An organisation to assist the Afro-Guyanese community was launched yesterday at Rahaman’s Park, Houston, Georgetown.
The Association of People of African Descent (APAD) is the brainchild of Andrew Douglas, a retiree and remigrant. According to him, the idea of an association started with conversations with friends. He had returned to Guyana in 2018 and was attempting to start a business, but quickly became disillusioned when he realised that he really didn’t know anyone to help him get off the ground. He engaged some friends about the available choices and observed that most small businesses didn’t have the connections needed to expand and thrive.
Douglas realised after giving the matter deep thought that he needed to organise for success. He told his friends, “Let’s work on something, see how we can help,” and thus APAD was born. He explained that the mission of APAD is to bring together Afro-Guyanese organisations and businesses to create a collaborative community that engages in collective action and sharing knowledge, resources, and expertise.