Indigenous women empowered to take on leadership role in Amazon conservation

Several Indigenous women from Guyana who are part of an Amazon-wide fellowship undertaken by Conservation International (CI) across the country, have received critical training which is expected to further enhance their leadership abilities.
Immaculata Casimero – a Wapichan from Aishalton Village, in Region Nine; Caroline Jacobs – a Makushi of Surama Village, also in Region Nine; Esther Marslowe – a Lokono of Santa Cruz Village, Region One; Loretta Fiedtkou – a Lokono of Muritaro Village, Region 10; and Althea Harding – a Carib of Kwebana Village, Region One have been working around the clock since last August on their individual projects at their respective communities.

During the past week, Conservation International Guyana undertook a capacity-building training which exposed the women to a number of concepts, such as basic training and practical skills in a variety of fields.
These included self-confidence and gender equality and women’s empowerment, leadership, conflict management and negotiation, conservation and climate action (REDD+ and LCDS), Indigenous identity and project management with focus on budgeting and the Excel computer application.
The training was undertaken by mentors Vanda Radzik and Patricia Fredericks, who urged the women to ensure they utilise the knowledge gained as they complete the various stages of their projects which fall under the fellowship.
Executive Director of Conservation International Guyana, Curtis Bernard during the closing of the training session on Friday at the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Secretariat on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, urged the women to continue being good leaders within their communities.
He said the fellowship is part of a wider Indigenous programme which seeks to cover stewardship of the Amazon Rainforest. The Government of France, he added, is covering the costs attached to the fellowship as part of climate change mandate.
“So, you are a part of something monumental,” he expressed, noting that the initiative is very special to the conservation body. He said it is the first time the body has issued individual grants to persons to undertake projects at their respective communities.
He said he noted the impressive progress the women have made in their respective communities, noting that Conservational International Guyana is working to find ways to make a larger impact on the ground and it is looking at ways in which it can further support sustainable development in Guyana.
The Guyanese fellows are part of 150 candidates from other countries within the Amazon basin including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Perú and Suriname who are taking part in the fellowship.
In April this year, the Guyanese women travelled to Quito, Ecuador, where they grounded and shared their experiences of their individual project with their peers.
The women have been granted an extension to complete their individual projects by Conservational International Guyana, even as the body prepares to fund another group of fellows who have been selected to undertake projects for a calendar year from 2022.