Boat engines given to Upper Mazaruni villages

The journey for many children in the Upper Mazaruni area will become easier now that boat
engines have been given to seven villages there.
The engines, were handed over by Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai, are for
Kamarang, Waramadong, Jawalla, Kambaru, Omanaik, Chinoweing and Kako. Sukhai made the
presentation in Kamarang on Friday, along with Member of Parliament for Region Seven, Lee
Williams, before they were sent to the various villages.
Toshao of Kamarang, Lemmel Thomas said that the 40-horsepower engine is much welcomed,
as the recent unprecedented flooding exposed the vulnerabilities of villages in the Upper
Mazaruni area. “We are a riverine community, and so transportation is needed for movement of
farmers, school children, miners and so on. So, we would have requested for such an equipment
because of the population growth and the rise of farming, schooling and so forth. We really thank
(the) minister for this intervention at this time. During the floods, we were short of outboard
engines, were had to visit every corner of the community and that time we were really in need of
transportation,” Thomas said.
Additionally, the Amerindian affairs minister also brought with her other equipment to aid the
villages’ economy and aesthetics. “The villages that will be receiving two sewing machines are
Quebanang, Ammokokopai, Arrau, Phillipai, and Chinoweing. We have delivered two chainsaws
today to Kaikan, Arrau and Waramadong will be receiving two later in the day. Kako has
received two brush cutters,” she explained.

A radio set has already been given to Wayaleng, while Quebanang also received a solar set to
harvest electricity. Sukhai stressed that this is just part of the initiatives of the Government, to
fast-track the development in Amerindian villages. She revealed that the Community Support
Officers, CSOs, that were fired in 2015 were reinstated by this government. The minister went
on to disclose that hundreds of Amerindian youths have been trained in the Information
Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
She said that the government, through the Amerindian affairs ministry has also trained and
certified many Amerindians as tractor drivers.Additionally, government has acquired 112 tractors
and trailers and has begun the mass distribution to Amerindian communities. Sukhai said that
amerindians also benefitted from the $25, 000.00 COVID-19 cash grant and were the only group
of people to receive community grants to pursue economic ventures, to cushion the effects of the
pandemic. They were also included in the $19,000.00 school uniform cash and agriculture
grants.
Additionally, the minister, M.P Lee Williams, along with Manager of Gold Target Export,
Christian Baksh, presented toys to hundreds of children in Kamarang, Imbaimadai and Kaikan.
She added that another team has already set out to distribute toys to the other villages in the
Upper Mazaruni area.