Two secondary schools have each been given US$1,000 after their students won a G-Boats Guyana contest to name two tugboats which are currently being built to provide support to the oil and gas sector in Guyana.
In a press release, G-Boats Guyana said the contest was launched in March through the Ministry of Education and saw 11 secondary schools being invited to participate in a competition to name the two tugboats.
Each school was required to submit one unique Guyanese name per vessel with a short description of the origin of the name.
According to the release, St. Ignatius Secondary School emerged as one of the winners with its submission of A’RINRA, which is the Macushi word for an electric eel. “This submission was done by Grade 11 student Raymond De Cambra and he was guided by his grandmother Ms. Leontina Jose, who is a former teacher of St. Ignatius Secondary School,” the release said, while noting that it is believed that this eel can withstand any storm or weather to get to its destination.
The other winning name was MADAM KALINA, submitted by a Grade 11 Student Kaylan Duncan, with support from Ms. Thompson from Brickdam Secondary School. “The name Kalina was derived from the Carib tribe and they are one of the (9) nine Amerindian tribes in Guyana. The Amerindians were the first to touch Guyana’s shores and lived along the rivers and coasts of Guyana. Naming the tugboat MADAM KALINA brings awareness to the tribe’s existence and contributions to the nation,” the release explained.
In addition to donating the cash awards to the winning schools, G-Boats has announced that upon completion of the boats the winning schools would also be eligible to send student representatives to participate in the christening of the vessels upon arrival in Guyana later this year.
A simple handing over ceremony was held on June 28, 2022 at Brickdam Secondary School and on June 29, 2022 at St. Ignatius Secondary School where each school was presented with their winning prize and a framed photo of the tug boat with the name inscribed.
The release said G-Boats Guyana, which has has 18 vessels providing offshore support in Guyana, is a Maritime Solutions provider operating in Guyana since 2016. In Guyana, it currently employs over 380 Guyanese, who make up 75% of the G-Boats staff. It also partners with MatPal Marine Institute to provide training for employees.
