One hundred and eleven Amerindian communities have already submitted requests to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs for approval of the village grants and they will be deciding what projects to pursue, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported yesterday.  Meanwhile Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai said that most of the projects are income-generating activities with only a small fraction of social projects.   Poultry and cattle rearing and village shops are the most popular income generating projects chosen, GINA said.

“The social projects are seen as an improvement of services in the communities such as the purchasing of a vehicle to improve transportation and construction of multi-purpose buildings to enhance residents’ skills to earn a living,” Sukhai was quoted as saying. During the Toshaos’ Conference from October 22 to 26 last year at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, President Bharrat Jagdeo had announced that $150M would be allocated to all the communities for involvement in a project of their choice that would enhance community development. The grant will also assist the communities to develop their capacity in project management while providing capital for feasible economic projects.

The last village grant was distributed in 2005, GINA added.