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Final report on
youth
PATH project Saramacca, Suriname
Reported
by: Rabin Boeddha, BSc., CHE
Position: Senior policy officer/project coordinator
Organization: Ministry of Transport Communication and Tourism
Date: 10 May 2010
Objective of the program:
The main objective for this stage of the project was to help youth from
disadvantaged communities of the Caribbean in the development and
documentation of natural and cultural heritage sites, such that these
sites can become the centre of internal or international tourism and in
doing so, generate income, develop communities, and reduce poverty.
In Suriname the project was implemented in the district Saramacca by
the Ministry of Transport Communication and Tourism (TCT) in
cooperation with the UNESCO office in Paramaribo.
The components:
I: Community
consultations and establish project sign and map
Several meetings were held with the districts commissioner (DC) to
discuss the components of the project and input was gained of all the
stakeholders. The project sign and the map of the roads and other
general information about the district is established at Groningen, in
front of the Districts Commissioners (DC) office. Several persons
contributed with information and pictures to the success and the
disclosure of the sign/map.
This sign/map(see pictures) contains most of the general information
about the district and is a guide for locals and tourists to travel
through the district.
The disclosure was done on 30th April by the minister of Transport
Communication and tourism (TCT) and the DC by the presence of all the
participants, the press, locals, representatives of several schools,
etc.
The costs of the map (design and print) is covered by the project and
the frame, lighting, painting, etc. is sponsored by the DC and a local
company. Furthermore, two other signs, one at the road to Groningen and
one at Groningen were placed as a initiative of the project and
financed by the DC.
The costs for this component is partially covered under the project,
partially by the DC and sponsoring by the private sector
II: Training
activities: achieving a common Youth PATH
Training: team building/tourism awareness.
Period: 18, 19 and 20 December 2009.
Trainings venue, F&B and audio visual aids:
The swimming pool of the district ‘the Pireng’, where the
districts commissioner took care of the chairs and tables needed for
the sessions. A beamer was hired, screen and laptop was borrowed from
the UNESCO office, office supplies were purchased and F&B
arrangements were made by the districts commissioner and paid by the
project. Handouts were prepared and copied for all participants. Onsite
the activities were coordinated by one person of the UNESCO office and
one from the DC’s office.
Overall purpose:
The overall purpose of the training was to make the participants aware
of the several aspects of the tourism sector and train them in
teambuilding and communication skills.
The participants:
23 persons (2 males and 21 females) participated during three days.
Most of them are students and some entrepreneurs. Dutch was broadly
spoken and written so that it was easy for the trainers to conduct the
whole workshop in Dutch.
Resource persons:
This workshop was conducted by the following team:
Mr. Rabin Boeddha
Mrs. Urmy Perri
Ms. Faridy Lila
Contents of the course and material used.
Topics covered under this training were: project overview, tourism
awareness, communication, customer care, teambuilding, attitudes,
product development and how to proceed with the upcoming activities.
The dates of the following trainings were planned.
The material used for this course is the book ‘welkom in ons
land” developed under an EC tourism project to create tourism
awareness. For team building an handout was prepared by the trainer.
The format of the workshop was lectures, small group discussions,
individual presentations and role plays.
Opening and closing:
De opening of the workshop was done by the districts commissioner
together with Mrs. Kamtasing from the National Commission for UNESCO
and Mr. Betterson on behalf of the Ministry of TCT.
The closing was also done by the districts commissioner.
Conclusion/recommendation:
1. All modules presented by the trainers were
appreciated by the participants and the overall appreciation was good
to excellent.
2. Start the training on Friday was difficult for the
students who were traveling back home from the town and join the
training immediately. It was decided to organize the
workshops/trainings on Saturday and Sunday.
Training: Basic life skills.
Period: 16 and 17 January 2010.
Trainings venue, F&B and audio visual aids:
The swimming pool of the district ‘the Pireng’, at this
time the chairs and tables were hired for the sessions. A beamer was
also hired, screen and laptop was borrowed from the UNESCO office,
office supplies from the first training were used and F&B
arrangements were made by the districts commissioner and paid by the
project. Handouts were prepared, copied and distributed to the
participants. Onsite the activities were coordinated by one person from
the UNESCO office and one from the DC’s office
Overall purpose:
The overall purpose of the training was to make the participants aware
of HIV/AIDS, drugs and crime.
The participants:
22 persons (2 males and 20 females) participated during two days. In
general the same group. Most of them are students and some
entrepreneurs. Dutch was broadly spoken and written so that it was easy
for the trainers to conduct the whole workshop in Dutch.
Resource persons:
This workshop was conducted by the following team:
Mr. D. Kolf, from the ministry of Justice and police, youth affairs
Mrs. S. Sordjo, from the ministry of health, stichting Lobi
Ms. F Khodabaks and Ms.T.Pinas, both from the ministry of Education,
BLS department
Contents of the course and material used.
Topics covered under this training were: Crime and crime prevention,
drugs, several types of drug was shown. HIV/AIDS, the focus was on
prevention, several communicable diseases were discussed and several
audio visual aids were used. For BLS it was more information on career
guidance, goal setting, self esteem, etc.
