…a prelude to today’s National Toshaos Council meeting
OVER one hundred leaders of Amerindian Communities in Region 9 (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) last week benefited from a two-day workshop aimed at upgrading their ability to function effectively at leadership levels in their respective villages.
The workshop was held by the Regional Democratic Council of the Region at the Amerindian Hostel at Lethem, Central Rupununi, and each of the 56 villages within the Region were represented.
Regional Chairman Clarindo Lucas disclosed that the programme was the second one, the first being held around the same time last year on the eve of the meeting of the National Toshaos Council (NTC).
The capacity building topics presented by senior regional officials included public speaking and basic financial management.
The RDC also took the opportunity to give the participants information on the Council’s program of works for 2011.
They in turn received feedback from participants on issues affecting their welfare and development.
Participants raised issues relating to agricultural production and productivity, infrastructural development and improved delivery of health and education services.
Under infrastructural development, the majority of the participants asked that they be included in discussions leading up to decisions on capital works.
They wanted to be consulted, to be given the bill of quantities of such works, as well as scope of works, Lucas said.
He added that the two-day programme was well received by participants, and some of them had called for it to be a feature on the annual calendar of the Council; and some had called for the inclusion of leadership level women and youths as participants.
The National Toshaos Council meeting will be held from today to Friday at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.
One hundred and sixty-six leaders, including all Toshaos and Senior Councilors, 12 Community Development Officers (CDOs), and Regional Officials are expected to attend.
President Jagdeo will lead a two-day interactive discussion session during which updates on the Low Carbon Development Strategy’s (LCDS) Implementation phase, and several Government of Guyana initiatives such as solar panels, land demarcation, funding of Amerindian Villages Community Development Plans (CDPs), the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme and the Amaila Falls Hydro-electricity will be discussed.
The theme for this annual conference is `Advancing Development in a Low Carbon Economy’.