EACH village I visit weekly brings a fresh, new experience. I must admit that in some villages the reception I receive from some resides sometimes makes me want to quit.

Although I would refrain from naming those villages, I would however proclaim loudly that last week I did not regret finding myself associating with these very pleasant, smiling people who were so refreshingly affectionate without ever having met me before.
Folks, I was in the village of Mon Repos on the East Coast of Demerara, situated snugly between the equally receptive neighbouring villages of Triumph and Good Hope.
Mon Repos Village is an administrative division and is located in Demerara. The estimated terrain elevation above seal level is 1 metre, bearing latitude readings of 6°48’0″, and longitude of 58°2’60”. This colourful village is located just about seven miles outside the city of Georgetown and can be accessed by a simple bus ride (that is if you are prepared for the boom boxes), or a taxi if you can afford it.
Mon Repos is a fairly large village and according to residents, is divided into several locally named sections. There are Tango Town De Endrant North, Tango Town Squatting Area, the Mon Repos Housing Scheme, Martyrs Ville, Block CC, Block 8, and a few others.
The ride to this village was breezy and quite comfortable and this was so because the route to village carried our bus quite close to the Atlantic seawall where the freshest of winds were billowing.

My welcome
The minute I disembarked the mini-bus where the street sign signalled ‘Mon Repos’, I was bombarded by taxi drivers who almost throttled me thinking I was journeying to the Guyana School of Agriculture aback of the village.
When I told my purpose for visiting, some strangely retreated, but two remained by my side fussing extremely to ensure I was comfortable, and offer whatever little information they could. These drivers, Ramesh Tularam and Rajesh Singh soon put my heart at ease.
In our conversation, I learnt that before time the ‘taxi work’ was a booming opportunity to make big dollars. These drivers traversed the Agriculture Road taking residents in and out and also students to the GSA. As they pointed out, residents are not moving about like before, since many shops, boutiques, and grocery outlets have sprung up in the village.
As a result, residents are now able to get their household supplies readily from these sources, not having to travel distances to obtain them. Today a ‘passenger pickup’ for the drivers is cherished.
While there seemed to be little activity in the Public Road area, it was the North and South locations that seemed to be bustling with activity. The Housing Scheme location seemed to be occupied mostly by the elite of society, judging from the posh houses and very elegant buildings that nestle there.
The very simple and more secluded occupied the other areas and were either moving around or attending to business, or just relaxing in hammocks or on benches under their houses.
Each person I met along the way had a pleasant smile, and seemed willing to furbish me with whatever information they could muster. In the shops I received sweet ‘hellos’ and ‘how do you dos’, and this really fired up my spirits, causing me to brave the hot midday sun with much fervour.
And everywhere I turned persons were chatting nicely or laughing their heads off at some hilarious joke that a member of their company would have served up.
In the Mon Repos Market I almost giggled aloud as vendors laughingly jostled each other to be the first to wave fresh vegetables and seasonings in the faces of shoppers, jeering at their competitors with glee when they copped a sale. This place was really a little wonderland by itself….

Chatting with residents

‘Baldeo’, which indeed is his only birth name, was quite ready to chat and told quite a stirring story.
He sells cane juice and water coconut by the roadside under a makeshift, tiny stall that keeps out the forces of nature.
This man, who was once married and fathered seven children, lives alone and yearns for the comfort of his family, but they have been long gone. Baldeo noted that since 1989 he began selling cane juice by the roadside since he was a poor man just struggling to make ends meet for himself and family.
He said at that time he sold the delicious liquid for just $5, and selling $100 per day was quite an accomplishment for him. He said that as the children kept coming, he soon realised that such a trade could not put food on the table.
Soon after his wife was forced to seek a job outside of the village and Baldeo said that is where the trouble began for him. He said that she was younger than he and very pretty and obviously became the center of attraction for younger men who could offer her what he couldn’t. He said many evening she arrived home late from work, with a lot of money in her purse and could never give a proper explanation as to how she came by it.
“Bass me always bin ah try but me bin can’t do bettah. When she start wuk things really change. She start come home late wid nuff, nuff money and suddenly she get plenty male friends. Eventually we separate and she tek way all dem pickney frum me and she ah keep dem away. Me now live alone an ah try meh best fuh cope wid life”
The wails and lamenting of some vendors and some shop owners were very disheartening as they told tales of a seemingly ‘economic drought’ that is now engulfing some sections of the village.
They proclaimed that there has been a very significant reduction in customer purchases in many shops and vegetable stalls, many vendors and business owners said they too are feeling the squeeze. While some persons attributed this dilemma to the fact that quite a few are now out of jobs, others indicated that the demands of sending the kids to school has taken much from the pockets of many families.
Vendor ‘Parbattie’, who was fast asleep in her stall not far from the main market, almost toppled over when I attempted to wake her up and she flung herself up, startled and frightened.
She however smartly recovered and with a slightly embarrassed smile told us her theory of the reason their sales were dwindling.
“Boy, I fell asleep because there is really nothing doing. Sales are so slow these days that sometimes I just feel like staying home. Inside the big market vendors will get sales, but we, operating outside, have to wait for the market weekend rush where customers will buy like crazy.
“But this is how I earn a living, so I have to come out every day and see what I can get. Our sales too are normally largely controlled by the spending power and demands of the sugar estate workers. Work at the estate is most times seasonal so many persons are out of jobs so their spending power is limited”.

