REGION 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) has witnessed transformational development this year, putting it on a trajectory for positive growth.

After being marginalised for seven years, the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) back in March approved a licence for the Linden Broadcasting Network (LBN). The station was officially commissioned in October by President David Granger.
While the launch of the television station was monumental, the people of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) had much more to celebrate.

For more than 20 years, the 300 residents of Andyville lived in darkness. However, with the commissioning of a new power station in the community, they will have a bright Christmas for the first time; but it goes beyond just the bright lights of the season, as many students can now better prepare for their examinations

“I give thanks. It is a great development for the youths and their studies,” said Andre Seaton, a resident of the community.
Another community in Region 10 that is also now lit, after a 15-year wait, is Prosville. The area has its own power supply system with more than 200 households benefitting. A small-business owner, Odessa Luther, said “it’s a long time we are without electricity. So, it is a very good thing that we got the government to come in and do this for us.”

With the government’s push to create an educated nation, the region saw millions of dollars invested in ensuring that students have access to quality education.
In February, a $15M 30-seater, off-road school bus was delivered to provide free transportation for students to attend school in Linden. Students from Coomacka, Old England, Nottinghamshire and Three Friends – communities some 15 miles away from Linden – are all benefitting.

Additionally, the students of Dora Primary School on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway received a boat and engine, which enable them to attend school regularly and on time.

Small loggers in Ituni are now better off after recently being granted two new concessions. They received 12, 500 acres in Berbice and 9,933 acres in Demerara, after raising concerns with the Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman about their exhausted allotted tags that hindered their ability to log.

Over in Coomacka, 40 residents are now living comfortably. Last May, they received their agreements of sale. The document was a requirement for them to receive titles for the lands which they had been occupying for decades without any legal document.

Shenelly Brimmer said having the titles will empower residents of the community to improve their quality of life. “I have been waiting for quite some years, and I am so happy and proud and it is not just me, but every resident you see here. We can finally start the process of improving our lives. I would like to thank government for moving this process forward and giving us the opportunity to have a title for our lands in our hands,” she said.

“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward,” were the words of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. Understanding what took place in the past is critical to moving forward.

The coalition government understood the plight of persons living outside of Georgetown trying to access passport and immigration services. Today, a modern $31M passport office is serving the residents of Region 10. Applications for new passports, renewals, or replacements, as well as the application for birth, death, and marriage certificates can be processed there.

Healthcare did not take a backseat in this developmental thrust for the people of Region 10. The region received a boost in that area after a $16M water ambulance was handed over to the Regional Democratic Council. The boat complements a much smaller vessel for health in the region and caters to the emergency needs of persons along the Berbice River.

The vessel is equipped with medical equipment including monitors, oxygen tanks and a stretcher. It runs on a 200-horsepower engine in keeping with the urgency of its purpose.
Added to the list of achievements in the region is the commissioning of two community centres in Amelia’s Ward and Blue Berry Hill and a shelter for abused women at an undisclosed location in Linden.

To top things off, a $178M state-of-the-art, eight-lane synthetic track is near completion at the Bayrock ground in Wismar. Such a development speaks volumes, since the region has produced some of Guyana’s top athletes and for the past four years dominated the National Schools’ Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships. (DPI)