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Metro Guyana - Metro Gives to Education
“It is all about giving back. It’s a symbiotic relationship where the benefits are mutual. If the youth of Guyana do well, we can do well. We want more and more youth to pursue higher education, and that’s a key focus of our Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) strategy...”
Ron Ramnarayan, Founder and Company President
Metro Guyana
Metro Gives to Education
The Metro Guyana team has created a CSR strategy that places a strong and determined focus on the education sector in Guyana. Mr. Ron Ramnarayan, Metro’s founder, posited the social investment agenda derived from his education from attending high school in Berbice, Guyana. “Having a proper education and easy access to resources is extremely important for any society. Before migrating to the US, I was able to complete high school in Guyana. My experience at school provided me with a good foundation for what was to come. Certainly, it taught me the value of working hard and the importance of lifelong learning. Because of the preceding, it was the primary reason why I wanted to give back to my home country, Guyana.”
Metro Service and Standards
Mr Ramnarayan is President and owner of US-based Metropolitan Office & Computer Supplies Inc, Metro Office & Computer Supplies in Guyana and Complete Discovery Source Legal or CDS located in the US, UK and Europe. They all form part of the Metro Group, registered in Long Island City in New York, in the United States. According to commercial data and analytics organisation Dunn and Bradstreet, the Metro Group is part of the Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing Industry, employs well over 300 persons, and generates almost USD 20M per annum in sales.
Metropolitan Office & Computer Supplies (Metro) commenced operations in Guyana in 1996, with just five employees. Since then, the company has expanded over the next two decades to include outlets across counties. Dubbed locally as the Office King, Metro provides a wide range of quality office, schools supplies and document reproduction services. In 2011 Ramnarayan realised his dream to set up an outlet in his hometown of Berbice. Fully equipped with an internet connection and backed up with a 130-kilowatt generator, students and customers have access to web café services to conduct research and do homework after hours. The facility even has a wheelchair ramp as the company’s inclusive policies cater to the differently-abled.
The local company forms part of the Metro Group. Metro Guyana employs some 50-plus employees and has five outlets across the country. Ramnarayan explains that with the success of the Metro brand in the United States, he has been able to “do a bit more for Guyana”.
The company is committed to setting global standards of service in Guyana and continuously trains its staff to respond to customers’ needs. Metro Guyana is currently implementing ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and is on the cusp of becoming ISO certified. The company’s “one-stop-shop” philosophy offers customers single-source shopping for stationery, office, janitorial, computer supplies and document reproduction services, including after-sales care and support.
Mr. Ron Ramnarayan, Founder and Company President, Metro Guyana
CSR STORIES
Metro Guyana Metro Gives to Education
But Metro goes even further in providing free delivery. With the advent of Covid-19 and mandatory safe-distancing, delivery services became even more critical.
Investing in education
However, Metro is not all business and investing in social impact programmes is in its DNA. The company invests both time and money in fostering a learning culture within the schools’ community. Metro recognises that lack of proper supplies and commuting to school is a barrier many Guyanese students face – particularly in the more rural areas. In a structured partnership with the Ministry of Education, the company provides stationery supplies and awards scholarships across the country.
Over the last 25 years, the Metro Guyana team has created multiple computer labs for primary and secondary schools and has worked closely with the Ministry of Education in donating supplies to schools – particularly on the West Coast, Demerara. Over the past two and half decades, we’ve dedicated ourselves to helping schools access technological resources. This effort was to facilitate equal opportunity for students to explore online resources.” says Avia Lindie, CEO of Metro Guyana. Metro Guyana’s vision is to continue extending technology to the nation’s people due to the rapid technology transition in education triggered by the pandemic. Ramnarayan underscores Lindie’s statement - “In this way, as the company grows, the people and the country will benefit. So it is a win-win for Guyana.”
When asked if there were any particular projects that the company was particularly proud of, Lindie shared a few. “I am particularly proud of the collaboration between Metro and the Ministry of Education in the launch of the Teachers Welfare Benefits Programme. Metro is providing Stationery Gift Vouchers for teachers in Guyana, valued at GY $1 million”. The Teachers’ Welfare and Benefits programme launched in September 2021 as the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) initiative to provide GY $200 million in a national housing revolving fund. This effort assists teachers and includes a mortgage and insurance plan, healthcare, and reward programme. Upon signing up, teachers receive a card for use at several stores and business entities collaborating with the MoE to provide services for the teachers. MetroGuyana is participating in the rewards programme.
Metro Office and Computer Supplies was the 2016 recipient of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Corporate Citizen Award for demonstrating ethical leadership, good corporate governance, and community investment.
Leading with technology
Leading the way in technology, the company has pivoted through the pandemic challenges to digitalise its operations by introducing e-commerce to its service portfolio in Aug 2020. That means cashless transactions and online shopping via its virtual storefront. In what Metro terms “High Tech - LowTouch” systems, customers now benefit from safer methods of payment and delivery using PayPal, MMG, and Credit or Debit Cards. Ms. Avia Lindie says Metro’s mission is to identify and meet the evolving needs of our customers while anticipating and responding to them with agile business and operation solutions. It’s that kind of strategic thinking that sets Metro apart and makes it a respected market leader.
Metro also supports sporting and social programmes – including religious-based programmes. For example, in July of 2021, the company renewed its 13-year collaboration with Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC). As a result, it is the only cricket club in Guyana to have a full-time female cricket team.
Ron Ramnarayan says, “It is all about giving back. It’s a symbiotic relationship where the benefits are mutual. If the youth of Guyana do well, we can do well. We want more and more youths to pursue higher education, and that’s a key focus of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy. As the country builds an oil and gas sector, the demand for new skills sets will increase. Guyana’s youth need to position themselves for roles in the industry. A sound education is the first step.”
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