THE lives of Amerindians are changing rapidly through strategic and well-thought-out programmes adumbrated by this Dr. Irfaan Ali-led administration over the past two years.
Amerindians are the beneficiaries of an equitable and equal share of development and growth, as they are now seeking to wipe away the scars of discrimination and unfair treatment meted out to so many of them.

It could easily be said, from looking at how the PPP/C Government operates, that Amerindian issues are considered national issues.
This is because the government has been resolute in its emphasis that Amerindian development is a top priority. President Ali said, too, that this year his government spent a whopping $10 billion on advancing the cause of Amerindians in less than two years by implementing the projects, plans, and initiatives that cater to their needs.

Of this total, he related that $5 billion went directly to hinterland roads and bridges to cater to the much-needed economic expansion.
Dr. Ali reassured us that everything promised in the PPP five-year manifesto will be accomplished in full.

He said too: “Every single region; every single group in this country will and must benefit from the prosperity that will come our way. Amerindian people should not be at a disadvantage; we must invest and create an even platform in which every child must have the same equitable access to the same future in the same country. That is the future we want.”

He announced that the government has set aside financial resources this year to start a national consultation as part of plans to revise the Amerindian Act of 2006. The Amerindian Act provides for the recognition and protection of collective rights of Amerindian villages and communities in Guyana and the promotion of good governance.

Apart from this legislative intervention, the PPP/C government is in the process of expending $552.9 billion it budgeted for its programme and plans this year.
Of this total, a hefty sum of $1.1 billion will be expended on the popular Community Service Officers Programme that was disbanded and replaced by the former coalition administration.

So far, more than 2,500 officers are back to having access to gainful employment. Other temporary employment opportunities are available to Amerindian youths with the roll out of the employment scheme.
Training is earmarked to be done in 2022 in tourism and hospitality (31 villages) with 100 beneficiaries. Similarly, the business plan development, food safety prerequisites, good manufacturing practices, and other quality management principles will support the investments made in villages (100 villages).

Further, some 150 Amerindians will undergo training in ATV and outboard engine repairs and licence to drive ATV (75 villages), while another 200 will be trained in garment construction (65 villages).
In 2022, an additional 71 tractors with implements (trailer, plough, and chipper) will be distributed to villages from Regions One to 10.

Meanwhile, the Dr Ali-led government has so far been handling the land title and demarcation issues of Amerindians competently.
A total of 15 villages will be titled this year. Additionally, 20 villages will be demarcated under the government.

This here is a far cry from the legacy left by the APNU+AFC administration, whereby no village received its title or had its land demarcation completed in five years.
Also, the PPP/C government, through its new and expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, plans to set aside 15 per cent of all revenues earned from forest conservation for Amerindians and forest-dependent communities in Guyana.

They will be direct beneficiaries of renewable energy, climate adaptation, and mitigation projects.
The Ministry of Education is completing the process of upgrading the St Ignatius Secondary School in Region Nine and the Port Kaituma Secondary School in Region One to senior secondary institutions. There will be quality education and advanced subject areas offered to the students, as the schools will also cater to the sixth form levels.

The ministry has also trained more teachers this year, with 74 hinterland trainee teachers arriving to complete their studies at the Turkeyen Campus.
Additionally, the government reinstituted the “Because We care” cash grant initiative and school feeding programmes in the hinterland, making sure that Amerindians and hinterland communities are not left behind. They started accessing the cash grant of $30,000 for every child from August this year, along with the other forms of assistance given, regardless of race, ethnicity, and geography.

This is indeed a remarkable step to advancing the democratisation of access to advanced quality education by Amerindian children, who, for decades, endured a sub-standard quality of education, before the ascension to office by the PPP/C administration in 1992.

Also, the cost-of-living burden is further reduced because the Dr Ali-led government has put aside funds so that the residents in riverine and hinterland communities across Guyana will get $25,000 per household as a cash grant as part of measures being financed by the $5 billion that was set aside in the 2022 national budget.
Every measure announced under the PPP/C government is open to hinterland residents, once they meet the conditions set for the cash grants.