Residents from the villages of Brothers and Lonsdale, on the East Bank of Berbice (EBB), Region Six, now have access to two new recreational parks which were yesterday commissioned by First Lady Mrs Arya Ali under her National Beautification Project.
The newly built parks are equipped with gazebos, benches, garbage receptacles, washroom facilities, and play park amenities such as swings, slides, and seesaws for children. The parks were built through a collaboration between the Office of the First Lady and the Ministry of Public Works.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday, Mrs Ali said that when she assumed office in 2020, she made a commitment to use her office to improve the lives of the Guyanese people through a number of targeted projects.
“Public parks, like these two, fall under the category of essential public services. A robust ecosystem of public parks followed by frequent recreation programs for public participation can significantly elevate the status of a community and improve the lives of residents,” the First Lady said.
She added that public recreational parks help to improve the quality of life of people by promoting physical activities and an appreciation for the natural environment.
“With modern lifestyle choices and practices exposing many of us to heart disease, obesity and other disorders, parks like this one serve to encourage physical fitness and are great alternatives to the gym,” Mrs Ali said, adding that research shows too that people living within a mile of a park are likely to experience less stress than people with no access to recreational spaces.
She highlighted too that parks also provide a sense of identity and belonging to community members, as they are a focal point in communities where people of different ethnic groups, religious backgrounds, and even social class converge to share experiences.
Such informal interactions, Mrs Ali said, encourage social cohesion and strengthen bonds. Additionally, she underscored the fact that facilities such as these also serve to create employment opportunities for residents of the communities.
“Apart from the persons who were employed to design and build these parks, we will have part-time workers managing them and that will create additional employment opportunities for the residents of these communities,” she said.
Meanwhile, Regional Chairman of Region Six, David Armogan commended the initiative by the First Lady which he said is greatly appreciated by the residents of those communities.
Armogan was also keen to point out that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government continues to make investments in projects which provide a better life for the Guyanese people.
He said that the addition of these parks to the region will complement the massive development taking place in Region Six.
The National Beautification Project aims to safeguard the scenic qualities of Guyana’s roadways, urban spaces, and countryside through scenic revitalization, and promote social cohesion through community development and recreational activities.
