Dear Editor,
The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs is currently awaiting an audit of the Progress Report for its flagship youth programme, the Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS) following a request which was approved to conduct same.
The request was made following the release of the 2017 Auditor General’s (AG’s) Report which pointed out that the Ministry had failed on its part, to present progress reports during the Auditing period which would have supported expenditure.
Progress reports as well as financial reports for Cohort 2 were prepared well in advance and available for scrutiny by the relevant personnel.
Cohort 2 of the programme according to reports available and submitted for review, began in July 2017 with the training of facilitators, while the training for youth followed in August, with some 1965 youth from one hundred and eight villages participating in the one-year programme.
Two hundred and eleven facilitators would have provided the necessary guidance for the youth over a six-month period.
The programme would have been administered by a 19-member Administrative staff component.
Minister within the Ministry and who has direct responsibility for youth across the Hinterland, Valerie Garrido-Lowe expressed her disappointment with the AG’s report but is confident closure will be brought to the matter.
Meanwhile, the last two years have seen tremendous accomplishments made by the Nation’s Indigenous Youth with approximately 3,900 being empowered to embrace a better life.
Cohort two of the programme alone would have seen 1,302 successful businesses established, participants actively involved in youth business summits, and youths highlighting their achievements to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo in Region 9 with five successfully receiving $100,000 each for their marked successes.
Among other major achievements evident were Ms. Malvany Laud of Silver Hill, Region 4 becoming a supplier of Cassava Bread to Mattai’s Supermarket Ltd. Her first delivery of 100 packs were made to the Supermarket in July, 2018.
Several youth who would have successfully completed the programme have advanced to higher learning, while others would have made themselves available to serve in their respective village councils.
Following a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis conducted, Strengths (Transformed village economies, Support from Regional System, Establishing of small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship) and Opportunities (potential to improve livelihood, gather large pool of youth, poverty reduction, produce a new breed/brand of leaders and increase educational opportunities) by far outweighed Weaknesses and Threats.
One therefore can categorically conclude, that the HEYS Programme is achieving its objectives.
However, to ensure this is maintained, the coordinator, monitors and workshop facilitators have been visiting all 220 villages and communities that continue to benefit from the programme and providing the necessary business advice, management skills training, marketing guidelines as well as mentoring.
Notwithstanding several challenges that presented themselves, the devoted HEYS team led by a dynamic leader in Junior Williams and the entire Ministry which is led by Ministers Sydney Allicock and Valerie Garrido-Lowe are satisfied by the results based on evidence, that of significant economic and social progress
Based on newly acquired information, the HEYS programme is now more than ever in demand, with villages calling for a return of the programme.
Minister Garrido-Lowe said discussions have already begun for a Cohort 3 in 2020.
Yours faithfully,
Alethea Grant
Communications Officer,
Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’
Affairs
