GUYANA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM ADULT EDUCATION ASSOCIATION http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_local_news?id=56496263


Yet another President's Youth Choice Initiative (PYCI) Project has fallen to the wayside but this time it is because of theft of equipment and problems with its connection to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and not poor management as in some other instances.

The youth centre at Ithaca, West Bank Berbice was doing well up to the time that the power company disconnected the building and a number of items including computers were stolen as they had been packed away owing to the power cut.

Speaking to Stabroek News two Thursdays ago, president of the Ithaca Community Development Council Jewel Sinclair said that in 2004 the centre was commissioned by President Bharrat Jagdeo. She said at that point they received four computers with one printer, four desks and four chairs. She said that the Adult Education Association (AEA) held computer classes in the building. Then the group decided to solicit the assistance of the AEA to utilize the building in a sustainable manner.

She said that based on a signed Memorandum of Understanding the AEA provided a percentage of the earnings from their lessons to the school. She said that this arrangement lasted for six months.

The young woman, who is a teacher, said that the group was prepared to pay for their own light bill. She said that the group had also applied and was successful in acquiring telephone service with a view to offering Internet calls. But one week after the phone line was installed thieves broke into the building and carted off a number of items, including the computers.

Turning to the electricity matter, Sinclair said that because the former occupants of the building had not cleared their account, bills with extraordinary amounts kept being delivered there. She said that the group went to GPL to have the meter changed. She said too that when Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon visited the area some months ago, he said that he would look into having the light bill waived. Sinclair said that soon after this, GPL came and disconnected power from the building.

As a consequence, all activities ceased and the place was barred up. She said that soon after the place was barred up, it was broken into.

At the moment the items are in police custody pending the outcome of the case in the Magistrate's Court.

She said that during the early months of the facility's operation, bills used to come for upwards of $1M. She said that this was soon reduced to about $800,000 but this was still too high for the group to afford.

According to the young woman, the entire village used the services of the building and its closure is a great loss to the community. A number of youths in the community formed the committee to manage the facility.

She said that during the time that the facility was in operation, about 20 people from the community were trained in a six-month computer course. She said that there were also summer classes for children which were also supported by the community.

When Stabroek News visited the project site the building was locked up and had broken windows and some internal damage was also visible from the outside. The building used to house another project funded by Futures Fund.

Sinclair said she is frustrated with running back and forth to get the lights reconnected and hopes that something could be done to relieve the group of the large bill prior to the disconnection.

Over the past months, this newspaper has featured a number of projects along the coast and some in more inland areas. It was found that in many instances the original philosophy of the projects was not followed up and the facilities for the most part were underused or not used at all. Efforts are being made to resuscitate some of the projects. While many have encountered difficulties some are functioning and providing useful service.

Large sums of money were spent on the PYCI in the run up to and aftermath of the 2001 elections. It basically entailed young people in communities across the country coming together and putting up ideas to be funded from the state's proceeds of the lottery games.