A vision of cleaner, better-organised and more modern communities is gaining support among residents of Enmore, along the East Coast of Demerara, who have welcomed the government’s proposed Model Village Initiative.
The undertaking is expected to bring community improvements to infrastructure, drainage, sanitation, recreational spaces and the overall appearance of the area, as part of broader efforts to modernise communities.
On Thursday, Councillor Jai Lall, who has served on the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) since 1994, told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the proposed plans are unlike anything he has previously seen.
“I have never seen a board or these kinds of models being shown,” Lall said.
He said he would be pleased to see the proposed model become a reality, particularly given Enmore’s significance to the East Coast.
Resident Tejwan Singh welcomed the initiative and expressed appreciation for the government’s continued development efforts.
“I’m glad to see them continue as a government. If we remember the years of old, we have never had something like this before. Again, I must say thank you.”
For Shobana Williams-Morman, who recently returned to Guyana from Trinidad, the initiative is evidence of the country’s rapid development.
“This is something great, knowing that I remigrated from Trinidad and coming to see that Guyana is developing so fast. This is a great initiative for every community, and I’m so happy to see it roll out,” she said.
The Model Village Initiative forms part of the government’s broader approach to upgrading communities while keeping residents at the centre of the development process.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has emphasised that the programme is about organising communities, not displacing residents, with investments to create safer, cleaner and more liveable neighbourhoods.