(GINA Guyana) THE community of Kariako has received its land title document granting it absolute ownership of over 51,000 acres of community land. Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock, handed over the document to Toshao, Limbert Henry,on Saturday.
The document was handed over in the presence of Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, Secretary of the Village Council, Wayne Wilson, and Treasurer of the Kariako Village Council, Claude Alleyne.
At the handing-over ceremony at the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Minister Allicock urged the community’s leaders to ensure proper management of their land. He said, “It is about proper management, I hope the councillors now will be able to put things in place, to ensure you have health, education and everything in place; your economic development in place.”
Kariako is a small indigenous community in Region One and has a population of over 600 people. Its main economic activities are mining and small-scale farming. The community has been awaiting its certificate of title since 2004.
Toshao Henry said that the title document will allow the community to push its development. “It’s a joy to finally see our certificate of title, and today, we have received it from the ministry. We have been waiting for it for a long time,” he said.
Under the Guyana REDD + Investment Fund (GRIF), Government in 2013 signed a US$10.7M document for the implementation of the Land Titling and Demarcation project. The project came to an end in 2016. However, the ministry requested an extension in the 2017 budget. This resulted in $165M being earmarked for advancing of the remaining identified areas for land titling.
In 2016, almost 1,000 square kilometres of land was demarcated in Regions One, Seven, and Eight.
This project, which is being spearheaded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), seeks to protect Indigenous rights and create livelihood opportunities for residents.
(By: Synieka Thorne)