‘Guyana Shines’ is a project spearheaded by the U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, D. Brent Hardt, with the goal of educating young people about the importance of protecting the environment and the dangers of pollution. Ambassador Hardt believes that the key to a healthy world is educating young people to have the tools for a sustainable future. Guyana Shines is supported by Youth Challenge Guyana and the Environment Ministry as well as the British and Canadian representatives to Guyana.

The project is centered around visiting the school and making presentations about the dangers of pollution and the importance of cleaning up litter and waste. Last year the ambassador visited 15 schools and plans to visit at least 50 more this year. Students are given information about where to recycle and offered the incentive of trading garbage for money. This year students will also learn how to make compost heaps and become advocates for a cleaner Guyana.

To further boost excitement about ‘Guyana Shines” as well as establish broader goals of cleaning up the environment two contests have been launched. The Wildlife Drawing Contest and the Innovation and Creativity Contest: Looking for New Ways to Reduce our Ecological Footprint both aim to inspire young people to protect the environment.

Communities have also sponsored clean up days targeted at heavily polluted areas of Guyana. Ambassador Hardt says, “Our motivation and our goal in creating Guyana Shines is to encourage and mobilize citizens and communities to maintain a clean environment, address the serious littering problem, and return Guyana to its former splendor as the Garden City of the Caribbean.” As ‘Guyana Shines’ enters its second phase those goals are becoming more attainable.

– Zoë Meroney

Source: Guyana News and Information,Capitol News,Guyana Times
Photo: The U.S. Embassy