$116M in relief grants shared among Wakapoa and Akawini farmers

MORE THAN 500 Wakapoa and Akawini farmers of Pomeroon/Supenaam (Region Two)
received some $116M in government flood relief grants after unexpected, prolonged heavy
showers earlier this year flooded and decimated livestock and cash crops.
Junior Housing and Water Minister, Susan Rodrigues, helped share the cash grant executed
during the government’s recent two-day outreach to the region.
The cash distribution was part of the government’s wider $1B package set aside to fund the flood
relief initiative to benefit affected farmers across the country’s 10 Administrative Regions to
help them return to normalcy quicker.
“It has been over a year since we’ve been in the pandemic and it has really put a struggle on our
economy. It really has our people struggling, everybody is facing the same challenges now but
you have a government that has made several interventions since we have taken office last year,”
Rodrigues explained.

She continued, “The COVID-19 relief, the cash grant to our school children then coupled with
that we had unprecedented rainfall and flooding that affected not only Guyana but several
countries around the world. Again, at a government level we have intervened and we have now
rolled out this flood relief cash grant to help our farmers.”
Rodrigues emphasised the relief distribution isn’t tinged with prejudice.
“You have a government that is willing to help you, so whether you live on the coastland where
there is more opportunity or whether you live all the way out here in Region Two, we want to
provide you with the same opportunities. We want to make sure every Guyanese benefits equally
and that is something very, very important to our government,” she added.

“President Ali has personally committed to this. He has said to our farmers that he will be here to
lend a hand, and he will be here to help you back on your feet. We know that this is a temporary
solution, this is bringing some immediate relief to you. We want to ensure that Guyanese
wherever they live can get back on their feet, that you can sustain yourselves. Every person
wants to know that they can fend for him/herself; that they can sustain themselves, that they can
work and earn to feed their families on their own,” Rodrigues said
The Arawak village of Wakapau is located in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region of Guyana, on
the Wakapau River, a tributary on the west bank of the Pomeroon River, 3 kilometres from its
mouth. The name originates from the Lokono word ‘Wakokwãn’, which means pigeon. The
village is composed of 20 inhabited islands.