‘Speak to the hands’

NEWLY-ELECTED TOSHAO OF ST CUTHBERT’S MISSION TIMOTHY ANDREWS
IS DISTRAUGHT WITH GRIEF that officials of the regional government system have so far
turned their backs on the flood-hit Amerindian community a mere 45 miles from the capital.
He feels their hands-off, no-show position on St Cuthbert’s Mission’s residents equates to:
‘Speak to the hands; the ears aren’t listening’.

“Since the flooding started here, we have not seen any regional official. This is heartbreaking. I
have appealed several times and would have expected that officials based at Triumph, (the
headquarters of the Demerara/Mahaica [Region Four] Regional Democratic Council [RDC])
would have visited us to access the situation and look at ways to assist us because the community
has been hard hit,” the discomfited Toshao said.
Andrews said this is proof that Indigenous peoples within his community are made to suffer on
their own as while officials are on trips to other communities distributing hampers to other
suffering Guyanese.
An outraged Andrews is demanding RDC Region Four officials leave their comforts and visit the
hard-hit Amerindian community made wretched by the massive floods so they that they have a
first-hand experience of people’ miseries.

Feeling forsaken, and in desperation, Andrews solicited, and received, life-saving assistance
from a number of friends and the charitable organisation Food for the Poor (FFP).
“I would like to express my personal thanks and gratitude to these persons who are my friends
along with Food for the Poor, as it is because of their generous assistance that has helped us (the
Council) in providing some timely assistance. While we are still in need of more stuff, we are
mindful that this hamper will certainly go a significant way in helping out residents to show that
they are cared for in this very unfortunate situation,” he said.

The newly-elected Village Council got into the act distributing relief hampers to hapless
residents.
“The Village Council distributed a number of hampers to residents as we haven’t received the
level and kind of help from the relevant places. We were able to distribute hampers to some 350
households, as we are seeking to assist them in better coping with this flood,” he said.
“This flood situation has severely impacted our farm products as several millions have been lost
from farm and other products. It’s safe to say that the Mission has been severely impacted but we
are optimistic that with the relevant help and assistance, the residents can bounce back as we are
cognizant that we need to do whatever it takes to continue life here in St. Cuthbert’s Mission,” he
explained.

There is critical need for more food stuff and other household items, and help to revive their
agriculture sector, Toshao Andrews said.
“We are still in need of more assistance going forward, especially in the agriculture sector,”
the Village Leader declared.