The riverine communities of Orealla and Siparuta on Wednesday elected Laurence Vandenburg, a 26-year-old teacher to be their new Toshao and he hopes to turn the village into a model for other Amerindian villages by properly managing and utilizing the finance and resources available.
Vandenburg, originally of Orealla, managed to secure 206 votes ahead of former Toshao, Lewis Devair who got 153 votes.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Stabroek, Vandenburg explained that he has lived in the village most of his life except for when he was away studying and so he would have seen first-hand the outcry from residents “especially when it comes to the financial matters of the village.”