While addressing students graduating from the Cuban Scholarship programme yesterday, President Bharrat Jagdeo issued a challenge to the graduates to participate actively in Guyana’s development.

According to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA), while addressing the 122 graduates at the National Cultural Centre, the President warned them not to be indifferent since the Guyanese public who they will have to serve deserves better and to avoid this, he told the graduates that they will have to be excited about Guyana’s future and the role each of them will play in this regard. “You are prepared for this future; for changing our country because it is this generation; your generation that will have (to) carry on the development in this country,” the President stressed.

He reminisced that when he had spoken to the scholarship awardees before they departed these shores for Cuba, many of them had expressed apprehension about travelling to the island. However, being present at the graduation yesterday, the head of state acknowledged that the fear was overcome. He called on the graduates to exhibit fortitude and resolve and he explained that Guyana is facing challenges, noting that this will continue to be the case since it is part of development, GINA noted.

Of the 122 graduates, 65 of them are doctors. The release stated that another 150 scholarship awardees will be joining their colleagues in Cuba, bringing the total number of Guyanese studying on the island to 756.