Residents of Akawini have lauded the government’s ongoing dredging of the creek leading to the village in Region Two, which has led to improved transportation and emergency access.
This is in addition to residents praising the investments in education, infrastructure, and community development.
RDC Councillor Rudolf Wilson said the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has cleared approximately 35 miles of the creek from its mouth, significantly improving travel for residents.
She stated that the work has made it easier and safer for villagers, particularly during medical emergencies when residents must travel by boat to Charity.
“We, the people of Akawini, are really enjoying the work that the excavator has been doing,” he said, while expressing gratitude to the government for investing in the project.
Wilson further highlighted several development projects completed in the village, including bridges, multipurpose facilities, and other community infrastructure.
Wilson noted that Akawini has also benefited from approximately $35 million through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.
He said that an additional $3 million presidential grant has been given to the village to undertake priority development works.
Wilson also praised the government’s provision of transportation for secondary school students, saying it has removed a major challenge previously faced by families seeking to keep their children in school.
Meanwhile, Leona James, a soon-to-be pensioner who has been traversing the river for some time, stated that it will now become easier as branches used to be in their faces sometimes.
“Well, it’s a little bit easier because when it was bushier, the bush used to lash your face and all sorts of things…When the rain falls, you can’t even look up, you have to look down, but now you can look up if you have a plastic, so now we could go out and come back in the night and in the day,” she stated.
Meanwhile, primary school teacher Dino Alberts said the government’s expansion of online university programmes has created new opportunities for teachers in hinterland communities to earn degrees without leaving their villages.
“It is making life easier for us because we don’t have to go to Georgetown to complete our degree in education at the university level,” Alberts said.
He added that the initiative allows teachers to continue serving their communities while upgrading their qualifications, and he encouraged more young men to pursue careers in teaching.