THE Government of Guyana (GoG), through the Ministry of Housing and Water (MHW), is implementing the Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP) in a project that provides labour to NDCs, targeted municipalities and village councils in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The objective is to assist in improving internal drains, parapets and burial grounds, and to carry out routine minor repairs to infrastructure.

The Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) in Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica) have been beneficiaries of the Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP), and are now better equipped to serve residents through financial savings on labour cost.

The CIIP Department related that financial savings on labour costs were discovered during recent interactions with officials of different NDCs on the East Coast of Demerara, including those of the Unity/Vereeniging, Better Hope/La Bonne Intention, Buxton/Foulis and Beterverwagting/Triumph.

The department has conducted some interviews with residents of the community of Better Hope/La Bonne Intention. Roseanna Shivlall, an Assistant Overseer of the Better Hope/La Bonne Intention NDC, noted that the assistance provided by CIIP allows the NDC to redirect resources allocated for labour to other important projects, such as road maintenance and rehabilitation in the communities.

She also noted that the cleaning and clearing of the “jungle like” Better Hope Cemetery was highlighted as one of the major accomplishments of the NDC under CIIP.

“For years, we (had planned) to clean the cemetery, but never had the resources to do it…. So when we heard that cleaning and clearing of burial grounds was one of CIIP’s priority areas, we knew for sure it would have been done,” Shivlall said.

She added that works on the cemetery would have been done earlier, but the dense vegetation and Africanised bees had caused the workers numerous setbacks.

Chairman of the Buxton/Foulis NDC, Mr. Randolph Blair, also expressed gratitude for the services provided. He is appreciative of the assistance since, prior to the project; the NDC only had three labourers.

Blair registered the need for more workers owing to the size of the NDC. With CIIP workers focusing on community drains and parapets, the NDC was able to reallocate resources to weed the public road parapets.

The Chairman believes that the Community Enhancement Workers (CEW) are doing an excellent job in cleaning the community of Strathspey, ECD. To usher in the new school term, CIIP also assisted the NDC to clear and clean fences and drains of school compounds in the district.

Vines and other obstacles were also removed from school fences in Unity/Vereeniging NDC. Since commencement of CIIP in this NDC, CEWs have cleaned the Helena No.1 Burial Ground as well as drainage networks and parapets in Supply, Vereeniging, Helena No.1, Helena No.2, Good Hope, Hand-en-Veldt, Jonestown, and Belmont.

According to Vereeniging resident Tulladai Persaud, since CEWs cleaned her front drain, which was overgrown with vegetation, she is now motivated to maintain the clean condition of the drain.

“Had it not been for the workers, I would have had to pay someone to clean in front here, because I have my daughter who sometimes plays out here… I am happy the place is clean, and I (was able to) save some money,” Persaud said.

Sentiments expressed by Persaud were also expressed by other residents, who are grateful to the Housing Ministry for this project. (Rebecca Ganesh)