GENERAL Secretary of the ruling Party, Comrade Donald Ramotar had called on the North Rupununi residents to grasp opportunities offered to them by the government so that they can develop themselves, and in so doing develop their communities and Guyana as a whole. Addressing hundreds of residents in the riverine communities over the weekend on Saturday last May 8 at Rewa, Region 9 he remarked that  when you compare rich and poor countries the world over, one will recognise that rich industrialised countries have develop economically because of the quality of people, and the human capital.
Comparing that with countries such as the Congo, he said, which is rich with natural resources but yet those countries have poor people.
He told the large gathering of predominantly Amerindians that the way forward for Guyana is to develop the human capital. This can be done through education, fundamentally, he remarked, and referred to the old adage that if you want to help people you do not give them a fish but rather give them a hook so that they can provide food for themselves and family.
He said that for this reason government has a programme to develop the human capital in the hinterland and other parts of Guyana. He referred to Education having the largest budget this year so that youths can develop through education thus empowering themselves.
Once people are educated and exposed they will learn to keep away from the dangers in life such as the consumption of alcohol, smoking and drugs. They will know what dangers these can have on their health and therefore abstain from indulging in those practices, the General Secretary said.
Through education, comrade Ramotar, stated that women will understand too, that to be able to interact at various levels in society and to have a sound tertiary education they can decide not to start a family too early. In most hinterland communities it was observed that children are getting children at an early age which can impede their involvement in higher education.
He reminded the people of the free uniforms, hot meal programme, electricity among other activities which the government has been pursuing for the Rupununi and the Amerindian people.
Referring to the past prior to 1992, he said that there was only one secondary school in the Rupununi, but today there are three secondary schools with dormitories and by the commencement of the next school year, there will be four secondary schools in the Region, practically a secondary school in every sub-district.
He went on to say that in the home of every Amerindian, government has started to install in every home a solar power panel which will provide lights in every home through a battery and inverter. This is intended for the children to study at nights so that they can faster bridge the gap of the level of education between children in the hinterlands and urban areas.
Already six communities in the North Rupununi namely Woewetta, Rupurtee, Kwataman, Surama,Toka and Annai are benefitting from solar energy lights.
Comrade Ramotar also alluded to the use of the internet, and said that government has a plan to obtain a fiber optic cable originating from Brazil and passing through Region 9 which will be a tremendous boost for the people of the region who can use the service to enhance their knowledge and also promote tourism and other products in the region through the use of information technology.
And referring to the road, he told residents who reside close to the road such as, Toka village that they should prepare to take advantage of the road way to open up more business opportunities which will unfold once the road is used. He said there will be need for hotels, restaurants, fuel stations, mechanical shops among other facilities along the way. Residents should therefore, make use of these opportunities, he remarked.
The residents in the twelve scattered Amerindian communities praised the General Secretary and Comrade Harripersaud Nokta who accompanied the General Secretary together with a team from the Regional Administration on a five day tour of the North Rupununi, for their effort to visit them especially during the rainy season, risking their lives in the rough waters of the Rupununi and Essequibo rivers.
Some residents said that already they are seeing tremendous benefits being derived from the intervention from the Government.
They referred to the Presidential grants each community is receiving which they are putting into use for the upliftment of their communities.
At Yakarinta, the villagers have recently received a John Deer tractor and trailer with a plough. They have demonstrated how they can now prepare plots of savannah lands for the cultivation of cassava and other food crops in an effort to enhance food security.
However, some communities still practice the traditional means of farming and as such they have to travel some thirty miles up the Rupununi River to cultivate their farms. Sometimes, a villager said at Massara, he is forced to take his children along with him when he goes to the farm causing them to skip classes. He said he does this because there is no one reliable to take care of his children.
Comrade Nokta who also addressed the gathering impressed on the parents the importance for them to send their children to school, and should they fail to do so, the Ministry can take legal action against them.
One concern residents raised with the visiting team was the need for trained and qualified teachers to teach in the schools. In the villages there were some persons who had applied to teach in the area but had not attained the required qualifications for the position and as such, could not be considered.
Atpoteri Village which is located at the confluence of the Essequibo and Rupununi rivers, and an old settlement for balata product, had volunteered an individual of the community to assist the nursery school children until such time a teacher is posted to the location. She is given a stipend from the village.
In the meantime, unqualified primary school teachers are pursuing in-service training at Lethem conducted by Cyril Potter College of Education. Already over 50 teachers have been trained and were placed in schools in the region and another 28 teachers are currently being trained, according to Regional Education officer, Owen Pollard.
This he said is an ongoing exercise to have locally trained teachers in the region which will help to alleviate the housing problems in some communities.