The garbage bin has been sitting near the gate for a week, waiting to be cleared. Guests entering the yard are greeted by the putrid odor. Swarms of flies, rodents and insects feast on the decaying foods while the maggots increase. I searched the news for an announcement I might have missed about a new schedule for garbage collection. I found an article from January and the day for the garbage to be cleared in my area was not changed. The neighbour informed me that they did come three days late when I was not at home but only took some of the garbage and left the rest with a promise to return later. But days passed and they did not return. I was one of the unfortunate with a bin full of decay.
There have been complaints that the garbage in many areas is being collected sporadically. It is unacceptable and another indication of how we the people are often treated like the refuse. While that which is bagged and to be taken to the landfill to be buried and recycled, our society is in constant decay.
It takes courage to live in Guyana. For too long we have been given a modicum of what we need as human beings to survive the times in which we exist. We have been conditioned into a state of acceptance with little to no resistance. We give incompetent overseers chance after chance. The quality of life for the majority is a smidgen of what an acceptable standard of living should be, but many only occasionally voice their discontent while others choose silence.
Whether it is that the Mayor and City Council owes garbage collectors, or they have become lax in performing their duties, the garbage problem is unhygienic, and the pollution could affect our health. And certainly, it is unsightly to have garbage waiting to be collected for days while the stench grows. Part of the response against COVID-19 is cleanliness. We are busy washing our hands and sanitizing, but the virus of incompetence remains one of our greatest threats.
We the people continue to suffer because of mismanagement. The abuse we endure as Guyanese is rampant. Whether it is that garbage sits in the street, or there are issues with our electricity, telephone or internet service, it seems like the efforts for a major shift in development are delayed, stifled or nonexistent. Not only are we often inconvenienced by poor service, but we must also grapple with social issues and sometimes we cannot even take a bath to relax our minds because the water stops running.
As garbage accumulates, Central Georgetown and other areas do not have a steady supply of water. The Guyana Water Incorporated often informs us that it is maintenance work or repairs being done to damaged mains that shuts off our water supply. Even as I am writing this, there is no water coming out of the taps. And hours later as I am editing, not a drop of water for more than twelve hours. But some would say at least we made progress from when I was born in the 80s. There was a time when many people only had the use of a village standpipe and had to fetch buckets of water but now most of us have faucets in our homes. Let us pretend to ignore the fact that some places in this country still do not have potable water and some people still must fetch buckets. We are the land of many waters but still in 2021 we are facing 1921 issues because the people we put in positions of power continue to underperform.
The recent issues with the Guyana Water Incorporated seems to occur every other day. Never mind the questionable quality of the water sometimes. I admit that most times it runs clear in my home, but there are times when it is a light brownish colour which stains whites and other light colours. Most people do not trust the water to drink it. If one does not possess one of the extremely popular black tanks used for storing water – because often the pressure is too low to reach our higher floors and we cannot guarantee that we will have water when we need it – we must watch our dirty dishes in the sink, our dirty laundry piling up or wipe sweat from our foreheads because we are hot and perspiring and cannot have a bath. And even some of the people with the popular black tanks also suffer when their tanks run empty because there is no water to keep them filled. We are frustrated, angry and disappointed while we wait for the masters at GWI to fix the broken mains. The bills are never late though.
What disturbs me also about the poor services we often receive as Guyanese is that as consumers we are not respected or valued as we should. We pay for water. We pay for electricity. We pay for internet and phone services. Rates and taxes are paid. Still, the way we are often treated it is like we are begging for these services. Perhaps because they know we have little or no other options. And often when we complain we encounter rude representatives and sometimes phones ring out and we can assume sometimes we are deliberately ignored.
I ponder on the illusion about oil transforming Guyana into an opulent and progressive society for the collective. If at this point in history it cannot be assured that we would have water 24 hours a day or that the garbage would be picked up at least once a week, how are we even prepared for any great transformation? Is the transformation for the elites and the foreigners who are coming to take up their spaces in this country? Many receive the best of what we have to offer while the ordinary citizens of this country continue to suffer. Days of garbage being left in the street. Hours without water. Sometimes hours of blackout. What is Guyanese comfort and assurance?
At one point I also allowed myself to dream. I have accepted that it was foolish of me knowing the history of poor governance and mismanagement this country. But I am a creative and I live in the world of make-believe. This could be sad, hilarious or a coping mechanism for life in Guyana.
