E-Newsletter
April '08
E-Newsletter March '08
VYC says "Thank You" to all our supporters
Peer Education Recruitment Drive
Peer Education Graduation
VYC
collaborates with UNICEF in flood relief for children!
VYC
facilitates Sexual and Reproductive health in Schools of Guyana.
VYC facilitates Peer Education Training.
Guyana
celebrates first Anniversary of “Big Brother Big Sister” program
through the Volunteer Youth Corps.
The
Volunteer Youth Corps collaborates with UNICEF to empower children and
young adults.
VYC says "Thank You" to all our supporters
In the light of fostering and strengthening a reciprocal relationship with the government, private and business sector on a whole, Volunteer Youth Corps commenced the year by publishing a ‘thank you’ advert (Sunday Stabroek – Sunday 4th February 2007) to the more than fifty (50) businesses and organizations that were supportive to VYC over the past years and hopefully encourage them to continue their valued support in their various ways.
The past year signified yet another milestone for Volunteer Youth Corps. In 2006 we ushered in our 10th year of volunteerism and our fight against the spread of HIV / AIDS while in pursuit of empowering and further developing our youth.
The Executive Council & Members of Volunteer Youth Corps wishes to thank the following businesses & organizations for their thoughtful and greatly treasured support in 2006.
- Adult Education Association
- All our NGO Partners
- All-Star Barber Shop
- Banks DIH Ltd
- Beyond 2000 Printing
- Bounty Farm Ltd
- CCS Guyana Ltd
-
Commonwealth Youth Program Caribbean Center
- Communication Concept
- Demerara Distillers Limited
- Dyna’s Embroidery & Screen Prints
- Food for the Poor (Guyana) Inc.
- GBTI
- Geddes Grant Guyana Ltd
- Giftland Office Max
- Graham’s Bakery
- Guyana Office for Investment
- Guyana Sugar Corporation
- H.A Snacks Guyana Ltd
- Harris Paints
- Head Teachers of BBBSG Liaison Officer of J. E Burnham, St. Andrews Primary, St. Angela's Primary
- Humphrey’s Bakery
-
International Business College
- J.W Potter & Co. Ltd
- Jerries Snackette
- John Fernandes Ltd
- Juice Power
- Jus’ Cakes
- Lodge Community Development Council
- Maggie’s Snackette
- Mentors of Big Brothers Big Sisters Program (BBBSG)
- Mings Products & Services Ltd
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Human Services
- Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture
- Monar Educational Complex
- Nigel’s Supermarket
- Office Machine and Electronic Laboratory
- Professional Optical
- Republic Bank
-
Richard Ishmael Secondary School
- Silvies General Store
- Sonic Business Services
- The Cell Guyana Ltd
- The Media
-
Tucville Secondary School
- UNDP
- UNESCO
- UNICEF
- United Associates Security & Domestic Services
- United Nations Family Planning Association
- USAID / GHARP
- Western Union Money Transfer
- Woodpeckers Sports Products and Trophies
We are indeed grateful and look forward to your continued support in our years ahead.
Peer Education Recruitment Drive
Senior Peer Educators launched a Peer Educator recruitment drive in Lodge Community through a venerable collaboration between Volunteer Youth Corps (VYC) and Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG). On Saturday and Sunday January 20th and 21st the Peer Educators conducted house to house visitation and advocacy which concluded on Sunday evening with a movie night for the prospective peer educators.
VYC & YCG Peer Educators after
recruitment drive
Prospective Peer Educators enjoying
movie night
According to Peer Educator and organizer Quincy Williams, the campaign is part of VYC’s effort to give back to the Lodge Community and will be engaging the youth on a regular basis for improved livelihoods.
There were a total of 15 senior Peer Educators from VYC and YCG respectively. The youth gathered at the President’s Youth Choice Award Building run by Volunteer Youth Corps in Lodge where they were treated to the viewing of the entertaining and educational movie, “Against All Odds”. By the end of the drive more than 20 youth were engaged and enlisted as prospective Peer Educators.
