Ten hinterland schools in Region One are to benefit from an Education and Awareness Programme on the Barima-Mora Passage, a biodiversity hub which is home to several threatened species, including Jaguars, Giant River Otters, and Harpy Eagles, a statement from SBM offshore said yesterday.
SBM is the provider of offshore oil platforms for ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, EEPGL.
Executed by the Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS) and supported by SBM Offshore Guyana, the statement said that the programme will target primary schools in the communities of Morawhanna, Imbotero, Smith’s Creek, Aruka Mouth, St. Anselm, Lower Blackwater, Unity Square, Lower Kaituma, and secondary schools in Mabaruma, Region One.
The Education and Awareness Programme launched on July 25, 2023, is geared to promote sustainable use and management of the Barima-Mora Passage mangrove ecosystem, and will be done in four phases, the first of which focuses on mangrove conservation and management.
Through this initiative, the statement said that several animated videos and booklets will be produced and shown in schools showcasing the importance of the flora and fauna within the Barima-Mora Passage Mangrove ecosystem. This partnership is expected to see the development of wildlife and environmental clubs that will reinforce the importance of the passage.
As part of the initiative, the inaugural Wildlife Festival was launched in Mabaruma on July 26, the day declared as International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystem. This saw schools in the Mabaruma sub-district participating in a range of educational and cultural activities.
General Manager of SBM Offshore Guyana, Martin Cheong noted, “With the establishment of the wildlife and environmental clubs, I hope to see an integrated learning approach that will open the minds of the children of Region One to the protection and care of the wildlife of the Barima-Mora Passage. I also hope this programme will foster sustainable resource use, encourage our children to actively pursue learning more about the nation’s biodiversity, and take steps to protect our environment.” Environmentalist and Director of the Guyana Marine Conservation Society, Annette Arjoon-Martins said, “This support by SBM [Offshore Guyana] has been unprecedented in terms of what we have done in terms of the past decade of our existence, where we have secured a multi-year programme. So, we don’t have to be worrying every year where the next set of funding is coming from. So, I really want to thank SBM [Offshore Guyana] for coming onboard with us long-term on this multi-year project, which I can guarantee they would be very, very pleased with.”
During the launch on July 25, the Regional Education Officer, Elly Peterkin expressed her gratitude to the Guyana Marine Conservation Society for their initiative, saying, “I want to thank you all for considering my primary and secondary school children. Now, I believe if they can have that knowledge from the school level, imagine what they can do as they get older and we talk about the career paths that they can take in this field. I am so elated because they are the ones who are fortunate, they are getting the hands-on experience and I want to thank you for that, thank you for giving my children that.”
In addition to the company’s support for the Education and Awareness Programme on the Barima-Mora Passage, SBM Offshore Guyana also donated laptops and printers to Aruka Primary School, sports gear to the White Water Sports Club and two laptops to the top performers of the Hosororo Primary School, who excelled at the National Grade Six Assessment.
