Katoka

Village Profile

Village Profile



Population

671

Males

358

Females

313

Households

112

Language

Makushi, Wapishana, English, Portuguese

Skills

Carpenters, Brick makers, Boat captain, Drivers, Seamstress, Craft makers, Canoe makers, Instrument players, Fish preservers

Religion

Christian brethren church, Anglican Church

Village assets

Vehicle, chainsaw, out board engine and boat, Radio, grass cutter, sewing machine.

Employment

Teachers, CHW, shopkeepers

Economic activities

Farming, Sewing, Fishing, Hunting

Buildings

Health Post, Primary and Nursery School, Teachers Quarter, Church, Village office, rest house.

Local organization

Women’s group, Wildlife club, Prayer Center Youth Fellowship, Sister Bible Class, Football club, Parent Teachers Friends Association( PTFA),

 

 

History

According to the elderly Edna from Katoka, the village got its name from a Jaguar that was seen by a fisher man at the mouth of the Katoka creek. The Jaguar was seen like white cotton which is Katoka in Makushi. He was so scared that he ran back to the village without doing fishing - so upon reaching he told the villagers that he saw a White Jaguar who was like cotton. And from the Makushi word Toga, the English people called it Katoka. That is how the Village got its name from a white Jaguar looking like cotton meaning “Toga’’ in Makushi.

 

Resources

Strengths:

  • Is a titled land-under the Amerindian Act the Village has been granted a Titled to it.

  • Village council in place-the village council consist of both male and female. The body sits to discuss plans for the upcoming months related to the village.

  • Lots of people—the villagers who are involved in village self-help.

  • Has a library—where the school children and villagers go to borrow and hang out.

  • Has a village vehicle—being very helpful to the village, especially when going far ends and bringing in stocks for village shops.

  • Has schools, church, health post, guest house etc…---very good buildings put up in the village.

  • Has community health worker, teachers etc

  • Equipments / facilities e.g. out board engine ,boat, chainsaw, etc

  • Volunteers—people who are helping in the education section.

  • HF Radio

 

 

Weakness

  • Lack of communication--

  • Lack of Cooperation

  • Lack of good leadership skills-

  • Lack of knowledge and skills for the development pathways

  • Inadequate contribution

  • No proper road access

 

 

Opportunities

  • Employment-

  • More youths being trained in the institutes, and in other organizations

  • Toshao representing at the national level meetings

  • More teachers on CPCE training

  • Large scale farming on cassava, crops etc…

  • Markets on hammocks, handicrafts, clothing etc

 

 

Threats

  • Climate change- will affect the lives of the indigenous people when there is too much hot sun and rain.

  • Disagreements- villagers

  • Economics threats

  • Lack of discussion planning

  • Fishing commercial

Development Plans

Community Plans

Water

  • Potable water supply

  • Water to each household in the community (109 households)

  • Install high trestle and tanks

  • Make one large well reservoir

  • Solar powered pump

  • PVC pipes

  • Train 2 technicians to maintain the facility for the village

  • Hand pump for satellite communities

Economic Activities

Agriculture is practiced at a subsistence level but some farmers produce more than needed to gain money for purchasing goods needed.

  • Farming – poultry

  • -cattle rearing

  • Aqua culture

  • Bee rearing

  • Butterfly

  • Crops – cassava, vegetables

  • Agricultural officer – vet

  • Lumbering – carpentry (furniture)

  • Crafts - weaving, basket, hammocks

  • Balata crafts

  • Tourism – trained tour guides, rangers etc

Infrastructure

  • Fencing of school compound

  • Community centre

  • Proper roads/streets in Katoka

  • Communication

  • Fencing of houses

  • Housing

  • Bridge at the Rupununi river

 

Transportation

  • Vehicle etc…-- for emergencies

  • Truck – to transport lumber and other forest products

  • Farm and other produce to markets

  • Transport people to various event e.g. conferences, heritage etc

  • Boat and engine – for emergencies

  • Mini bus – transport for people

  • Tractor –agricultural purposes

  • Ambulance – transport of patients

  • Access to Aircraft – airstrip?

 

Other community plans for Katoka

Health

  • No doctor or nurse stationed in the community

  • Hospital in the Village

  • Malaria personnel

  • Extension to Health centre

  • Have trained health personnel e.g. Doctor, Nurses, Dentex, midwife etc

  • Modern equipment e.g. X-ray

  • Adequate drugs – saline etc

  • Transportation for emergency cases

  • Outboard engine and ambulance

  • Indigenous doctors

  • Environmental offices

 

 

Education

  • well staffed school, trained teachers from the community

  • have access to secondary school

 

Sewing centre

  • for women

Communication

  • Access to the internet (research)

  • Land line installed in houses

  • Cellular phones (emergency)

  • HF Radios

  • Newspaper- National and local

  • Television (Sky dish)

  • Post Office

  • Radio station

 

 

Skills training for young

People- handicrafts such as arrow and making, hammock, etc

Aqua culture

 

Annual community Development Plan:

 






Project

Objective

Activities

Timeline

Remarks

Improving Agricultural production in the Village.

To take steps to allow increased production of agricultural products of local and Brazilian markets.

*Sending two youth to the Bina Hill institute for training in agriculture and natural resource management

*Increasing the sizes of farms but avoiding wastage of lands.

*Negotiating with Yupukari for the tractor to take produce to the markets.

*Using the village cinema to promote sustainable farming practices.

All year

Villagers will signal in writing to the regional Administration that they are very interested in participating in agricultural training and activities in the region.

Building a Bridge at the Rupununi River for better road access.

Building a bridge so that the villagers and other visitors will have better and easier access to go in the Village.

*Seek help from other organization for funding.

*Constructing of the bridge.

*Using the villagers to construct the bridge along with export.

 

May 2010-May 2011

Villagers will signal all the other villagers that they have better access with road and they can do be better business.

Improving water system in the village.

To have adequate and portable water for domestic use.

*writing proposal for support for funding.

*scorching and contracting of water tanks.

*using the villagers to work on digging the holes to run the pipes from tanks to homes.

All year

Villagers who are very interested in doing self-help and are interested in trying new things.