Millions paid to Amerindia villages – News Room Guyana

A total of $ 95 million was distributed to Amerindian villages in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six in an effort to overcome the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Amerindian Ministry of Affairs has a total of $ 1.75 billion as a COVID-19 relief fund for the villages across all regions. The subject minister, Pauline Sukhai, revealed on Friday that the fund can only be used to create income generating projects, which will also provide job creation or infrastructure development in these villages. The first set of grants were distributed Friday at the Sophia Exhibition Center in Georgetown.

“We expect that, as a government, it will be used sustainably, transparently and with full accountability and as Minister for Amerindian Affairs, our ministry will co-operate with the village councils to ensure that the proposals for infrastructure development and income generation. projects will be done jointly, as a team develops in conjunction with the villagers, ”the minister said.

Sukhai explained that the COVID-19 relief fund will be used to supplement the annual Presidential Fund for villages.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai (Photo: Newsroom / January 29, 2021)

In an analysis of the money that will be paid, Minister Sukhai revealed that $ 542 million will go to villages in Region One; $ 105 million for Region Two; Region Three will receive $ 23 million; Region Four will receive $ 47 million, while Region Five will receive $ 15 million; $ 30 million will go to Region Six and Region Seven $ 216 million; $ 208 million will be paid in Region Eight while Region Nine will receive $ 454 million and Region Ten $ 92 million.

Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Minister Anand Persaud, who also attended the simple handover ceremony on Friday, revealed that the money was to be used for new build or refurbishment of Information and Computer Technology (ICT) hubs in the villages.

Minister Persaud also urged the village council to put forward their proposals for either the income generation or infrastructure development projects at the earliest time.

Two villages from Region Three received their grant on Friday – Santa Aratak received $ 10 million while Lower Bonasika received $ 3 million.

In District Four, Mission St. Cuthbert received $ 15 million, Swann Village received $ 10 million, while Waiakabra village received $ 7 million and Long Creek $ 5 million.

The only Amerindian village in Region Five, Moraikobai received $ 15 million. Over in Region Six, Orealla / Siparuta received a total of $ 20 million and Cashew Island received $ 10 million.

Village Toshaos or Village Council representatives traveled to Georgetown to receive the grant.

The Newsroom spoke to Carl Penux, the Toshao for Orealla / Siparuta, who revealed that he will negotiate with the councils to combine an income generation project that will also improve the infrastructure and drainage in both villages. Both villages have their own village council, which is governed by Penux.

Carl Penux, the Toshao for Orealla / Siparuta (Photo: Newsroom / January 29, 2021)

“We have a lot of white sand, so for both communities so we’ve been selling this sand, but we want to expand that; we want to make concrete blocks that we sell out of the community and help the communities build better houses and buildings. We are also thinking of buying equipment as an excavator which is not only going to help us in the sand business, but also the agribusiness, ”explained Penux.

He further revealed that expanding the agriculture sector will be of great benefit to the villages.

“We can start farming especially rice which is one of our main crops we want to start farming,” said Penux.

Colin Adrian, the Toshao for Moraikaboi, explained that the long-term expansion of the tourism sector will ensure economic sustainability and job creation. He also mentioned venturing into agriculture and agro-processing as well as infrastructure development.

Colin Adrian, the Toshao for Moraikaboi recovers the COVID-19 Relief fund for his village (Photo: Newsroom / January 29, 2021)

“We’re looking to create an access road, connect the highway with Moraikaboi and if we’re going into agriculture we will definitely have to have an access road where we can get the buyer into the village rather than bring out the product, ”Adrian explained.

For the St. Cuthbert Mission, the immediate focus will be on the COVID-19 response and job creation, explained Beverly Clenkian’s Toshao.

“Our guys have been out of jobs since the COVID-19 pandemic and we are as we received this grant today our plans are to offer a project where our residents can benefit … we can do like some chicken farms we can also do them as farming sustainability as cash crops, ”says Clenkian.

Toshao for Beverly Clenkian’s Saint Cuthbert Mission (Photo: Newsroom / January 29, 2021)

Moraikaboi continues to fight its first wave of the virus while Orealla / Siparuta and Misson St Cuthbert have been hit with second waves.

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