– But regularization may bring relief

By Telesha Ramnarine

BASIC amenities that the average Guyanese enjoy, such as water and electricity, can be considered luxuries for another group, such as those residents in North Pattensen and North Sophia, Block ‘R’ Extension, among other Sophia communities.
One the greatest disadvantage of these communities is that they do not fall under the the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and so they cannot receive any services that are offered by the municipality.

Residents would therefore have to foot the bill for every service, including garbage disposal, which costs as much as $500 each week.
But they have had to live with these and other ill conditions as they are so often reminded that they are just squatters. The communities were not started as structured or regularized areas and so the residents have to fend for themselves in every instance.
But good news for them, President David Granger has already signaled his interest in having these communities upgraded to the point that they can be handed over to the M&CC and thus benefit from many of its services. And works have started. But it will be a long process.
And the length of time its taking is somewhat understandable too, because internal and external works must be done by several agencies. And it’s not always an easy task to get everyone to cooperate at the same time, and to get them to act with urgency.

Firstly, there needs to be an understanding of what exists in the communities, such as the number of households as compared with the proposed infrastructure. This is where the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) comes in.
And then a relocation plan would become necessary as chaos would result if people are displaced with nowhere to go. This is where the Ministry of Communities may be able to assist.
After the excess would have been taken out, so to speak, how to care for those households remaining in the area must next be looked at. And then, how would finance be garnered to look after them?
After this ‘infrastructural audit’ is conducted, then the M&CC might be able to come on board as guardians of the communities to ensure that taxes are paid and services are rendered.
In the meantime, though, several projects have gotten underway due to the efforts of residents.

Neglected
Only three of the eight communities in Constituency Five fall under the umbrage of the M&CC, namely Bel Air, Turkeyen, and Liliendaal. The others are North Pattenson, North Sophia, B Field, A Field, Plum Park, and Farmer’s Field.
In those hard hit areas mentioned earlier, theft of electricity and water have become major concerns for the authorities.
Constituency Five Councillor Akeem Peter describes the situation this way: “Some of the residents are out of options, so they will have to borrow without giving back to supply that need.” Not to say he is condoning these acts, but this is simply the reality in some parts of Sophia.
“Water isn’t a reality in certain areas. Even water in your yard is an issue. Living in the 21st century, in 2016, you would expect that these things would no longer have to be protested for, lobbied for, that they would be somewhat basic necessities.
“But what we have found is that some of the areas have been neglected over the years. Not only neglected, but some of them forgotten,” Peter expressed in an interview with the Chronicle.

The major utility companies have said they are not going to service these areas because they are not yet regularized. “So you can’t really blame the companies, neither can you blame the residents for needing these things. As a municipality, we have to find ways of serving these people even if it means coming up with ingenious ideas,” said the councillor.
And no one knows this better than Akeem, for he grew up in Sophia and often joined the long lines for water. He knows about leaving your home to go fetch water from a street or more away. And although these instances have become rarer, they still do exist.
On one of his visits, he can never forget the 69-year-old pensioner he saw in a well bringing up water. “It’s an image that I will never forget because I was thinking this could be my grandmother or my mother.”

Stigma
Councillor Peter believes that good infrastructure is not all that is needed in the Sophia communities. Residents must change certain conduct that contributes to the stigma attached to Sophia.
“We have been known for things associated with crime, violence, neglect, teenage pregnancies and abortion. Within my tenure and even after, I would like to see the tide change for Sophia.
“It’s not only about bringing good infrastructure, but it’s changing the people who live within them. It should not only be to have good roads and streets, a playground, good drainage; the residents should reflect that development. So we should see a decline in crime and all the other ills. We should see the emergence of family life; young professionals coming out of Sophia.
“You should no longer be ashamed to mention that you are from Sophia because of that stigma attached to the area. It is said that light dispels darkness. And Sophia has been dark for too long, so I see myself as a light trying to dispel the darkness there. And I would hope that any leader that comes after me would see the same thing. A lot of times we focus on people from the outside coming to give us solutions, but I say to you now that the solutions are right in the communities,” said the Councillor.