Over 150 schools to benefit from national water purification initiative

The Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Recover Guyana, on Thursday launched FLOW: National Water Purification and Sustainability Initiative for Secondary Schools, a landmark project aimed at providing clean, safe drinking water and promoting environmental sustainability across the country’s education sector.

Through the initiative, 141 secondary schools, 10 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, and 4 special needs schools will receive water purification systems. The project is funded through a USD 100 million investment by the Stabroek Block Co-Venturers — ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, Hess Guyana Exploration Limited, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited.

Speaking at the launch at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, President of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, Alistair Routledge, emphasized the nationwide impact of the initiative. “This idea to bring water filtration to eliminate plastic from schools and to make the water free. Another big principle for us in the GGI was to ensure that the benefits would reach right around the country. Not just to the Georgetown area, but to the entire country,” he said.

Routledge noted that the project aligns with Guyana’s national development goals. “It needs to be sustainable, something that underpins long-term prosperity for the people of Guyana. That was the foundation of the Greater Guyana Initiative: to set aside more than 20 million Guyana dollars under the pillars of health and education, focused on building capacity for a sustainable future. We recognise that while Guyana is blessed with many natural resources, our most valuable resource is our people.”

He added, “I am truly excited to see this project come to life — it is a wonderful example of what the Initiative stands for and is fully aligned with the country’s development objectives. It’s about sustainability. It’s about investing in our young people — the future of our nation’s prosperity and resilience.”

Meanwhile, President of Recover Guyana, Davindra Laltoo, highlighted the direct impact on students and the environment. “The project will impact the lives of more than 58,000 students on a daily basis and eliminate approximately 25 million plastic water bottles, aligning Guyana with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030. Together, we’re sending a clear message, that the health of our children, the preservation of our environment and the future of our nation are worth every effort,” Laltoo said.

He added that the systems will be solar-powered to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, and that regular quality assurance testing will be conducted in accordance with World Health Organization safety guidelines.