During a recent outreach to Region Eight, President Donald Ramotar urged residents to compare current development in their communities with what he said obtained under the People’s National Congress (PNC) government over 20 years ago. “Remember what your school was like. You had to build your own school and had no resources. You had mud floors; you had no proper facilities to develop your communities. You really had no chance as you were living on subsistence agriculture,” he is quoted as saying in a Government Information Agency (GINA) report.
During the recent two-day visit, Ramotar said he was pleased that several of the Region Eight communities used the money and equipment given to them via the presidential grants to boost capacity and embark on sustainable projects.
The first day saw the president meeting residents of Kopinang, Kurukubaru, and Kato, and stops at Paramakatoi and Monkey Mountain the following day. In his address, Ramotar recalled the improvements made to enhance residents’ lives such as better access to healthcare, and education through the building of dormitories, the establishment of the Amerindian Act, more employment opportunities, and solar panels for electricity through the Hinterland Electrification Programme, the report from the GINA said. Several communities have been given home solar systems through this programme, including Princeville while Micobie, Maikwak, Kato, Kaibarupai and Kopinang are among those benefiting from improved health facilities.
Travelling to Region Eight has also become less time consuming with the building of the 71-mile road that links it to Region Nine. Residents can now easily transport their produce for sale in the busy hub of Lethem in Region Nine, GINA said.
Residents thanked the president for the improvements made in their communities, particularly the extension of the nursery and primary schools, solar panels for electricity, and the building of the new secondary school for students from Kopinang and Kato. All-Terrain Vehicles and 4×4 pick-up and radio sets were also distributed to the community.
GINA also said that the $780M Kato Secondary School that will accommodate 400 students and dormitory that will accommodate about 250 is near completion. Late last year the Paramakatoi Primary School was commissioned, providing a conducive learning environment for its students. Also, all students in the region benefit from government’s school uniform and school feeding programmes, leading to more children accessing education. They were also beneficiaries of the $10,000 education grant.
According to the report, Ramotar was particularly pleased that residents from the far-flung communities had made full use of their presidential grant packages and were proud to showcase how the money had been invested. At Monkey Mountain, residents revealed plans for sustainable projects while other communities showcased various projects that they had undertaken with the grants. “Many of them (grants) have been used very well. In one case, a ranch was built. It is a thriving ranch now with a lot of cattle there. Some of them had asked for tractors and other equipment. Many of those that I have seen, I am extremely happy with, to see that it is helping to increase the capacity of the village economy,” Ramotar said. Meanwhile, some residents highlighted issues that had been affecting them and the president pledged to provide assistance to address their concerns.
Ramotar was accompanied by Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai and party candidate Africo Selman.
