The simple life of villagers in Paramakatoi

Apr 23, 2017 News

By Tiana Cole
The golden ball of sunshine glows amidst the heavy fog, and slowly rises above the thick

The newly constructed Paramakatoi primary school.

mist, bidding the cold atmosphere of the night away.
It is now 6:30 am and the warm sunshine descends upon the small indigenous village on the Plateau of the Pakaraima Mountain range in the heart of Guyana, a small patch of savannah in the middle of nowhere, at altitude of 970 meters above sea level.
Villagers stir in their households, making preparations for the day ahead and farmers leave to tend to their cultivation before the scorching sun takes over.
It is now 8:00 am and the community comes to life; neighbours shout across to each other’s children and the village shop is flocked with routine late morning impatient shoppers who are in a hurry to get to school or work.
School aged children are seen making their way to school, with eager faces, some reluctantly strolling along.
The sun blazes at mid-day and it peaks around 2pm; the village is quiet with the occasional sounds of motor vehicles on the road.
Children cascade out of the school premises at 3pm when the much anticipated school bell sounds, either making their way home or lingering about, clad in their uniform.
Villagers find themselves at the community centre ground at 17:00hrs to witness the routine game of football or cricket. Women constitute most of the spectators, giving much attention to the young studs who know that they under scrutiny.
The crimson sunset slipping behind “Turtle hill” is a sight to behold as dusk approaches and this is probably the only time of day when persons come out with their families to take a much needed evening stroll after a day of

The Yawong waterfall.

sweat.
‘Brazo’ shop is the place to be after dark offering great customer service. And what’s more, there is always a bevy of young women just looking to have a good time. Despite the 2am curfew ‘Pk’ girls know how to party right into dawn.
Paramakatoi is home to some of the most beautiful women in the country. Pageant diva Sandra Cheong copped the Miss Indigenous Heritage Crown in 2005. She was succeeded by the talented Odessa Paul in 2007.
Paramakatoi, located in Region Eight, has not had any winners since then but much can be expected from the 2017 delegates.
The Indigenous community is also the home of Guyana’s first indigenous Pilot, Mr. Ovid Williams, whose grandparents were among the founders of the village, approximately 100 years ago.
A farming community, this indigenous society’s economy is primarily centered on agricultural cultivation and cattle rearing, constituting about 75% of the village economy.
Farm products are exhibited and marketed twice per week at the village market on Wednesdays and Fridays; persons from small neighbouring villages travel long distances to sell their products as well as intricate crafts and pottery on these days.
There are four major shopping centres and several smaller shops whose proprietors are mostly relocated coastlanders of East Indian ancestry and inter-married Portuguese from neighbouring Brazil.

Surrounding Mountains in the Pakaraima mountain range.

The population is estimated at 3000; one third of the populace being of mixed (Afro, Indo and Portuguese) ancestry due to extensive infiltration of the other cultures in recent years.
Persons live a simple yet contented indigenous lifestyle, their diet comprising primarily of cassava products (farine and cassava bread) complemented with wild meats. Other meats and foods are transported from neighbouring Brazilian towns at a cheaper cost than meat sourced from the coast.
Education is provided at the nursery, primary and secondary level; Paramakatoi Secondary school being the highest ranking in the region. The dormitory accommodates approximately 400 students from across the region and even some from Region Nine communities in close proximity.
A few fortunate ones leave the community to pursue secondary and tertiary education on the coast owing largely to the poor quality of education offered here despite recent attempts to remedy the situation. This issue has roots in the home as most children have little or no motivation from parents.
In addition, the low threshold of requirements needed to qualify as teachers see high numbers of persons fresh out of school with low grades being employed in schools in the community.
The cycle continues, resulting in poor performances year after year at the CXC level.
In the past two to three years however, significant improvement has been seen in the students’ performance. Last year saw the largest batch of passes with grades one to three inclusive of Mathematics in comparison to 2015 which saw no passes at all.
Lack of employment opportunities remains a barrier to youth development as there are limited jobs with no consideration for fresh high school graduates with exceptional grades.
Those seeking to pursue career-oriented jobs leave the confines of their home soil to seek better opportunities elsewhere. This has direct implication for the growth of the community.
Paramakatoi can be accessed via air. Local company Air Services Limited provides regular flights to the village at a cost of $29,000 per seat and the community’s guest house is readily available for accommodation.