More than 8,400 students and 1,100 teachers in Region Six now have access to purified drinking water following the installation of filtration systems at 17 secondary schools and two technical and vocational education and training institutions.

The systems were commissioned on Friday at the New Amsterdam Secondary School as part of the expansion of Project FLOW.

The initiative is being implemented by the Greater Guyana Initiative, Recover Guyana and the Ministry of Education. It aims to provide purified drinking water to more than 58,000 students by the end of 2029.

The programme is expected to reach 141 public secondary schools, 10 technical and vocational training centres and four special education facilities across Guyana.

Education Minister Sonia Parag welcomed the expansion, saying the progress demonstrated what could be achieved through partnerships focused on improving conditions for children.

“Good partnerships are important. Great partnerships are even more significant, especially when the benefits are for our children. This is one such project,” Parag said.

She told students that the systems provide more than chilled, potable water during periods of intense heat. According to the minister, the project also demonstrates how technology and infrastructure can support Guyana’s sustainability goals.

Parag urged students to care for the facilities and become responsible stewards of the environment.

Project FLOW was launched in 2025, with the installation of systems beginning in Region Three in May 2026. Fifteen systems were installed at schools there, providing purified water to approximately 9,000 students.

ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge said the company was pleased to work with the government and other stakeholders on the initiative.

“More important than the natural resources, the most important resource in a country are the young people, and that is what this project is about,” Routledge said.

Each participating school will also have an integrated monitoring system to track how many single-use plastic bottles are avoided daily.

The project’s organisers estimate that the programme could eliminate the use of approximately 25 million plastic bottles by the end of 2029.

Project FLOW is financed through the Greater Guyana Initiative, a US$100 million commitment by ExxonMobil Guyana, Hess and CNOOC to support social and economic projects across the country.