Kariako closer to becoming economically independent

GINA, Guyana, Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Kariako, a small Indigenous village in Barima/Waini, Region One, is involved in several income generating projects which will see it becoming economically independent.

In 2016, Kariako benefited from the sum of $1.5M under the Government’s Jubilee grant programme, an initiative aimed at pushing green, sustainable projects within hinterland communities.

Toshao, Limbert Henry, during an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), explained that the community embarked on a fuel project, and that the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs used $300,000 of the grant sum to purchase a pump for the village.

“The Ministry purchased a small pump for us to pump the fuel, and we collected the $1.2M in cash to purchase the fuel to start the project. We started to turn over the money and it has been successful thus far, and we are thankful to the government for this,” Toshao Henry said.

Additionally, the Toshao said that the community has commenced its chicken rearing project under the Community Development Project (CDP) for which the community benefited from $5M. “That also is successful. We have finish one batch and the chicken is way up to like seven to eight pounds at five weeks and also that is a nice business in our community and we are getting money from all these businesses,” Toshao Henry noted. The project was started in 2015.

Toshao Henry said that the community is looking to establish a village shop, and the Village Council has already sent its proposal to the ministry for support.

Kariako has a population of about 600 people, and is mostly involved in small-scale mining and traditional farming. The chicken and the fuel are sold to the miners and residents within the community.

On March 17, the community received its land title document granting it absolute ownership of over 51,000 acres of communal land.

By: Synieka Thorne