Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai has disclosed that the doors to the new dormitory at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, are expected to be opened by April 2010 to facilitate students of the hinterland scholarship programme.
The dorm which also has an auditorium, a library, and a computer laboratory is expected to house 120 students, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
Construction of the $95.4M project commenced on March 24 and the minister reported that 20 percent of construction work is already completed, while a further 30-40 percent is expected to be completed by December.
She noted that the work so far is of a very high quality, adding that the investment is designed to afford students of outlying areas the opportunities to better access quality education at some of the best schools in the city.
The programme offers scholarships at the secondary and technical levels.
In addition, a building to house the caretaker and another to monitor the social activities of the students will also be constructed in the compound.
Minister Sukhai was speaking at a press conference at the ministry’s boardroom to update the media on the projects that the ministry has undertaken so far, as well as ongoing programmes that serve to enhance the livelihood of Amerindians, GINA said.
The ministry was allocated $2.5M to develop a Database Management Information System (DMIS) to synchronize all relevant information pertaining to the programmes and policies of its operations in a timely and effective manner.
Meanwhile, the ministry has partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to train officials to collect information and transmit it to other communities. This programme also allows for greater accommodation of the interventions government is providing to these communities.
The computer systems to be used will be powered by solar energy where electricity is not available, GINA noted. With the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs being the repository of information, GINA added, it will be able to work with all other ministries and groups to disseminate information to other areas and to better guide policy development and information. The ministry will be working closely with toshaos, community development officers and village councils to ensure that the DMIS is working effectively.
Project coordinator Sharon Austin said that the training of toshaos, community development officers and even villagers is very important and by improving their capacities they can enhance their leadership skills.
In addressing matters relating to Trafficking In Persons (TIP), the ministry has embarked on a sensitization programme and is seeking to implement measures to avoid exploitation of both males and females, GINA reported.
Facilitators are also being trained to work with villagers to address issues such as HIV/AIDS as well as substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, and domestic violence.
Sukhai also said that the ministry is committed to ensuring that Presidential Grants, which were initiated in 2007 by President Bharrat Jagdeo, serve its purpose of harnessing the economic activities that Amerindians are involved in. A grant is now processed within one to three days.
She said further that issues that were raised at the National Toshaos Conference earlier in the year are also being addressed by the ministry and commitments made by President Jagdeo during the meeting will be fulfilled before yearend.