Six hundred and seventy-nine young people graduated from the President’s Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG) programme as it celebrated its 11th anniversary at a ceremony held two Saturdays ago at the National Cultural Centre.
President Bharrat Jagdeo joined Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony and PYARG Executive Officer Alfred King in congratulating the awardees, a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
Fifty gold, 438 bronze and 191 silver awards were handed out and the best unit award trophy in the gold category went to Region Seven. Lisa Wong received a trophy from the president on behalf of her unit. The Linden Unit copped the Best Unit award in the silver category while at the bronze level the award went to the Leguan Unit.
In his address to the graduates Jagdeo said he hoped that the lessons they learned will guide them throughout their lives. He also said patriotism stands out as the most impressive of all the awardees’ achievements, particularly the relationship which is built through participation. The president also said Guyana has a proud heritage rooted in multiculturalism which can be used to break down racial and religious prejudices existing in pockets of society. In this regard, he encouraged the youth to learn from the lessons of Guyana’s history, particularly the 1960s when the country was divided along racial lines through the tactics of foreigners. “This generation has the burden of overcoming that division so the only way you can do that is if you believe in your own heart that the Guyanese identity is bigger than ethnic identity or religious belongings,” he said.
GINA said over the last 11 years the PYARG has grown to include partnership with the Ministry of Health to encourage youths across the country to adopt healthy lifestyles through peer education on sexually transmitted and chronic non-communicable diseases. The ‘Caravan of Hope’ which was among the new additions to the programme also equipped the awardees with a mobile resource to reach youths in communities countrywide.
The PYARG also leads in the area of “edutainment” (using entertainment to educate) and, in his address; Anthony said since the edutainment launch two years ago, the programme has been the most widely requested at many venues. He also said the community component where youths are tasked with identifying small projects in their communities is one of the PYARG’s most ambitious projects.
This allowed several of them to take on the role as child care and senior citizen agents, road safety and infrastructure development ambassadors and ‘Grow more’ food advocates.
In the latter area, the minister said Jagdeo’s role as a strong environmentalist has influenced PYARG’s environmental programme with projects at Shell Beach to secure a safe habitat for the giant leatherback turtle, a small reforestation programme and a sensitisation campaign on Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). “All of our young people who attended youth consultations on the LCDS unanimously endorsed it and we wish His Excellency and his team all successes in the upcoming negotiations in Copenhagen,” Anthony said.
The PYARG is now firmly established in all ten regions; having reached regions eight and nine recently. According to GINA, many participants showcased their talent at the anniversary celebration in the form of songs, dance and steel pan playing. Since the start of the programme in 1998, over 9,000 young persons across Guyana have gained meaningful opportunities, experiences and life changing skills.
In his address King admitted that such progress would not have been possible without strong patronage from parents, participants and kind citizens who offered their time and resources. “It’s a special opportunity for adults as well to give of themselves as well and in so doing they themselves enjoy the satisfaction of watching young people grow and contribute in a meaningful way in society. That in itself is a meaningful contribution in that you will always be proud of,” he said.
Guyana’s award programme is considered unique in terms of quality compared to other countries where it is being offered. King explained that the many who serve in the award at the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, as well as those who stayed the course, have done so with distinction and as such, the Guyana programme can be considered a model. He said this can be directly attributed to the government which administers the programme whereas in other countries it is managed by the private sector and has limited access. Guyana’s programme is fully funded by government, though Anthony said next year he hopes the programme will win the patronage of the private sector.
