28 NEWS
SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Berbicians could save $$$ after completing skills training – Labour Minister
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cores of young persons on the Corentyne, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), on Saturday completed the final phase of the skills advancement training programme. Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton, while addressing the graduates at the conclusion of the programme, explained that the skills they have acquired during the four months could help them to save dollars. One hundred and eleven persons completed the courses which were offered by the Humanitarian Mission Guyana Inc of Port Mourant. “These programmes that we do and that the Mission do and the ones that we will help them to do continually are important to communities and societies so that they can help families to save money,” Hamilton said. According to the Labour Minister, with the high costs attached to sewing, cake making and make-up for females, it is hoped that the graduands will put their skills to good use. The courses were Information Technology (7), Electrical Installation (6), Cooking (15), Cake making (19), Sewing – basic (26) ad-
vanced (10), make-up (25) and nails (3). They were done under the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) programme which falls under the Education Ministry but is rolled out by the Labour Ministry. Meanwhile, Head of the Mission, Pandit Surish Sugrim called on all of them to put the skills they would have acquired to good use. “I implore on each one of you to go out of here with confidence and live a good and generous life.” The Mission has been offering continuous educational programmes it hopes will benefit Guyana’s future generation. The Humanitarian Mission aims to educate, empower, and elevate individuals. Its goal is to break the cycle of poverty through education/empowerment and creating jobs. Also speaking was Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, who is one of the parliamentary representatives for Region Six. Mustapha was at the time representing President Dr Irfaan Ali. He noted that the current Administration is placing a lot of emphasis on education.
ucation as being the key to reduce domestic violence in Guyana. He congratulated the Humanitarian Mission for the various measures they have been implementing to tackle domestic violence, saying that Government cannot do it alone and needs civil society to play along as he called on other NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs) to assist. “A multi-faceted approach is needed to deal with gender-based violence. All organisations have to use all strategies because domestic violence
Some of the young persons who completed the final phase of their skills advancement training programme
“While our Government is working every single day and our President is once again putting Guyana in the spotlight in the Caribbean and the world, we as a people will have to ensure that not only our economy develop; not only our infrastructure develops but we must develop our human resource so that we can be prepared to make Guyana the economic powerhouse in this hemisphere, so we will need people with skills.” Meanwhile, Mustapha also
used the occasion to launch “Women Let’s Rise” which is the women’s arm of the Mission. Women Let’s Rise has as its main focus tackling domestic violence. According to Mustapha, domestic violence affects all genders. “It might be that women are being affected more and we in our country have to do more to curb this scourge that is affecting our country.” Mustapha referred to ed-
has been affecting people for centuries. Domestic violence is a very old activity from the inception of society and we have seen that many times our women folks are being affected and today it is on the rise. So, we have to work together as a united body to curb this. We must not only look to the Government,” Mustapha said as he launched the new group. Unfortunately, at Saturday’s graduation exercise, all COVID-19 guidelines implemented by the National Task Force and Health Ministry were not enforced. (G4)
Migration policy to be drafted for Venezuelan re-migrants
Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud meeting with re-migrants on Saturday evening in the RDC boardroom, Anna Regina, Region Two
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oreign Secretary Robert Persaud has said the Government of Guyana, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IMO), would be drafting a migration policy for those Guyanese who have returned to Guyana from Venezuela. Persaud was at the time speaking to re-migrants who returned from Venezuela during a meeting held on Saturday in the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council. Persaud said the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry is working to develop a holistic plan to deal with those Guyanese returning from Venezuela, and those Venezuelans who have fled their country due to the political and economic crisis. According to Persaud, that migration policy would provide an environment in which the migrants can be reintegrated into society. He explained to his audience that the main objective of his visit was to get a better understanding of the situation and to interact with re-migrants. He said he would communicate with the relevant Ministries to ensure that there is a collaborative approach. “Guyanese who would like to return to Guyana from Venezuela will be beneficiaries from incentives where they will be given duty free on vehicles, and also if they want to bring their household items along with them. However, students studying in Venezuela and wish to re-migrate to Guyana will be facilitated in terms of benefiting from an incentive in continuing their learning progress,” the Foreign Secretary said. Re-migrants were informed of opportunities that
would be available for them in the region, wherein the Foreign Affairs Minister and agencies would put together policies and processes to assist them to resettle on the Essequibo Coast in Guyana. Persaud said the region is central and important in the overall plan for Guyana’s development. “I have an issue with my birth certificate, where the Government have given me a different name…I got married and I came to Essequibo, (and it has) become a challenge for me, (wherein) my identification card (has) a different name from (that of my) birth certificate,” a Venezuela migrant told Persaud. Pertaining to the issuance of birth certificates, Minister Persaud said he would arrange an outreach with the Home Affairs Minister to deal with, and rectify, the problem associated with different names on a birth certificate. Persaud committed to raising the issue with the relevant ministry, and to coordinate the appropriate announcement to persons having the said issue. Attending the meeting from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) was Programme Coordinator Monserrat Hernandez and Project Assistant Javier Singh, who acted as translator for the event. In attendance also was United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Alexandre Lopes, protection officer, and Maria Gabriela Delgado, field assistant. Regional Executive Officer Devanand Ramdatt was also at the meeting. A health meeting will be held with re-migrants on Monday at the Regional State House.
