Guyana Initiative Overview

 

As QHO’s longest-running initiative, QHO Guyana has an extensive and colourful history. Established in 1989, this initiative consists of groups of Peer Educators who travel to Guyana for 7 weeks each spring to teach in numerous primary schools, high schools, youth groups, and community organizations. Our curriculum is composed of lessons about physical health, substance abuse, sexual health, mental health, communication, and leadership, all of which are specifically catered to the communities that we work in.

  

Over the years, QHO Guyana has reconnected a strong but informal partnership with the Guyana Red Cross Society, a resource that proved essential in configuring the logistics of the initiative. More recently, QHO Guyana has partnered with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, a resource that has proved beneficial to both parties in achieving their goal of reaching young people.

This year's Guyana initiative consists of 2 Program Directors (Shannen and Megan), 4 Peer Educators who will teach in Georgetown (Hannah, Gwen, Tara, and Britney), and 6 Peer Educators who will teach in Berbice (Nick, Delaney, Liz S, Liz B, Hailey, and Ciara), from May 1 to June 16.

Initiatives:

• Georgetown: Peer Educators work in primary and secondary schools, as well as community centres, implementing a health-based curriculum.

• Berbice: This will be the 6th year of running the Berbice initiative and we're very excited to see where it goes under the wing of our four Berbice PEs. We will be working in Youth Friendly Spaces, training colleges, schools and children's shelters, as well as doing outreach throughout the community, while living in the village of Letter Kenny.

 

Highlights from Previous Years:

• Continued very successful partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in Georgetown and Berbice
• Taught close to 800 students combined between the two locations
• Trained teachers about how to implement the QHO curriculum into their classrooms 
• Taught on National TV weekly in Georgetown
• Made connections with 9 new schools in Berbice