Almost four months have passed since the launching of the Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS) programme and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs is determined to extend it to an additional 100 villages after the 2016 budget allocations are made.
Minister within the Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe revealed this plan of action during an interview with Stabroek News last Tuesday.
The HEYS programme, which was launched last October in Paramakatoi Village, Region 8, was introduced as a replacement for the controversial Youth Entrepreneurial and Apprenticeship Pro-gramme (YEAP), under which indigenous youth were engaged as Community Support Officers (CSOs). The present government, while in opposition, had charged that the former PPP/C administration used the YEAP programme and CSOs for political mobilisation.
However, out of recognition of the need to provide opportunities to meaningfully engage Indigenous youths in a manner that would enable them to earn an income in the pursuit of sustainable livelihoods, the HEYS programme was rolled out.
The programme, which runs for one year, targets Indigenous youth between the ages 18- 35 for self-development through skills training. It is intended to facilitate in-house and practical training during the
