Lives transforming in Region Nine through Govt’s CEW initiative

Government has stated that employment in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine)
continues to be a painstaking situation over the years, resulting in many young persons leaving
the district in search of work elsewhere.
They said that the employment crisis not only affected those in the hinterland, but many on the
coast, a situation the Government pledged to address. They said that since assuming office in
August 2020, the promise has been fulfilled, as several ministries and government agencies
reinstituted and reformed` various programmes that provide job opportunities. One such
programme is the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry’s Community
Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP). Trhey said rhat this programme employs persons as
Community Enhancement Workers (CEWs) to improve and preserve their community’s
aesthetics and infrastructure. They said that the project commenced in 2014 and was restructured
in 2015 by the former government. Under Minister Dharamlall’s leadership, there have been
some significant changes to the initiative which saw the increase of CEWs stipend from $25,000
to $35,000.

The ministry said that there are currently over 1,800 CEWs across the country. As such, in the
South Pakaraimas, CIIP team leader, Jonathan Albert disclosed that the opportunity is one which
the people are grateful for. He said that it has indeed difficult to be gainfully employed unless
one chooses to farm.  “We did not have any kind of work in here for our youths and so when the
government offered us the chance to become Community Enhancement Workers, we went
ahead.” Albert said.
He continued, “We are so happy that we were allowed this opportunity and even, the people of
Karasabai are happy to get this village clean.”
Albert noted that while the workers had faced some challenges fulfilling their mandate to the
standard required, it was largely due to the lack of tools and equipment. The matter is now
resolved following the distribution of the items. Albert manages 25 CEWs in over six villages
including Karasabai, Tiger Pond, Tiperu, and Yurong Paru among others.
Elvis Edwards, Deputy Toshao of Karasabai, expressed similar sentiments. “They are easing a
lot of pressure from the village council because before they were employed we had to do a lot of
self-help and so today we find it to be easier,” he said. James Davis, Toshao of Tiger Pond said
that the work of the CEWs within his community is quite amazing, particularly since it is the
image that residents wish to maintain. “We are very grateful to the government because we need
to keep our environment clean and at the same time, the government is creating job opportunities
for the youths who are not doing anything in the area,” Toshao Davis said.
He continued “some of them are school drop-outs who do not have that kind of education to
venture to other places for employment since they do not have any certificates. Others are
residents who are struggling financially to maintain their families and this job helps put food on
the table.” Toshao Davis stressed that the initiative has helped to ease the minds of villagers,
since the lack of government support has delayed the development of his village.

Waltz Edwards, CEW of Tiger Pond pointed out that he decided to become a CEW after it
seemed impossible to find employment within his vicinity. “I was down on my luck finding a job
to provide for my four children. So, when the government called for persons to join this
programme, I did because I couldn’t carry on that way for long.  But you know what, I am glad
to be able to clean up my village because cleanliness is next to godliness,” Edwards explained,
Minister Dharamlall who had visited the region earlier this month committed to employing at
least 10 more persons as CEWs to manage Pai Pang and Rupertee communities. He said from
this, one CEW will be elected as a sweeper cleaner to work at the recently commissioned $19 M
Rupertee Primary School. The ministry said it allocated $1.1 B for its community enhancement
programme in the 2021 national budget.