AS THEY cast their votes in the Local Government Elections, citizens have expressed hope for transformation and massive improvement in infrastructure and social life within their communities shortly after the installation of their new councils.When Guyana Chronicle visited the East Coast Demerara on Friday morning, Albert Reynolds of Farm, Mahaicony said he was preparing to vote for “the best things” for the Now-or-Never/Zeskenderen/Farm Mahaicony area. Among those ‘best things’ he spoke about was the region’s investment in youth development through enterprise.

With his community falling within administrative Region Number 5, the grocery vendor at Mahaicony Market told Guyana Chronicle, “What we need definitely is job creation.” A lot of youths who have little employment, “just would work a couple days and on and off…. (Things would be a lot better for them) if they could be self-sufficient, plant a garden or mind chickens or some ducks. There (are) also a lot of single parents.”

He said many such youths are involved in “construction and rice work; and like how you see the rice ain’t doing so well, the place get real slow.”

One young man, Delroy Charles, who also lives in that constituency, said: “I am living in a community, and I want to see it get developed; and this election is all about that – development. I would like to see it more clean; I would like to see development in infrastructure; recreation…to create a more healthy society.” He said he was confident that Government would make it happen.

Senior citizen Vibert David of Ann’s Grove told this publication that after March 18 he expects the community to be better than before.

EXPECTATION
“Better than the last 15 years,” he said. “We’re looking for good drainage, lights and clean streets.”

An elderly woman who wanted to be recognised only as Cousin Baby was one of the most excited individuals this publication encountered on Friday. She said her excitement stemmed from the fact that the election had returned after more than two decades, and it brings a ray of hope for Two Friends Village, where she lives.

She was on her way to Hope Secondary School, at about 08:00 hours, to vote with confidence.
She laughed and smiled interchangeably as she related to Guyana Chronicle her hope for the return of better community living, and how long she had waited for this day.

“That was how (many) years ago! That was when I was young, now I am old! After 22 years, we hadn’t no Local Government. That time we used to get things were much better. The trenches and so were clean, but now look. We’re hoping for that same thing like in the latter day.”

Delon Adams, an employee of the Parliament Office, was about to cast her vote at a polling station at Hope Secondary School at about 9:00hrs. It was her first time voting in Local Government Elections.

BETTERMENT
“I’m voting because I wanna see betterment in my community in terms of having some representative right here on the (Neighbourhood Democratic) Council,” she said, and added, “Only when you live in a place are you able to say exactly what is wrong, because you’re moving around the community and you’re seeing things. If you’re in an office, you cannot tell me what is wrong in my community, and make efforts to fix it. So I will have proper representation in the council.”

She is voting for infrastructural changes: road construction and repair, proper garbage disposal, and youth development programmes.

She suggested that more youth-based educational and cultural programmes should be rolled out to offer youths with talent more exposure and opportunities within their home communities.

“Even though you might have experienced persons as village councillors, these are programmes they can start up and involve the young people around. Whichever councillor gets elected, they can look into cultural programmes for our youths. Our education system here, I’m a bit concerned about (it). I don’t think children are being exposed enough.”

She has observed that certain opportunities seemed central to schools in Georgetown.

“They might say it’s not a Georgetown school, but the same level at which the Georgetown schools are at, I think we can achieve that, too,” she opined.
“We have lots of young, talented individuals here, and you only find out about their talent when they leave and they go to something out of the village. You have people who are experts in playing the keyboard, the drums; people who are experts in writing songs, poetry. So why aren’t we bringing them out to represent the community? You only see and hear of them when they go other places,” she explained.

She suggested that programmes such as the annual Community Emancipation Festival on August 1st be the “catalyst for exposing our youths”.