MARLON Edwards is leading by example. A young and vibrant community development and youth advocate turned councillor, he is serving his purpose in his community.
He was always passionate about human and youth development from a young age. He wanted to be the voice of the voiceless, especially for young people.

Edwards came from a single-parent home. Without a father present, he is very aware of the hardships his own mother experienced in raising him, and he wanted to bring about change in his village.

After completing primary school in Karasabai Village in Region Nine (Upper Essequibo-Upper Takutu), he gained entrance to St. Ignatius Secondary School in Lethem. Having completed his secondary education, he became a teacher at the same school for four years.

During those years of teaching, Edwards witnessed, first-hand, the plight of youths in the community and wanted to bring about change to empower them to become gainfully employed. He was most concerned that young people had to leave the village to seek employment in Brazil and other places, as there was no work in the region.

Edwards, however, knew he needed to achieve his academic goals, so he left the community and relocated to the city, where he spent two years pursuing several courses from 2018 to 2020. Upon his return to Karasabai, he fulfilled his calling and decided to participate in the village election for the position of Toshao.

Edwards made history as the youngest Toshao, elected at just 22 years old by the people to become the village leader. He gave his utmost for two years, during which he gained experience and knowledge, dedicating his time and effort to making the community a better place for the locals.

The Karasabai resident told the Pepperpot Magazine that the job of a Toshao consumes one’s life. “It is exhausting because, eventually, you become the teacher, the doctor, the social welfare officer—the go-to person when people need assistance. It also takes you away from your family,” he explained.

Edwards shared that being a young man living in a remote village motivated him to contest the elections to become the village leader, as it gave him the platform to have direct contact and dialogue with the government to make things happen for young people and the community.

He stated that his role as a youth and community development advocate was necessary to help young people achieve their dreams, find jobs, and fulfil their aspirations. Guiding them was his ultimate goal.

“I think I was born to play a role in the lives of young people, and I live by biblical principles to help others, both physically and spiritually. So naturally, I had a true calling, and I fulfilled it by serving the people in my community,” he said.

Edwards is now an elected regional councillor of the sub-district, which oversees eight villages, with Karasabai being the administrative centre where all public and government buildings are located.

“If people want to see change, they have to be a part of the change they want to see. Let’s be the solution and not the problem,” Edwards said.

He remains steadfast in his role as a youth and community development advocate. In recent times, there has been rapid growth in all sectors in the village. Edwards disclosed that young people no longer have to leave the village and travel to Georgetown for skills training, as such programmes were recently introduced in the community.

He reported that a new batch of seven medical professionals was trained in Karasabai and is now working in various hospital departments. The councillor added that this is a good initiative introduced by the government, especially for young people, as it enhances their skills and provides them with gainful employment, enabling them to contribute to society.

In addition, the Karasabai Secondary School building, complete with a dormitory, will be ready for occupancy in September and will accommodate 700 students from the eight villages in the sub-district.

Edwards said that once the school is opened, it will provide jobs for locals, as the dormitories will house students from outside Karasabai Village. He revealed that, recently, one kilometre of road leading to the nursery and primary schools was upgraded to asphalt, making access easier. Additionally, he reported that they now have a mini solar farm that supplies power to six government buildings, including the schools.

Edwards told Pepperpot Magazine that he was also instrumental in reviving the Market Day/World Food Exhibition, held annually in October in Karasabai, where farmers come out with their produce to sell.

He pointed out that, being a remote community, many locals are cattle and agricultural farmers on a large scale.
“In Karasabai, our vaqueros—that is, the cowboys and the men who tend to the cattle and livestock daily—are still vibrant, and over time, it is one of the cultures they have preserved to this day,” he said.

He stated that, in the past, local farmers used to export a lot of meat (beef) to the city via a plane outfitted with a large-capacity freezer, and this is a venture they would like to revive in the near future.

The councillor related that the South Pakaraimas sub-district consists of eight villages, namely: Taushida, with 171 people; Tiger Pond, with 491; Yurong Paru, with 293; Kokehedai, with 206; Rukumita, with 370; Pai Pang, inhabited by 193; Tipuru, with 395 residents; and Karasabai, with a population of 1,448.

Edwards disclosed that they currently have no cell phone service in the community, but there is an ICT Hub controlled by the Office of the Prime Minister, which provides private internet service.

He added that local service providers should seriously consider providing reliable cell phone and internet service in the remote community, as this would empower the locals in ICT and aid community development while fostering online education.

Edwards’ favourite quote is from a Chinese proverb: “Teach a man how to fish instead of giving him fishes.”