With 5,123 documented Venezuelan migrants in Guyana, efforts are being made to roll out a programme to help them become self-sufficient, the National Multi-Sectoral Coordinating Committee noted in a statement.
Since the bulk of the migrants are in Region One, the initiative – which is being funded by the Australian Government – will first target communities in that area, particularly at Yarakita and White Water.
Spearheaded by the International Organisation of Migration (IOM), the project will provide the migrants as well as locals with tangible and technical agricultural support so that they can become self-sufficient.
Currently, the IOM is in discussions with organisations such as the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the National Toshaos Council (NTC) to finalise the details pertaining to implementation.
The project will subsequently be extended to other communities with a large migrant population.
