We hope that Sophia community centers also benefit from rehabilitation

Sep 27, 2013 Letters

Dear Editor,
Over the past few days I’ve noted with significant anticipation as some news outfits reported about the 150 communities in East Berbice which were expected to be rehabilitated, and I read about the commissioning of the Enmore community centre ground. I had also viewed at an earlier time the Minister of Culture Youth and Sports expounding on the fact that his Ministry was in the process of making available funding to upgrade community sport and recreational facilities, all with the express purpose of catalyzing health life styles and creating the much-needed enabling environment for especially, our youthful population.
Well, Editor, I’m a footballer and I live in the Sophia (Section B) area and I enquired of the community based group that is most active in our section of the community as to the prospects of our community Centre benefiting from this well publicized initiative. I was a bit saddened to hear from the volunteers who manage that group, and who are the custodians of our Centre, that in June 2012, and recently in June 2013, they did signal their interest by submitting proposals and estimates for upgrades to the Centre, but unfortunately, to date no response had been forth coming from the Ministry. This information (to me and many others that I have since spoken with) was quite deflating, especially when one considers the social, economic and infrastructural realities in the entire Sophia catchment area. And I dare make the point that the Sophia population (which is approximately 55 percent below the age of thirty five) is very close to 10 percent of the total city population (based on the 2001 census) should automatically qualify for such an upgrade. A critical assessment would reveal that the community has approximately up to 11,000 youths and none of the community spaces can be considered fully equipped as a sporting and recreational facility. I also gleaned from the news that some 26 grounds (or Centers) in Region 4, would be given access to funds, so I do sincerely hope that 10 percent of the city’s population would not be left out from this equation, I think it would be a travesty.
In Section B Pattensen where I live, I have been observing the activities at the community centre being hosted and coordinated by NGOs, Ministries, Corporations and other groups, so I was really surprised that it was only to the credit of some die-hard NGOs and the work of the community leaders who work with entrenched vision and commitment in the absence of structured support and access to well needed resources’.
It is therefore my compounded hope, dear Editor, that with the increase from 200,000,000 to 300,000,000, that the Minister has stated is now available that our centre and other public open spaces will surely benefit from some support, no matter how small, because this community has a reputation of building on small beginnings. Our community awaits a positive response from the Ministry.
Winston Tanner

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