– During outreach to Region 6 communities 

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, took her outreach campaign to Region Six on Wednesday.

The minister used the opportunity to update women on training and empowerment programs, including WIIN. 

Minister Persaud earlier met with residents of Corriverton and Albion before proceeding to New Amsterdam, where she engaged residents. 

During the outreach, the minister addressed women on a range of training and empowerment initiatives offered through the ministry, including the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network, WIIN.

She also encouraged women to take advantage of the Guyana Development Bank, which is expected to become operational soon and will provide access to zero-interest loans for individuals seeking to start or expand small businesses.

“So these are exciting times and I want you to get ahead with thinking about this. I know when I speak to a lot of women the first thing they tell me is that they are a single parent. And a next question I ask is what do you do. And then the way they answer me, I’m not really do anything. So this is shifting you from not doing anything to becoming financially independent,” she said.

To date, some 21,000 women have been trained through empowerment programs across the country, with thousands more expected to benefit by the end of this year.

Against the backdrop of Region Six’s rapid development, Minister Persaud urged those in attendance to upskill themselves in areas that are expected to be in high demand in the near future.

“People who are artists, people who are creative, people who are cooking, people who could provide an experienceto tourists, people who are in all these fields…the door will be wide open after the budget is finished in parliament…So prepare mentally. Prepare yourselves through the education and upskilling so when the opportunities come around,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, job seekers also benefited from on-site interviews conducted to fill available positions within the ministry.