The material used for this course is in general what this department
normally uses for their activities. Handouts and visuals were used for
this activity.
The format of the workshop was lectures, small group discussions,
individual presentations and role plays.
Opening and closing:
There was no formal opening of the workshop. The continuation of the
project and closing was done by the project coordinator, Mr. R.
Boeddha. There was also a meeting with the DC regarding all the
components of the project.
Total costs: see attached
Conclusion/recommendation:
- All modules presented by the trainers were
appreciated by the participants and the overall appreciation was good
to excellent.
- The reporting of the trainers shows that there
is
need for more information.
- The visuals, (drug, sex items, etc) was very
well
appreciated.
Training: Tour guiding.
Period: 30 and 31 Januari. 2010
Trainings venue, F&B and audio visual aids:
The swimming pool of the district ‘the Pireng’, at this
time the chairs and tables were hired for the sessions. A beamer was
also hired, screen and laptop was borrowed from the UNESCO office,
office supplies from the first training were used and F&B
arrangements were made by the districts commissioner and paid by the
project. Handouts (EU project manual), was copied and distributed to
the participants. Onsite the activities were coordinated by one person
from the UNESCO office and one from the DC’s office
Overall purpose:
The overall purpose of the training was to train the participants in
tour guiding skills (theoretical and practical).
The participants:
17 persons (2 males and 15 females) participated during two days. In
general the same group, most of them is students and some
entrepreneurs. Dutch was broadly spoken and written so that it was easy
for the trainers to conduct the whole workshop in Dutch. Due to other
activities in the district in connection with the upcoming elections
there was a decline in participants. There are several youths involved
with activities for meetings of the political parties.
Resource persons:
This workshop was conducted by the following team:
Mr. S. Power, from Conservation International
Mr. R. Boeddha, Ministry of Transport Communication and Tourism (TCT).
Contents of the course and material used.
Topics covered under this training were: requirements for a good guide,
presentation skills, the selection of several types of information
(KISS), emergency cases, etc. On the practical part, the second day, a
walking tour was organized to the Amer Indian village Colombia and
guided
by the participants. There was also a meeting with the chief of the
village.
The material used for this course is the standard module for tour
guiding developed under an EC funded tourism development program.
The format of the workshop was lectures, individual presentations and
guiding the tour
.Opening and closing:
There was no formal opening of the workshop. The continuation of the
project and closing was done by the project coordinator, Mr. R.
Boeddha. There was also a meeting with the DC regarding all the
components/progress of the project.
Conclusion/recommendation:
1. All modules presented by the trainers were
appreciated by the participants and the overall appreciation was good
to excellent.
2. The reporting of the trainers shows that the time
allotted to the course was to short.
3. There is a good foundation for continuation.
Training: design and development of tourism products
Period: 06 and 07 February. 2010
Trainings venue, F&B and audio visual aids:
The swimming pool of the district ‘the Pireng’, at this
time the chairs and tables were hired for the sessions. A beamer was
also hired, screen and laptop was borrowed from the UNESCO office,
office supplies from the first training were used and F&B
arrangements were made by the districts commissioner and paid by the
project. Handouts (prepared by the trainers) , was copied and
distributed to the participants. Onsite the activities were coordinated
by one person from the UNESCO office and one from the DC’s office
Overall purpose:
The overall purpose of the training was to make the participants aware
of the tourism potential of their district and help them to identify
and develop there own tourism product.
The participants:
17 persons (2 males and 15 females) participated during two days. In
general the same group. Most of them are students and some
entrepreneurs. Dutch was broadly spoken and written so that it was easy
for the trainers to conduct the whole workshop in Dutch. Due to other
activities in the district in connection with the upcoming elections
there was a decline in participation. There are several youths involved
with activities for meetings of the political parties.
Resource persons:
This workshop was conducted by the following team:
Mr. M. Panday, former project coordinator/ consultant
Mr. S. Betterson, Ministry of Transport Communication and Tourism(TCT).
Contents of the course and material used.
Topics covered under this training were: what is a tourism
product(features), good/bad examples, tourism trends and tourists
needs, agro-tourism, branding, the environment, marketing, etc.
The material used for this course is a handout prepared by the trainers.
The format of the workshop was lectures, group work and
presentations.
.
Opening and closing:
There was no formal opening of the workshop. The closing was done by
Mr. Betterson on behalf of the ministry.
Total costs: see attached
Conclusion/recommendation:
1. All modules presented by the trainers were
appreciated by the participants and the overall appreciation was good
to excellent.
2. The reporting of the trainers shows that the time
allotted to the course was to short.
3. There is a good foundation for the development of
agro tourism in that district based on the nature/culture of that
district as a agricultural area.
4. More training and guidance is needed.
Training: Business start-up/budgeting/bookkeeping
Period: 20 and 21 February. 2010
Trainings venue, F&B and audio visual aids:
The swimming pool of the district ‘the Pireng’, at this
time the chairs and tables were hired for the sessions. A beamer was
also hired, screen and laptop was borrowed from the UNESCO office,
office supplies were bought and F&B arrangements were made by the
districts commissioner and paid by the project. Handouts (prepared by
the trainer) , was copied and distributed to the participants. Onsite
the activities were coordinated by one person from the UNESCO office
and one from the DC’s office
Overall purpose:
The overall purpose of the training was to make the participants aware
of start/doing business, what the bottlenecks are and what is needed to
start with a business.
