Thirty Community Support Officers (CSOs) in Karasabai, Region Nine, are now better equipped to support agricultural development and sustainable livelihoods in their community, following the successful completion of training in shade house management.
The training, conducted through the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs’ CSO capacity-building programme, provided participants with practical skills to manage shade house operations and support local food production.
Technical guidance for the training was provided by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), complementing the ministry’s investment in strengthening the skills of CSOs across Indigenous communities.
During an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Tuesday, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Sarah Browne Shadeek said the programme is designed to ensure CSOs assigned to agriculture have the technical capacity to contribute meaningfully to productive activities within their communities.
“For those who are attached to agriculture, we would normally train them to be able to manage a shade house,” the minister said.
Shade house management is among several areas offered under the programme, which also includes training in small engine repairs, cosmetology and sewing.
The initiative forms part of wider support channelled through the Amerindian Development Fund, under which villages can receive assistance for shade house projects, including installation and initial support for crop production.
For Karasabai, the training comes at a time when the village is advancing a number of initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods and strengthening its productive capacity.
Meanwhile, Toshao of Karasabai David Albert said the community has benefited from investments in infrastructure, agriculture, education and essential services through various Government-supported programmes, including the Presidential Grant and the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
“Our village is no longer left behind. We are actually seeing it happen right in front of our eyes,”Toshao Albert said.
Among the developments are a hot meal kitchen, a floodlit playfield, a school library, self-contained cabins and improved transportation.
The village also received an upgraded airstrip, commissioned in April 2026.
Karasabai is further strengthening its agricultural base through a village cash crop farm being implemented under its 2024 LCDS allocation.
The farm is expected to produce crops such as watermelon and hot peppers, with a ready market through the hot meal programmes at the Karasabai Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools.
The combination of practical training, agricultural infrastructure and market opportunities is creating a stronger foundation for community-led development.