A new ICT Hub was commissioned at the ‘E’ Field Sophia Community Center by Minister of Public Telecommunication, Catherine Hughes, yesterday. The hub is expected to benefit approximately 3,500 residents.
The project is a collaborative effort between the administration’s E-Government Unit, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Community Development Council.
Minister Hughes encouraged the residents of all ages to take advantage of the opportunity available. “Parents, grandfathers, aunties, we are not leaving you behind. This hub is also for you.”
The Minister pointed to the fact that in the next ten years 70 percent of the jobs that are going to be available in Guyana and all over the world are going to demand computer knowledge. This she said gives the youths an advantage as they now have access to information technology.
Besides having access to online government service Minister Hughes said the hubs will ease the financial burden of parents having to purchase textbooks since they are available online. Also, she advised small business operators in the community to utilise the internet to boost their ventures by selling their products online.
“All the ladies doing catering, making pepper Sause, sewing, you can be selling your products not only on the road. You can now have a Facebook page where everyone can place orders for your products,” Minister Hughes told residents.
Residents of ‘E’ Field Sophia welcomed the initiative. Student, Ashanti Dickie told Department of Public Information (DPI) that the new ICT hub will help with her research. “It will benefit us because sometimes at home we do not have internet access. Now we can come here to do our work and submit our assignments on time,” she said.
Akeem Cave who is a member of the Community Family and Youth Resilience Program said he has been doing research on photography and video designing and with the hub, he now has the opportunity to share his knowledge with others. “For me. This ICT hub is an opportunity to teach the young people from my neighbourhood the things I would have learnt.”
Also present at the launch was Director of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), Phillip Walcott, USAID representative, Chloe Noble and Community Development Council, Andrea Marks. (Department of Public Information)