Peer Education Graduation
Fifty-six students from regions 4, 5 and 6 successfully completed the first session of awareness on abstinence through education on Saturday March 3 2007 at the President’s Youth Choice Award Building (Volunteer Youth Corps extension office) Lodge. This interactive training session which spanned a period of eight weeks is part of Big Brothers Big Sisters Guyana (BBBSG) Secondary Program “to raise awareness in abstinence of one thousand in-school youth from ten schools in regions 4, 5 and 6 by September 2007.”Graduating in that batch were students from Adults Education Association (AEA) Remedial School, South Ruimveldt Secondary, International Business College (IBC), Richard Ishmael Secondary, Monar’s Educational Institute among others.According to coordinator Glenda Matheson-James, these fifty six students are charged with the responsibility of reaching other youth with the message on abstinence according to Guyana HIV/AIDS Reduction and Prevention Project (GHARP) and the Volunteer Youth Corps (VYC).
Social Workers in a training session
Awareness Session – Region 4 Peer
Educators
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
Awareness session in
Berbice |
|
VYC
collaborates with UNICEF in flood relief for children!
As
Guyana goes through this difficult natural disaster period, volunteers
of the Volunteer Youth Corps in collaboration with UNICEF have been
involved in a nationwide flood relief program. These programs which
has their major objectives as providing children with education and
recreational activities targets 30-35 children out of a 69-person
shelter in the Beterverwating Community high school which is currently
being supervised by the Guyana Defense Force. During the long days
volunteer opt to empower older children with subject such as HIV/AIDS
education, and regular school subjects such as Math & English, while
the younger children are given simple tasks as coloring and story
time.
Coordinator of the Peer Education
unit of the VYC, Ms. Leona Kyte stated that it is gratifying to see
the impact that this program has on the children and also the parents;
she stated that parents feel pleased to know that their children’s
time and mind is being actively and productively occupied.
Ms. Kyte further stated that snacks
were being provided for the children through the UNICEF.
On the other hand, the VYC has also
collaborated with the Ministry of Health; the organization sent nine
(9) of their volunteers to help sensitize the affected communities
about environmental and hygienic issues. In addition, they are helping
with the distribution of medical supplies in some affected areas such
as Sophia, Mon Repos, Paradise, Victoria, Plaisance and South
Rumvidelt.
The VYC is proud to be in partnership
with these organizations.
VYC
facilitates Sexual and Reproductive health in Schools of Guyana.
The Sexual and
reproductive health program, which is being facilitated by Coordinator Nanlesta Pilgrim and June Herod is deemed an accomplishment for the
Volunteer Youth Corps.
Ms. Pilgrim stated that the
organization with the assistance of the Ministry of Education has
targeted three (3) schools for this program, the program which has a
life of eight weeks has its objectives as encouraging students to make
the right decision in all aspects of their sexuality; the three
schools chosen include: Dolphin Secondary School, Houston Community
High school and Cummings Lodge Secondary School. The program has been
running in the schools since October 2004 and will end in February
2005.
Ms. Pilgrim further acknowledged that
the program’s manual was developed by former Peace Corps Volunteer,
Gina Brusseau, and stated that she in now in the process of revisiting
the modules to upgrade the program.
Participants will receive a
certificate of participant upon completion of the course.
VYC facilitates Peer Education Training.
Coordinator
of the Peer Education division of the Volunteer Youth Corps, Ms. Leona
Kyte stated that the organization has in its work programme, peer
education workshops for 2004/2005. In an interview, Ms. Kyte confirmed
that five (5) training sessions would be executed, three (3) with the
new VYC peer educators, one (1) for the Humble individuals youth group
(HIVG) and one (1) for the Unity Lancaster youth groups. She further
highlighted that there will be peer educators counseling training.
Ms. Kyte
further declared the USAID funded program unfortunately has been
placed on hold due to the current flood situation, which has affected
some 400,000 out of some odd 760,000 residents of the country.
Guyana
celebrates first Anniversary of “Big Brother Big Sister” program
through the Volunteer Youth Corps.
On January 31,
2004 the Volunteer Youth Corps embarked upon the Big Brother Big
Sister program making Guyana the first South American country to be
apart of this International group.
