Rupununi women receiving business training

Women in Rupununi communities are receiving “Self- reliance and Success in Business” training undertaken by First Lady Sandra Granger.

A release from the Ministry of the Presidency on Monday said that the workshop is being funded by the Ministry of Social Protection with help from the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.

According to the release, the initiative was first started by the First Lady in the communities of East Coast Demerara and Linden to the benefit of 30 women and among whom was Annie Roopchand, the third place winner of the ‘business pitch’ competition, held at the recently concluded Business Expo.

The empowerment workshop in the Rupununi will last for five days and caters for more than 20 participants from the following areas: Aranaputa, Annai, Aishalton, St Ignatius, Tiger Pond, Karasabai, Culvert City, Parishara and Lethem. It is being facilitated by Wayne Barrow of Interweave Solutions.

At the end of the workshop, it is expected that the participants would be equipped with the understanding of “every single step they need to take in order to establish and run successful business ventures”, the release said.

In the opening ceremony, the release said that Mrs Granger told the participants, the workshop “has a individual benefit with a community spin-off and hopefully we can take this model and develop it, come back again and train you to be trainers so that we can keep the idea going.”

At the end of the training, the release said, the First Lady is planning to showcase and celebrate the women who would have completed the course as a part of the 2016 International Women’s Day observances.