Just over a year ago on September 30, 2013 Stabroek News paid a visit to St Cuthbert’s Mission on the Mahaica River and interviewed the villagers about their livelihood. This year, on a return visit a simple question was asked: “Are there any issues affecting your community that you would like to be addressed?” Their responses follow:
Anita Kattow, housewife – ‘The Mission road needs doing. Three years ago they made it but it needs constant repairs. They can’t just make it like that and leave it. We have the health centre, community centre and grounds but people don’t usually care if they will stick up [on the road] for hours.’
Julian Kattow, musician and farmer – ‘We have a very good Captain but he needs the support from his people. We never had benabs and things like we have now. He tries to preserve the Amerindian language and culture but the people are beating him down.’
Horton Daniels, gold miner – ‘We have a medic that don’t do anything, two tablets and done. If you feel bad after coming from the bush there is hardly any proper service. They are supposed to give you treatment.’
Raymond Hendricks, miner – ‘Employment on a community level; today we are forced to endure certain things causing us to go seek employment elsewhere. When we get money the price for food and everything else is costly. We have police but we need more [in this community].’
Marian Phillips, craftswoman – ‘Concerning craft we need an export market to sell the things we make, because we do a lot of craftwork and floor mats, carpets made of tibisiri.’
Mark Kattow, mechanical engineer – ‘If you look around the community a lot was built and a lot of things are doing well. The benab was erected. I feel people should support the Captain next elections because he is doing well. We should really support him.’
Benjamin Kissoon, tractor driver – ‘The Captain is too slow in his activity. He took a long time to come up with the programme for the heritage activities. But then he gave me a short time to maintain the road – two, three days aren’t enough and we didn’t get to put signs to direct the public to the mission. A lot of people got stuck because there were no signs saying bad road and which track to turn through.’
Shirley Daniels, housewife – ‘Chikungunya is here. People’s blood pressure is high. I get high pressure when I go to the health station, it is 180/100 and I never get pressure tablets. I am living here for seventy-one years, born and grew in St Cuthbert’s Mission and when I do feel sick after working hard the clinic never has pressure tablets, just pain tablets.’
Eslyn Dundas, farmer – ‘Concerning the road from the Highway to St Cuthbert’s Mission; the road is important, we do farming for our living so when we have to send our produce out to Georgetown the drivers charge a lot due to the condition of the road which makes travelling difficult. After paying heavy for transportation for
our produce, there is not much profit to be had in return. The youths also, there is heavy drug use and the youths are falling back due to drugs and alcohol abuse. It’s affecting our youths here in the community.’
Fiona Dundas, self-employed – ‘The Toshao has a major role to play and as a Toshao he is not stepping up. The village has a lot of opportunities and potential but because of selfish motives only one set of people benefit.’
