Development of Amerindians … now visible in all spheres
A GINA feature – October 20, 2013
Guyana’s first inhabitants, the Amerindians remain a vital group in the eyes of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) under whose 21- year rule, equal opportunities have been afforded.
As custodians of the forests and a rich cultural heritage, the indigenous people represented by nine tribes in Guyana, were essentially exiled, save for the benevolence of the church, but with advent of the country’s first national party, the PPP in 1957, basic health and educational opportunities became accessible in the hinterland.
The PPP’s vision for Amerindian development was clearly defined from the inception, and after returning to power in 1992 following 28 years in the political opposition, development in all spheres of personal and community life began to unfold.
After five successive Presidents under the ruling PPP/C, the policy that Amerindians must have access to the same opportunities as every other group, irrespective of their location, remains a priority. The constitutional rights Amerindian are entitled to today are enshrined in the 2006 Amerindian Act.
New Amerindian Act
The revised Amerindian Act was passed on February 16, 2006, empowering Amerindians socially, economically and politically. After countrywide consultations with Amerindians, the agreement was made to modernise the legislation, and in 2002 the Government started the process of revising the Act.
The new Act caters for many aspects of indigenous people’s development, but two main achievements are that it sets up a procedure for land claims to be settled, and it transfers power from the Government to Amerindian Communities and Village Councils so that Amerindians can make their own decisions about how they want to develop.
Education
Two years ago, the top student at President’s College was a North West District student, and this year, another Amerindian from Tapakuma in Region Two, wrote 19 subjects and she passed all of them, testimony that equal opportunities are being offerred Amerindians.
Under the Hinterland Scholarship Programme, students from the hinterland are afforded the opportunity to attend schools in the city, and also integrate in the wider Guyanese society.
The Government went one step further in commissioning a $95.4M dorm at Liliendaal that houses all the students of the scholarship programme. Last year over 300 students benefited from the Hinterland Scholarship Programme, while 62 students graduated from secondary and technical institutions. The Scholarship Programme is just one aspect of major investments in hinterland education that changed the situation from when only a few primary schools with limited human and capital resources were available.
Several other Amerindian youths also make use of higher tertiary level education offers in fields abroad and at the University of Guyana, in addition to obtaining training at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).
It is safe to say that there are now schools in all communities and villages. More importantly, modern secondary schools with dormitories, free uniforms and hot meals are completing the delivery of education in the hinterland.
There are at present more than a dozen. schools, with dormitory including: Santa Rosa, Port Kaituma and Mabaruma in Region 1, Anna Regina Multilateral, Region Two, St Cuthbert’s Mission, Region 4, Waramadong and Four Miles in Region 7, Mahdia and Paramakatoi in Region 8, Aishalton, Annai, St Ignatius, and most recently Sand Creek in Region 9.
Today, many trained teachers are working in the Amerindian communities and some are receiving training in their home regions. Every year there is a large intake of hinterland teachers at the CPCE. However, to avoid teachers leaving their communities, there are also Distance Education Programmes through which teachers can be professionally trained. The Guyana Basic Education Training Programme is one such programme.
Health care
Like education, serious attention has been paid to improving health care in the hinterland with health centres, posts and regional hospitals in Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9 with trained professionals manning them. The health centres are equipped with Community Health Workers (CHWs) who offer primary health care to residents. Vital equipment among which is a microscope for malaria testing, is available in almost every health centre.
Regional hospitals staffed by an adequate number of trained professionals and pharmaceuticals can be found in Lethem, Kamarang, Matthews Ridge, Port Kaituma, Moruca, Kumaka, Kato Mabaruma and Bartica.
The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry began the process of distributing treated bed nets to tackle the problem of malaria in the hinterland.
Amerindians have been trained as CHWs, Medex, Dentex, Community Dental Therapists and nurses to improve health care in their communities.
Livelihood initiatives
Given the specific needs within these areas to grow economically and address special needs, income generating and sustained livelihood initiatives have been given much support.
Presidential Grants have been the source through which job creation and the purchase of vehicles have been accomplished. Portions of the Guyana REDD Investment Fund (GRIF) went towards the implementation of the Community Development Projects (CDPs) designed by villagers. Eighty (80) percent of CDPs submitted were agriculture-based illustrating the importance which Amerindians still attach to the sector.
The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has been instrumental in introducing techniques to raise awareness and knowledge about food security and self sufficiency in the hinterland. Among them it the organic production of fruits and vegetables, school vegetable farms, orchard, peanuts and vegetable plots. Additionally community nurseries were set up for farmers in Regions 1, 7 and 8 to gain skills in improving fruit production.
In 2009 aSecure Livelihood Programme was piloted in Region One, focusing on the creation of employment opportunities; sustaining food security; income generation, wealth creation, economic diversification and secure livelihoods.
Access to water
Hand pumps and wells are today common in Amerindian communities, and have made access to water increase by close to 70 percent.
Under the ten- year Hinterland Water Strategy, Government having recognised the demand for potable water, made access available free of cost by subsidising the service in these communities.
Today, solar powered wells, hand pumps and water trestles are a part of the hinterland landscape, providing safe water for the residents.
Electrification
To link the far flung and scattered villages to the national grid would be an extremely costly exercise, and not wanting to leave the many communities without electricity, the Administration came up with an initiative that has proven to be a viable option under the Unserved Areas Electrification Programme (UAEP). This later evolved into the Hinterland Electrification Programme (HEP) that is being implemented by the Hinterland Electrification Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister.
About 11,000 solar panels have been distributed and installed in more than 180 villages and those not captured will be catered for as the intention of the HEP is to ensure that all hinterland communities have some level of electricity.
Apart from the component which falls under the purview of the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development also has a solar panel distribution programme which targets schools and health posts in the riverain communities in Regions 2, 3, 4, and 10.
Land titling
Titling is a grant to the community/village that follows a series of dialogue at the village/community level where consensus is arrived relating to the parameters of interest that are to be plotted. Ratification from a two-thirds majority of those attending the village meetings is a pre-requisite. Titling precedes the demarcation process.
The land titling process could have been accelerated had the government anticipated the delays in the disbursement of the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) which is being managed by the World Bank. Government in an effort to fast track it, had to utilise other funds.
The process was also hindered when the opposition political parties by a one seat majority rejected the $18.7M which the government had earmarked from the anticipated forest carbon funds for Amerindian communities’ development.
A pact with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will see the implementation and completion in three years, of land titling and demarcation of villages that have submitted applications. Over 100 Amerindian communities are titled.
