Georgetown: Work on the Habitat Resource Centre for Creative Thinking and Community Innovation has commenced and should be completed in another six months. The centre in Linden will be of direct benefit to residents of Region 10. Direct beneficiaries represent roughly 500 persons per year, including 30 youths participating in the Dream Catchers
Habit for Humanity National Director, Andrew Small told the Guyana Chronicle that work on the building began about two weeks ago, but has been affected by inclement weather.
The Japanese Government in February plugged US$100,000 into the construction of the facility aimed at providing employment, volunteer opportunities and creative-thinking skills for youth development and innovative responses to community challenges and opportunities in Region 10.
Based on population growth trends, population figures to date put the total population of Region 10 at an estimated 60,000. Region 10 is home to Guyana’s second largest town Linden – referred to as the “gateway” to Guyana’s hinterland regions – and a number of other administrative areas including Kwakwani, Ituni and Coomaka Lands.
The culture is diverse with persons of African, Indian and Indigenous heritage. The region’s main economic base includes the down-sized bauxite industry which represents approximately 60% of the regions Gross Domestic Product and timber harvesting. Continued contraction of the bauxite industry and limitations of timber harvesting combined to produce widespread poverty measured by income, expenditure and social indicators.
It is estimated that four out of every ten persons between the ages of 16-25 are unemployed; approximately 40% of this cohort; overall unemployment stands at 70%. The Region 10 Interim Management Committee and Linden Municipality are keen on improving economic and social conditions by promoting economic diversification and arresting high incidences of unemployment, illiteracy, depression, crime and HIV/AIDS through innovative community programmes.
Key challenges to these efforts include limited capital, skills and social incentives to leverage cultural, environmental, human and tourism resources for business potential.
Programme areas
Small pointed out that the centre will have 3 programme areas: creative thinking skills curriculum for youth ages 16-35 based on an integrated model of the (a) entrepreneurial and (b) housing development processes; Restore – sale/donation of low cost housing improvement supplies; and Open-space Community Initiative – lease/short-term rental of available spaces for community initiatives.
The resource centre also offers the Open Space Community Initiative – an initiative that provides recreational and leases classroom space to nurture the development of a vibrant civil society capable of responding innovatively to opportunities, especially poverty housing, under-education, environmental conservation, artistic development, regional tourism, hydroponics and shade house farming, unemployment and HIV/AIDS.
Small explained that under the Creative Thinking Skills Programme, 15 Dream Catchers will be accommodated per term, with a total of two 4-month terms per calendar year.
Dream Catchers will learn creative thinking skills and apply these skills to practical everyday/community/personal scenarios, reframing their perception with their communities, the region and self-identity.
These skills include brainstorming using mind mapping and break and build technique; mind mapping; lateral thinking; intuitive/mindful thinking and probortunity.
Small said the learning experience also requires each Dream Catcher to explore their self-perception and personal development goals using creative-thinking skills.
In addition to these skills, Dream Catchers will learn basic computer building and maintenance, business innovation, servant leadership and social skills.
The programme emphasises quality over quantity and seeks to reduce youth unemployment and its negative effects by equipping youth with key creative thinking skills that facilitate their development as social and business entrepreneurs.
The Restore, the Habitat Director said is a non-profit home improvement and donation centre that will provide employment for at least 5-10 persons. The Restore will sell and donate new and gently used building materials, home furniture, home accessories and household appliances for a fraction of the retail price.
The objective of this business is to help families make improvements to their living conditions, provide employment for 5-10 persons and earn income to fund a portion of the Creative Thinking Skills Programme.
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