AREAFA Shabeer is the Toshao of Mashabo Village, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), and she oversees all developmental initiatives, and heads the Village Council.

She has been at the post for the past year and four months, and finds it a bit challenging, but has gained a lot of experience, and likes to see her community develop, thus, she doesn’t mind serving.

Giving developmental highlights of the village, Shabeer told the Pepperpot Magazine that the village recently finished the ICT building, and it is equipped with 20 computers awaiting Internet connectivity for its opening.

She added that it will be beneficial to the locals, both adults and children, especially the schoolchildren who will utilise the facility for research, homework and to generally keep abreast of the happenings in Guyana and further afield. The facility is fully powered by solar.

The Toshao related that there is a need for more job creation for the locals, especially the young people with nothing to do, because they do not find farming to be glamorous.

In recent times, they have introduced several initiatives which have helped create jobs for the unemployed.

It happened via the Pathway Project whereby 23 residents are employed within the village. 10 Community Service Officers (CSOs) and 20 Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP) workers.

Shabeer stated that there is ongoing enhancement work in the community for their heritage celebrations on September 28, 2022 and generally.

She revealed that to promote their community as a tourist destination, they will embark on constructing a guest house by the lake.

The Toshao added that they will also build a multi-purpose resource centre, which will eventually be added to the village.

Shabeer explained that with electricity, they would be able to do more to develop the village, and they are hoping the entire village can benefit from power in the near future.

She explained that, annually, they would receive a presidential grant of $1.2M, and they have benefitted from the COVID-19 grant of $10M, some of which will be used to construct the guest house.

Shabeer stated that some money was also used to re-establish the Village Shop which the Village Council operates, and they provide groceries at pocket-friendly prices.

When the team visited, the villagers were out and about, doing a lot to spruce up the Mission for Heritage Day, and also making a stage, booths and benabs.

The Toshao related that almost all the villagers are contributing, somehow, and they will be preparing wines, arts and craft, foods and other local Amerindian cuisine for their heritage celebrations.

Shabeer told the Pepperpot Magazine that a tractor which the former Toshao Sylven Raphael requested was realised, and the community received the tractor with a plough and chipper for farming, and it is also used for transportation in the village.

She noted that the Village Council has two boats; that the access road to Mashabo was recently upgraded, and they are very pleased about that development.

“I do not get paid for being a volunteer, but I do it anyway, because I am passionate about community-based development, which will ultimately improve the lives of the people in Mashabo,” she said.

SYLVEN RAPHAEL
Meanwhile, former Toshao Sylven Raphael told the Pepperpot Magazine that he served the community for 13 years, and during his tenure as village leader, they achieved a lot as a community.

He related that his dream project, ‘Hosanna Housing Scheme’ with 51 houses, was materialised, and he is very happy about that, as providing adequate housing for locals is essential.

Raphael stated that under his leadership, three wooden bridges (boardwalks) were built: One bridging Waddaduri, Kamaru and the other Hosanna to the Mission.

The resident pointed out that they also saw the construction of the Village Council building, the shed by the lake, the health outpost building, and the teacher’s house.

He lives in Hosanna Housing Scheme, and is of the view that Mashabo should be developing more to become a tourist destination; that with their natural lake and other things, their village is ripe for much more.