“Your future is secured with the PPP/C govt” – Pres. Ali tells indigenous community
– as Amerindian Heritage Month kicks off
With a consistent flow of investments designed to improve their living standards, Guyana’s indigenous community can rest assured that the government has its best interests at heart.
This sentiment was expressed by President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, as he addressed the crowd during the Amerindian Cultural Extravaganza, at the National Park, Georgetown.
He assured that the government’s plan is to ensure prosperity is built in every Amerindian home, emphasising its role as a “support cast,” committed to serving their needs.
“Here in Guyana, we are doing an outstanding job in shaping the narrative, in ensuring that by our work, by our example, by our dedication, by our policies and principle, we are honouring [you] to the greatest degree. There is no other country that can point to the type of reforms and investment we have made in honouring our indigenous people and our Amerindians,” he asserted.
This commitment is evident in the government’s heavy investments in economic and social empowerment, cultural preservation, and giving Amerindian communities autonomy and direct funding to shape their futures.
President Ali disclosed that since 2020, almost $60 billion has been injected in these communities to strengthen local economies, cultural heritage, education and healthcare, among other sectors.
“We are working aggressively to ensure they have 100 per cent access to secondary education, and also with investment in technology, 100 per cent access in university education, becoming trained teachers right in their villages, nurses right in their villages. This is the agenda that we are pursuing, and what is the result? Today, more than 20 per cent of all our GOAL scholarships go to our Amerindian children, our young Amerindians and their community,” the Guyanese leader underscored.
In the healthcare sector, the government has trained and employed 200 per cent more health workers in Amerindian communities since 2020.
Critical investments in healthcare infrastructure are also a cornerstone of this developmental agenda, as five new state-of-the-art regional hospitals are underway in Amerindian communities.
To bridge the digital divide and ensure the Amerindian community benefits from the global shift to information and communications technology (ICT), the government has also been investing in internet infrastructure to improve access to healthcare and education.
Over 25 telemedicine sites have been established across Guyana to ensure even those in the most remote areas have access to reliable and efficient healthcare services.
Furthermore, since 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture has significantly empowered these areas by expanding agricultural land holdings from 5,000 acres to 11,500 acres and supporting the development of export-oriented agricultural ventures.
Honey production has also been particularly successful in the hinterland, with 3,000 of the country’s 4,000 beehives now located in Amerindian communities.
President Ali emphasised the government’s dedication to the prosperity of the country’s indigenous population and promised that investments in their communities will remain a priority.
“We are that servant to you, whom you can trust, whom you can rely upon, and whom you can go to bed comfortable knowing that your future is secured with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic. That is what we are about: hard work, relentless commitment, sacrifices, partnership…building stronger community and working together as a people. As we work and move forward, the future that we want to build for indigenous brothers and sisters must be people centred,” the head of state affirmed.
This year, Amerindian Heritage Month is observed under the theme: ‘Many Voices, One Song. Celebrating Amerindian Heritage 2024.’
