleased about it and if you look at the crowd today it had a lot of youths that came out…the President is thinking about the future of Guyana and the future is the youths,” he said. Additionally, former Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshal, also endorsed the activity and the opportunities given to youths in the area.
“I think it was a good initiative because our young people need to be aware of the opportunities available to them and I’m one of those who believe that today in this era that we are in, there are many opportunities for our young people especially those in the hinterland areas like Bartica, I’m happy with the commitments made and we will just grow from strength to strength,” he told DPI.