The Anna Catherina Early Childhood Development Centre, located in Leonora, West Coast Demerara, has been formally handed-over to the local community. This centre, which is one of six early childhood pilot projects implemented by Basic Needs Trust Fund in its eighth programme cycle, will provide care and educational services to forty-five children under the age of five, and create employment for seven young women in the area. The project was a collaborative effort with The Office of the Presidential Advisor on Youth Empowerment (YEU) in the Ministry of the Presidency; The Board of Industrial Training (BIT); and The Early Childhood Development (ECD) Unit in the Ministry of Social Protection.
The commissioning ceremony, which was presided over by Honorable Minister of Finance Mr. Winston Jordan, brought together officials, project stakeholders, and residents from the community. Among those present at the event was Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region 3, Mr. Denis Jaikaran; BNTF Oversight Entity Chairman Mr. Bernard Lord; Ms. Zalaika Williams of the Child Care and Protection Agency; BNTF Oversight Entity committee members and BNTF staff. In his address, Minister Jordan welcocmed the centre as a great service to the local community, as it would be a place for parents to bring their children for care and enrichment. “We want to provide opportunities for the parents to be at ease…and for households to earn income so that they too can enjoy the good life,” he noted. He also stated that, given the high crime rate among young people in the country, it was crucial for children to receive a holistic education, in order to develop good values and morals from a young age. Minister Jordan also stressed the importance of investing in human development, so that citizens could be in a position to contribute meaningfully to Guyana’s economy and growth. He urged the attendees to take proper care of the facility, and utilize its resources to the fullest extent. In his closing remarks, REO Jaikaran voiced the regional administration’s commitment to being stewards of the centre. He recommended the formation of an unofficial board to manage the affairs of the centre, comprising of representatives from among the regional administration, the regional education department, the trainees, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Child Care and Protection Agency. “What we are doing here is to ensure that what is handed to us is properly maintained and sustained,” he stated.
The construction of the Anna Catherina ECDC commenced on September 2nd, 2017 and was completed on February 25th, 2018. The centre was built for $36,499,899 by Builder’s Hardware and General Supplies, and the design and supervision consultant for the project was Deen + Partners.
The 4135 square foot facility will accommodate forty-five infants to school-agers, seven caregivers/teachers and an administrator. This includes four care areas/classrooms, a sleeping area, sickbay, a staffroom, an administrative area, storage spaces, a kitchenette, a laundry room, sanitary facilities, and an outdoor play area for the children. In tandem with the construction of the building, one young man and seven young women were trained as early childhood educators and successfully graduated from the programme. It should be noted that the sole male participant, Shalum Allen, tragically died in a road accident along with his brother on June 26th, 2018. The seven female graduates of the programme will serve as teachers and caregivers at the centre. Three of the seven young women will receive scholarships to attend University of Guyana and receive their Level 1 certifications in Early Childhood Development. These individuals will be expected to return to the Anna Catherina ECDC and serve as administrators there.
Basic Needs Trust Fund is the flagship development programme under the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. For twenty-five years, the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) Guyana office has been working to address poverty reduction by providing access to basic infrastructure and services in rural and urban communities, across the Caribbean. BNTF has completed close to 600 projects since 1992, and has 47 projects planned for its ninth cycle. This new cycle will focus primarily on projects related to livelihoods enhancement and human capacity development.