Chesney …a tranquil East Berbice Community

Aug 21, 2022 News

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By Malisa Playter-Harry

Kaieteur News – Once heavily dependent on the sugar industry, Chesney, a Corentyne, East Berbice Community, is today a hub for several thriving businesses.

Clustered with Communities like Kilcoy, Fyrish and Albion, Chesney is easily distinguished by its hive of business activity.  Among the first business places you are likely to happen upon during a visit to this Community, is a Chinese restaurant, another Chinese establishment that specialises in window and glass manufacturing, the Sunshine Supermarket which is owned by Chesney residents, a pastry and bakery shop, the Guyana Water Inc. Sub-Office, the Guyana Power and Light Sub-Office, a tyre shop and the K. Boodhram Automotive Store.

In addition to the many homes, you’ll also notice an orphanage and a church too.

I was informed that a hardware and shopping centre from Georgetown will soon open a branch where a section of land was recently cleared along the public road. Villagers expressed excitement about the new business that will take shape as they are hopeful it will provide some jobs and also provide quality products and at an affordable cost.

Chesney Village is sectioned into North and South, with the Chesney Housing Schemes (old and new) located south. These housing schemes which are now populated with hundreds of households have developed slowly over the years.

During my visit, I observed that the main streets within the schemes are in a deplorable state and so is the drainage system. With frequent complaints to Regional and Central Government Authorities going unanswered, residents said that they have grown weary of bringing the issue up as the third year under the Current Government approaches. Many of the residents were reluctant to speak but wanted the condition of the roads to be highlighted as they are struggling to get to their homes and to work on a daily basis.

As I made my way along the public road, I met a resident, Seeta Singh of Chesney North, as she walked home through a newly paved street. The 55-year-old said she has been living in the Community for 26 years. She noted that while the village is “okay’ there is a need to also fix some streets that have not been done in over 15 years.

“Dem cross streets really bad and this main street, only halfway dem build it, but most of the cross streets very bad…,” she shared.

Singh said she still tries to live a comfortable life despite the need for some needful improvements. According to her, some of the residents of the Community are employed at the estate or are engaged in fishing. She added that the villagers are very cooperative and live among each other peacefully.

Singh, who described herself as a simple housewife, said that she takes care of her grandson whom she would normally take to school and pick-up every day prior to the July-August vacation. That she says is a joy as it gives her an opportunity to bond with him.

Maimoon Latiff, who has been living in Chesney for 38 years now, said that she loves her village and the people, but sometimes noise nuisance can be a bother. Nevertheless, she said, “dem people arite here man.” While she did not say much, Latiff also stated that people do a lot of fishing and shrimp catching for a living. She quickly rushed off to head home as the blazing sun was too much for her to bear.

Over at the K. Boodhram Automotive Store, Khrisendat Boodhram, the owner, was making purchases of vehicle parts, lubricants and more to stock up his shop. The 19-year-old Boodhram revealed that he only started the business just a few months ago, adding that it has already been lucrative and worthwhile. For him, becoming a businessman at a youthful age is setting the stage for success in the near future. He was able to get his father’s support to set up the business. He noted that he along with his family have been living at Chesney for about seven years and for those years, it has been good. Boodhram said that with the mechanic shop nearby, he gets a lot of business from the owner, villagers from the Community and nearby Villages also have been supporting the growing business.

“The business has been going good so far and the people have been very supportive, for me it is doing really well for the fleeting period of time we opened it and I believe it is because our prices are very affordable…,” Boodhram said.

Just a short distance away, 86-year-old Laldhar Budhram was spraying the grass in his yard with some herbicide. He, nevertheless, welcomed me with a bright smile into his yard. He added that while the village is called Chesney, Front it is also known as Chesney Road. He has been living in the village for 30 years and said that he worked at the Albion Estate until he retired. These days Budhram relaxes in the comfort of his home and plants a small kitchen garden of bora and other vegetables for personal use.

The Community, he said, initially consisted of predominantly East Indians but as time passed other ethnic groups took up residence in the Community. According to Budhram, he lives “very comfortable.”

He described the villagers as “very nice people, who are very kind and very helpful; we live like family here…,” and this, he noted, makes living in the village a pleasant one.

Not so long ago the Community was rocked by the murder of a woman by her husband but that has not tainted how residents regard their tranquil sanctuary of good and hospitable people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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