Herstelling, a village located on East Bank Demerara, is flanked by three squatting areas and is made up of residents mainly from the middle and lower economic status that are heavily dependent on the sugar and fishing industries for their income. With the economic challenges resulting from the falling sugar prices on the world market and the many barriers within the fishing industries, families have over the years been faced with high rates of unemployment, severe financial pressure, illiteracy, idleness/hopelessness among youths and extremely high levels of school drop-outs. These problems have led to many youths becoming hooked on alcohol, smoking, gambling, causal or commercial sex work, abuse and even crime as a way of escape.
Hence, it was and still is imperative that the community seeks out new ways of reengaging and creating employment for the youths to reduce their vulnerability and find alternative sources of income while diversifying in an effort to cushion the adverse effects envisaged. Consequently, in 2005, the Herstelling Assembly of God Global Outreach Centre launched a community outreach and transformation project to tackle the hopelessness that exists among youths in the village. However, its programmes were severely hindered as a result of the lack of a proper youth-friendly/safe space, equipment, materials and technical facilitators.
In 2008, the Herstelling Global Outreach Centre, founded by Dr Ravindra Shiwnandan, established a multi-discipline facility, focused on setting up a building for the programme area, an IT lab, a sewing and tailoring room, a training kitchen, an electronics room and a woodworking area. This was further supplemented by an annex building in 2013. These facilities provide an atmosphere which allows for the re-engagement of hopeless youths in Herstelling and its environs through vocational training courses, empowering them for further training and employment. The areas targeted are catering/cookery, information technology and office procedures, electrical installation, sewing and tailoring, joinery and cabinet making, cosmetology, cake decorating and floral designs. In addition, each participant selected on needs bases has been exposed to training in setting up and managing small businesses. The target group is 16-35 years.
The Centre is fully equipped with an air conditioned computer lab with 25 computers for 30 students; a fully equipped electronic lab for 20 students; a garment construction room with 10 sewing machines for 20 students; a cosmetology room with tools for 20 students; an equipped training kitchen with two stoves, a fridge, two extractor fans for 30 students; a welding machine with accessories for eight students; four other classrooms for didactic sessions; curriculum material for 19 vocational skills areas; woodworking equipment; and an administrative area with computers and copiers.
The school board consists of Dr Ravindra Shiwnandan; Dr Michelle Shiwnandan; Sharmilla Chan Abai; and Peter Christopher Abai.
Over the years, the Herstelling Global Outreach Centre has built a partnership with its community through the Little Diamond/Herstelling- Farm NDC, the Providence Primary School and the Providence Nursery School in Farm. It has also collaborated with the EU Micro-projects Fund, BNTF and the Government through the Board of Industrial Training.
Recently, 135 youths in various vocational skills graduated from the Centre, bringing the total number of individuals graduating from the Centre to a staggering 1100 – a number that continues to increase.
Courses/programmes at the Centre are offered at no cost. Requirement of applicants is basic literacy and numeracy.
The Herstelling Global Outreach Centre plans to increase the number of courses its offers and to expand its services to Yarrowkabra on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.
For more information, call 265-4365. Next course is slated to commence in February 2018. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
