With blindness awareness month being observed in May, the Guyana Society for the Blind (GSB) says that flooding and security continue to be major problems at its building at St Philip’s Green.
A press release yesterday from the GSB said that for the past two years flooding has been a severe issue in the building. This, according to the GSB’s release, occurs even with limited rainfall. Though there were a number of attempts to rectify the issue through remedial works, the problem persists. Secondly, the release said there is a major sewerage and sanitation problem at the building and compound. The sewerage system that is connected to the building is blocked and the Guyana Water Incorporated field workers are unable to find the blockage or the plan for the area. As a result there is constant back up of waste. Additionally, vagrants and other citizens use the area, mainly the driveway to the compound, as a dumpsite.
The third and more critical issue is the one of security: Security in the area continues to be a constant source of worry for the well-being of the membership since they are all challenged. A number of the visually impaired have been robbed over the past few months, both in the compound and on their way into the compound it said.
GSB says that this “security issue has been an ongoing one with absolutely no concrete solution from the authorities”, this despite the fact that the area is known to be crime infested. The GSB added that inadequate funding is a major obstacle in helping to manage the organization and provide the quality of services to the membership required. The GSB press release is asking that the relevant authorities resolve these outstanding issues.
