No. 7 Village, Corentyne, Berbice

Aug 14, 2022 News

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Village Focus

…a quiet community of down-to-earth inhabitants

By Malisa Playter-Harry

Kaieteur News – Situated along the Corentyne highway, a mere two minutes away from the Berbice River Bridge, you will find the tiny community of No. 7 Village. This community, which is comprised of approximately 40 households is by no means insignificant because of its size. Despite the high migration rate, the few people who live there and dwell in the community make the most of their simple lives by making a living through self-employment or working at either public or private entities.

During a visit to the community, you will quickly note that many properties have been abandoned and, according to some residents, these were the homes of people who have migrated. Many of the properties are overgrown by thick vegetations.

At the majority of the few homes that are still occupied, the residents were preoccupied – taking care of their own affairs.

While there are few business places, among the noticeable buildings is a Nazarene Church and the Lewis Manor Police Outpost a short distance away.

A small shop that sells beverages, snacks, and other essentials, which I was told has been servicing the community and nearby ones as well, for over 38 years, was my next stop.

Andy Ramnarine, who owns the shop, said that he has been living there all his life. He was just about to take his afternoon zees when I visited but his inviting smile made it clear that he didn’t mind being disturbed for a bit. He noted that the community is incredibly quiet with many of the residents employed privately or at the sugar estate.

“It doesn’t have a big population…a few people working at the estate while some of them doing their own work, plenty persons doing private work. We are ordinary people here you know, nobody minding nobody business,” he said.

Currently, there are a few streets being rehabilitated in the community and a few main bridges are also being reconstructed. Drainage, however, is a major issue there, as many residents complained that the flooding gets really bad, especially since the main drains are always clogged. Cleaning of drains, they said, is rarely facilitated by the Neighbourhood Democratic Council.

Thirty-five-old Stephon Campbell, a single parent father to his two-and-a-half-year-old son, said he has been living in No. 7 most of his life. He said that he’d moved to Suriname for a period but returned about five years ago. He stated that since then, he has seen massive development in the country. He said too that since his return, he has observed that there are “a lot of empty houses” in the community since many people have migrated to other countries in hopes of a better life.

Not far from where he is living, CGX, an oil company, is building a deep water port, and according to Campbell, he applied three times to the company but never got a response. He, however, still remains hopeful that employment will be available for him soon and other persons who need a job. He is particularly excited about plans for the new stadium and businesses that are set to take shape just about two minutes away from his home. He said he hopes that more jobs will be given to the locals and not just to persons outside the region.

“Locals should be given first preference; I am hopeful. I am a single parent, my wife migrate and left me with a child to fend for and it’s hard to get a job during the day and get somebody to look the child too, he is not of school age yet. I am looking forward to getting a job, a lot of buildings going up, you could see the development happening,” said Campbell.

Like other residents, he described the community as quiet and reserved. He also spoke of the need for the drains to be cleaned and noted that many streetlights around the community are not working.  This is especially worrying, since, according to Campbell, who lives a short distance away from the police outpost, ranks are not too responsive at nights. On many occasions, he said, if persons do call for assistance after 6 pm, “they tell you they don’t have a vehicle and they not coming out the station; they telling you they not coming out anywhere in the night because they don’t have vehicle or bicycle or anything.”

The single-parent father noted that despite the few community issues, everyone lives comfortably.

During my visit, I also caught up with another resident, Milton Sukhu. He had just cracked a coconut to enjoy some sweet and refreshing water to appease the afternoon heat. His shared the sentiments expressed by other residents stating emphatically that the village is quiet and everyone keeps to themselves; adding that some engage in a little bit of farming here and there to sustain their livelihood.

With developments evident nearby, despite their reserved nature, the residents of No. 7 Village are excited to see new developmental projects, two villages away at Palmyra, take shape, and are therefore looking forward to the future with an open mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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