The Ministry of Housing and Water should be commended for its proactive approach with respect to the burgeoning community of Lethem which is set for an economic and commercial take off with the imminent operation of the Takutu Bridge.
Correctly anticipating the developments that will spring up at Lethem the Ministry moved its most recent and laudable innovation One Stop programme swiftly to the community to address issues of housing and water.
This is indeed a proactive approach which should always be the preferred one and Guyana’s rate of development and resolution of socio-economic problems could be accelerated if this approach is emulated by all ministries and agencies. Too often the approach is a reactive one which only serves to multiply problems and slow down development. Having the capacity to visualise and anticipate problems and issues are crucial tools in management because it makes it much easier to prepare for upcoming challenges.
According to the Ministry $200M to be spent on construction of roads, drains, structures and pure water distribution network in Tabatinga.- more than 2,000 persons expected to benefit.
Among the future development for the region include developing a housing scheme in Culvert City and a Commercial and Industrial Zone in Lethem while the Tabatinga Housing Scheme is rapidly developing.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CH&PA, Ms. Myrna Pitt noted that it is the sixth outreach initiated in areas where housing schemes have been established over the years.
“This outreach enables us to bring our services to the Lethem community as we seek to deliver our services directly to our allottees and seize the opportunity to have a first hand look at the area and its emerging issues especially as they relate to the Brazil/Guyana Takutu Bridge,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CH&PA, Ms. Myrna Pitt stated.
She noted that the CH&PA was instrumental in the preparation of the Lethem Development Plan in recognition for the potential of growth in the area within the context of its strategic location in the southern most part of the country.
“These are exciting times in Lethem. We expect that there will be an upsurge in commercial activity in the area and in this regard the Central Authority in association with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prepared draft guidelines for the development of commercial land at Lethem,” she observed.
“We expect there will be housing related issues that would have to be addressed as a direct spin off of the expected increase in commercial activity,” she added.
Pitt assured the residents of the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that the housing and water related issues that affect them in the area will be addressed as expeditiously as possible.
“This is especially relevant in an area that is as far flung as Lethem,” she observed.
The CEO said serious consideration will have to be given to recruiting an officer who can deal with housing and development planning issues as well as land use planning permission in the area.
The latter point is a very pertinent and important issue because employing someone in this capacity would be ideal because he/she would be more familiar with the problems and unique and peculiar traditions and culture of the predominantly Amerindian c community.
To some this may seem to be a trivial issue but experience across the globe has shown that unfamiliarity with culture and traditions could be an impediment to development and therefore the CEO has touched on a very crucial issue.
M. A. Brennan in his paper “The Importance of Incorporating Local Culture into Community Development” notes: “Developmental trajectories of communities are usually explained by reference to economic history, human capital deficits, and/or the structure of local labour markets. Rarely is local culture seen as playing a significant role in development outcomes. Nor does empirical research routinely consider the role of local culture in fostering a more complete understanding of community development. Instead, culture is often viewed as an outgrowth of a particular region and dependent upon economic and other experiences, not an independent force.”
“Such perspectives miss an important aspect of the development process. The culture of a community significantly shapes debate and action. Local culture also presents unique options for locally based economic and other development. Local understandings and interpretations of a community’s history reflect past events that feed into, and are partially driven by the demands, sentiments, and interests of those in the present. This makes it crucial for community development practitioners to consider the importance of culture in efforts to improve local well-being. By paying attention to, and incorporating unique cultural values, traditions, and related factors, more efficient and effective development efforts can be achieved.”
He added that local culture provides a sense of identity for rural communities and residents. This identity facilitates common understandings, traditions, and values, all central to the identification of plans of action to improve well-being.
