New guesthouse to push Santa Rosa village economy, tourism

Santa Rosa Toshao, Stavros Stanley has declared that more job opportunities will soon be
available to the residents of Moruca Sub-Region One, following the construction of a new
guesthouse in Santa Rosa.
He explained that the venture will be made possible through the village’s $10M covid-19 relief
cash grant, which was dispersed in 2021.   The Toshao in a recent interview pointed out that the
project will boost the village’s economy, and put the spotlight on its natural beauty and culture.
“Covid has set back the economy of the entire world and Santa Rosa is no exception, but we are
coming around that now. We have learned to work with covid in our midst and be productive and
now that our covid restrictions are being lifted, I expect Santa Rosa to be moving in leaps and
bounds, especially with the assistance that we are getting from this current administration,”
Stanley said. The Toshao disclosed that a series of training programmes have been undertaken to
prepare persons to become tour guides and caterers, to further boost the village’s tourism sector.
Toshao Stanley stressed that members of the village council, “have also discovered that in Santa
Rosa, we have some rare birds among other species that I think tourists will be very interested in
seeing and photographing.” As such, he issued a call to interested stakeholders to play a role in
the village’s soon-to-be transformational agenda which will improve the lives of residents there.
Stanley revealed that in early 2021, government distributed its one-off $1.73B covid-19 relief
fund, aimed at creating opportunities for livelihood, youth development, and the enhancement of
villages’ infrastructure. As such, communities received grants ranging from$3M to $15M based
on their population.
He said that this is one of the many initiatives implemented by President Irfaan Ali to bring relief
to the hinterland and Amerindian villages affected by the pandemic.