Dear Editor,
Incredibly outrageous is a mild description of the treatment meted out to our Indigenous children of Region Seven. There are more than four hundred (400) students of the D. C. Caesar Fox Secondary School. Two hundred and twenty one (221) of them are resident students. They are suffering because of the incompetence and uncaring nature of those entrusted with their welfare. The Grades seven and eight students whom the school did not accommodate because of dormitory overcrowding issues must be thanking their lucky stars for being at home.
These students come from fifteen very faraway villages to Waramadong. They travelled endless miles via canoes and trails to get an education. They come from: Iturungbang, Arau, Kaikan, Paruima, Kamarang, Kako, Quebanang, Jawalla, Imbaimadai, Chinoweing, Wax-Creek, Phillipai, Macaw-Hole, Amakokopai, Partangr to join students from the host village, Waramadong.
They left their homes and families behind. They left their organic farm foods, rich hunting grounds and good fishing. They travelled to Waramadong in search of an education, a tool of enlightenment and a ticket to prosperity. They expect to make new acquaintances, become members of a much larger Indigenous family.
They end up in a situation where they feel rejected, disrespected and devalued through inhumane treatment at the hands of those charged with the responsibility of their welfare and wellbeing. From “the future of Guyana” to the “despised, rejected of Guyana”.
Would the Ministers of Local Government, Amerindian Affairs or Education boil rice, devoid of any ingredients (save salt) and give that to their children as a meal? Would any of them deliberately do this even once in their lifetime? Would the people at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board feed their children ‘bare rice’?
Our Indigenous children are accustomed to having good organic foods daily. Spare a thought for their families who are at home enjoying quality meals while suffering silently, knowing that their family members have to eat ‘bare rice’ as a main meal for days.
Those in the system know that the vegetables last a maximum of three days. They know that meats last for a maximum of one week. They know that there is only one functioning freezer. They know that in order to adequately store recommended quantities of perishable food items for the dormitory additional cold storage facilities are necessary. So what is the problem?
The Regional Education Officer (R.Ed.O) Selestine Bristol LaRose and a team visited the school on 6th June 2022. She reportedly told staff that the problem is the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB)! NPTAB has not yet awarded any contract with respect to dietary supplies for D.C. Caesar Fox Secondary School to date. No contract has yet been awarded for the supply of fuel either, hence, the generator is without fuel and the school is without electricity for several days. Students are without proper food and have no electricity to prepare their School Based Assignments (SBAs).
It does not end there. There is no potable water in the school. Students and staff alike must use the creek or river for all water-based purposes. The administration converted the dining hall to classrooms. Students must use their bunks or a selected spot in the yard to have their meals.
It cannot be enough for a minister of government to say “I have seen the posts about D.C Caesar Fox Secondary (Waramadong) and if any of it is true, it is not the service we intend…”. If this were a deliberate attempt to cast blame on the Regional Administration – Region Seven – it has boomeranged. It is not the Regional Administration which has the burden of responsibility in this matter. It is the managers of the system at the national level. They have failed. The managers of the system have caused our innocent children to suffer.
I know that we are not discussing Berbice. We must, recognise however, that, our children, regardless of where they hail from, are as important as any other group of citizens, especially because Guyana looks to our children for a secure National future. We must fix the problem. We must fix it now.
Yours faithfully,
Mervyn Williams
