– President assures Region Nine Toshaos
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo is expected to meet with toshaos representing all Amerindian communities in July for another engagement at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) where village grants will be distributed. The funds, which are being made available through priority projects under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), will be directed towards community development projects conceptualised and approved by Amerindians for their communities.
The funds which are an addition to the presidential grants will be drawn from the $1.6B that has been generated through the Guyana Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism which Guyana established through partnership with the Norwegian Government.
Guyana managed to acquire US$70M through the REDD mechanism, US$8M of which will be dedicated to the community development projects for the Amerindians.
During a meeting with toshaos from across Region Nine, a few days ago, the St Ignatius Secondary School, President Bharrat Jagdeo told Amerindians that the grant will cover the period 2010 and 2011.
“I want you all to go back to your communities and have a discussion about which project you want to fund. Most communities here will have about $2M and the smaller ones about $1M,” President Jagdeo said.
Among those present at the meeting over the weekend were presidential candidate of the People’s Progressive Party Mr. Donald Ramotar; Minister of Amerindian Affairs Ms. Pauline Sukhai and Chairman of Region Nine Mr. Clarendo Lucas.
Ahead of his next engagement with the toshaos, President Jagdeo urged that they reach a general consensus on their priority projects in time for receipt of the funds.
Meanwhile, government is moving ahead with its agenda for Amerindian communities, some of which include the installation of solar panels in all homes for electricity.
The administration is working towards a deadline of year-end when all Amerindian communities will have the equipment in place. Already some communities are benefitting from the panels.
Presient Jagdeo told the toshaos of the many benefits which electricity will bring in time for the other major project of setting up computer training hubs in every village.
“We can’t give every home a computer but you will have one big facility with about 20 computers in each village with internet connection so that every person, not only children, can learn the computer,” President Jagdeo said.
Additionally, the newly launched learning channel is expected to reach as far as the Rupununi area by July and President Jagdeo urged the community to seize the opportunities.
During the interaction with the toshaos, many were given the opportunity to raise issues of importance to them, ranging from education, health, acquisition of birth certificates and ID cards, infrastructural projects and agriculture.
After the meeting President Jagdeo joined Ramotar in distributing kites to youths in the community.