–President Ali, officials outline during engagement with residents on Model Village Initiative

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali is pressing ahead with a nationwide push to modernise Guyana’s villages, holding a string of community consultations along the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) yesterday that will see Kaneville, Diamond and Grove transformed under the government’s Model Village Initiative.
The engagements are set to continue on Thursday with residents along the East Coast of Demerara, as the administration widens a programme it says will bring the pace of development seen in Georgetown into villages across the country.
Speaking at a consultation in Kaneville on Tuesday, President Ali said the initiative goes beyond roads, bridges and drainage, placing people, the environment, culture and community life at the centre of development planning.
He told residents that the transformation visible in the capital must be mirrored in the villages where Guyanese actually live.
“We believe that the transformation you see in Georgetown must be the transformation you live and experience in your own villages,” the President said, adding that a community is defined not by its infrastructure alone but also by its people, values, character, culture, tradition and economy.
President Ali noted that Kaneville’s history as a community shaped by people from different parts of Guyana positions it well to embrace the initiative.

He called for improved recreational facilities, green spaces, beautification, drainage and stronger community networks, while stressing that residents also carry responsibility for maintaining public infrastructure, respecting regulations and ensuring their activities do not disrupt neighbours.
Spaces used by small businesses such as mechanic shops and workshops, he said, must be managed so they can keep operating without compromising safety or the quality of life of other residents.
Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Vanessa Benn, outlined the specific interventions planned for Kaneville, based on assessments carried out by government agencies over recent weeks.
She said the plan centres on three priorities: safer movement throughout the community, upgraded drainage systems and beautification to improve the village’s overall appearance.
The assessment covered Kaneville’s roads, drainage network, utility poles, public spaces, businesses, places of worship and other facilities.
The community spans approximately 219 acres, with 18 roads covering about 7,600 metres, more than 500 households, eight businesses, one government office and five places of worship.
Minister Benn said the review identified a need for fire hydrants, with plans to install 20 throughout the village to strengthen emergency preparedness.
Other priorities include replacing utility poles, rehabilitating roads and creating safer public spaces.

She also flagged the need for better management of public reserves, cautioning residents against parking heavy vehicles, dumping construction materials or extending private property boundaries into these areas.
“Government cannot do it alone. Government is going to help you to beautify and improve this community, but after that it is for you to maintain it,” Benn told residents, adding that the project will also tackle clogged drains, damaged bridges, unsafe walkways and derelict vehicles, while creating designated spaces for certain businesses.
Kaneville is not the only East Bank Demerara community being folded into the programme. In Diamond, residents have already been presented with plans for upgraded roads, drainage, walkways, street lighting, fire hydrants and enhanced recreational spaces, with government again stressing that community involvement will be key to protecting the new infrastructure once it is built.
In neighbouring Grove, residents took part in a separate public consultation led by President Ali and regional government representatives at Grove Primary School, continuing the village-by-village rollout along the corridor.
Yesterday’s engagement followed the rollout of the programme in communities along the Region Three corridor on Monday.
The government has also confirmed that the community-by-community consultation drive will continue on Thursday, when President Ali is scheduled to engage residents in villages along the East Coast of Demerara.
The move extends the Model Village process beyond the East Bank corridor, reinforcing the administration’s position that no region will be left out of the initiative.
As with Kaneville, Diamond and Grove, the East Coast sessions are expected to follow the now-familiar format: government agencies presenting findings from on-the-ground assessments, followed by direct dialogue with residents on priorities such as roads, drainage, lighting, fire safety, recreational space and support for local businesses.
The Model Village Initiative is expected to expand to additional communities in the coming weeks as assessments are completed and consultations continue across Guyana’s regions.