By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
Despite finalising the architectural design for a new Amerindian Hostel in Georgetown and setting aside additional resources in the 2026 National Budget, serious questions remain about the fate of the $70 million approved in 2024 for the rehabilitation of the existing facility on Princess Street.
The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs was allocated $7.2 billion in the 2025 Budget to support Amerindian development and hinterland programmes. However, the conditions at the hostel—which houses Indigenous people travelling to the capital for medical care, schooling, and other essential needs—have deteriorated to what critics describe as inhumane.
WIN Member of Parliament Dawn Hastings-Williams condemned the facility’s condition after visiting it firsthand.
“It is very disappointing and very hurtful… It is a distress to our Indigenous people,” she said.
Where Did the Money Go?
According to parliamentary records, the $70 million approved in 2024 was divided as follows:
- $24 million for general repairs, including
- replacement of doors
- rehabilitation of washrooms
- improvement of the overall living conditions
- $45 million for
- construction of a new kitchen
- building a concrete bridge at the hostel
Former Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai stated that these works were expected to improve the facility significantly. Yet, one year later, residents report the opposite.
Attempts by Nightly News to obtain clarification from the current Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Sarah Browne, were unsuccessful.
Dire Living Conditions
Nightly News understands that residents continue to struggle in conditions described as degrading:
- Non-functional toilets
- Residents are forced to fetch water manually to flush
- Lack of fans and mosquito nets despite extreme heat
- Mattresses so worn that cases of scabies have spiked
- Overcrowded rooms lacking basic sanitation
In an alarming revelation, a well-placed source told Nightly News that children at the facility have been susceptible to, or victims of, sexual assault, including rape. These cases, the source claims, were confirmed but concealed.
The situation recently escalated into a public confrontation between Minister Browne and representatives of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) movement, who accused the government of neglect and mismanagement.
Government Now Plans a New Facility
While questions swirl around the unaccounted 2024 expenditure, the Department of Public Information announced that the architectural design for a new Amerindian Hostel is nearly complete, with construction funding expected in Budget 2026.
For many Indigenous families, however, the urgency lies not in a new building years away—but in the failure to deliver on millions already approved for essential repairs.
As the controversy deepens, critics continue to ask:
What happened to the $70 million allocated for the Amerindian Hostel—and why are Indigenous citizens still living in such appalling conditions?
