Secretary-General of the Guyana National Commission for UNESCO, Inge Nathoo last week presented a grant cheque of $1.4M to the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce for the promotion of community tourism in the Amerindian communities of Akawini, Kabakaburi and St. Monica. 

The Government Information Agency (GINA) in a press release last Friday stated that the ministry had collaborated with UNESCO to enact a strategy to alleviate youth poverty through training for tourism and heritage.

The grant was sponsored by the Japanese Government through the
establishment of Funds-in-Trust (JFIT) with the UNESCO Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean and is part of the organization’s programme to support 50 youths between the ages of 15-19 in the three Amerindian communities to promote community tourism and the preservation of cultural heritage so as to improve their livelihood through the creation of innovative tourism business.

The release also noted that the project which started in 2003 is being implemented in 14 Caribbean countries and Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad, has expressed  appreciation for the grant which will help in creating “more employment for our youths in these far-flung areas” and added that  the people in these areas will be grateful for the job opportunity.

Minister Prashad also stated that the grant will be used resourcefully so that the people in the stated areas can benefit and “we can have better standards of craft, our heritage sites can be improved” and tourism can be developed to its fullest potential.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
Nathoo commended the work plan outlined by the ministry.