MINISTER of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, unveiled a series of notable achievements by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government, marking a significant upliftment for Amerindian communities.

Highlighting successful programs and initiatives, Minister Sukhai shed light on the substantial impact these efforts have had on the well-being and prosperity of indigenous populations.

During her press conference on Tuesday, Minister Sukhai expressed her satisfaction with the fulfillment of their manifesto commitments.

While outlining all the areas of accomplishments, Minister Sukhai said since the government took office, thousands of Amerindian youths through the Community Service Officers’ (CSO) programme, the presidential grant, and agriculture have contributed towards the significant enhancement of the betterment of their communities.

According to her, “the CSO programme has been a success; the young people are still eager to get involved, and the income that they receive is not only beneficial to the individual/participant, but it also provides benefit to their families.” She also noted that with every increase in the CSOs salaries, it also means that ‘those monies will be translated into sustaining village business.”

Speaking specifically about the presidential grant programme, Minister Sukhai explained that what has been a new intervention to the presidential grant or the agriculture support that we are giving to Amerindian Villages is that “his Excellency President Ali has recently introduced and ramped up the shade house and green house agriculture, which is attractive to women and young people because it takes away the misconception that agriculture is such a hard job.”

Sukhai mentioned that the Amerindian villages and Village Councils have been asking for shade houses to be built in communities that have requested them.

She further remarked that the success of this project relies upon President Ali’s belief that the establishment of schools and school feeding programs can serve as a foundation for the implementation of shade houses to cultivate the necessary food items for the school’s kitchen.

Considering that agriculture and shade houses played an integral role in the lives of the Amerindians, minister Sukhai said that “out of all the support that we have provided for agriculture last year, we have 38 projects and 17 shade houses.”

Furthermore, Minister Sukhai stated that agriculture received the largest allocation from the presidential grant, amounting to $261.3 million, in addition to the $947.6 million spent last year.

This is primarily due to the fact that indigenous communities, also known as Amerindian communities, rely heavily on agriculture. The lives of the individuals rely on food security; therefore, the agriculture support for Amerindian villages must continue to address terrain, location, distance, and soil type.

Minister Sukhai concluded by clarifying that the number of business enterprises established in Amerindian communities for 2023 amounted to 85. Additionally, she expressed her satisfaction and gratitude towards President Ali’s unwavering dedication to the citizens of Guyana.

Moreover, the Minister underscored that the Amerindian community remains hopeful for the future and is aware of the potential for growth in agriculture and other sectors, including those situated on the coastlands.

According to her, “these projects are not for individuals, but these projects are managed through the village councils. This includes catering centres, bakeries, sawmills, block-making factories, and a whole host of economic ventures…these are very important to the operation and life in a village.”