Human Services Ministry hosts training for staff, religious leaders

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security in collaboration with the Support and Healing Network, hosted a ‘train the trainers’ workshop for its officers and religious leaders, on Saturday. The objective of the workshop is to help trainers to design and implement impactful programmes at the community level.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Hon. Dr. Vindhya Persaud addressing the audience at the opening of the workshop
ASP_0456: Participants during the workshop

Reverend Dr. Kwame Gilbert conducting the sessions

A section of the participants

A section of the participants

In her opening address at the ceremony at the Umana Yana, Minister Hon Dr. Vindhya Persaud said the workshop forms part of a collaborative and strategic approach to ensure there is more training, development and progress in communities countrywide.

“As you embark on this very intense session, I trust that what you gain from it, you will not only utilise for your own development but as it suggests ‘training of trainers’, which implies that you should be training others too. And, as you move from this first step into more areas of training, it is hoped that with your collaboration, we can get into communities and get work done.”

She acknowledged the Support and Healing Network, which is a body of religious leaders across Guyana, for their active role in serving the most vulnerable groups in society to promote healing, harmony, brotherhood, fraternity and support in all forms.

“Putting all of us together around the table creates a formidable force that can become something to really transform the way in which people across the country not only think but see each other, understand each other and respect each other,” she said.

Reverend Dr. Kwame Gilbert of Syndicate Leadership Development facilitated the workshop.

Today’s session covered topics including training, facilitating, and presenting; understanding how to identify participants’ training needs; creating a lesson plan; creating an active, engaging learning environment; developing visual aids and supporting materials and managing difficult participants and tough topics.

Over the past three months, the Ministry has been conducting a series of training targeting women and single parents, in partnership with the Small Business Bureau, the Institute of Private Enterprise Development, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Private Sector Commission.