Latest update September 30th, 2026 10:21 AM
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Dochfour residents cry out for help
This house collapsed as a result of the flood.
After 21 days of enduring flood waters and the risk of water-borne diseases, residents of several East Coast Demerara villages say they have reached breaking point, and are calling on the authorities to do something tangible to alleviate their suffering.
Yesterday a group of women from East Coast Demerara villages, including Bachelor’s Adventure, Paradise, and Ann’s Grove, converged in Dochfour, a small village aback of Ann’s Grove, where they highlighted their plight to members of the media during a fact-finding tour of the community. The women, most of whom are self-employed, said that the present situation is worse than during the 2005 flood.
“In 2005 the water lasted seven days and now we going through this for 21 days and nothing ain’t happening,” said a resident of Bachelor’s Adventure.
She said that ministers of the government had visited the communities and had promised to return, but to date this has not happened.
Alima Sadeek of Dochfour told this newspaper that she is fed up with the entire situation, since every time it rains the place is flooded and this brings with it the threat of diseases.
So far there has been no reported case of water-borne diseases, but some persons have already begun to experience rashes on their feet.
Sadeek said that medical personnel had visited the area but their services leave much to be desired.
“Whenever they come, if you have ground-itch on your foot, you have to take off your boots to show them before you could get medication. I think that is bad because each house should be given a tube of that medication for the ground-itch and rash, and they should not wait for persons to be infected,” Sadeek said.
This resident has the devil's own job in finding her bridge.
The woman claimed that the situation could have been avoided if the authorities had taken early steps to repair damaged and rundown drainage systems.
Although the flooding began two weeks ago it was only yesterday that drainage workers were seen clearing several blocked drainage canals in Dochfour, which is probably the most affected East Coast Demerara village.
“This area is not Dochfour, it is ‘Duck four’. Everything get duck out by the water. All we cash crop and animals gone,” said a female farmer.
She blamed the negligence of the authorities in maintaining the main koker in the community for the problem.
According to the villagers, the koker has been neglected since the 2005 flood.
“We want the koker and de road fix because we can’t live in this. Is 21 days now we suffering from this,” she said. Some residents took the decision to move out of the area for the Christmas holidays, while others who have stock were forced to remain and endure the hardship.
Dawn Washington, who has been a resident of Dochfour for the past 49 years, said that she has never seen a situation like the present one in all her life.
She said that from all appearances not many people know about the village.
“This is like the last part of Africa; very few people know about this area. Our village needs visits from the government,” she said.
She said that the village also needs more autonomy, since whenever there is a disaster the area is neglected.
“The last time (2005), they distributed things and by the time we get out, everything finish. So we need to have our own group which will represent the people whenever there is a disaster,” Washington lamented.
A resident of Dochfour uses his pump to drain water from the village.
According to Washington, this time around the aid organisation OXFAM along with the Civil Defence Commission distributed hampers to members of the community, which has about 80 households, totalling approximately 400 residents.
But there is still much more that should be done, according to Washington.
“Children didn’t have a Christmas,” she said.
In many cases persons were experiencing difficulties finding the bridges that lead to their yards, and some have even placed boats at the entrance of their dwelling to make access easier.
At least one concerned resident, a rice farmer, had volunteered the use of his tractor to pump the water from the land and already the water is receding.
“I never had to use a boat to go down in the village, and on Christmas Day I did,” Washington told the media.
Residents said that they have seen caimans and snakes which have contributed to the demise of their stock, and as such they are afraid to walk through the flood waters.
Some villagers have not left the comfort of their homes for the past five days.
“When we tell the President that we never experience this under Burnham, he tell us that Burnham used to work we like slaves. But at least we de living better,” another resident said.
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