[www.inewsguyana.com] – Staff members of the Bina Hill Institute Youth Learning Centre in the North Rupununi, Region Nine have been sent home since they are unable to receive pay, Chairman of the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) Michael Williams said.
In a Government Information Agency bulletin, Williams noted that the Bina Hill Institute receives a Government subvention of $500,000 monthly, but this ceased since the 2014 budget cut.
He added that since then it has been a struggle to pay the staff members of the vocational institution.
“We have reached a stage where we can’t maintain staff anymore,’ he lamented. Williams is thankful that some of the workers have volunteered their services to see classes through.
The Bina Hill Institute’s focus it to build the capacity of the indigenous youth in the North Rupununi, developing leadership skills and preparing them for life in a changing world.
The Centre was established in 2007 to build their capacity to face the challenges of the present society with emphasis on natural Resource Management, Business Development and Leadership Skills and Agriculture. Since then the Centre has also been admitting youths from other Districts in the Rupununi and even from other Regions.
It is also a place where young people who did not have the opportunity to complete either Primary or Secondary Education are afforded a chance of further training and education. With the advent of the Low Carbon Development Strategy Programme, this was also seen as a place where training in this particular area especially as it relates to use of the natural resources can contribute to the understanding and development of this in the communities.
