ULVERSTON …a tranquil East Berbice community

Jul 31, 2022 News

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 ==VILLAGE FOCUS==

“I love my community and that is why I am here still; I could have chosen to migrate or chosen somewhere else to live, however when I looked at Ulverston, I wanted to make a difference, I wanted people to see that it is a small village but we can turn out to be great individuals in this village…”

By Malisa Playter Harry

Kaieteur News – On the surface, the community of Ulverston Village, Corentyne, East Berbice would give just about anyone the impression that it is a small village with not too much going on.  But during my trip to the village, I was amazed to see just how filled with life this small and peaceful community is.

It is situated between the communities of Alness and Manchester and is populated predominantly by African Guyanese, laced with a few East Indians and other races, and I am happy to report that they live in peace and harmony.

The majority of the residents, I was told, are employed in the agriculture sector but a few are the owners of small businesses.

I was able to catch up with one business owner, 42-year-old Isla Corlette, who owns the Sparkle Supermarket. She has lived in the community all her life and is regarded as the most successful female entrepreneur in the community.

During my visit, she was smiling sweetly as she catered to some of her loyal customers at the wholesale section of her business. According to Mrs. Corlette, she decided to establish the business because it felt good to provide a needed service to her community.

Reflecting on her journey, she revealed that after attending the Central Corentyne Secondary School, she’d moved to Georgetown and had worked as a Phlebotomist at the Georgetown Public Hospital for six months. However, when her mother decided to migrate overseas, she had to return to Ulverston to take care of her younger sister.

She said that she returned with a vision to be somebody who can contribute in a meaningful way to society. “I decided to do something with my life, and I decided to run a small business,” she shared – and this started with $30,000 she got from her box-hand savings.

“I started buying six pieces of items, half bag of sugar, half bag of flour and stuff like that and as time progressed, I met Mr. Corlette (her husband) and he supported me and here I am,” the businesswoman said with pride.

Mrs. Corlette considers herself accomplished since she has not only seen growth in her business but has been meeting the needs not only of the residents of Ulverston but to those in other communities as well.

And for the contribution she has been making, Mrs. Corlette said that she feels humbled. “I love my community and that is why I am here still; I could have chosen to migrate or chosen somewhere else to live, however when I looked at Ulverston, I wanted to make a difference, I wanted people to see that it is a small village but we can turn out to be great individuals in this village…” she said.

With satisfaction, she revealed that plans are apace to expand the business in the community.  “I have plans to expand to a three-storey building where I will have a boutique and conference hall,” she said.

Currently the Sparkle Supermarket is the only business of its kind in Ulverston and the villages nearby.  In its employ are nearly a dozen persons who reside within the community and nearby villages.

“I don’t work much in my business, I work on my business,” the successful businesswoman said with pride.

Interesting to note, the woman’s parents once owned a disco at the very location which was popular up until it closed its doors. At the time it was the only entertainment hotspot in that area and that too saw patrons coming from nearby areas.

Because of her evident success with the supermarket, the businesswoman, revealed that many times persons from the community would seek her guidance and intimate to her how much of a role model she is to the community. But this has not prevented her from expanding her horizon. She currently participates in the Action Coach programme and is among the hundreds of recipients of a GOAL Scholarship from the Government of Guyana.

As I continued by tour of the community, a short distance away I saw 95-year-old Urma Elgin. The village elder was sitting on the veranda of her 92-year-old unpainted, wooden house with her daughter and some of her grandchildren. Elgin was enjoying the afternoon looking out at the passing cars along the public road. During a conversation with me, she cheerfully related that she is a mother of nine children and has grandchildren who are too many to count.

According to Elgin, the community of Ulverston has been home to her for the majority of her life, and she was happy to report that there has been immense development over the years. She said that she had moved to another country for some time but was eager to return home. “From then to now, there was a lot of development; it didn’t have all these big houses, it had small, small houses,” she related.

She revealed that back in the day, there were sections of Ulverston that had no houses. There were just a few houses along the public road and during her younger years, she recalled that many people were either self-employed or worked at the estate.

“They used to mine stocks like bird, sheep and so and many were also rice farmers, they still doing that today, but it got a lot of business now,” she said.

As part of the observance of Emancipation Day, which will be observed tomorrow, Ms. Elgin said the residents are expected to come together to enjoy the day by dancing, cooking, and sharing. As per norm, the villagers would head to the Liverpool Community Centre Ground where a cultural programme is held much to their enjoyment. Ms. Elgin’s 63-year-old daughter, Veronica Chisolm, who is a livestock farmer, said that the observance of Emancipation Day is seen an opportunity for them to dress in their best African outfits, and what is even more significant is the fact that people from all races join with them to celebrate too.

As I continued my journey through the community, another resident, Allan Smith, was seen selling freshly made bread and pastries along the public road. He noted that he has been selling for just over a year but has also been working at the estate for over 20 years. He too noted that the Emancipation weekend will be packed with activities which the villagers always enjoy. These activities, he said, were halted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but since the restrictions have been lifted, he anticipates that residents will have an especially great time.

Smith, who hopes to soon expand his small business, said that he has seen a lot of development not only in his community but in other communities, “since this new government come in.”

However, there is still need for better streets in their community and a better drainage system, some residents have noted. They stated that the NDC is not as active as it should be.

Despite the few challenges, Ulverston, according to residents, will forever remain a community where people live comfortably in peace and harmony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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