And another remote village in the Toledo District is getting an upgrade courtesy of the Ministry of Rural Transformation. Last month, we showed you three indigenous engineers who are bringing solar electricity to villages in the south - Machakilha being one of them. But while they await the needed equipment, the road to the village, which has seen neglected over decades, is finally being developed.
It's a huge step for the villagers - including students - who have to spend hours traversing that road by foot. It will also assist those seeking medical attention outside the village.
And the Minister and area Rep, Oscar Requena, said it's a collaborative effort between them and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Development and Housing and he assures the residents he will see the project through till the end. We spoke to him via Zoom.
Hon Oscar Requena, Minister of Rural Transformation
"During our visit we committed to the community, to the leaders and the people here, that we would work together with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development and Housing to be able to, 1. Open up the road so that the road reaches the community because currently the road was only about halfway. So the project
includes completed the road all the way to the community, bulldozing it, and we also want to put material, rock on the road so that it becomes accessible to the residents of that community. This is very important to that community because as you will recall we have seen where our students have very difficult times and challenges just getting out of the community to get to school, they have to leave very early hours, 4 o'clock in the morning, leaving the community to walk to Dolores. The same thing applies when they have to walk in the evening, they're getting back there 7 or 7:30 in the night. When persons in the community become ill, we have pregnant persons, you know we have instances where they've actually given birth on the road and you know getting out somebody who is sick is very challenging."
"I can tell you the first thing that they said to us when we met with them, as I said it was late February, they said Minister Requena, the first thing we want is our road. And I have a teacher, I must commend him, he is the principal of the community there and an activist, has always been fighting and advocating for the road and other needs of the community, so he keeps checking with us, he keep s reminding us, and you know Courtney, they challenges we are going through in terms of the economy, it's just difficult finding that money to be able to do as much as we want but whatever little we can get our hands on, you be assured that we are going to make every effort together."
After the Machakilha road is completed, the minister has committed to upgrading the road leading to super - remote Graham Creek - which is also inaccessible by vehicles.
