THE Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP) has alleviated the inconvenience that parents and children attending the Samatta Point Nursery School had suffered and parents are now breathing sighs of relief with the construction of a footpath bridge which now provides safe access to the school.According to the Housing Ministry, this bridge is one of 12 footpath bridges constructed and rehabilitated in Regions 3 (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica),and Region 5 (Mahaica-Berbice) under the second phase of the bridges component of CIIP.

Construction of the timber structure linking the communities of Kaneville and Samatta Point was also geared to assist Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and targeted municipalities to improve access and beautify communities.
The NDCs have benefited tremendously from the construction or rehabilitation of the bridges. Golden Grove/Diamond Place, Beterverwagting/Triumph, and Mocha-Arcadia in Region 4; Bath/Woodley Park, Profit/ Rising Sun, Union Naarstigheid in Region 5; Canal’s Polder, La Grange/Nismes, La Jalousie/Nouvelle Flanders, and Mora/Parika in Region 3.
According to Charlene Michael, Headteacher of Samatta Point Nursery, she is pleased with the construction of the bridge linking the two communities, “since 90% of the school’s student population reside in Kaneville and have to cross the bridge daily to get to school.”
Michael explained, “The previous bridge had no rails and was unsafe; the children were scared to cross but parents had no other option. Persons in the community used to do self-help to keep the bridge going, [so] I am relieved that there is a new bridge now.”
She noted that the concrete walkway constructed near to the bridge by CIIP has proven effective during the current rainy weather. “Usually whenever it rains the place would be muddy, but during the past couple days of rain the children were able to walk the piece without getting mud on their footwear,” the Headteacher said.
The bridge is also helping small businesses in the community of Kaneville to grow, since access to and from the community is now safer.

Viola Melville, a shopkeeper, explained her plight before the construction of the bridge. She noted that since the construction of the bridge the number of persons buying groceries from her business has increased. She believes the additional customers are residents of Samatta Point and the construction of the bridge has brought her with more customers.
Melville stated that her husband was one of the few persons who assisted in maintaining the old bridge, which was actually made up of planks nailed across two broken timber utility poles. “Every now and then my husband would nail the loose planks and sometimes he gets old wood and put on it, but as you see for yourself it had no rails and space. I am happy that a new bridge with rails was built,” she added.
Eighteen footpath bridges were constructed under the first phase of the bridges component of CIIP. The NDCs to benefit were: Seafield/Tempie; Rosignol/Zeelust; Profit/Rising Sun; Unity/Vereeniging; Golden Grove/ Diamond Place; Gibraltar/Fyrish; Lancaster/Hogstye; Hague/Blankenburg; Best Klien/Pouderoyen; Greenwich Park/Vergenoegen; Hydronie/Good Hope; and Stewartville/Cornelia Ida.