The Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) is supporting the “Enhancing Community Wellness” pilot project with an investment of US$45,000. The project’s official launch took place at 3t EnerMech’s Lusignan training facility on Aug. 30, heralding a positive step towards tackling chronic health conditions among Guyanese citizens.
Designed to benefit 150 participants hailing from the villages of Plaisance to Enmore, on the East Coast of the Demerara River, the initiative seeks to combat the rising prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. The brainchild of the Roraima Learning Trust (RLT), the project encourages individuals to adopt and maintain healthier lifestyles, focuses on dietary choices, physical activity, and heightened self-awareness.
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Speaking on the significance of this endeavour, Susan Scott, Socioeconomic Manager at ExxonMobil Guyana, emphasized, “Healthy citizens are one of the greatest assets that a country can have and this is one of the reasons why we’re so interested in supporting this project with the Roraima Learning Trust which aims to encourage citizens to eat well, move well and feel well.”
The pilot project’s objectives encompass the delivery of pertinent dietary and lifestyle information through accessible and convenient platforms. It also leverages the reach of National Democratic Councils (NDCs), small businesses, and the Government of Guyana healthcare networks. The primary metric for success is changes in participants’ waistline circumferences.
Stephen Patterson, Project Manager for RLT shared promising preliminary results. He highlighted that each month, the top performer will be rewarded for winning the monthly challenge. “A winner will be declared and that winner would
have had some positive response using the information we provided to them and that response is positive in the sense that they would have had some reduction in the waistline and some reduction in the weight as well.” he explained.
Kojo Parris, Director of RLT, stressed the importance of group dynamics within the project. He noted, “An integral part of how this pilot is structured is so that people operate in groups and so they can help each other, they can encourage each other.”
The GGI, a US$100 million initiative launched in 2021, marks a decade-long commitment by the Stabroek Block consortium: ExxonMobil Guyana, Hess Guyana Exploration Limited, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited. Its overarching aim is to empower the development of Guyanese citizens through multifaceted programs, encompassing capacity-building, agricultural advancements, educational initiatives, and, as highlighted by the “Enhancing Community Wellness” pilot project, the promotion of health and well-being.
