In our own backyard | Residents of Yarrowkabra looking to become self-sufficient
Community leader Corrine Wilson.
Community leader Corrine Wilson.

RESIDENTS of Yarrowkabra located on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway have taken to farming in their yards to take advantage of the vast land space in their community.

According to community leader Corrine Wilson, the village is ripe for development and they are practising self-sufficiency by farming in their yards so produce is not sourced outside of the community.

Yarrowkabra has about 5,000 persons with a large number of children and young people with a lot of time on their hands. Wilson added that they are trying to engage this age group to utilise the lands for farming, adding that even the primary school has adopted the ‘green’ initiative.

DIVERSIFYING
Most residents work with the government while others are into wood cutting or work at sawmills. Wilson, who is retired, told the Pepperpot Magazine that Women Across Differences (WAD) came into the area and engaged the youths in several life skills classes in an effort to equip them with a skill to start their own small businesses.

She explained that the problem is the money for transportation which is about $2,000 to get out of the village and most of the youths are not in a financial position to invest that amount of money to go seek employment, and as such, cannot make use of any employment opportunities outside the village.

Wilson related that they need more social activities for the youths in the area because, while there are groups that introduce t a few life skills programmes in the community, follow-ups are not done.

“There is a need for more craft lessons for the youths to become self-sufficient because I am concerned about their welfare and what they will do for a living. With only a playfield, that cannot suffice because sometimes they play football since they managed to outfit the field with two street lights, and apart from the few churches in the village there is basically nothing else happening,” she said.

HEALTH NEEDS
Wilson stated that the churches in the community have classes for the school-aged children and they had a medical outreach by a visiting overseas team. She pointed out that the turn-out was tremendous but when some parents got prescriptions for their children they could not afford to buy the medicines they needed.

However, through an initiative by the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) they had a recent team of 20 doctors in Yarrowkabra ,who treated many villagers and children alike and distributed much-needed medicines and supplies.

Presently, whenever Wilson goes to the city she would assist villagers with their school vouchers by getting their school uniforms to them. She pointed out that a lot of Guyanese are returning to the community and trying to beautify the environment.

“Yarrowkabra is trying to become an NDC by November and then they will have more initiatives to enhance the community,” she said.

On the other hand, she reported that land is plentiful but most of it is unoccupied and just sitting there because the owners have no interest to do anything with it. Wilson added that some people don’t have the lease for the lands they are occupying and are afraid to develop it.

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