RPCV Charity Operating in Guyana
Guyana has made positive impacts in reducing poverty within the country; however, it was once one of the poorest in South America. Due to the discovery of oil production in 2019, Guyana’s GDP per capita is quickly increasing and the country could continue as one of the countries with the fastest economic growth as new oil production begins. The country is rich in natural resources and in addition to abundant rainforests and agricultural land, the country’s natural reserves also include gold and diamonds. Guyana’s proud decline in poverty shows a change from 60.9% of the country’s population living in poverty in 2006 to 48.4% in 2019, according to the World Bank. Accessibility to education and health care still needs improvements since COVID-19 additionally worsened conditions in these sectors. There are five charities operating in Guyana to make positive changes for the people living in Guyana. One of them was started by two RPCVs who served in the country.
Friends of Guyana (FROG)
Kati & Scott (Guyana 2003-05)
In an interview with The Borgen Project, founder Scott Stadum shared more about Friends of Guyana. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, Kati Ringer and Scott Stadum (Guyana 2003-05) founded FROG in 2007. Their original idea was to give microgrants to Peace Corps Volunteers. They wanted to fund smaller projects in Guyana, which was not available when they started. Eventually, the organization extended microgrants to anyone who wanted to start a project in or about Guyana, Stadum explained. The charity also funds projects focusing on education and health. A notable project that FROG funded was a short film called ‘The Seawall’ which was filmed and directed by Guyanese-born Mason Richards. The movie went on to show at the Cannes Film Festival a decade later, Richard Mason is now the president and chairman of FROG.
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