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Ninety-three youths last weekend graduated in various courses from the Humanitarian Mission Guyana Inc- a Berbice-based Non-governmental organisation.
Present at the graduation ceremony were Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha along with several Region Six, regional executives. Head of the Humanitarian Mission Guyana Inc, Suresh Sugrim said it is quite fulfilling to see young men and women use their time and educate themselves so as to change the circumstances and elevate to a position where they can create opportunities and sustain themselves using the skills acquired through the training. He noted that, this especially, is a pathway for young women to be able to earn for themselves rather than being dependent on the opposite sex to achieve anything, whatsoever. Sugrim further noted that the vision of his organisation is to allow women to be free and challenge themselves to become better. “Many women, especially those living under the poverty line, face abuse in many forms and choose not to walk away because of financial constraints. With the help of the humanitarian mission, women like these can be able to learn new skills that will give them the opportunity to earn for themselves; thus reducing the challenges faced by many women,” he added.
“What we are doing at the humanitarian mission is to help individuals use their hands and make a living so that they can start to earn for themselves and families. It is overwhelming to see the success stories of all these young women who graduated. Our women need to learn life skills so that they can provide for themselves and walk away from abuse and don’t have to put up with any physical relationship because of financial situations. And, the whole concept of the training is to empower them and break the cycle; walk away from violence and abuse and working for your own money and taking care of yourself and families”
The graduates were all elated and expressed gratitude to the organisation and all others who played a major role in the successful completion of the courses. Sugrim said he is optimistic about the future of young men and women in Guyana and wants to ensure the mission continues to grow so as to be a firm pillar when it comes to supporting and empowering young individuals and moving them away from poverty.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha said education is the way out of poverty and the government is committed to enhancing the lives of people in Guyana by educating them and changing their status/position in life. “We as a people have to ensure that not just our economy and infrastructure develop but our human resources so as to make Guyana the economic powerhouse. And so, we will need people with skills and I believe that this initiative undertaken by the humanitarian mission is an exceptional one.”
Minister Hamilton for his part encouraged the graduates to continue down the same road, while noting that education is never too much and skills are important in today’s fast-changing world. He said the aim of the ministry is to provide technical and vocational education and training across the country for young individuals through the Board of Industrial Training. Registration for the next training session which begins on May 03rd has already commenced.
