Supenaam Amerindian Hostel was underutilized

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56528464

Supenaam Amerindian Hostel was underutilized
Stabroek News, Saturday, September 8th 2007

Dear Editor,

Thank you for allowing me to respond to a letter titled 'This
Amerindian Hostel should not be handed over to a businessman,' (SN,
30.8.07) authored by Archie W Cordis. Please be informed that the
Supenaam Amerindian Hostel, as all the other regional hostels, is not
administered by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs but by the regional
administration of the particular region. However, it is not unusual for
the regional administration to consult with the ministry from time to
time on matters related to the administration of these hostels, and
consultations were held regarding the future of the Supenaam hostel. I
will leave the regional administration to respond on the future use of
the building but will like to offer an explanation why the decision was
taken to close the hostel.

Region 2 is the only region with four Amerindian hostels - Supenaam,
Anna Regina, Charity and the latest addition being the Suddie hostel,
which became necessary due to the lack of accommodation for persons
from the far-flung communities accompanying patients seeking medical
attention at Suddie Hospital. With respect to the Supenaam hostel, this
facility was necessary in the past due to the condition of the
Supenaam-Charity road which took many hours to traverse from one end to
the other. In addition, persons travelling from the city to the
Amerindian communities of Regions 1 and 2 and vice versa had to contend
with very slow boats which took many hours to arrive at their
destinations. However, today one can travel from Supenaam to Charity in
less than two (2) hours, and from the city to the communities (and in
some cases even return) in one day, since the road is in very good
condition and many high-powered boats now traverse the rivers. Bethany,
the lone Amerindian village on the Supenaam creek, is approximately 45
minutes away using a speedboat; hence residents of this village do not
need to be accommodated at the hostel as their homes are nearby. More
importantly, it has been established that the facility is severely
underutilized, hence the decision to discontinue the service.

Yours faithfully,

Carolyn Rodrigues

Minister of Amerindian Affairs