Indigenous leaders have been urged to be accountable and remain committed to their responsibilities in the face of continuing challenges.
The charge was made at the opening ceremony of the annual National Toshaos Council (NTC) Meeting at the International Conference Centre on Wednesday.
Under the theme “Harnessing the power of our leadership,” over 200 leaders, inclusive of 198 Toshaos, are participating in the three-day meeting, which will be wrapping today.
According to NTC Chairman Derrick John, they will be engaging the government on development strategies and actions as well issues affecting their communities.
John, in an address, said leaders can be strong by exhibiting honesty in order to maintain the confidence of their communities. “We have to show that their choice of putting us where we are was not the wrong choice,” he emphasised.
He also called on the Toshaos and leaders to continue being accountable as he opined that it is key if they are to be respected in the communities they govern. He also urged leaders to be committed, even in the face of daily challenges. If leaders are not committed to the task, John said, discouragement may step in, “so be committed, it is something that is very key in our leadership.”
Noting that the leaders are fallible, John nevertheless urged them to “always see the silver lining” when mistakes are made. “We must be humble enough to take advice and to listen to our people,” he said.
Development
President Donald Ramotar, delivering the feature address at the opening, boasted of government initiatives aimed at developing the country’s Indigenous people.
In particular, he mentioned that the government is working hard to secure the lands of the Amerindian communities. “Guyana has gone further than any country in the world that I know to guarantee the rights of our people” Ramotar stated, before adding that at the moment Amerindians make up 9.7 percent of the population and own 14.1 percent of the land mass.
In the area of education, Ramotar said that the government has invested $95 million to build a hostel to ensure that Indigenous students live in comfort within their own cultural environment while attending schools in the city. Furthermore, he noted that more students from the interior are studying at the University of Guyana and abroad today than ever before. He reasoned that is so because of his government’s strong belief “in developing the skills of our people.”
He pointed also to the Amerindian Affairs Ministry’s launch of a youth apprenticeship programme, aimed at training young Amerindians while employing them with the hope of them becoming partners in development.
He said $200M was spent last year on developing over 2,000 community support officers (CSOs) to participate productively in the various areas, such as education health, social welfare, community development, culture, ICT, infrastructure development and small businesses.
He opined that the inclusion of the young “is gearing the villages towards progress by letting them participate productively in technical, mechanical, computer and agriculture activities.” Additionally, he said their participation will enhance the capacity of the villages and the human resources.
The opposition slashed funding for this programme this year on the grounds that these CSOs were being used to promote the political fortunes of the PPP/C government.
Ramotar also said in relation to education that the government is working with the University of Guyana to provide online degree programmes so that students in Amerindian communities will not have to leave their villages. “That is the next programme that we have on stream,” he said, while noting it is government’s hope of introducing it “sooner.”
“These are all important in developing the capacity and equalizing the condition so that our people as a whole can follow,” he added.
Interior housing
Ramotar also said that his government recognised and is addressing the housing needs in the hinterland communities.
He mentioned that his government has already initiated a successful pilot project in this regard and had already seen evidence of “improving aspects of life” in beneficiary villages, such as White Water. As a result, a new programme has been developed.
He noted that the pilot was designed to improve the housing condition and by extension the quality of life of households in selected communities and came at a cost of US$1M. That cost, he added, included subsidies for house construction and the replacement of deteriorating roofs. Some 208 households from eight communities in regions One and Nine, respectively, Ramotar said, are now enjoying the benefits of improved housing, sanitation and access to cleaner water. Furthermore, the subsidies under the programme facilitated the construction of houses complete with rain harvesting systems and sanitary facilities.
Additionally, he said, 86 households benefited from new zinc roofs, equipped with rain harvesting systems, which replaced the thatched roofs that had deteriorated.
The project, he said, has reduced overcrowding, improved access to safe drinking water, contributed to improved sanitary conditions for beneficiary families and has helped to increase social cohesion within participating communities. It also created employment for over 100 villagers in benefiting communities, he said.
According to the president, the success of the pilot was based on a participatory approach by the government and the response from the beneficiary communities.
The experience, according to Ramotar, showed that hinterland communities have the ability to manage their community development initiatives. “All we are giving them is the opportunity to do so,” he noted.
The success of the housing pilot project, he also revealed, has led to the formulation of a US$3.1M new sustainable housing for the hinterland programme to further improve the quality of life of the hinterland households for several other communities.
The new programme, which will be implemented by the Central Housing and Planning Authority, is intended to improve access to housing, energy and water for the beneficiary households.
Ramotar also said the government is investing in infrastructure in places that are inaccessible or could only be accessed by aeroplanes, such as Monkey Mountain. The conditions, he noted, are not easy but he declared his government’s plans to invest nevertheless. “Not only to integrate the interior communities… but integrated with the coastal areas and the rest of Guyana as a whole,” he added.
Also speaking at the event was the Deputy Chairman of the NTC Joel Fredericks, who told the gathered leaders that they will never be able to please everyone but urged them to maintain their leadership. “When challenges faces leadership, never give up,” he said, adding, “Serve your people and see how best you can help your people to develop.”
Also present at the event was the first Amerindian Affairs Minister Vibert De Souza. Current Minister Pauline Sukhai, who was scheduled to give remarks at the opening, was said to be missing due to illness.
