Essequibo Coast communities poised for transformation under Model Village initiative

Communities across the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are set to benefit from a wide-ranging transformation programme aimed at improving infrastructure, creating economic opportunities and building safer, greener and more sustainable communities.

The plans were outlined during community consultations at Good Hope Primary School and Suddie Primary School, where President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali engaged residents on the Government’s Model Village initiative and the broader development vision for the region.

The initiative is expected to address both the physical development of communities and the economic and social opportunities that can emerge from those investments.

Among the proposed interventions are the cleaning and removal of encumbrances from road shoulders, drains and public reserves; upgrades to roads and bridges; improvements to utility poles and street lighting; construction of pedestrian walkways and suitable road shoulders; landscaping and streetscaping; tree planting; road demarcation; and upgrades to existing public spaces, green spaces and vending hubs.

President Ali stressed that the transformation must go beyond infrastructure.

He said the objective is to create communities that are “living communities” – places that are safe, clean, sustainable and resilient, while also providing opportunities for residents to earn, invest and build businesses.

“We want communities that are living communities, that are safe, clean, sustainable and resilient that is why we’re looking at the whole issue of planting trees, we’re looking to see which areas can be developed into agricultural, tech hubs…,” President Ali said.

A central feature of the Model Village consultations is the involvement of residents in determining priorities.

President Ali said teams of engineers, planners and other technical personnel had been visiting the communities over recent months to identify challenges and opportunities and develop preliminary proposals.

Residents were then invited to provide feedback on those proposals and identify issues they believe require urgent attention.

The President said Government’s intention is to continue returning to the communities to discuss projects and initiatives, including opportunities for residents to benefit from financing through the Guyana Development Bank.