Miss Amerindian Heritage contestants sashed

Georgetown, GINA, August 31, 2011
Source - GINA

The delegates pose for a photograph with Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai and designer Sonia Noel

For the first time, 10 beautiful and talented young Amerindian women from across the Administrative regions of Guyana were tonight sashed as delegates for the 2011 Miss Amerindian Heritage pageant to be held on September 17 at the National Cultural Centre.

The confident young ladies at the ceremony coordinated by designer Sonia Noel at the Umana Yana spoke fluently about their respective regions and what these have to offer. Many of them highlighted the natural biodiversity which depicts Guyana’s hinterland.

Delegate number one Treasure James who hails from the Mabaruma sub region and representing Region One exuded confidence as she expressed the desire to see more indigenous women being empowered.

Model Roshini Boodhoo sashes Region Seven delegate Azoni Clement

Heidi Pearson representing Region Two was also fluent in promoting her region as the only one which produces genuine organic products, while Ms. Region Three, Naomi Samuels who hails from Santa Aratack stated that her platform is promoting awareness about cervical cancer among Amerindian women.

Like Treasure James, Region Four delegate Marcia Ramjohn believes that if women are more empowered it would reduce the incidence of domestic violence.

Region Five delegate Devika Lopes of Moraikobai aims to promote awareness about career choices as this she feels impact greatly on young people in her community while Nesha Vantra of Region Six aspires to be a veterinarian.
Ensuring that their regions are capably represented also were Azoni Clement of Region Seven, Joyce Paul, Region Eight, Julene Salti, Region Nine and Anece Hicks, Region Ten.

Region One delegate Treasure James introduces herself to the audience

These delegates also confidently presented themselves and their regions to the packed audience.

The delegates were sashed by two of Guyana’s top models Alana Pheonix and Roshini Boodhoo.

The rise of the Amerindians

A GINA feature, August 31, 2011
Source - GINA

It was imperative that when the PPP/C administration assumed office in 1992, that one of its major priorities would have been to correct the historical wrongs of utter neglect and discrimination suffered for decades by the Amerindian people and their communities, particularly during the PNC/C era of government.

Whether due to difficult geographic terrain and or remoteness of Amerindians and their communities, these ought not to have been the reasons, often inferred, for the manner in which the nation’s first people had been treated.

For a population that was reported to be the fastest growing in Guyana, there were critical health problems, compounded by the absence of medical facilities in most areas; and residents living great distances from the treatment centres.

Potable water was non-existent, since there were few modern wells. Water for domestic use was sourced from rivers and streams, many of which were affected by mining activity.

Without delay, this Administration set about to change the status quo and today, the massive development momentum that has been ongoing over the many years has been maintained.

Ministry of Amerindian Affairs established

Among the first Cabinet offices to be named on the PPP/C’s ascension to government was that solely responsible for Amerindian Affairs, and headed by a designated minister. This Ministry was adequately funded, and responsible for the execution of the many socio-economic hinterland programmes that were designed to usher in a new perspective on Amerindians and their communities.

Hinterland Education

Any understanding of the rise of the Amerindians must begin with the dynamic Hinterland Scholarship Programme that must be described as the flagship of the advancement of the Amerindian peoples. This programme since 1992 has undergone an expansion that allows it to be more inclusive.

This initiative has so far benefitted more than 600 persons, and has produced nurses, midwives, medex, engineers, teachers, and agriculturalists who, after their initial training, return to their respective communities to share their development skills. Some have moved on to higher learning at the University of Guyana or overseas.

Children on their way to the Parikwaranau Primary School, Region 9

With the significant enhancement of Amerindian education, entrants into the Cyril Potter College of Education have more than doubled over the years.

Complementing this marked improvement in better trained classroom personnel is the Guyana Basic Education Training (GBET) that has to date, via distance learning, trained approximately 1200 teachers and 400 principals in Regions One, Seven, Eight, and Nine.

