Photos and interviews
by Shabna Ullah
This week on ‘What the People Say’ persons in Berbice commented on some of the changes they would like to see President Donald Ramotar make for the country and on issues affecting them in their area.
Kenalsha Hazel, student
`What I think the president should do is focus a bit more on improving the education system by supplying more text books, especially to the senior students who have to write the CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Educa-tion Certificate). Other than that, everything else is fine with the system. There should also be more youth clubs to keep the youths occupied. Some of them finish school and have nothing to do and would be loitering on the streets and getting into trouble. It is also a good incentive that government is currently installing street lights around Berbice.’
Ostric
t Hall, visiting from England
`Since I came I noticed that the government is trying to sort out the road, the infrastructure and some other good things but it is just the drainage in the country is a little bit poor. People need help with dismantling all these dilapidated houses. Guyana has a lot of prospects; I hope they can find oil and share the wealth around the nation. The president is a new man and I hope he takes the people’s interest at heart and do what is best for the country. I have my brother who is working for this government up in Linden and he is happy enough to say that things are going good in Guyana. I have my house here and I hope that some day I can come back to live in Guyana.’
Shahab Hack, vendor
`It is everybody’s dream to see this country move forward and I hope that the new president gets the co-operation from his cabinet members and from the opposition to make it happen. I would like to see more industries being established so that the young people would have job opportunities. There should also be more recreational facilities for the youths. In my area at Canje, some of the streets badly need fixing and the drains need clearing. When the rain started in January, Canje suffered a lot of flooding.’
Rabindranauth Ram, rice and cash crop farmer
`There are two main problems affecting us in Black Bush Polder; drainage and irrigation and this is mostly because of the siltation at the No 43 outlet. This has resulted in farmers in Johanna and Yakusari suffering losses to their crops in the recent flood. During the rice harvesting the dams are very bad to traverse and government can grade them in the dry weather. Some of the community streets are also in very bad condition. My street is pitched though and it was built up high. It would be nice if all of the other streets can be like that. We also need more jobs, especially for the young people so that they can be independent and don’t have time to idle. My son has nine subjects and can’t get a job. He is bored at home so he volunteered to teach at the school. He prefers to do that because he does not want to work in the mud.’
Pulmattie Ramsarran, housewife
`Well, to me the country is really not running nice. The president should make it better because we punishing; we don’t have water, we don’t have light [at Mount Sinai]. My mother is a pensioner and I would draw water from her pipe but they cut off her water. I can’t afford to bore no line to get water because my husband does weeding for a living. He was working for some people up in Moleson Creek and up to now he can’t get his money. Government should also try to provide more jobs for the young people. Many of them are stealing and committing other crimes because they are not earning and they have nothing better to do.’
David Joseph, taxi driver
`I am from the Vryman’s Erven area which is affected by a lot of flooding. This is a long, old problem. This president has to move around more in all the areas. He can’t only visit places like Port Mourant where he has his supporters. You are a president and you have to come into the area and show the people that you care. He has to do like the former presidents. We also want to see transparency in parliament; they are not doing that at all. I have my children and grandchildren and I want to see change; like with the drainage system. Government is not giving the council money to do certain things. If you want something done you have to go to the RDC. Some persons would come from all over and dump garbage in my area. That also causes a lot of flooding.’
Alton Holder, former army coach
`First of all to prevent flooding in Berbice, most of the outlets need desilting. There are no job opportunities for the youths. They are coming out of high school with so many subjects and they can’t get to do anything. They also have nowhere to go to get some recreation in this town. The boat that they [government] took off from New Amsterdam killed the market and all and this is a dead town right now. The president can change that by bringing back the boat so the stall holders would be making money and there would be more business going on in New Amsterdam. We need street lights in Stanleytown by the burial ground. Most of the nurses in that area have to ride to work and the place is dismal and dark. Minister Robeson Benn has to come and visit and do something about the town because we’re not getting anywhere with it.’
Majeed Mohamed, store worker
`Berbice needs security in the nights and more street lights need to be installed. Drainage is also a major problem for some areas but it is also as a result of drains being clogged up with garbage. You would find that the adults and some schoolchildren would practice uncleanliness and dump things all over. There should be more educational and religious programmes for people and materials should be distributed to them about taking care of their environment and about having better moral values so the society can be a better place.’
Davindra Bhola, vendor
`There are a lot of things that the president can change to make this country better, for instance he can ensure that he has competent people to do the job in all the areas. He is supposed to send out workers to see what the people need in the villages. The Nigg Post Office Street is very bad and the thing is that the government had promised to fix it before the elections but it remained just like that. They did not do anything but we just keep hoping that it would be done.’
Seeta Gossai, farmer
`I live and farm at Mara, East Bank Berbice and during the last flood I lost my crop because the rain was too much. We have good drains in the area though but the road is in a terrible state and I wish if the government can fix it really fast. I have to leave home at 2 or 3’o clock in the morning to bring out my produce because it would take a long time to get to the market because of the road.’
Ivelaw James, poet
`We don’t have lights and water in Angoy’s Avenue (NA) and I would like the president to regularize the area. I understand there is a court matter that is preventing the government from really doing anything there. I wish if the matter can be dropped and some progress can be made. Most of the people are trying to get out of the area but I would like to see it developed and for more people to build houses. I never met the president and I would like him to visit the area so we can tell him exactly what is going on. Mr. Jagdeo [former president] went in there plenty times and he made some improvement with the roads and I would like to see this new president continue it and do more.’