The participants:
21 persons(2 males and 19 females) participated during two days. In
general the same group. Most of them are students and some
entrepreneurs. Dutch was broadly spoken and written so that it was easy
for the trainer to conduct the whole workshop in Dutch. This weekend
there was no political highlight in the districts that’s why we
had sufficient participants.
Resource person:
This workshop was conducted by the following trainer:
Mrs. L. Wiebers, consultant .
Contents of the course and material used.
Topics covered under this training were: entrepreneurship, requirements
for an entrepreneur, goal setting, PMC, several types of firms, market
research, marketing and bookkeeping.
The material used for this course is a handout prepared by the
trainers. Flyers from the chamber of commerce for business start-up
were also used.
The format of the workshop was lectures, group work and presentations,
discussions.
.
Opening and closing:
There was no formal opening of the workshop. The closing was done by
Mr. R. Boeddha on behalf of the ministry. The presentation of
certificates was discussed and the tentative period for the closing of
the project.
Total costs: see attached
Conclusion/recommendation:
1. All modules presented by the trainers were
appreciated by the participants and the overall appreciation was good
to excellent.
2. The reporting of the trainer shows that the course
was an eye opener for the participants
3. More training and guidance is needed.
“Training” national natural and cultural heritage
The purpose of this component was to do some research on the natural
and cultural heritage and the tourism potential of this district and
present this in a book to the participants, the DC, the tourism sector
, the schools of the district and all other interest groups as a source
of information for the further development of the district. Two
consultants, Mr. Ramadhin and Mr. Djamin worked on this component as
writers, together with Mr. Ramlal for layout and Mr. Samson for
printing. All this persons worked for the project at minimum costs and
made their information and pictures free of charge available for this
book.
There are major costs involved with this component and together with
the NUCS we have decided to use all the money that is left from the
other components, for the book.
On the 30th April this book was presented by the minister of TCT to the
DC, the participants and 5 schools that were present at the closing of
the project.
The demand for this book is very high and we’re looking for more
funds to make extra copies for distribution to all the schools en the
private sector.
At this moment we got some feedback/information for some minor changes
that will be done and followed by some extra copies for distribution.
With the remaining funds and with sponsoring of others we will continue
with this component.
Costs: See Attached
III: Linking Site Specific Activities to Mechanisms for sustainable
employment
The book is one source of information that the youths can use together
with all the other trainings material to make other youths aware. The
ministry of TCT will assist this group of participants under the
districts tourism project to make a assessment of the district and
develop a districts tourism development plan and use that as a basis to
initiate projects. Furthermore the deputy director of tourism had
meetings with a local organization (INENT) to support those that are
interested with assistance/ guidance for business startup.
The closing of the project:
The closing of the project was done on the 30th of April 2010.
For this day three activities were planned:
- The disclosure of the sign/map
- The presentation of the book
- The presentation of certificates to the
participants followed by the formal closing of the project.
Approximately 70 persons were present.(participants, public and private
sector, the press, etc.)
The day started with speeches from the NUCS, Mrs. Kamtasing, the
project coordinator, Mr.
Boeddha, the deputy director for tourism, Mr. Betterson and the
minister of TCT Mrs R. Apinsa.
After the presentations the book was presented to the DC by the
minister and to the schools by the DC.
After that the disclosure of the sign/map took place and finally the
certificates and books were presented to the participants.
The formal closing was done by the DC, who thanked every body that
contributed to the success of this project.
General
The oversight committee
The oversight committee was not able to meet due to the fact that not
every institutions has appointed a member. The experience is that they
do not contribute much and are willing to participate without payment.
We chose for continuation of the project instead of asking people to
come and listen to us what we are willing to do, causing more delay.
There was continue cooperation/contact with the DC and the UNESCO
office for the implementation of the activities. During the courses the
project progress was discussed with the participants.
Other comments and recommendations.
1. In terms of sustainability, the ministry is
copying this concept and will implement tourism development activities
in all other districts. The project is named “districts
toerisme”. Saramacca will get further support under our project.
2. During the training product development its agreed
with the trainers to facilitate three participants in an internship
program that will fit also their study.
3. During the last training on business start-up it
is agreed to establish a working group as a counterpart for the
government to implement activities and also to do there own
“things”.
4. INENT will support business startup on advice of
TCT.
5. Feedback on the book will be incorporated and
extra copies will be made.
6. The elections of this year have significant impact
on the implementation of the project.
7. Pictures of all the activities, attendants lists,
example of a certificate and a digital version of the book will be
submitted with the final report as well as the financial statement by
the NUCS.
8. This activity got sufficient attention of the
media.
After all the delays and ups and downs by the implementation of this
project we hope that everybody is satisfied with the contribution and
results of the project.
The project manager is currently employed by the ministry of TCT that
guarantees sustainability and continuation of purposes of this project.
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