Living conditions at Amerindian Hostel hardly civilized

Nov 05, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
I would like to highlight some major deficiencies which has been and continues to plague our first peoples of this dear land of ours and which, it seems have become acceptable and have blinded persons who should have been the ones to correct the situation but nothing has been done because of our reserved, quiet and easy going life style when compared to other sections of the Guyanese public. It has been taken for granted for all these years that all is well at the Amerindian Hostel but I want to say that all is not well and an immediate intervention needs to be taken as part of the city restoration project that is ongoing, to salvage this deplorable condition in which our hinterland people are living under.
Water supply is one of the most important necessities in an urban community, more so when serving people who are accustomed to dive their way down to the bottom of a river while taking a refreshing drink of water. I am amazed that water supply to the Amerindian Hostel in today’s 21st century is mere decades behind time and should be declared unacceptable especially when patients have to fetch buckets of water to bathe and flush toilet at a specific time when water is made available at stand pipes only. This situation makes one to wonder how does the person with a cast on their leg, pregnant mothers and other incapacitated patients cope with this on a daily basis. Take into consideration the all at one-time activities that must be carried-out all at a certain time. This will definitely contributed to un-flushed toilets and insanitary conditions to survive in when that period of time is passed and gone.
Over crowded rooms and wards have seen two persons sharing a single or bunk beds where most times persons take turns to sleep as it is so uncomfortable to share body heat on a small bed in a room that is already very hot. What about ceiling fans or other cooling agents for our patients who, due to the heat, requires a bath regularly to cool off their overheated bodies but are faced with the water crises? With the steady increase of our indigenous population, there is need for an expansion to that facility with these necessary amenities to make life a little more comfortable for our people, which is more than necessary than ever before.
Our traditional food is one thing that we will never do away with no matter how far we may go. I appeal to our newly elected government to seriously consider serving more of our traditional dishes to those staying at the hostel and the hinterland student’s dormitory prepared by persons qualified in preparing indigenous dishes. Sourcing the raw materials to prepare these meals can be done from indigenous communities and will do justice to those communities that are looking for secured market for their produce and will tap into the economy of those villages too. It is very shameful to see our people sit and dine outside of the compound where there is a stagnant drain passing beneath their feet with a stench, in an environment that is insanitary and not conducive for eating but have no other option to enjoy meals that are rarely served in the kitchen. Many persons have become dependent on this eating place which has grown to become a very popular vending area. Not only is this service proving very useful for the persons staying at the facility but to other indigenous population living in Georgetown. This service that is provided must be improved to a standard recommended by our relevant health authorities in collaboration with our Indigenous Affairs Ministry.
Higher standards of living is everyone’s dream and not just those that make their voices heard by all means but let us look and listen to the silent cries of those who have been very patient for the day that existence in poverty will be ended and inequality even for our basic human rights will ceased to exist. We have accepted stand pipes in our hinterland communities as a source of water but please let’s not accept it in Georgetown where better services are what we are entitled to.
Damien Chambers

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Living conditions at Amerindian Hostel hardly civilized

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