Weldaad Village: a small community where laughter abounds

Nov 10, 2019 News

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By Alex Wayne

I stood on the edge of the village taking in the bustle. Residents were rushing about intent on executing various errands in record time. It was Saturday.

The heckling of boisterous and shirtless young men emitted from almost every angle of the location. Some were drinking beers in the hot midday sun while others opted to cool down with fresh, young water coconuts and fruit juice in plastic bags.
Some seemed content to munch mangoes, served chilled by women in large enamel country styled plates.
The laughter of children rent the air every now and then, often disturbed by the shouts of busty mothers leaning out of their bedroom windows to summon disobedient children. Quite often these shouts escalated into cuffs and lashes as impatient mothers moved to sterner measure to grasp the attention of irresponsible children.
I was in the village of Weldaad, West Coast Berbice, just about forty miles east of Georgetown. This village is flanked by the seemingly slightly larger villages of Golden Fleece to the west and Hope to the east.

Weldaad can be described as a community in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) along the Atlantic Ocean coast.
This village has just over thirty-five households with a population of about over three hundred residents, most of whom are of African descent.
I entered the village and was instantly greeted with welcoming but curious smiles from somewhat shy children who hid behind their mother’s skirts, peering out occasionally to inspect me with childish curiosity.
This village does not feature majestic buildings, posh shops, fancy stores or elegant boutiques, but what may cause it to top the list is its quiet existence, fueled by the humility and charm of its residents.
On entering the village from the east, the view was very enticing. Somehow the spread of dense, lush vegetation, shrubs and abundant fruit trees created a dream paradise. The sedate and homely way in which the posh little houses were nestled amongst the trees lent a striking yester-year charm to the village.
Coconut and tamarind trees swayed lazily in the Atlantic breeze, and juicy looking mangoes and sapodillas hung from several trees, tempting me to climb up and savour their ready sweetness. And there seemed to be a few genip tress that were still sporting their popular fruit.
The legendary ‘whitie fruit’ was in abundance as the branches strained with the weight of their ripened burden.
It seemed as if the village had a mind of its own, and was just enjoying the luxuries of fresh wind and tropical flowers as it looked over gratifyingly at the first few signs of modern transformation that were evolving from within its environs.

Cattle, sheep and goats were grazing quite contentedly in the pastures. The cows seemed to be trying their best with the almost sun-dried grass and shrubs by the roadside and sheep bleated loudly as they darted down the dusty dams to sip water from the trenches. The tropical sun was merciless.
I was just overwhelmed by the bustle and festive aura that seemed to surround this village. I passed a few yards where bare-backed youths frolicked in the sand or were engaged in fiery clashes over who were the winners of whatever game they were playing.
Chatting with residents
As luck would have it, my first interview was with village elder George Williams, 87, who was still a very alert and active individual. I was very surprised to note that his old and fading wooden home which I was accustomed to visiting as a youth, was now replaced by a majestic concrete structure. But there he was, seated as always on that very bench he loved so much, and his eyes were still twinkling with mischief and merriment like always.
George agreed that the village was basking in peace and harmony. He reflected on long gone days when he was growing up as a ‘poor little country boy’ to very poor parents.
He said that, in his home, hard work and diligence was the motto for eventual success, and he emphasised that he has stuck to what he has been taught all these years.
A few quick questions about his spanking new home took us down a lane where the tale of his struggles and eventual success left me amazed.

“I grew up very poor, but my parents struggled to keep food on the table and to keep us happy, and I admired that. My mother would often tell me that hard and diligent work always afforded an individual with great dividends in the long run, and I believed every word she said.
When I was of age, I embarked on the cultivation of cash crops, which I sold in the market at Central Mahaicony some distance away on a small and large-scale basis. Then later I branched off into extensive rice farming in the back lands, saving most of my earnings. I was able to give my family a good life and build the home we own today”.
Beaming with glee, he noted that the ‘old people’ had a positive way of life. He admitted that they met with many difficulties. However, he emphasised the importance of building a proper foundation and keeping it standing, so as to ensure ultimate success.
He explained that the village, as of old, has always been popular for a very small population, but over time, he has seen a small growth in the area of business, new houses and improved infrastructure.
However, he said that there is need for impacting economic and social development, and pointed out that corporate and Government intervention in the areas of family loans, grants and incentives to residents can aid in the ultimate transformation of the village.
Inadequate recreational opportunities were also an issue that seemed to peeve retired farmer, Oswald Semple.
“Weldaad after all these years, still needs adequate recreational facilities for the youths. Our very talented