The program which began around 1904,
through the efforts of individual citizens indicating a concern for
the well being of vulnerable children who are faced with many
obstacles and were at risk of not developing to their fullest
potential is categorized as one of VYC most gratifying programs.
Program
Manager of the BBBSG program Ms. Arlene Dinally stated that after one
year this professionally managed program which is made up of educated
and trained staff recruits and select volunteers, assess the needs of
children and youth, communicate with parents and other primary
caretakers, create the "matches" of adult and child, supervise the
matches over the lifetime of the match, and officially close the
matches when appropriate.
Ms. Dinally highlighted that the
program is now in the process of recruiting new mentors and should
commence its second batch soon,
she further stated that she is elated to be apart of the program and
is looking forward to a more productive 2005!
The
Volunteer Youth Corps collaborates with UNICEF to empower children and
young adults.
Once
again the Volunteer Youth Corps aids in the help of the development of
youths of Guyana.
Chairperson (ag) of the Volunteer
Youth Corps Ms. Goldie Scott, affirmed that the organization is once
again collaborating with the United Nations Children fund (UNICEF) in
their newest pilot project “Life skills education for out of school
youths and street children”
This program, which is originally the
brainchild of UNICEF teaching Peace Education to underprivileged
youths, has now taken on a new and more captivating twist.
Ms. Scott highlighted that the VYC
recognized the need for this program and proposed the three (3) months
collaboration.
The program, which initially
encompassed the teaching of Peace Education, now entails Sexual &
Reproductive Health, Information Technology, Career Guidance and
Office Protocol and Etiquette. Agencies such as the Help & Shelter,
Living Values, Peace Volunteer Youth Corps, the Computer Science
students of the University of Guyana and the Guyana Responsible
Parenthood Association (GRPA) have been contracted by the VYC to
ensure the success of the program.
The project targets thirty (30) out
of schools youths residing in the Lodge community and fifteen (15)
street children from the Drop in Centre, their age’s range from 12-20
yrs.
The VYC is grateful to the UNICEF for
the funding and hopes to replicate the project in two other areas
namely Region 3 and Betervewating, East Coast Demerara.
VOLUNTEER
YOUTH CORPS BENEFITS FROM JAPANESE GOVERNMENT GRANT
On 6th
March 2004, the Embassy of Japan donated US$28, 686.00 to the
Volunteer Youth Corps (VYC) for the Guyana
Information Youth Project (GIYP), under the theme:
“Strengthening
Youth Business Activities through Information and Comm
unication
Technology”.
The
Government of Japan cooperates with Non Governmental Organisations in
the fields of primary health care, basic education, public welfare
etc., through the “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects”
scheme. Consequently, The First Secretary of The
Embassy of Japan In Venezuela, Mr. Motoharu
Shirai,
is in Guyana from March 4 – 6 2004, and part of this visit is was
the signing of the official Grant Contract between the Embassy Of
Japan In Venezuela and the Volunteer Youth Corps, and the handing over
of the cheque for the
project
For the Project, the VYC has opened training facilities and has
implemented training courses, which provided Information and
Communication Technology, but the VYC was limited on equipment such as
computers. In addition, the VYC is in need of visual and auditory
equipment in order to train these young people more efficiently and
effectively.
The Volunteer Youth Corps implements the Guyana
Information Youth Project (GIYP), a project which aims to provide
young people between the ages of 17-30 with the information, skills
and competencies necessary for building successful and sustainable
small businesses through business development training. Additionally,
GIYP attempts to provide trained entrepreneurs with support as long as
needed to entrepreneurs after training so that the skills, knowledge
and competences gained can be used in the expansion of small
businesses with their eventual graduation into the formal economy
using a formalised system of engagement with the private sector that
builds on the developed mutually beneficial business linkages between
small enterprises and large enterprises.
The
specific objectives of the GIYP are:
- To develop and institutionalise an
entrepreneurial training programme that nurtures the
entrepreneurial abilities of young people
- To provide Information and
Communication Technology Training to young entrepreneurs who are
beneficiaries of the youth business programme of Volunteer Youth
Corps.