From the existence of a single secondary school in the hinterland prior to 1992, today there are about a dozen schools.

Referring to the Digest of Education Statistics of Guyana 2007-2008, there were 47 public nursery schools staffed by 181 teachers, who had in their charge 2,952 pupils. There were 137 schools in Regions One, Seven, eight and Nine that represented a total intake of 15,300 primary pupils. During the period under review there were nine secondary schools with an enrollment of 1300.

Hinterland Health

It is well known that access to health care facilities posed a challenge throughout Amerindian communities, due to their scarcity. This has since undergone rapid change, compliments of successive, exponential budgetary increases for the sector, which for this year is $14B.

Mabaruma Hospital, Region One

Kumaka and Mabaruma, Region One now have newly-built, multimillion dollar hospitals; whilst the strategically located Lethem hospital complex in Region Nine is outfitted with modern equipment and facilities, including operating theatres, in-patient and outpatient facilities, pharmacy and laboratory. There are now new health centres, where none had existed.

The centre of this programme for hinterland communities, has been the focus on training of health workers, who are indigenous, to provide health care services primarily out of health posts and health centres throughout villages via outreaches.

Hinterland electrification

This priority will realize Government’s plan to provide a clean and renewable supply of energy to Amerindian communities throughout the Hinterland. This electrification plan caters for 11,000 Amerindian households in 135 communities that will be fitted with solar home systems. Each village will be responsible for the management and maintenance of their respective systems.

Building in the hinterland equipped with solar panels for electricity

Several other communities are also enjoying electricity through solar panels under other initiatives.

Community Development Plans

Under this pathway, all hinterland communities have been tasked with formulating development plans. The unique feature of this plan is that all the communities are mandated to subscribe inputs for these initiatives, rather than being dictated by the village administrators.

This document is the accepted mechanism via which the acceleration of Amerindian development will take place, and entails comprehensive and sustainable development initiatives that will catapult the social and economic outlook of hinterland communities, alluded to above.

National Hinterland Secure Livelihood Programme

At the moment the programme is ongoing in 15 communities in Region One, as a pilot project which will also be introduced in Regions Seven and Nine. This programme emphasises the establishment of sustainable agriculture ventures, generating income, providing employment, whilst introducing scientific methods that enhance production yields.

One of the hassar ponds in Tobago Hill, Region One

There is also a successful project now in progress in Moco Moco, where 82 acres of rice and 11 acres of beans are being cultivated.

Several other livelihood projects are ongoing in other areas.

Presidential grants

This programme is used to fund community projects which include productive and economic projects ranging from the expansion of village farms, eco-lodge, building dams, clearing trails, providing kitchen facilities for school feeding programmes and cattle rearing. This initiative has been improving economic development of communities.

Craft centre built through Presidential grant

From a sum of $150M when it was introduced in 2007, for the 2010-2011 period, the sum of $500M will be made available to Amerindian communities.

Hinterland Water Strategy

Residents in most hinterland areas are now receiving potable water for the very first time, made possible because of the visionary ten-year Strategy (2001-2002) that is intended to benefit 80% of the nation. Currently 67% of hinterland residents have access to water as compared to 19%, 10 years ago.

With an investment of $500M in hinterland projects that extend from Regions One to Ten, there have been construction of trestles, bore holes, installation of pv systems, elevated water storage facilities, hand pumps and rain water catchment for Regions One, Nine and Seven.

Children in the hinterland accessing water via a hand pump

Also, in keeping with this grand design of making potable water available to hinterland citizens, over 100 new sources of water have been constructed in Regions One, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight and Nine.

Anyone, these days, visiting any hinterland area will observe the visible changes now in progress and the positive impact that these have been having on the livelihood of Amerindians. As a result of these qualitative changes, they have commenced the rise to their place in national affairs with a pride and dignity which must be applauded. They are now a familiar sight at most levels of the Guyanese society.

What is missing from this picture to make it perfect is the 11 Million dollar toilet from region 8