Empowerment through education

Apr 05, 2014 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
There is a saying that one cannot be educated and poor at the same time. There is a considerable amount of truth in this saying. Implicit in this saying is the fact that an educated person is much more likely to take advantage of available options in his or her environment in order to live a secure and satisfying life.
It is precisely out of this thinking that the current PPPC administration is devoting so much, in terms of resources, to education and skills development. The education sector continues to get the lion’s share of the social sector allocation followed by health care delivery. This indeed is how it should be.
The two main determinants of human development are education and health. In both of these counts Guyana has made substantial progress not only by regional but international standards. The country boasts a high literacy and numeracy rate that compares favourably with countries of both the developed and developing world.
A recent visit to several hinterland communities in Region Eight including Monkey Mountain, Kato and Kurukubaru, only served to confirm this viewpoint. Apart from the natural beauty of these mountainous communities, one of the noticeable features of these villages is the changing infrastructure, especially when it comes to public buildings such as schools, health and recreational facilities and living quarters for teachers, nurses and other government officials.
Several Amerindian homes are now made of lumber and corrugated zinc sheets, which are much more durable and secure. It is no exaggeration to say that the landscapes of these communities are gradually being transformed, due largely to the several government interventions, including the capital programmes and annual grants.
The PPPC administration from the time it assumed power has put Amerindian development at the centre of its agenda. It is no secret that these communities were highly neglected by the PNC regime when it was in power. Amerindians were treated as second and third class citizens. At the political level, elections for Village Captains were rigged to install puppets of the PNC and opposition parties were denied access to these communities.
Today, all of that has changed. Amerindians are now put on the front burner of our development thrust and the government is investing heavily in the well-being of our hinterland peoples. This is true of all facets of development, but more particularly in the area of human development.
Take education as an example. A new secondary school with dormitory facilities is currently under construction in Kato. This facility is the largest in terms of expenditure, totalling in excess of 700 million dollars. Prior to the PPPC administration coming to office, there was only one secondary school at Paramakatoi, which for all practical purposes was a Community High School, with only a limited number of subject offerings at the CXC Basic level.
To say that the conditions and quality of life of our indigenous peoples have improved is an understatement. This does not mean that there are not challenges that need to be addressed and confronted. But progress has been made in several aspects of life which has greatly empowered our Amerindian brothers and sisters to take development in their own hands. Amerindian communities are no longer in the backwater of national development but are now an integral part of our development processes.
This is why the vast majority of our Amerindian and hinterland populations are solidly behind the PPPC administration. To show their appreciation for the Party and its leaders, a monument has been erected in each of the villages of Kopinang, Kato and Monkey Mountain in honour of the memory of the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan and his wife Janet Jagan, both of whom are highly regarded for the role they played in the liberation of the Guyanese people in general and the Amerindian people in particular, against the yoke of deprivation and poverty.
The current budget presented to Parliament by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh will further consolidate and enhance the quality of life and aspirations of these hinterland communities, as indeed, the nation as a whole. One hopes that good sense will prevail and there would be no repeat of what transpired last year when the opposition parties utilized their one-seat majority to cut budgetary allocations earmarked for Amerindian development, which included land titling and the provision of solar panels.
Wreath-laying ceremonies were recently held in these three communities and were well attended. I had the honour of participating in those ceremonies which were also attended by Central Committee members of the PPP Vickram Bharrat and Ronald Harsawak who is also Regional Executive Officer of that Region.
Similar activities also took place in Region Nine and other coastal regions in honour of a man who could truly be described as a transformational leader whose vision continue to be a living guide to the PPP and the PPPC administration.
Hydar Ally

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