Most Guyanese are surviving each day on sheer grit and determination, as the harsh realities of life weigh heavily on their shoulders. From shrinking purchasing power to rising living costs, keeping a roof over one’s head and food on the table has become a daily struggle for many. The gap between the wealthy elite and the working poor is growing wider in a nation that should be thriving.
It is nothing short of a national tragedy that, in a country ranked among the fastest-growing economies in the world, poverty and unemployment remain rampant. These are not marginal issues, they are daily realities for a majority of our people.
Despite this, the indomitable spirit of the Guyanese people persists. Every morning, countless citizens wake up with hope that today will be better than yesterday, that inclusion will finally win over political, ethnic, and cultural partisanship. Many still believe in the promise of “One People, One Nation, One Destiny,” not as a hollow slogan, but as a future worth fighting for.
But the proud boast that Guyana is the fifth fastest-growing economy in the world rings hollow for the ordinary citizen. Economic growth means little when 49 percent of the population lives in poverty, and 48 percent survive on less than $1,200 per day. Workers in both the public and private sectors are barely getting by, youth unemployment is rampant, and pensioners are expected to survive on a meager $41,000 per month. Public assistance stands at a mere $22,000.
This is not prosperity. This is economic exclusion. And those being excluded are the very backbone of the nation.
Prices for basic goods continue to climb, yet wages remain stagnant. The average Guyanese is being squeezed to the brink. Many are homeless or on the edge of it, while others are forced to make heartbreaking choices between eating and maintaining their dignity. No one should have to decide between hunger and humiliation in a country rich with resources.
Meanwhile, our children are falling behind their Latin American and Caribbean peers in education. Our healthcare system remains broken. Building hospitals without investing in healthcare workers is an exercise in futility.
Constructing schools without ensuring teachers are respected, paid, and parents can afford to send their children is a recipe for stagnation. A school feeding programme is not enough. In a wealthy country, children should have access to three nutritious meals a day but poorly paid or unemployed parents cannot provide what they do not have.
We must stop pretending that statistics and GDP rankings reflect the lived reality of our people. Until every Guyanese, regardless of background, can share in the country’s prosperity, our economic growth will remain a façade.
Guyana is not just a country with oil. It is a country with people who are hardworking, hopeful, and deserving of more. Better must be done. In an economy this booming, so many shouldn’t be barely surviving.