A critical component of this
project is the provision of training in the use and application of
Information and Communication Technologies such as computers fax
machines, digital projectors among others. Through this grant, the VYC
will be acquiring 15 Desktop Computers, 1 Lap Top Computer, 1 Digital
Projector, 15 Chairs, 100 Books, 1 Laser Jet Printer, 4 Filing
Cabinets and 2 Office Cubicles.
Businesses
that are able to successfully use these equipment are best able to
maximise profits and increase production and productivity. It is for
this reason, that Volunteer Youth Corps uses ICT as a strategy for its
training programme, which helps to improve the quality of goods, and
services produced by beneficiaries of its training programme, that is,
the young male and female entrepreneurs.
With the strengthening of the VYC Information Technology training
capacity, the VYC will be able to more efficiently provide more
Information and Communication Technology training to young
entrepreneurs benefiting from the Guyana Information Youth Project.
It
is estimated that some 100 young entrepreneurs would benefit from
access to and utilisation of these equipment, in addition to over 500
youth over the next year who visit the secretariat for the use of the
organisation’s computers and other resources in its resource centre
on a daily basis.
The project site is located in
Georgetown at 146 Crown Street, Queenstown, Georgetown This area is
carefully identified so as to reach enormous numbers of young people
through the provision of youth friendly services at including training
of young entrepreneurs at the VYC Secretariat.
VYC
Launches Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guyana
History was created once again for
Guyana, when the Volunteer Youth Corps launched the
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guyana In-Schools Mentorship Programme on
Saturday 31st January 2004 at the Le Meridien Pegasus in
Georgetown, Guyana.
Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Guyana is the 36th country to join the BBBS
Global Network and the first country for the continent of South
America to become a member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters
International Organization.
This professionally
structured program that is presently being implemented by the
Volunteer Youth Corps in Guyana is designed to target children and
youth in the formal school system who are at risk, disadvantaged
and/or affected by HIV/AIDS. It is the first of its kind for Guyana
and has had the support and endorsement of the Ministry of Education,
Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and several private
sector organizations.
Generally, a Big
Brothers Big Sisters Program is a simple idea of creating a
relationship between two persons – one older than the other. It is a
prevention idea, and an opportunity to put a caring adult, as a
volunteer, in the lives of a child / youth who can help the child /
youth to build those positive assets that will enable them to live a
healthy and productive life. Further while the BBBSG Administrators
have been conducting fundraisers as a part of its sustainability
strategy, the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) under the Guyana HIV/AIDS/STI Youth Project is presently the
main financial supporter.
This program is currently being conducted as a pilot study in four (4)
primary schools in Georgetown and is coordinated by Programme Manager
– Arlene Dinally and an BBBSG Advisory Committee of ten (10) members
inclusive of Ministry of Education, Ministry of Human Services and
Social Security, University of Guyana and private sector
representatives.
Hindu Community
A
intensive two-day Peer Education workshop on HIV/AIDS was conducted by the Volunteer
Youth Corps with the Humble Individuals Voluntary Group (H.I.V.G) in
Corentyne, Berbice. H.I.V.G is a Hindu based group comprising of 30
Indo-Guyanese youths between the ages of 10-21 years. The group seeks
to influence positive behavioral change in their community. The
objectives of the workshop were:
-
To enable each
participant to finalize reparations for the work of peer education.
-
To discuss the organizing
of a religious assessment in the Hindu community.
The
workshop was held on the 1st-2nd February 2004 and was facilitated by
two Peer Educators, Collins Herman and Susan McRae of the Volunteer
Youth Corps.
Over the last several months of training H.I.V.G youth, Peer Educators
from VYC that provides support in the form of Training to this group
has seen significant growth among the youth. Appropriately ten persons
are now competent Peer Educators. Coming out of the workshop that was
conducted, Peer Educator Collin Herman along with 2 peer educators
from H.I.V.G were invited the following day to conduct awareness
sessions on HIV/AIDS with Second form students at Skeldon High school
in Region 6, Berbice.
