Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Guyana, Adrienne Galanek (far right); 2nd Vice President of the GFF, Rawlston Adams (third from right), and Y-RIE Country Director Tiffany Daniels (left) posed with other representatives from GFF and Y-RIE alongside youth community footballers
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Youth Resilience, Inclusion and Empowerment (Y-RIE) Programme, in partnership with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), launched GoalGetters, a sports-based programme for youths aged 12-29 from Sophia, Werk-En-Rust, Albouystown (including Charlestown), and New Amsterdam.
The initiative uses football, life skills training, and community activities to foster resilience, reduce violence, and strengthen communities.
The launch event, held on Friday, December 6, at the C Field Community Center Ground in Sophia, attracted several persons, including representatives from the U.S. Embassy, USAID, GFF, local football clubs, the National Coordinating Coalition (NCC) Inc., nearby schools, community members, potential participants, and the Y-RIE Youth Committee.
U.S. Embassy Guyana Deputy Chief of Mission, Adrienne Galanek, emphasized the programme’s goals during her remarks. “GoalGetters provides young people with tools to navigate challenges, build resilience, and unlock their endless potential. By combining football with life skills training, the programme empowers
participants to ‘Kick Out Violence’ and build protective factors that enhance self-control, resilience, and nonviolence. In partnership with the GFF, USAID aims to create a safe and supportive environment for youths to grow on and off the field,” she said.
USAID Y-RIE Country Director Tiffany Daniels highlighted the activity’s significance by noting that “GoalGetters leverages the universal appeal of football to inspire positive behaviours and counteract negative peer influences (in order) to create a pathway where Guyanese youths can thrive.”
The 2nd Vice President of the GFF, Rawlston Adams, echoed these sentiments in expressing that GFF looks forward to its partnership with USAID and Y-RIE on an initiative that benefits Guyanese youths by using football as a platform to build the skills of young people.
Guests enjoyed a “Kick a Goal” challenge, live performances from the Y-RIE Youth Committee’s jingle competition winner Ronelsa Christian, and a football clinic demonstration from experienced GFF coaches. They also explored an art therapy booth and participated in creative expression and wellness activities designed to inspire self-reflection and promote mental well-being.
Y-RIE and GFF will begin recruiting participants and mentors for the GoalGetters initiative set to start in January 2025.
The USAID Y-RIE Programme was formally launched in Guyana in May 2023. Y-RIE is working with Government and non-governmental partners to strengthen social services that serve youths and their families, improve learning outcomes for youths, improve youths’ preparedness for the world of work, and strengthen the resilience of families and communities.
