Lumumba defends youth choice scheme Projects to get underway this month Stabroek News October 11, 2000 Some $300 million in Lotto funds has been allotted to eight regions as part of the President's Youth Choice Initiative (PYCI) aimed at motivating the nation's young people. None of the allocated funds has been spent as projects and programmes identified by the young people are still in their developmental stages. Briefing reporters on the initiative, Ministerial Adviser on Empowerment, Odinga Lumumba, stated that the idea, which was conceptualised by President Bharrat Jagdeo, was aimed at securing the future of young people. Lumumba criticised a recent Stabroek News editorial, which, he claimed, gave the impression that young people could not run their own affairs. He quoted from reports put out by the United Nations and Commonwealth Youth Programme to show that emphasis was being placed on youth development. Stabroek News, he opined, would prefer to see the programmes run by non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Outlining the progress made in respect of the PYCI in the various regions, Lumumba alluded to the various project proposals which had been submitted and contractors short-listed following submission of bid documents. The first contractor was expected to commence work on a project in Region Ten, on October 19, while the proposed start-up date for the Region Three programme was slated for October 24. Two conferences will also be held on October 14 at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) for Region Four youths and one in November for young people in Region Nine on a day to be decided. Lumumba, responding to questions from the media on the structure and functioning of the initiative, stated that auditing of the projects to be developed under the scheme was the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Labour and the Auditor General respectively as was done with all state funds. Contractors for the projects were being selected via advertising with them being required to pre-qualify for such work. The whole process to be followed, according to project consultant Edgar Kendall, was that which obtained in the normal tender process with the only difference being that youth leaders were involved at every stage. This was emphasised by Director of Sports, Neil Kumar, a member of the National Advisory Board of the scheme. Questioned on the most critical needs of young people in Guyana, the empowerment adviser, pointed to the need for skills training especially in the areas of joinery, information technology, counselling and provision of business opportunities. Questions on the viability of projects were dealt with by consultant to the programme Sam Wright who outlined the efforts being put in place to direct the youths on the best approaches on their proposals. He spoke of walking the young adults through the various processes and phases of a project which entailed them participating in a level of training. Apart from this, the consultant was assisting in the development of detailed programme schedules and pointing them in the direction of what should come first. Lumumba also assured that certain enterprises would be self- sustaining with fees being paid to utilise centres and accounts being opened to cater for savings to be secured. This apart, arrangements were to be made for profits to be paid into a fund to guarantee sustainability. A similar system was being applied to the monitoring of equipment, which, according to Kumar, would see groups working with the various national associations and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), to ensure that all stakeholders were actively involved. Stressing that the committee was not the bastion of all knowledge, Lumumba appealed to groups, like the media, to aid in strengthening the project. The briefing was attended by members of the advisory committee and immediate staff of Lumumba's department who he said were actively involved in seeing successful implementation. (Oscar P. Clarke) Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today