20060402 Enmore, page 1/4

Multi-Stakeholders Forum in Enmore

Date:2nd April 2006.

Region: 4NDC:

Venue: EnmoreHopePrimary School

Number of participants: 41 persons

Facilitators:Rajkumarie Singh and Abbas Mancey.

What we can celebrate as positives in Guyana

  1. There are no positives.

Elements of a vision for Guyana (dreams for Guyana)

  1. See good things happen for Guyana - to see things improved in general.
  2. Good race relations - people of different races living in harmony.
  3. ERC is not a talk shop - want to see action/action behind project.
  4. Want to see harmony and cooperation not only between races but religions as well.
  5. Would like every citizen living in a free and equal society, where every one has access to the same opportunities.
  6. Good race relations for the financial and economic development of the country e.g. want the currency exchange rate to be reversed.
  7. A society with more respect and demonstration of moral standards.
  8. Our country free from the fear of rampant criminals on the loose.

Present local conflicts/areas of tension

Hope East, Chowkow

  1. Village Council has raised house taxes too high for residents to afford.
  2. No roads or proper bridges are built in the area and the drainage system is poor. As a result when it rains there is flooding, the streets get muddy and faeces get into the water – very insanitary conditions.
  3. One businessman contributes to the problem (flooding) by dumping waste material and blocking which affects especially the neighbour.

Enmore North/Grove Haslinton

  1. Obtaining transports for house and land is difficult for persons living there to access. Persons living there for a while can’t get a transport whilst persons from outside the community are getting through easily.
  2. The paving of Third Street (church road) needs to be completed, only a half has been done.

Newtown Enmore

  1. Roads need to be redone, after the flood in January the road has been continually deteriorated.

Hope West Enmore

  1. No electricity in and around lot 263 Hope West, Enmore.
  2. Streetlights around Primary school taken away, was reported to GPL but to no avail.
  3. Lamppost in someone’s yard – needs to have this moved back to road.
  4. Drains are blocked and need cleaning, some of the residents have contributed to this. NDC was contacted about this problem.
  5. Residents affected by this problem are form lot 233, 200, 839 and 68 Hope West, Enmore.
  6. Roads are not properly built, this is under investigation and it was discovered that the contractor was not paid. NDC chairman is going to be asked to come down to the area to have a look.
  7. Cows around the road, residents want them off. Residents were told that they have to deal with this themselves. They agreed they need to cooperate more to solve this issue.
  8. ERC asked to take action against the government about discrimination over road issue.
  9. Taxes are too high - NDC cannot deal with this but is trying.
  10. No one can get a low-income house in housing scheme. ERC is being asked to go against government for discrimination against them.
  11. Canteen in school encourages children to steal - should monitor what is being sold to children. This matter will be taken to the NDC.

Haslinton

  1. Roads are most important problem, cows and horses cause holes in the road and which becomes gets muddy when it rains - the roads needs to be built up.
  2. Drains and road leading to house lots need to be looked after - no proper access to lots to develop them.
  3. Streetlights are needed to prevent robbery and theft - dark areas compromise security.
  4. Drains are often clogged with garbage.
  5. Jobs are needed in the area - lots of persons are idling.
  6. Enmore Estate needs a management change - the present management is doing a poor job. Factory needs maintenance and upgrading.

Logwood Enmore.

  1. Squatting in playground, the area is very insanitary e.g. latrines are in a very unsafe area, next to bathing and cooking areas.
  2. Surrounding residents are complaining about squatters' behaviour and moral conduct - fighting, cursing and adultery are very evident. These conditions have been existing for some ten years.
  3. Surrounding residents have paid to have playground developed.
  4. Roads need repair, after flood roads began breaking up.

Potential for violent conflict

Foulis

  1. Garbage disposal problem in the village, one person can be identified and made responsible for doing this. Faeces were also observed mixed with the garbage.

Beezee (back road), Enmore East

  1. Crime - persons are targeted and robbed, because there are no streetlights.Need to upgrade community policing groups and need more people (members) day and night. However this may not happen because the NDC does not function well.

Golden-Grove farmland

  1. Farmers are terrorized by villagers as they pass through. Their produce is being stolen from them and their land. They would like the police to intervene but was told by others that no one could help them. An aqueduct should be built at the S-turn at the Lama Dam and a bridge be built by Haslinton so they (farmers) can get home without having to go though Golden Grove village.

Enmore Hope

  1. Cricket team using playground next to EnmoreHopePrimary school - stock holder (neighbors) are not cooperating – they are taking out boards and breaking the locks on the gate to let in animals.

Recommendations

  1. Public will go to NDC meeting on Tuesday 3rd May 2006, 4:30pm. All problems will be aired.
  2. Check with SIMAP about the building of roads. Uncle Ben will also speak to committee (NDC) about roads.
  3. NDC will review high escalation of taxes and disparity of taxpayers.
  4. Residents in Logwood would like someone from the NDC to visit and address the problem of squatting.

Enmore Hope Cricket team (next to Primary School)

  1. Playground/ cricket ground is not up to standard. It needs a pavilion (apparently this is being looked at by NDC)
  2. Sundays when team goes to play or practice they find the pitch dug up. The ground needs filling and leveling, team willing to do the labor. Ground needs two screens to fulfill the standards of the East Coast Demerara Cricket Board ground rules.
  3. The ground has three gates when only one or two are needed. Would like southern gate closed, man living opposite this gate is mostly responsible for destroying fence and ground by letting animals in.
  4. School next door (Enmore Hope Primary) does not properly take care of its garbage dump, paper and plastic blow onto the ground – this is being looked into.
  5. Team needs help with acquiring some cricket gears, any donations will be greatly appreciated.
  6. Ground needs manager (caretaker) to take care of the ground and impound any animals getting into yard.
  7. Person from NDC to visit ground. Team will have a meeting and some public-spirited residents have agreed to attend to discuss the future of the cricket ground and its team.

Any other observation/process issues

Upon conclusion of the conversation participants said they felt: happy; satisfied; proud; glad that NDC was there at the meeting to dialogue with other residents; would like more such meetings; NDC to be more involved and visible; good; nice.

Persons Chosen to Represent the Community at the Regional Forum

Female adult:Bhanmattie Singh

187 Hope West, Enmore.

Tel #: 256-3141

Male adult: Lionel Jagbir

365 Beezie, Enmore Estate

tel #: 256-3068 (h)

628-4281 (c)

Youth: Anthone Dasilva

222 Hope West, Enmore

tel #: 256-3165 (h)