Moco Moco Village advancing agriculture, industrial arts with carbon credit funds

The village of Moco Moco in Central Rupununi, Region Nine is pushing development in agriculture, industrial arts, and business empowerment through resources earned from Guyana’s sale of carbon credits.

Due to its population size, the village will receive $24 million from the first tranche of monies earned from the carbon credit sale, which has already been disbursed to 242 Amerindian communities across Guyana.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) recently caught up with Toshao Thomas George, who outlined some of the projects that his village is undertaking for sustainable development.

He said an industrial arts centre will be established by the village council where youths and villagers can master the craft, allowing the village to market value-added products from its forest. This is expected to provide employment and develop the village economy.

Youths will also be gainfully employed at the mini-market which will be constructed.

“I particularly want the youths to run it because village councils change every three years but the youths will remain. So, they will have control over that,” George said.

Additionally, funds will be used to develop the village’s agriculture sector. Already, four acres of cassava are under cultivation, while land preparation is ongoing for the cultivation of red beans and corn.

A meeting hall was also constructed to the tune of $12 million, eliminating the need for meetings and activities to be held at the primary school, which inconvenienced learners in the past.

“I am very thankful for what we have received and I think it’s a good step forward. Putting some of the money into the hands of the people…I am very thankful,” the village leader expressed.

Approximately 500 projects are being implemented across the various Amerindian communities, fully supported by monies earned from Guyana’s sale of carbon credit, facilitated through the government’s expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

In December 2022, the government signed a contract with Hess Corporation, which will see the nation earning US$750 million within a ten-year period.

Some 15 per cent will be allocated towards Amerindian development, while 85 per cent will be invested in multi-community and national priorities, where Amerindian villages will also benefit.