A $16 million lapidary facility was commissioned on Friday at Monkey Mountain in the North Pakaraimas, Region Eight.
The facility is expected to be used to produce jewellery using semi-precious stones which can be found in abundance on the plains of the Pakaraimas and Monkey Mountain and neighbouring villages, including Tuseneng, Taruka, Kurukabaru and Mikwak, are expected to benefit
A Department of Public Information (DPI) report on the commissioning noted that the facility is the first of its kind to be established in the region and to be owned and operated by Indigenous Guyanese.
The report said the facility was officially declared open by First Lady Sandra Granger, who was accompanied by a ministerial team comprising Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock, Junior Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, Minister of Public Telecommunications Catherine Hughes and Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan and Consul General for Guyana to Brazil Shirley Melville.
Monkey Mountain Toshao Lincoln Singh was reported as saying that the commissioning marks a great milestone for the village since the newly added feature will boost economic development and the tourism potential. “The journey was long and challenging but we endured…It is only the beginning as we will work hard and develop other tourism ventures to attract people around the world…We will cherish this gift and make you, the government proud,” he was quoted as saying.
The report said the toshao also thanked the administration for the support the village has been receiving in the other sectors, over the past four years. ” Thank you for keeping Monkey Mountain in your heart,” he said.
Allicock, meanwhile, was reported as saying that the project is an example of the ministry’s wider role in terms of hinterland development as it prepares the Indigenous peoples to become employable and valuable to nation-building. He noted that the jobs the project will offer complements the over 2000 businesses that were created through the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) Programme. The aim, he added, is to carve sustainable economic opportunities which are environmentally friendly, guaranteeing the improvement of the quality of life of the Indigenous Peoples in keeping with the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS).
“We believe that the near-zero harm that gathering semi-precious stones will have on our natural environment is consistent with our objectives… we believe that preparing our young people through training and then having them create jobs, is consistent with our commitment as a government to our young people,” he said.
He also applauded the efforts by the hard-working team led by Minister Garrido-Lowe.
Meanwhile, the report said Mrs Granger pointed out that the lapidary represents the fulfilment of a promise kept by the administration, and is the beginning of the Decade of Development 2020-2029 that was recently unveiled by President David Granger. “…because it combines poverty reduction, employment and youth service, happy households, cultural development and sustainable tourism development. Trained citizens of this community will be reaping the benefits of the many and various precious and semi-precious stones found in this region,” she said.
According to the report, the lapidary has an exhibit area and a workshop that has modern equipment suitable for cutting, designing, engraving and polishing semi-precious stones, such as crystals, amethyst, volcanic, jasper and agate, which can be found on the plains of the North Pakaraimas. It added that craftsmen and women within the community of Monkey Mountain are also expected to produce unique cases made from tibisiri, nibi, wood and spun cotton, to display the various pieces of jewellery.
Twenty residents from within the villages have benefitted from extensive training in recognising, cutting and polishing the stones. Additionally, ten youths who were selected to man the facility, attended the Brazilian Institute of SENAI in Boa Vista, Brazil where they were trained as Lapidary Technicians and graduated with credits.
The report further noted that the project will create direct employment for at least 20 persons in each of the five communities that will be involved, and an additional 10 in Monkey Mountain itself.
The project is said to be one of several economic projects that is being rolled out in the hinterland at an estimated $60 million as part of the government’s effort to empower the Indigenous Peoples and giving them the support required for them to become economically independent.
