Rotaract Club Empowers New Amsterdam Youth Through Skills Training

The Rotaract Club of New Amsterdam launched its Skills Aligned Crash Courses  on July 15, 2023, in observance of World Youth Skills Day, targeting youths, both males and females, within the age range of 16-20. This event was held in the conference room at the Leisure Inn Hotel and virtually via Zoom.

World Skills Day was celebrated globally on July 15th and focuses on promoting the importance of skills development and vocational training for young people.

This project is the brainchild of the club service Director – Molandra Simon. This is her first project of the Rotary year.

The aim of the project is to provide and foster youths with skills, as the club saw the importance of skills in an ever-changing world.

Skills being offered include, garment construction, barbering, makeup, nail artistry, and hair styling. These courses were offered and taught by expert entrepreneurs in and around New Amsterdam, Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The training will be held for a period of 2 weeks, and a graduation ceremony will be held on Sunday, July 30, 2023.

RCNA President Shamira Ramsuchit-David  whilst addressing the audience said, “This is the first of its kind from an NGO that I’ve seen. You’ve been given the opportunity to  take advantage of it. Material things will come and go, knowledge, skills, and qualities will stay with you for a lifetime.

She added, “Our facilitators..you ought to be thankful for them.. When we reach out to them and inquire about a cost, since everything costs money.. To my surprise they were like, no, just bring the students and we’ll teach them.. They are ready to guide you, so that you can use these skills to potentially make money for yourself.”

When asked what inspired her to launch such a project, Director Molandra said, “My inspiration came from the fact that we have so many young people who are sitting with skills that they love. So many people have a passion for what they love, but in most cases, they do not have the support system or finances to do what they love. I did not have that opportunity, and now that I am in a position where I can make that change, I will do it one youth at a time.”

One of her biggest challenges came when she found out that the training centre at Vrymans Erven was closed and the New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI) was not offering any short courses. She then had to reach out to entrepreneurs who willingly offered to impart their knowledge to the youth.

At the event, Director Molandra said, “Learn as much as you can and continue practicing and developing your skills, even after the two weeks of training have been completed.”

She also emphasized that they should not limit themselves.

The skills training recipient working on their craft.

“Your only limitation is your mind,” Simon was quoted as saying.