See below press release from WeLead Caribbean:
Twenty-five hinterland women were recognised as the curtains came down on WeLead Caribbean’s Region 9 Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) training program in partnership with the United States (US) Embassy in Georgetown.
The graduating class included women from various villages in the region with businesses and business ideas ranging from cosmetology, farming, tourism, bakery, agro-processing and sewing.
The AWE program has successfully nurtured the development of invaluable business skills among the participants, as well as forged a network of over 75 women entrepreneurs that empowers personal and professional growth for the participants with funding provided by the US Embassy Guyana and the US Department of State and the practical training provided by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.
WeLead Caribbean’s founder Abbigale Loncke-Watson urged the graduates to utilise the opportunities available to them as US State Department Alumna.
“Being able to travel to Region 9 and implement this training program has been a dream come through for our organization,” she said to the graduates. “We are confident that the tools and resources provided through this program will positively impact each of your lives and those within your villages”.
The program, which has now been offered in Essequibo, Berbice and Linden, received welcoming remarks from the Regional Vice Chairman, Bryan Allicock who commended the organisers for investing in the development of the women entrepreneurs in the region.
In his remarks on the training provided, he said, “as you graduate today, I expect each of you to go back into your villages and implement all that you have learnt. I will be doing active follow up with you as I visit your communities to see how you have progressed since completing this training.”
Offering congratulations to the successful participants, Regional Vice Chairman, Bertie Xavier encouraged the participants to take full advantage of the training provided. He challenged the graduates in his remarks to take all that they have learnt and share it “as you return to your villages, I ask you to take all that you have learnt and share it with the women in your communities.”
Encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit of the participants, Jessica David brought congratulatory remarks on-behalf of Carl Singh, Regional Executive Officer.
IICA, the program training partner’s representative at the graduation Ms. Johan David congratulated the graduates, stating how proud she was of their commitment and dedication to the course and their training.
The training program was an in-person session hosted in Lethem, with the participants required to maintain attendance and participation rates that would ensure a thorough delivery of the curriculum, with some participants travelling over 6hrs from their villages to attend the training.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, the best graduating participant Lucy Fredricks thanked the organisers for the training offered to herself and 24 other entrepreneurs. She assured the programme partners that the experience provided has indeed significantly impacted the participants’ lives and villages.
WeLead Caribbean intends to continue replicating this training in other communities across Guyana with the continued support of the program partners, and urged interested businesswomen to keep abreast of these plans via their social media page and in the mass media as well.
