Although residents of Masakenari, in Region Nine, are grateful to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MoIPA) for its recent donation of food supplies, Toshao Paul Chekema has said it will not be enough since it is only the beginning of the rainy season and most of the villagers’ crops have died after being inundated for a few days.
Two weekends ago, consistent rainfall caused the Essequibo River to overflow its banks near the indigenous community, resulting in farms being inundated for a few days. Chekema told Sunday Stabroek yesterday that as soon as villagers realised what was happening, they rushed to reap their crops in the pouring rain.
However, the water on the farmlands continued to rise and people were forced to retreat to the shelter of their homes as the rain fell nonstop.
Chekema added that the residents have not seen such severe flooding since 2005, when they were forced to abandon their homes in Konashen for the higher lands at what is now known as Masakenari. He explained that the area surrounding Masakenari is not suitable for farming and so most farms are located on the lower lands.
After the rains eased on Thursday, persons went to their farms to salvage whatever was left of their crops but found that most had died while the cassava roots drowned or were too young to make any difference. Chekema said although the rains did not fall yesterday, the rainy season has not ended as yet and he believed that there is a long struggle ahead for his people while noting that the amount of rain that has fallen thus far has proven to be heavier than in recent years. He noted that they have not been affected by any sort of flooding in a very long time
The Toshao explained that while the MoIPA donated food supplies to the residents of his community on Friday, it will not be enough as it will not be possible to plant more crops given the threat of flooding.
As of yesterday, Chekema said, the water was beginning to recede but he was not sure how long it would stay that way. “I don’t know how long the rains will last. It still have June month and that is what I looking at,” he said.
He did voice his villagers’ gratitude for the food supplies that they have received and said that he didn’t know what they would have done if the government hadn’t assisted them.
However, he said, given the situation, the donations by the MoIPA are not enough and he made an appeal for more support and assistance. “If any other want to assist us, we will be thankful,” Chekema said.
