25 youths awarded for exemplary volunteer service

Twenty-five outstanding youths on Friday, received national awards at the Third Annual National Youth Awards, held at the National Cultural Centre.

Delivering remarks was Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, who noted that as youths in Guyana are making significant strides in the development of the country, their efforts must be recognised and awarded.

Dr. Norton noted that despite young people facing challenges with regards to active participation in decision making, education and employment; there are however, individuals and organisations working tirelessly to address the barriers to youth development through their continuous creation and participation in voluntary initiatives and youth advocacy.

The Social Cohesion Minister reaffirmed his commitment to the enactment of the National Youth Policy. “I want to give my commitment to seeing the National Youth Policy be implemented effectively because the youths are the future of this country”.

Some of the awardees were:

Romel Putulan was awarded for creating an enabling environment for the youths in Enmore to better deal with social issues; Arian Richmond was recongised for her work in promoting women and girls in education and entrepreneurship. Caleb Morris, received an award for exemplary leadership and support of the youths in Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam. Kimberly Manbodh was awarded for outstanding volunteer efforts in addressing and raising awareness of adolescent health issues and Ganesh Singh for advocating and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, among others.

Director of Youth (Ag), Leslyn Boyce encouraged the awardees to continue making a positive impact in their respective communities. “No country can be successful without the impact of its youths,” Boyce said.

It was noted that the Ministry of Social Cohesion supports the need for a mechanism such as the National Youth Awards, to acknowledge outstanding individuals and organisations that have focused their efforts on creating a sustainable environment that facilitates youth advocacy and effective youth programmes and initiatives.

The third annual National Youth Awards primarily rewards individuals between the ages of 14 to 35, in addition to existing organisations making a difference in the lives of citizens and communities through voluntary services, in the areas of sports, arts, volunteerism, youth entrepreneurship and agriculture. (Department of Public Information)