sportsmen and women still cannot excel as they want to because of lack of training and sporting facilities around here.
“There is also need for more corporate and government intervention in the village, more so since we have produced some of the greatest circle tennis players and footballers as well.”
Housewife, Dion Stewart, spoke about the contentment and great humility displayed by villagers over the years, and from all accounts she seemed proud to be the bearer of such a tale.
“Weldaad is a simple and small village, but we are proud to declare that we can be rated as one of the most fun-loving and cheery locations on the West Coast of Berbice.
“We ain’t get no fancy business places or big time shops and such likes here. But we exist quite fine and in peace with each other. In this village, everyone looks out for the other and there are no racial differences here. In Weldaad, everyone lives as one…”
At one section of the village, a small group of men was drying seed paddy on the road in the blistering midday sun.
The sheep and goats, desperately tried to get a mouthful of paddy, each time having to endure some good whiplashes from the men whose job it was to prevent the animals getting close to the paddy drying process.
Some used dogs to shoo away the animals. It was quite a comical sight to watch the animals dart across drains and ditches, eyes wide with fright, with snarling dogs in hot pursuit.
In some areas, young women with skirts hoisted high, sheltered under umbrellas, as they engaged in girlish banter, but focusing on the lines, which they had thrown into the trenches to catch ‘bush fish’.
As I walked through the village, I was surprised at the level of unity and camaraderie amongst the races. I passed houses with females lounging under shady trees. Each yard that I looked into, I was greeted with a smile or a wave of the hand.
And along the roadway, persons of African and East Indian descent were chatting cheerily on topical issues, or everyday life happenings.
This pleased me well. I just felt really at home and much comfortable.
The joyful giggles and heckling of women in the shops and byways was music to the soul. They chattered on about life’s trials, trending times, and even their husband’s sexual prowess in the bedroom in some cases.
This harmony of the races spilled into the streets as children of all races were observed walking down the street in gleeful conversation, perhaps planning for the next day or even the week to come.
Livelihood and entertainment
With a very small population, the residents of Weldaad seem not to be too interested in leisure time entertainment. There are quite a few youths and grown men in the village, and those that are more adventurous would settle for having ‘a little tups’ in the rum shops, or would venture to the Coco-Cabana Night Club in nearby Belladrum Village to relax and unwind on weekends.
The majority is, however, more concerned with hanging out on Saturdays and Sundays at the Park Square Resort some five miles away at Central Mahaicony, since this joint is popular for hosting the ‘young people parties’, which they so readily desire.
A few birthday and wedding celebrations would spring up every now and then in the village; but that aside, residents confine themselves to the comfort of their homes and listen to music or watch television.
There are still a few rice farmers left in the village. A few people still manage kitchen gardens, while others would sell food items from small stalls erected close to their homes.
Housing and Employment in Weldaad
The people of Weldaad are very friendly and walk long distances in search of work. The hardworking residents there are either engaged in farming, poultry rearing, and to a lesser extent broom-making.
Hence, it is a customary sight to see vegetables and ground provision farmers making their treks through the village with their produce laden on donkey and horse-drawn carts.
Regular employment abounds only periodically during the rice harvesting seasons, when rice farmers in Calcutta (Mahaicony District) and outside villages will require plenty of manual labour for harvesting, paddy drying and, of course, rice milling.
Sandy dams with shallow canals on either side are situated perpendicular to the public highway at the ends and middle of the village.
Located south of the village is an area of land called the “back dam,” consisting mainly of coconut trees and a variety of fruit trees. In the backdam, any particular plot of land and its vegetation are generally thought to be the property of the person or family directly north of the plot, according to some residents.
Weldaad in times gone by…
Way back in the 1950s Weldaad, according to villagers, was a ‘very bushy settlement’ where one had to climb a tree to view the few buildings in the area. Residents explained that as time went by, persons descended on the location which was popular for its rich farming soil.
Soon began to purchase plots of land for building. Hence, today the village is one of the more pleasant locations in West Berbice.
Today, there are still residents employed as farmers, a few carpenters and masons, while a large number are employed at rice mills along East Coast Demerara. Of course, there are quite a few cattle farmers still around.
Today, the village has evolved somewhat, but what is notable in the distinct harmony that remains amongst villagers.
It’s a location that reeks of mirthful laughter and the joyous banter of males, coupled with the prancing of happy children and teenagers.
This village continues to attract the nature minded, and those desirous of a little solitude from the bustling disturbances of the rural communities.

 

 

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