This letter is a response to an article written by Vishani Ragobeer and published in The Guyana Chronicle on 4 June 2023. To hear this letter read in Patamuna, please scroll down.
Dear Ms. Ragobeer,
It gives me great pleasure to respond to the article you wrote about the tragic fire that claimed many lives and traumatized many others. Your comments were particularly intriguing when you discussed your experiences in Karisparu. As a resident of region 8, I can attest that many people have negative perceptions of schools in the interior. Inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of qualified teachers, and a limited range of educational options are just a few of the problems that are thought to increase the likelihood of suffering from their socioeconomic makeup and geographic isolation.
In order to increase access to essential services and foster economic growth, I advise that the government make investments in infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and sanitation facilities. Public-private partnerships, international aid and other funding sources are viable options for achieving this.
Education departments often focus on luring outsiders to live and work in rural areas instead of recruiting teachers from interior, but this can be improved by training prospective workers in rural areas. Education providers may also consider teaching areas of the curriculum or specialist skills in remote areas by non-qualified staff. Furthermore, technology can be applied to enhance service accessibility in the field of education, where online learning platforms can be used to provide access to education.
This letter is a response to an article written by Vishani Ragobeer and published in The Guyana Chronicle on 4 June 2023. To hear this letter read in Patamuna, please scroll down.
Dear Miss Ragobeer,
In response to your article dated 4 June 2023, I commend you for highlighting several sore areas that affect hinterland communities. First, I would like to point out that the problems are not unique to Guyana, therefore the government can research and discover how other nations have resolved similar problems in the past and then apply those strategies to curb the problem.
You mentioned geographical challenges that continue to affect us in the interior. Although I agreed with most of the alternatives you mentioned in your article, I would like to share my opinion on some of them. You referred to President Ali’s consideration of building schools in each village to accommodate high-school children. Realistically speaking, I do not think this will solve the problem since most of the villages have a limited number of students and sometimes there are no high-school-age children in an area.
I believe that providing a dormitory in the most populated area is still the best option, however additional safety protocols need to be implemented, such as the installation of fire alarms in the building and smoke detectors, employment of more house parents, employment of counselors to work at schools, and maybe a center for parents to stay at when they visit their child/children during the school term. I have heard parents complaining about not having a place to stay when they bring their children back to the dorms, therefore they cannot spend more than one day with their children until the term ends, when they come to take their children home.
Another challenge that we face in the interior is the language barrier. Language is very important in education, to interact in the learning environment and comprehend the content of the curriculum. Unfortunately, some learners have language difficulties. We all know that English is the second language of Indigenous people, as such it is difficult to teach content or a concept to a learner that is now learning to speak English. Although speaking in our dialect is not limited in schools, it is difficult to teach content that was learned in English in our dialect, for students to understand in Patamona and then write it in English when they are asked to. To tackle this issue, I think parent support groups can be implemented where parents can freely share how they have dealt with similar issues. Government can provide incentives for such groups to attract more members as well as to maintain the group.
Additionally, internet connectivity has been significantly affecting education in the interior since students and teachers in these areas are expected to take the same workload as those in Georgetown. Students are expected to do online research and download templates for technical drawing and other subject areas. Teachers are expected to upload samples of SBAs (School Based Assessments), and sometimes submit a record if the need arises for online submission. Although these activities are done by those that can access E-gov wifi (government-funded internet), the connection is mostly unstable. So if ten people are connected to the internet, just imagine the frustration you will have to endure because of not being able to complete a task. If you are sitting in the government office while reading my letter I am pretty sure you will understand what I am talking about, but the e-gov internet connection is 10 times poorer in the hinterland regions compared to Georgetown.
Therefore, I believe that the government needs to upgrade the system to some other service provider that can work better in rural areas. There are private businesses that provide internet services in the village, however they are very expensive and most of us cannot afford them due to several economic challenges that you mentioned in your article. Therefore, I think that government needs to change and upgrade the internet provider in the hinterland communities so that we can keep abreast with what’s happening in the rest of Guyana.
I am pretty sure that most of my indigenous brothers and sisters are not aware of the ONE GUYANA initiative that was launched years ago. This is just one example of how clueless we are in the absence of a tool that keeps the global community connected.
In closing, I would like to commend you once again for boldly voicing many of the challenges that affect Indigenous people.
This letter is a response to an article written by Vishani Ragobeer and published in The Guyana Chronicle on 4 June 2023. To hear this letter read in Patamuna, please scroll down.
Dear Ms Ragobeer,
In response to your letter dated June 2023 regarding the tragic Mahdia incident, where 19 lives were lost, I would like to express my concerns and offer some recommendations for the authorities involved in the planning and implementation process of addressing this heartbreaking issue.
Firstly, I would like to address your statement regarding the provision of support not only in the present but also in the long term. As an indigenous woman from Region #8, I possess a deep understanding of the region, its landscapes and its geographical challenges. Most of the affected families come from areas that can only be accessed by air transportation, which is both logistically and financially demanding. Therefore, I would like to inquire about the feasibility of sustaining this support in the long term, particularly for communities where the families of the victims reside. Given the region’s geographical constraints, constant access to these areas becomes difficult and expensive. Will it be practical to travel frequently to provide support to communities such as Karisparu, accessible only by helicopter, or Chenapou and Micobie, reachable by aircraft?
Moreover, we must consider the economic factors at play, as many individuals in these communities are unemployed due to limited job opportunities and lack of resources. This further complicates their ability to meet their basic needs, while the families of the deceased victims are grappling with finding means to provide for themselves. This additional burden exacerbates the challenges they are already facing.
You mentioned that His Excellency Honorable Irfaan Ali suggested the establishment of schools in these areas to cater to students in their own hometowns. While this may sound appealing to the public, it may not be feasible as building schools for a small number of students may not be cost-effective. Instead, such resources could be utilized to address other crucial aspects of our country’s development, such as improving internet and mobile connectivity, enhancing infrastructure, addressing electricity and water supply issues, and strengthening healthcare and education systems, especially in the hinterland regions.
Considering the prevailing political instability in the country, I sincerely hope that the current administration will fulfil its promise to provide ongoing assistance without bias. It is my wish that even in the event of a change in government and administration, support for the bereaved families will continue uninterrupted.
In conclusion, as Indigenous Peoples of Guyana, we often find ourselves marginalized and underrepresented. Therefore, I urge the government to consider it their utmost obligation to provide support in all forms without any form of discrimination or favoritism. I hope that my concerns and suggestions will be taken into consideration and incorporated into future planning as we collectively offer support and assistance to the families of the deceased and the survivors. All for your information.
Respectively yours,
Vickiola Aaron Paramakatoi Village North Pakaraimas Region #8
The Guyanese Languages Unit 