Corriverton-based NGO launches after-school program with support from USAID’s Community, Family and Youth Resilience (CFYR) Program

Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 December 2017, 15:05 by Denis Chabrol

GEORGETOWN – The United States Government is partnering with a community-based non-governmental organization (NGO) to continue its support to Guyanese youth.

Family Awareness Consciousness & Togetherness (FACT), a Corriverton-based NGO, received a US $64,800 (GYD$13,353,000) grant from the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Community, Family and Youth Resilience (CFYR) Program to carry out after-school activities in Corriverton. The program will provide 80 children, between the ages of 10 to 18 years, from five schools, with after-school activities which include lessons and homework support integrated with creative arts, life skills, and sports.

This follows a call for proposals to organizations operating in five target communities in Guyana, including Corriverton. The successful grantees will deliver comprehensive interventions in Corriverton, East La Penitence, East Ruimveldt, Lodge, and Sophia. The activities will encourage student participation in positive youth development activities that reduce vulnerability to risky behaviors that lead to violence.

Although the event focused on the Corriverton community, the after-school programs will eventually reach the remaining aforementioned communities. The program will increase youth’s self-efficacy, improve their computer knowledge and skills, and ultimately improve school attendance by engaging them in a stimulating and rewarding set of activities. Parents will be encouraged to get involved in the academic life of their children and share in the journey by participating in regular meetings for the duration of the program.

CFYR is a USAID program designed to reduce youth involvement in crime and violence. It features a comprehensive package of interventions that build the resilience of youth ages 10-29, strengthen family support, and encourage community cohesion. Each of the five communities participating in the CFYR Program is supported by a group of volunteers who form Community Enhancement Committees (CEC) that help residents to identify and implement local solutions to reduce violence and support positive youth development.