Dear Editor,
The disrespect and mistreatment of Guyana’s Indigenous peoples continues under the PPP, this time they have caused unnecessary suffering to the Wai Wai Nation. Public schools closed for the holidays on 8th July. Families in Masakenari, Deep South Rupununi have children attending the secondary school in Aishalton. Accustomed to their children returning home immediately after the last day of the school term via air transport provided by the APNU+AFC government, families waited. The only means of communication with the Indigenous Wai Wai nation of Masakenari is by Wi-Fi. The Village Wi-Fi stopped working in March 2022. Countless reports were made to the authorities but no action has been taken. Toshao Chekema also reported this at the recently held NTC conference. To date, no action has been taken to restore the Wi-Fi service in Masakenari.
Consequently, much hardship was visited upon the Villagers, particularly those with children in schools away from the village and those with medical conditions requiring medical attention not available in the village. Families were forced to leave Masakenari to go in search of their children who are attending Aishalton Secondary School, after several days had gone by and they had not returned home. They journeyed for six (6) days. They first had to cover a distance of 360 KM by river to Parabara using one drum of gasoline in the process. Then there was the overland journey from Parabara to Aishalton – a distance of 86 KM. A part of that journey was undertaken using rented motor cycles to Karaudanawa. Upon arrival at Aishalton, they discovered that the children were transported to Masakenari on 20th July, almost two weeks after school closed. Parents now had to journey to Lethem, 125 KM away from Aishalton. They are now stuck in Lethem where they await the first truck to Parabara so that they can make their way home to Masakenari and be reunited with their children. The school holidays may be over by the time they get back home.
All of this could have been avoided if the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs had provided air transport to take the children to their home village of Masakenari on Saturday 9th July, one day after the school term ended as the people of Masakenari expected. In the unlikely event that an aircraft was not available, the Wi-Fi should have been operational. Access to communication would have solved the problem and prevented the undue anxiety and suffering of parents and children alike. Sadly, parents are now reconsidering sending their children to Aishalton Secondary School. For information, Conservation International (Guyana) installed Wi-Fi in Masakenari sometime between 2008 -12. Government of Guyana, in its programme to provide internet service to hinterland villages and communities installed and maintained Wi-Fi in Masakenari in or around 2016. Over the past two years or so, the PPP administration has evidently abandoned the most remote Village in Guyana – Masakenari – home of our Indigenous Wai Wai nation.
Sincerely,
Mervyn Williams