The foundation has been laid for further development

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October 14, 2012 By admin

During the 20th anniversary celebrations of the People?s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government in office at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, several youths gave their views on how they see developments under the administration.

Shontelle
?Our country faced several struggles to be free, to have unity and mostly to have a stronger democratic tradition. Guyana as it is today has shown significant improvement compared to 20 years ago. 1992 was time for a change, and it was a time for a new beginning.
We have worked hard to be where we are today because as a youth growing up, I?ve heard my parents say and I quote, ?You children have it way easier than us?.

Shontelle

I have battled this saying in my head and I finally understood the true meaning of it. Guyana was indeed a struggle ? our country was desperate, bankrupt, with more than two-thirds of the population living in misery and poverty, children were hungry, our roads and other infrastructure, schools, hospitals, electricity, and water were in a dilapidated state. We as a country have worked hard to establish this foundation, and as a youth of Guyana, I am privileged to be living in this era.
?While today we enjoy these? freedoms, 20 years ago we lived in a society where less than 40 per cent of the population had access to secondary schools and less than 75 per cent had access to primary schools, compared to 85 per cent and 100 per cent access today, respectively. Most of those without access were the poor and vulnerable who found themselves in a population where 85 per cent of the people lived in poverty compared to 35 per cent today. ?Studies show that improvement in education result in the reduction of poverty.
We took destiny in our hands and we made a difference in the lives of our people and in the future of our country.
Today, Guyana is a better country. We will unite together and we will continue making this country, the country that any citizen will be proud of and enjoy living in.?

Keoma
?1992 is remembered as a water-shed moment in our country?s post-independent history after a lengthy hiatus ? it marked the return of fair electoral practices at the ballot box level. While I myself would not have been around to traverse this turning point in our country?s modern history, the generation before mine would recount the euphoria that they felt and the renewed hope they acquired in our country and its development.

Keoma

?Undoubtedly, we have made substantial gains in improving the welfare of our citizenry. Undoubtedly, we still have more to do? undoubtedly, it can be done for the democracy has allowed for a competition of ideas, and this can only mean better for our development.
?The road to democracy is ideally an infinite one, but this is one that we must persist on trekking further and while we are here celebrating this democracy that we have collectively attained, we must stand in defending it against the threats it constantly faces. ?This leads me to two points; firstly even after centuries of having a crack at it many countries, if any, have yet to perfect democracy after 20 years. I would agree that Guyana has not done badly. Lastly, democracy is attained and retained only through the collective action of the people, the defence of democracy is never the vocation of one individual or one group of people, it requires the efforts of all our citizens, whether here or in the diaspora. ?Democracy calls for our daily participation in representing our interest not just once in every five years, yes we have somewhere to go but we are on our way and we are going to get there.?

Kristen
?I must acknowledge the fact one that cannot be disputed by anyone, that Guyana is definitely a better country than it was 20 years ago. This clearly demonstrates that our country has made progress and is continually striving for greater development.

Kristen

?The year 1992 brought about changes, more importantly a new beginning. The improvement we have made is such a relatively short time has taken us step closer to greater opportunities for Guyanese, especially us youths. When we look around us, a better Guyana is quite visible. For instance, people are better housed, better clothed, better fed; improved infrastructure and growing industries have all been part of the new Guyana brand. We have greater access to education and training. Healthcare is better and more accessible, more and better trained professionals and wider access to variety of other opportunities.
?Our families everywhere are living in their own homes, the transport system is also rising to the challenges posed by increasing number of people acquiring vehicles of their own and our highways are being overhauled, and expanded to four lane status. This tells me one thing that everywhere, everyone is having a fair chance of reaching their individual potential, and all in all, Guyana today is more advance and in a better position of making our motto a reality of ?One people, one nation, one destiny?.
?We should together as one participate in the furtherance of our one Guyana plan, as we all strive to achieve our Guyana dream.?

Dexter
?I grew up in Matthews Ridge, North West District in Region One, which was a striving community in the early years, but degenerated?, due to the economic challenges which affected many sector industries. During those critical years, the region?s basic infrastructure suffered further severe blow since maintenance of these and overall economic development were almost non-existence.? ?Today, I briefly touch on three key sectors, which were most challenging in my time. We often heard about the phrase, ?education is the key out of poverty?, but during my childhood, I have seen the education system deteriorated to an extent where students were no longer interested in attending schools, since the reality of living in a depressed community with limited opportunity to earn a living led school-age students to alternative sources of income such has mining. The number of trained teachers was almost nil, even though those who taught me gave of their best, not withstanding poor wages, conditions of work and lack of access to basic teaching aids.

Dexter

Consequently, there was a higher rate of school dropout, including many of my friends, perhaps these could have been attributed to the limited number of students from that area that was not granted Hinterland scholarship from that period.
?The water distribution line was non-functional due to lack of maintenance and investment, and this resulted in residents having to transport water from their houses from the source which was some distance away from the centre of the community. The elderly felt the brunt of this unsavory experience, arguably one can say that the time and money spent to transport this vital commodity could have better utilised for other productive purposes.
?Thirdly, electricity was not available to households since the generating plant was non-functional due to unavailability of spare parts and fuel. This resulted in most of the community resorting to lamps and the privileged few with standby generators to have access to this another vital commodity. One can only imagine the related consequences to the absence of these basic necessities, especially on critical sectors such as the hospital and general health service. The infrastructure ranging from roads to bridges were in a state of disrepair due to years of neglect, and this affected the economic activities of residents to be engage in? trading and other livelihood since the ability to traverse form one community to the next was hazardous to say the least. From 1992, there have been concerted efforts to address the human capital as well as the basic infrastructure of the Hinterland communities across the country, including Matthews Ridge. There has been training of teachers and community health workers, provision of portable water to residents, building of roads and bridges, provision of solar panels to households for electricity, creation of economic activity for residents by way of grant and general improvements in the lives of residents of the communities.
?If one was to ask if all things are bright and beautiful, the answer will be no, but one can say that effort has been made to improve the lives of Hinterland communities. It is my humble view that today, as Amerindians, we are better off than 20 years ago; today I feel confident that notwithstanding the challenges, we as Amerindian people will continue to strive forward with the policy of the PPP/C administration. ?Today, we are proud of who we are; today we are a respected people. I congratulate the People?s Progressive Party on this significant milestone.?

Source: http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=1949

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