Orealla residents promised relief and opportunity as President Ali pledges brighter future

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali visited the Amerindian village of Orealla in Region Six on Thursday, where he informed residents of the government’s short-term relief and long-term transformation planned for their community.

One of the pressing issues he addressed was that of electricity, where he committed to expanding the system and providing subsidies to ease the burden on residents.

“I’m saying to you that from the next budget, we are going to provide half of this 180 barrels of fuel,” he relayed, noting that this intervention will bring immediate relief.

Access to water remains a challenge for villagers, but President Ali said new measures are being taken to bring relief.

“One of the things that we are doing in the next few months is to have an international company come to do a groundwater study. We are going to have Siparuta [and] Orealla as the first villages on that groundwater study, so they can identify precisely where the aquifers are, so that we can get a proper well that will give you water 24-7,” the president promised.

Families will also benefit from direct support to build and improve their homes. Finances will be made available to build a childcare centre for teachers, nurses and medics to work comfortably while their children are in a safe environment.

The president said that young people in the region can now study nursing, earn diplomas, degrees, and even master’s degrees without leaving their area.

He also highlighted that when students from Orealla are ready to study medicine, provisions will be made for them to attend the College of Medical Science in Region Six.

Orealla will also benefit from a major facelift as the government will ensure resources are allocated to improve all internal roads in the community into concrete structures. And the president made it clear that residents will play a crucial role in this transformation.

Farmers in Orealla and Siparuta will also benefit from new initiatives aimed at strengthening agriculture and livestock production.

President Ali pledged wide-ranging support for farmers, noting that assistance will include fertiliser, financing, tools, equipment, and extension services. “Our farmers can expect direct help … to build their farms [and] expand their farms,” he said, adding that the government’s ambition is to “grow the livestock industry here by ten times what it is today.”

Orealla could also benefit from the construction of cold storage facilities so that farmers can store their produce and then sell it to markets across Guyana.

The president also highlighted the government’s commitment to training and increasing the salaries for part-time workers and Community Service Officers (CSOs).

“It’s not only about salary, we want to upskill and upgrade our pathway workers and our CSOs, so that they can have higher-paying jobs, that they can move and graduate to a full-time job,” he added.

President Ali also assured pensioners that they will benefit from an increased pension and a facility that will allow them to live a life of fulfilment.

“We’re interested in a viable future for you and your families. We’re interested in a future in which you’re going to aspire. And a future in which you know that you will be secure,” he assured the Amerindian community before adding, “I want to say to you that we love you dearly. We respect you [and] we honour you.”