Major community development for Victoria through block-building programme

Creating employment remains an overarching goal of the government as part of its efforts of providing every Guyanese with an enhanced quality of life.

As a result, communities across Guyana are benefitting from a block-building initiative which falls under the Ministry of Housing and Water’s Community-Based Employment Stimulation Project.

On Monday, the programme was extended to Victoria, East Coast Demerara, where two groups will be leading the charge; the Victoria CDC Group and Victoria Block Building and Supply.

During a community engagement, Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal underscored that the programme, conceived by His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, aims to create meaningful employment for citizens especially youths, while fostering community development.

“What it does is allows, in many of these communities, to be able to embark on some kind of employment and also help in a social way to keep everybody active. It is one way we can involve many of the young people you have in your community but it also helps to nurture them to be able to work as a group,” he emphasised.

The ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) will provide the necessary tools and support to the groups as a start-up, following which they will operate independently.

Alex Fraser of the Victoria CDC Group said the initiative speaks to community development and is needed in the development of Victoria.

“This initiative is a very great initiative it actually does what we call community enhancement and it is the way of creating employment within the community, developing the community from within.  This initiative is going to be of great development for Victoria and not just only Victoria but the surrounding communities,” he noted.

Fraser further expressed gratitude for the creation of opportunities under the ‘One Guyana’ initiative.

“I am actually really glad that His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has pushed for this initiative because we would’ve found that a few years ago these opportunities were not available and especially coming from an African community we found that there was a lack of opportunities when it comes to development and employment. So, the ‘One Guyana’ initiative that Dr Ali is pushing is bringing great development to Victoria.”

Shawn Beanes of the Victoria Block Building and Supply group also shared similar sentiments, noting that the programme will empower the lives of many in Victoria.

“It is very important because a lot of people are building and as you know now in Guyana there is a lot of buildings going up and building supplies are needed…We are happy that we are having such a programme coming to Victoria so that people can empower themselves, they can start working and even if they choose to branch off by themselves to start their own business it is a very good initiative,” he shared with the media.

Block-building training for participating residents will be conducted in the first week of September.

The programme has impacted the lives of residents in Albouystown, Leopold Street, Sophia, Mocha/ Arcadia, West Ruimveldt and North East La Penitence, further exhibiting government’s commitment to community development.