Dear Editor,
As I am writing this letter, I feel victimised as a single mother. Over the past three years, I’ve been living in a housing scheme known as “Block 5 Ankerville”, which is located in the home community of the late President Dr. Cheddi Jagan, and was established under the tenure of the current President, Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali, when he was Minister of Housing & Water.
Since its creation, no infrastructural upgrade was done in this housing scheme. The state of the streets and drainage systems is deplorable! This housing scheme has been in existence for over 20 years, and has been left abandoned by the Ministry of Housing & Water.
I must point out that the Minister within the Ministry of Housing & Water, Susan Rodrigues, did help with some street lights, for which we are thankful; but twenty years have passed and there has been no infrastructural upgrade done to this housing scheme in regard to streets and drainage. The streets are so deplorable that even the kids in the village are left to suffer, in that they cannot go to school when it rains. It is a shame!!!
Many times I reached out to Ministers of the then Granger-led administration, and they were of no help, except for empty promises. They were useless!!! And again, it’s a shame!!!
Editor, I reached out to the Ministers of Infrastructure, Regional Chairman of Region 6, Regional Vice Chairman of Region 6, Regional Sports Officer of Region 6 (who lives right in the scheme), NDC members and other Government officials, and all efforts have proven to be futile.
Just two days ago, residents of Liverpool Village on the Corentyne came out and launched a protest about the deplorable state of their main entrance street. I could not believe when I was told that the very next day Government began working on the street. It hurts to have been fighting and asking, time and time again, for the roads (even the main entrance) in this housing scheme to be built/upgraded, only for this request to fall on DEAF ears.
There are residents living in this scheme: nurses, soldiers, teachers, cane harvesters etc., as soon as it rains a little, the scheme is flooded, due to the poor engineering of drainage systems. We, the residents, have suggested time and time again the way by which this could be solved, but all suggestions keep falling on deaf ears. We, the poor people, are left to suffer all losses here in “Block 5 Ankerville”, Region 6.
Mr President, I am appealing to you: PLEASE render some help to us. We are tired of promises, we need to see action. We know you are a man of action, please demonstrate that.
