Abiola Lewis has been declared the winner of the Department of Energy’s logo contest.
According to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency, Director of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe commended the 16 winners of the Art and Logo Competition, at a prize-giving ceremony hosted on Friday at the National Gallery of Art, Castellani House, Georgetown.
He warned them against falling prey to vices and encouraged the finalists to “continue to aspire for greatness”.
The release said that the Department received 64 entries in the Logo Competition and 11 in the Art Competition, which opened in February to coincide with Guyana’s Republic Day anniversary celebrations. The release added that the Department scrapped initial plans to only host a Logo Competition targeting teenagers and young adults from ages 14 to 25 and broadened the competition to include an Art Competition for youth ages 6 to 18 years, with the view of stirring greater interest in the sector.
“We are keen to ensure that Guyanese are invested in the sector and feel as though this belongs to them. Thus, you have an opportunity possibly for years, if not decades, to be able to say I had a hand in what is reflected as the logo for the Department. This logo may well outlive some of you. It may even be something that goes way beyond our wildest imaginations because oil and gas is not a fly by night industry. We’re looking at an industry that will be here for at least 40 to 50 years, if not longer,” Bynoe said.
The winners of the Logo Competition, from first to third place are Abiola Lewis, Albert Narine and Dillon Craig. Akesi Cave and Kester Hernandez both received a commendation for their efforts. A Facebook prize, for competitors who registered the most ‘liked’ entries, was awarded to Michael Morrison.
The winners in the Art Competition were tasked with creating works of art under the theme “Guyana’s oil and gas: transforming our nation, in unity – One Guyana”. The release said that the winners in the 6-10 age category, from first to third place are respectively; Master Sajid Amin, Miss Damiana Jaigopaul and Miss Malianna Mentus. In the 11-14 age range, from first to third place respectively are Miss Assika Kunath, Miss Jessica Mentus and Master Jairam Thakurdyal. In the 15-18 age range, from first to third place respectively the winners are Master Arnie Edwin, Miss Britney Bovell and Miss Keishana Samaroo. The Facebook prize was awarded to Master Sajid Amin, Miss Kairie Persaud and Master Arnie Edwin in their respective categories.
The release said that the competitions were judged by a panel of five persons including Legal Advisor to the Department, Joanna Simmons; Alvina Naughton; Andrew Dos Santos; Administrator of the E.R. Burrowes School of Art, Ivor Thom and Visual Arts Co-ordinator, Ministry of Education Unit of Allied Arts, Regina Torrington. Torrington served as the Chief Judge.
The release said that the Director cautioned the youth to guard against vices such as greed and corruption and the desire to “become rich overnight”. He encouraged them to pursue education, cultivate discipline and work hard to achieve their goals, noting that that there will be opportunities in the sector for persons with these qualities. Bynoe noted too that in addition to the Competition, the Department has also advertised for interns as it recognises that there is a shortage of opportunities for persons without job experience.
“We do recognize that there has been an outcry that if no one ever employs me how I would ever get the necessary experience and expertise. If you’re an enthusiastic young person, I trust that you would have taken the opportunity to apply for one of these internships because the Department wants to ensure that we are not continually hiring expertise from outside of Guyana when we Guyanese will ultimately take control of this sector in years to come,” he said.
He added that the Department has also sought partnerships with sister institutions, with the Ministry of Education, University of Guyana and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) council.
“Why is this necessary? Because we cannot do it all ourselves. We require you to partner with us and ultimately to feel comfortable that we are not just talking the talk, but we are walking the walk,” the Director said.
The release said that the celebration also featured a dramatic Spoken Word item by Carlene Gill Kerr and a dance performed by a troupe from the National School of Dance. The prizes were presented by Verlyn Klass of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology of the University of Guyana; Volika Jaikishun, Principal Education Officer of the Ministry of Education; Gillian Frank, Youth Officer at the Ministry of the Presidency and Sharon Patterson, Office Manager of the Department of Energy.
