Great Falls 58 Miles is an Indigenous village of Administrative Region 10. It can be found 58 miles south of Linden along the Linden-Lethem trail. Lush vegetation along the trail gives way to this bustling village that features the cascading waters of Great Falls. For 2023, the village and its 395 residents received G$ 15 million of Guyana’s carbon credit revenue through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030. The villagers met on 2 March 2023 and agreed to invest their allocation in 4 diverse projects to improve the village and enhance the lives of residents. The investment areas are depicted in the graph below.
Mile 58 village’s projects are as follows: acquisition of a tractor; procurement of sawmilling equipment; development of 10 shade houses and construction of houses for needy residents.
Great Falls engages in sustainable logging and the production of lumber. However, the village lacked important machinery and equipment to maximise this enterprise. As such, residents opted to buy a tractor to simplify and lower the cost of transporting logs to the sawmill. They also equipped the sawmill with vital equipment which aids the production of lumber. These measures helped to streamline this economic activity and make it more profitable for locals
In a bid to become more food secure, Mile 58 village will develop 10 shade houses to produce cash crops. The village selected and prepared the site for the shade houses. The construction of the shade houses and cultivation of crops will commence soon. This project would drastically decrease the cost of vegetables for the residents and amply supply restaurants and the school’s kitchen where students would benefit from nutritious foods and balanced diets.
A few persons in the village face difficult circumstances. To help ease their burden and improve their lives, the village used some of its allocation to purchase building materials, so that villagers could construct houses for individuals in need.
“I am a 66-year-old pensioner and a widow for 7 years. I was living in a house that was falling a part in the gully. I am very happy about my new home from the carbon credits. It makes me feel good on the inside. My new house is a big improvement for me, and it is on high ground, so I don’t have to worry about water and flooding anymore” – Ms Ruth Ben-Alicock
“The tractor is working well. Before, we had to pay outsiders to pull our load, so money was leaving the village. Now we have our own tractor, so when people use it to pull loads, the money remains in the village and we can use that money in other ways to help our people and Great Falls” – Mr Steve Wilbert, Tractor Operator
Mr Leroy Thomas is Mile 58 village’s visionary Toshao. He welcomes the LCDS carbon credit funds which empowers all of Guyana’s Indigenous communities. He observed that the initiative has many positive impacts within his village.
Toshao explained the visionary nature of Great Falls’ projects. The enhancements made to the local logging and sawmilling industries will result in the production of more value-added products. For example, the village is keen on producing furniture for local use in the school and homes etc. as well as exporting pieces which will earn revenue for the village and create jobs. Similarly, the shade houses will help to supply the demand for vegetables both inside and outside Mile 58. This will result in additional revenue for the village and the creation of more jobs in agriculture. These enterprises will provide the opportunities for supportive and spin-off ventures as well.
Mile 58 village has a 10-year village sustainability plan to guide its development. So, it eagerly awaits the 2024 carbon credit disbursement to finance the implementation of more transformational projects for its people.
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