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Georgetown, Guyana — (November 17, 2017) Minister of Social Protection, Ms. Amna Ally charged the 28 graduates of First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger’s second Training of Trainers Self Reliance and Success in Business Workshop to create opportunities and develop project proposals for support by Government that will empower other women. The Minister was speaking at the workshop’s Closing Ceremony, held this morning at the Regency Suites, Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

“I want to tell you that at the break of 2018 we must see many of these communities coming forward with proposals for projects to empower women… If Guyana is to develop, we will need all the economic growth, dynamism, and ingenuity [that] we can get in the years ahead. Thankfully, a key part of the solution is staring us right in the face, unleashing the economic power of women through the Training of Trainers in Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop,” the Minister said.

Minister Ally also reminded the graduates that they should not feel limited by their womanhood. “I want to encourage you to continue to work to ensure that your talent, your ideas, and your efforts are not wasted simply because you’re a woman. Be bold and continue to work towards your dreams. I want you to understand that your success in life and that of your community won’t be determined just by what’s given to you… but what you do with all that’s given to you… Success only comes with perseverance,” she said.

Graduates wait to receive their certificates at the Closing Ceremony of the Training of Trainers Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop, held at the Regency Suites, Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

The Minister then praised the First Lady for the zealous way in which she empowers women across the country. “I would like to extend heartiest congratulations to our First Lady… and her team for putting together not only the ideas, but for the execution of programmes such as this one… Had it not been for the vision, consistency, hard work, dedication of our First Lady, [the workshop] would not have been possible…,” she said.

Director of Interweave Solutions (Guyana) Incorporated and Senior Facilitator, Mr. Wayne Barrow, predicted even more success for the future of the programme. “Business, home, and community must be interwoven for the maximum impact of self-reliance… I believe this programme will impact so many more within the various communities,” he said.

Lead Facilitator for Interweave Solutions (Guyana) Incorporated, Mr. Sanjay Pooran said that 2018 will be a phenomenal year for the programme. “More and more women and communities are reaching out to the Office of the First Lady requesting this programme. Within the ability to provide those services, we’ll be there. So, additional communities will be trained [and] more women will be empowered… You’re going to see an expansion, you’re going to see further growth and further empowerment of those who have already been empowered,” he said.

Sole male participant, Mr. Heston Bostwick extended gratitude to the First Lady for the opportunity to do the programme. “Words cannot express how overwhelmed I am to be a part of this [workshop]… There’s something extra special about this [workshop]… I am [wholeheartedly] thankful to Madame Sandra Granger and her team and I hope… that it will continue,” he said.

Bartica Resident, Ms. Deborah Browne said that she plans to help the youth and women in her community. “We plan to come together and get some youth and other women and get them trained so that they can be successful business women… Some of them would like to do business [but] they don’t know how to go about [it]… They can improve on that which is not successful and they can learn… how to start new businesses,”

The week-long workshop hosted participants from Georgetown Central and Buxton, Demerara-Mahaica (Region Four), Fort Wellington, Bush Lot and Rosignol, Mahaica-Berbice (Region Five), Kildonan and Nurney, East-Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six), Bartica, Cayuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven), and Wismar, Mackenzie, and Kwakwani Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region Ten).

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