LUSCSL serving Wismar for over fifty years

Dec 01, 2014 News

The Linden Utility Services Cooperative Society Limited (LUSCSL) LUSCSL is one of the oldest Cooperatives in Guyana. LUSCSL, formerly the Wismar/Christianburg Electricity Supply Cooperative Society, was registered in 1960, to supply electricity to its members, all of whom resided on the Wismar shore.
The cooperative was established after some Demba employees approached the Company for electricity to be supplied to the residents of the Wismar Housing Scheme.
Established with just twenty-five members, the “Society” or “Co-op” as it was popularly known in the earlier days, today boasts a membership of approximately 5000 persons.

Bursary recipients with LUSCSL Committee members and manager

The Co-op did not however produce its own electricity, but bought the commodity from the local bauxite company, Demba. It then sold the commodity to its members on the West Bank (Wismar Shore).
The organization, over the years, has had its fair share of challenges, but fortunately has always been able to rise above them.
Today the entity is no longer known as Wismar/ Christianburg Electricity Coop Society Limited, as the name was changed several years ago to Linden Utility Services Cooperative Society limited (LUSCSL).
The name change became necessary as the entity was looking at other avenues to garner finances, as it sought to upgrade its services to the community.
As a result, logging was added as another economic venture, in the late nineteen eighties.
This saw the acquisition of a tractor and other pieces of equipment being purchased. Another tractor and a wood-mizer were later purchased, to boost production in this sector.
Despite some challenges, this subsidiary of LUSCSL has been producing lumber, wallaba staves, posts and utility poles.
At present, LUSCSL is managed by a team of nine committee members, which up until recently was headed by the Chairman Valerie Adams-Patterson.
Patterson became the first female to head the management committee in August 2007, when it was handed back to the membership, after being headed by the then Chief Coops Development Officer, who had taken it back because of reported irregularities.
An electrical store and document centre was established on its fiftieth anniversary on the ground floor of its Burnham Drive Offices. This latest economic venture was the second subsidiary to be established by LUSCSL. Seeing it fit to give back to its community, LUSCSL four years ago decided to award bursaries to members’ children, who performed well at the National Grade Six, CSEC and Cape.
This year twenty nine children became the proud recipients of the bursary awards.
Over the four years approximately ninety children have benefitted from the LUSCSL bursaries.
LUSCSL recently acquired two brand new trucks to boost its operations.
Adams Patterson said that the new addition would certainly enhance the present operations of LUSCSL, in the electricity distribution sector as well as at its logging operations, located at 28 and 31 miles, Mabura road. “The one vehicle that we had was inadequate, so these two vehicles will go a long way in improving our services- number one, for our field crew, who have to go about installing meters, and to transport them in cases of any emergencies in the nights, and for doing maintenance and so on.”
The vehicles, which were acquired at a cost of some $8.6M, are part of LUSCSL’s five year strategic developmental plan, Adams-Patterson said.
She added that the entity also has plans to purchase a bus to serve the Wismar community.
“It’s all about increasing our efficiency and providing a better service to our members and consumers.”
Manager Esme Yangapatty added that it was LUSCSL’s dream to improve the mobility of its staff.
Current Chairman of LUSCSL Charles Sampson, who was only last Sunday installed, expressed satisfaction with the latest acquisition and said that he is optimistic that the organization would ‘move from strength to strength. Sampson had earlier served the organization as Secretary. Adams Patterson is presently serving as its Treasurer. Secretary is Clintwoulde Easton.
(Enid Joaquin)