– wants Government officials to pay more visits

MEMBERS of the community of Karasabai in the South Pakaraimas of Region Nine are seeking guidance and assistance from the Government on how they can improve their livelihood.

In a sit down interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, two representatives of the community told of the challenges they face relating to unemployment, communication, transportation and more.
Although they thanked the government for assistance they have received to date, many of the villagers are still requesting a more steady presence of government officials visiting the area.

The Amerindian community is home to over 1,200 residents with most from the Makushi tribe and the site is hundreds of miles from the city.

For six years, village representative 23-year-old Marlon Edwards has been volunteering his time and resources, to find new ways of generating revenue to the community. He says he faces a high level of unemployment.

Edwards said that while several youths in the community have received favourable Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results, many times it comes without rewards as very few jobs are available.

These conditions contribute to a significant percentage of migrants from the community to neighbouring Brazil, which is separated from the village by a narrow river.
Explaining this, Edwards said: “This is because there is nothing for them to do in the community. Upon graduating from primary and secondary schools you have to be waiting very long to get a job response.”

Meanwhile, projects coordinator, Ronald Lee-Bing who met Edwards some three months ago spoke on transportation issues and the isolation of the village due to limited access to modern means of communication.

He underlined that Karasabai is a two-hour drive from Lethem with transportation available only three days a week, costing G$6,000 return while transportation to Georgetown costs some G$30,000.

As such, Lee-Bing says that it puts a heavy financial strain on residents to source these travel fees to complete simple business matters like Birth Certificates and National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

“The people there have a lot of small problems that they have to come out to Lethem to address. So, we took it upon ourselves whenever we go in and we’re coming back to Georgetown, we try to assist them in what way we could,” he said.
Answering to what motivates their efforts, Edwards said: “I have been doing this voluntarily because I have a passion for helping others… so I’ve been doing it on my own with whatever little resources I have, sometimes spending my own money.”
The two revealed that Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe frequents the community approximately every three months and has assisted in several ways.

Some of these include the provision of black giant chickens through the Hinterland Development Black Giant Poultry Programme.
In addition, they told the story of a young woman who was able to visit the city for the first time at age 18 after she expressed an interest in becoming a nurse, and the two stepped in to make her dream a possibility.

“We took the necessary information, took it to Minister Garrido-Lowe and she was instrumental in getting her accepted into the nursing programme,” Lee-Bing said.
However, the men are now seeking further assistance to address other issues which still linger in the community.

“One of my pleas right now is to have more government officials visiting the community on a regular basis to address issues at hand. Right now we’re looking for guidance, assistance and looking forward to collaborating with the different agencies,” Edwards said.
Some of the outstanding needs include solar panels, inverters and batteries to help maintain wifi supply at the Karasabai Primary School, and a Karasabai radio station for members to be up-to-date with the news.

Although there are more concerns and while awaiting assistance, the men are now encouraging farmers in the village embark into peanut cultivation as there is market for such in the capital.

The villagers are also being encouraged to plant cassava for the production of a new organic cassareep product and for the sale of cassava bread and farine in Georgetown.
Clay brick block-making on a commercial scale is another venture the community has embarked upon, hoping to provide a larger income to families as they await support.