– team returns to address Region Nine issues
THE People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration is fulfilling its promise made prior to assuming office in 1992 by ending the discrimination and neglect against Amerindians. This is being done through the execution of various policies to accelerate their development.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai, after several weeks of visiting some indigenous communities located in the South and North Rupununi in Region Nine, again led a core team over the period October 28 to November 2 to several other hinterland areas, including Sawariwau, Katoonarib, Rupunau, Sand Creek, Shulinab and Potarinau (South Central Rupununi), Parabara, Achawib, Karaudarnau, Awarewaunau, Maruranau and Shea (Deep South Rupununi) and Nappi (Central Rupununi) to examine the issues and challenges affecting residents and to inform them about her Ministry’s plans to proliferate development in the communities.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai making a point to Sand Creek residents. In this GINA photo are Coordinator, Hinterland Affairs, Harripersaud Nokta; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Nigel Dharamlall; Project Officers within the Ministry’s Project Unit, Kalima Ali and Julie Sookram; Regional Chairman Region Nine, Clarindo Lucas and Sand Creek Toshao, Ken Faria.

Accompanying the Minister on her visit to Region Nine were: Coordinator of Hinterland Affairs, Mr. Harripersaud Nokta; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Mr. Nigel Dharamlall and Project Officers within the Ministry’s Project Unit.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) noted that during the past few years many of the administration’s objectives have been realized. It noted that while much more work remains to be done, the administration intends to continue its programme to fast-track development.

Minister Sukhai and team greeting students of Sawariwau, (South Central Rupununi) in Region Nine.

To fashion community management and development New project unit

programmes, the Ministry has established a new project unit to provide support to hinterland settlements.

The unit which consists of six staff with specialized skills will effectively help to formalize economic plans for the communities.

Minister Sukhai told the residents that the unit will assist communities to develop programmes for their villages that will not only seek to improve social services but also the economies of those villages.

“The PPP/C administration, since taking office in 1992, came in with a very significant plan to support Amerindian development…since then it has ensured that Amerindian development is on its agenda,” Minister Sukhai said.

Nokta said while the team will examine the many projects completed in the communities, much more resources will be allocated for development to continue.

Students and residents of Katoonarib (South Central Rupununi), Region Nine

He noted that millions of dollars over the years have been invested in Region Nine for community advancement. This year approximately $204M was allocated towards development for the Region.

Meanwhile, Dharamlall stated that the Ministry recently created a database to garner feed-back on the various issues affecting hinterland communities.

The database will capture the issues evolving out of interactions with residents by Community Development Officers (CDOs). This will, in turn, assist the Minister on village issues so that the Ministry can be responsive to needs of Amerindians, he said.

Advancing secondary education
Residents were further informed about additional investments which are currently being pursued by the Amerindian Affairs Ministry.

They were told by the Minister that the administration is aggressively advancing the delivery of secondary education in hinterland regions with the construction of secondary schools.

She indicated that a new secondary school is being constructed at Sand Creek, South Central, Rupununi which will open up accessibility to secondary education.

On October 1, approximately $77.7M was approved by Cabinet for the construction of the new secondary school.

“This is another development which seeks to provide more access to secondary education…of course our government recognize that we have to work with limited resources…however, our attempts are commendable since hinterland communities now have much more access to secondary education,” she said.

Land titles
Turning to the focus of land titles, Minister Sukhai informed residents that her Ministry will be advancing the demarcation of lands and the granting of titles for several hinterland communities in 2010.

She noted that her Ministry has recognized that some communities have had their land issues unresolved and assured residents that the Ministry will aggressively pursue this aspect.

However, the Minister indicated that for the villages that have received a title but are not demarcated, they must prepare a letter requesting demarcation since it is part of the requirement to speed up the process.

GINA reported that in the near future, more Amerindian communities will be granted titles, and these include: Eclipse Falls, Four Miles, Kariako, Tasserene, Batavia, Kambaru, Tuseneng, Karisparu, Erfoimo/Parabara, Achawib and Riversview. Today, there are 96 titled villages.

Dharamlall also made mention that the number of titles issued to Amerindian villages represents 15 percent of the land mass of the country and with the Ministry’s efforts to accelerate the granting of more titles, Amerindians will own by legal right 20 percent of the country’s land mass.

On July 27, at the third biennial National Toshao Council meeting, 11 land titles were handed over to several Amerindian communities including Chinese Landing, Muritaro, Great Falls, Malali, Nappi, St Ignatius Homestead and St Ignatius Farmlands, Tobago and Wauna Hill, Karau, Kwebanna and Waikrebi.

She noted that communities are titled according to the processes and procedures stipulated in the Amerindian Act.

Enshrined in the amended Amerindian act is a clause that obligates the state to grant land titles to Amerindians who have been living in communities for over 25 years with a population of over 150.

Land titles give Amerindians the rights to fish, farm and hunt on the land, as well as utilise timber on reserved lands and occupancy rights.

Improving village governance
As a result of the many issues which affect village council and villagers to adequately manage their community affairs, Minister Sukhai further enlightened residents that her Ministry, in collaboration with the National Toshao Council, will be embarking early next year on a training programme for village leaders of hinterland communities.

Transparency, accountability, management skills and conflict resolution are prominent issues which will be targeted in the training programme.

“The Ministry seeks to support and build capacity of Amerindian leaders to ensure that they provide effective leadership and management to the community and government,” Minister Sukhai stated

Transforming village economies
Recognizing that government continues to invest in the social sector by providing more social services for both urban, rural and hinterland areas, Minister Sukhai noted that many of the indigenous communities continue to have constraints in improving their local economies.

To this end, she noted that the Ministry has developed a new programme (National Hinterland Secure Livelihood Programme) that will help to advance Amerindians’ village economies. This programme is in its pilot stage and is being implemented in Region One. It will be extended to Region Nine.

“The pilot programme…is enjoying investments and finances from Government to the tune of $79M to start economic projects in the 15 communities and therefore Region Nine must come on board,” she stated.

Through a supplementary provision for the period July 16 to December 31, 2009, a sum of $88.4M was approved by the National Assembly towards the implementation of programme, by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs in collaboration with the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).

A team of VSO officers represented by specialists in agriculture, aquaculture, pest control, business development, food technology and marketing and finance has been deployed to several communities in the Mabaruma sub-region to assist in promoting developmental initiatives.

Hinterland water strategy
The outreach also saw meaningful discussions and interactions among residents, the Minister and team as it relates to various issues affecting communities. Some of the notable concerns were water supply and the effects of the prolonged dry season on crops.

She apprised residents at the various communities she visited that the Ministry of Housing and Water has developed and reviewed the hinterland water strategy and within the plan the Ministry intends to examine how it can better deliver and make more accessible, water supply to hinterland communities.

The Hinterland water strategy seeks to ensure that safe water is available to or supplied to 80 percent of all settlements in the hinterland, through sustainable and cost effective locally appropriate means.

Residents were also enlightened about Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy and its benefits to hinterland communities and the country as a whole. Several administrative offices were also commissioned on the visi