First Lady: Inclusion is a right, not a privilege 

Inclusion is not a privilege but a right in Guyana was the central message at the opening of the Centre for Equity, Opportunity and Innovation at Palmyra, Region Six, today.

The centre is housed in the Empower Guyana building, a space where ability is celebrated, where potential is nurtured, and where dreams are allowed to take root and flourish.

It is the brainchild of First Lady Arya Ali, who said at the opening that the facility will directly employ 120 persons with disabilities, providing not just jobs, but dignity, purpose, and the chance to contribute to the nation’s development in real, visible ways.

Ravi Persaud, a resident of Bath Settlement, Berbice, told Ignite News that he became visually impaired 13 years ago and the centre will help him to get back a job. Bhoj Seeram of Rosignol, West Bank Berbice, also visually impaired, praised the initiative.

“I feel very much happy and want to encourage every person that comes out here to this facility to make good use of it. I encourage persons with disability to come out and learn a skill, we have to create our own investment and job to make life worth living,” he said.

Ms Ali underscored that persons with disabilities are not a burden but builders.

“You are not a cost. You are a contributor. You are not an afterthought. You are a forebearer of what is possible. This is your space. Your time. Your right. This building is not just made of glass and stone and concrete. It is built with hope. With purpose. With courage. With vision,” she said proudly.

The centre will also serve entrepreneurs with disabilities who make local products, allowing for products ranging from snacks to paintings in the retail space – all of which are made by persons with disabilities.

The centre also features five specialised workstations designed to reflect the creativity and capability of those who will be employed.

The first workstation will offer web services such as online marketing and tech repairs for small electronics; while the second workstation will allow for the creation of arts, crafts, and souvenirs.

The third station will focus on garment construction and screen printing; and the fourth will provide catering and commercial food preparation services. The fifth workstation will serve as a general-purpose station.

“The products made at the centre will be displayed in the retail space along with those products directly supplied by other entrepreneurs with disabilities. The centre is also outfitted with a therapy room for wellness and mental health, a cafeteria to build community and camaraderie, an administrative office to support daily operations, and a training room – because we believe that leadership and innovation must come from within these walls, not just outside of them,” the First Lady said.

This project is aligned with a wider agenda – a national movement to ensure that growth does not simply raise buildings, but raises people.

The government has given a one-off cash grant to every person with a disability. Adults with disabilities have also received the $100,000 cash grant; each child with a disability is already receiving a $100,000 cash grant annually; and now every person with a permanent disability qualifies for public assistance – this public assistance is now a lifetime benefit.

“We are building a society where the child in Mahaica with a hearing disability can dream of being a coder. Where the woman in Albion with limited mobility can become a business owner. Where the young man in Rosignol, who once felt cast aside, can now earn his own living with pride,” the First Lady told the gathering of ministers, regional officials, persons with disabilities and other invited guests.