Flood relief cash grant rolls out in Region 10

-1000 Farmers and households in Region 10 to benefit over the next two days

Approximately $75 Million is to be distributed to 1000 households and farmers of Region 10 whose livelihoods were disrupted by the recent unprecedented flooding, over the next two days.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, made this announcement while spearheading the distribution rollout in Kwakwani, Upper-Berbice River at the Kwakwani Recreational Centre on Saturday.

The Upper-Berbice district which was deemed one of the hardest-hit communities, saw some 600 farmers and households benefitting from this grant.

Minister Edghill in his address to scores of residents gathered at the Recreational Centre said while the Government acknowledges the fact, that the grants cannot compensate households and farmers for their losses, he however encouraged all beneficiaries to invest their monies wisely and not to give up.
“We want you to keep the wheels of production going, we know you’ve been knocked down but knockdown is not knock out. Invest the monies that you are getting is to pick yourself up and get back on the ground. Invest; put it to good use, ” Edghill encouraged.

Recipients of the grants extended gratitude to the Government for the series of assistance meted out to them during their time of devastation. This grant many recipients said, will allow them to invest in their kitchen gardens and farms, which is the only means of income.

“I have to give thanks for whatever little they offer because of the amount of losses I have, this really cannot compensate. There is a lot of work to be done and hope to use my sum of cash to pay workers to get my farm going again, ” Bertram Welcome told INFO 10

Denise Romosindo from Jonestown Kwakwani, who was amongst the first three homestead farmers to benefit from the 100,000 grant said, “I feel great about the grant and very much pleased about the help because the water really affected me, not by the river but an overflown creek at the back of me and settles on the land. ”
She also related to this media house that she plans to purchase seeds and seedlings since cash crop farming is her traditional method of farming.

Meanwhile, Denise Matthews, another homestead farmer said she is elated and very thankful to the government for the assistance since she would have lost almost everything on her farm.

Recipient, Ambra Rogers, a resident of Lamp Island Kwakwani, who was forced to evacuate her inundated home said, “I am thankful for the money and everything the government did for us throughout the flood.

21- year old Colleen Kersting, a mother of two, told INFO 10, that she felt a lot of relief and plans to buy seeds to start up back her garden. My kitchen garden helps me a lot; greens and them thing expensive now, when I plant, I only need to purchase rice and other items I don’t have in my garden, “ the elated Kersting said.

The distribution of the cash grant came into effect following President Irfaan Ali’s announcement on August 1, 2021. He noted that households and kitchen gardens will benefit from $50,000, meanwhile homestead farmers will receive a sum of $100,000.

Some $7.8 B is to be disbursed to 52,000 households and farmers across 300 communities affected by this year’s unprecedented flooding and by far one of the worst that hit the Upper-Berbice District and several other communities.