Community Development Officers being equipped to better serve Indigenous villages

DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Community Development Officers (CDOs), serving the South Pakaraima and the North Rupununi were the recent beneficiaries of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) that will assist them in better serving communities in Region Nine.

Ellis Brasche (North Rupununi) and Shurland Davis (South Pakaraima) received one ATV each from Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock, during a recent ministerial outreach in Region Nine.

Minister Allicock explained that the intention is to ensure that the officers are in constant contact with the people, thereby reducing the number of complaints and concerns when officials visit the communities.

While noting that the CDO’s have a critical role to play in ensuring basic services are provided to the Indigenous peoples across the country, Minister Allicock said, “Some of the issues that are raised during outreaches can be dealt with at the local level. The CDO’s have to work, they were put there to serve the people. They are there to make representations on the people’s behalf and ensure that some of these issues are addressed.”

CDOs are deployed in the various sub-regions of Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine, to monitor all village activities and projects. Likewise, they facilitate visits of government officials, provide logistical information to authorised representatives of governmental organisations and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs.) They also represent the ministry during village activities and may help in identifying issues, and lobbying on their communities’ behalf to get projects realised.

 

By: Synieka Thorne

 

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