Global Youth Movement – Guyana hosted a three-day environment camp at the Weldaad Youth Friendly Space, West Coast Berbice, for 25 students from seven secondary schools in Region Five.
The camp is part of a $23M Community Health, Environment and Recycling Project funded by the United Nations Development Programme/Global Environment Facility – Small Grants Programme, a press release said. The exercise was supported by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Mark Ross, executive director of Global Youth Movement said the camp was designed to provide basic information to students on environmental issues as well as explore the solutions to these. The camp was delivered in a fun and simple manner to engage students, who were encouraged to share this information at their schools. “The main goal was to strengthen students’ ability to manage their school environment clubs while sharing information so that environment issues are addressed,” he said.
The facilitators were Vanessa Williams and Candacie Brower-Thompson of the EPA, Taku Yoshida of the JICA and Aretha Forde from the MNRE.
Global Youth Movement – Guyana is also implementing the Berbice Shines Project in both region to enhance spaces and raise awareness about environment issues with the aim of applying community solutions. The students were taught about the natural environment, the 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle, composting, mangroves, leadership, advocacy and communication, club management, materials and work plan development. They also received additional training in book keeping, public relations, photography, videography, fund raising and community mobilization among others and were taken on a tour to the mangrove restoration project on the East Coast Demerara. The students also engaged in exchange visits with environment clubs from other schools in other regions. They also undertook tree planting, clean ups, conservation activities and played a key role in the implementation of the Berbice Shines Project.
According to the press release, the Global Environment Facility is a partnership of various sectors in 183 countries to address global environmental issues. Since 1991, the GEF has provided $12.5 billion in grants and leveraged $58 billion in co-financing for over 15,000 projects. The funds are used to support activities related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, and chemicals and waste in the context of development projects and programmes.
The Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) is implemented by the UNDP and executed by the United Nations Office for Project Services. GEF SGP works with communities and civil society around the world to grapple with critical global environmental problems.
Global Youth Movement – Guyana is a registered organization which was formed in 2011 by youth and works with young people in various communities countrywide.
