President Dr Irfaan Ali on Monday launched a Model Village initiative aimed at transforming communities countrywide into modern, economically vibrant and socially connected spaces where citizens can live, work, and thrive. The initiative was launched with consultation sessions across several communities in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), where the President and his team unveiled renderings of how each village will be transformed under this new venture. The first engagement was held at Leonora on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), where President Ali explained that the initiative will “eventually touch every single village in our country”. He added that it is more than the infrastructural improvements. According to President Ali, the Model Village initiative will be centred on four key pillars: connectivity, community, commerce and care.

Connectivity & community

On connectivity, he explained that “it means proper roads, bridges and culverts, reliable drainage, street lighting, pedestrian crossings, appropriate parking, designated areas for heavy-duty machinery.” “It means areas to utilise and essential services. But connectivity also means connecting the village to the wider economy. Our people should be able to move efficiently from their homes to schools, workplaces, markets and services,” President Ali added. Building a sense of community is equally important for this initiative to be successful, President Ali indicated, expressing that “you can build beautiful roads and excellent buildings and still have a poor community.” In this regard, he emphasised the importance of cultivating a culture where there is neighbourliness. “…where neighbours know each other, where people look after the elderly, where children are protected, where young people are engaged, where families in distress can receive assistance, where people volunteer, where community organisations flourish, where religious organisations contribute, where elders are respected, where people gather for recreation and celebration, and where people come together in times of difficulty,” President Ali noted. “We must restore the understanding that my neighbour’s well-being is also my concern. A village should never become a place where people live beside each other and lives, and live as strangers,” he added. To support this movement, President Ali said the Government will invest in physical spaces where neighbours can connect, such as community centres, playground, play fields, parks, recreational facilities, youth facilities and facilities for senior citizens.