Scores of residents living at Dartmouth and neighbouring communities in the Evergreen/Paradise Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Pomeroon-Supenaam are requesting skills training, agriculture projects, and the upgrading of several streets.
These requests were made to President Irfaan Ali during an outreach on Thursday. Ali was in the region on a one-day outreach which started in the Pomeroon River and ended at the Queenstown community centre in Region Two.
A teacher from 8th May Secondary, Tonsalita Smith, represented her community by asking for the construction of a new secondary school. She said that the current school is not fully equipped and the classrooms are open.
She mentioned that when teaching is going on, it is uncomfortable. Mention was also made of the laboratory at the school with the teacher saying that it is not fully equipped for learning, hence the need for a new school.
In response, President Ali said that the Chief Education Officer, Saddam Hussain will visit the school and an assessment will be conducted. It was also mentioned that the school is currently on land owned by a church. As such he suggested that a meeting be held with members of the church.
Other residents at the meeting said that the village needed skills training since many of the youths are just loitering. There were also calls made for counselling to be made available to youths in the village. Youths also requested to be a part of the government’s part-time job programme.
Ali asked the youths to submit their names to the Region’s REO, Susannah Saywack. He noted too that many requests were being made for persons to be employed in a part-time job, however the list, he said, is long.
President Ali mentioned that his government is working to provide broadband internet in Region Two so that the internet could be used in the call centre and the centre in turn will provide more job opportunities. He also urged the youths to get enrolled in the various training programmes that are available within the region through the Board of Industrial Training.
Farmers who have land asked for improved drainage in their area. Ali asked NDIA’s Lionel Wordsworth to look at their request. Residents within Queenstown and Dartmouth also requested the upgrading of several streets in their communities.
A resident requested a tractor and trailer for the community. President Ali responded that all NDCs in the region will receive a tractor and trailer to further help them in development work.
The President told residents that he came to listen to their concerns as his government believes in “One Guyana”. He noted that billions of dollars were spent in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region in all sectors and reminded residents that his government is committed to serving them.
The Head of State was accompanied by Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and NDIA Chief Executive Officer, Lionel Wordsworth, along with regional officials.