Employment and Entertainment
Entertainment does not seem to be high on the list of things to do, for residents and many are contented to ‘have a little tupps’ at various rum shops or at frequent ‘Bar-b-Que’ and Lime’ sessions that are hosted around the village. Years ago the village was popular for being home to the ‘401 Nightclub’ that attracted fans from far and wide. But this joint is no more and has been converted into a furniture store.
That aside, villagers would wait for major entertainment ventures to be hosted at the ball field which is a customary practice.
According to many villagers, about one third of the population is working as vendors, selling vegetables, fruits, ground provisions and other food items. A smaller percentage are said to be farmers, and fishermen, while about 15% of the population are said to be involved in construction. A few hold administrative positions in offices in and outside the village, while the minority are teachers. Some residents however noted that some sections of the village are facing a dilemma, as some qualified youths are unable to get jobs although they would have acquired subjects at the CSEC examinations.

Crime Rate
In times gone by, Mon Repos was a village quite popular for being targeted by criminal elements. According to residents, this situation would have dwindled over the years save for a few cases of persons snatching or stealing from each other, especially in the squatting areas.
Some however noted that things seemed to have changed for the best where crime is concerned in the village.

Potable Water
Some residents seemed quite happy at the news of potable water wells coming to their village in the near future. And their hope can also be sustained to media reports in April of this year which dictated that Mon Repos, Sparendaam, and Sophia were earmarked to benefit from this intended venture.
Reports had suggested that five tenders were opened by Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) for the construction of potable water wells. It was said that the bids were opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Ministry of Finance. They were divided into three lots; Mon Repos, Sparendaam, and Sophia, Region Four.
Pertab Singh was highly appreciative of this venture and praised the Government for once again looking into their welfare. “This a wan real good thing de Govament will duh, an it gon really benefit all awe, especially dem poor people. At least we gon get a constant supply ah good, clean, and healthy wata, and me wan fuh praise de Govament real high fuh looking into awe welfare”

The ‘get up and get attitude’ works for residents
All around Enmore it was constant hustle and commercial bustle as villagers busied themselves with avenues of making a quick dollar, or meeting their needs otherwise. There were not so many ‘limers’ in this village and almost everyone seemed to be positively engaged in some way or the other.
Here, residents hardly would hire outside professional help to fix things in or outside the home (except for the construction of massive structures). Families would normally team up together and since there are already many carpenters and some construction workers here, it’s a norm to see family members mixing cement, plastering houses, or doing some renovation.
The skills of a few tradesmen have also earned them job positions in the making of the new double lane highway to ease their traffic woes. While roadside vendors view this intervention with mixed emotions (because of having to relocate), the majority of the village welcomes this Government initiative, citing that it will greatly help with a reduction in traffic congestion and road accidents, making the use of the roads safer for pedestrians.

A few challenges
All seems to be well in this village save the call of some resident to have the remaining access roads leading to certain sections of the village properly paved. With climate change beckoning, some residents express the need for a higher seawall to be built to keep out possible very high waves.
Some citizens feel that there is also the need for some drainage trenches leading to the Atlantic to be kept in a better state; they are overgrown with weeds and other vegetation.

Evolvement
Mon Repos, like any other village, was certainly not what it is today, and shedding light on its journey to modernisation was the elderly Mooniram Tulsiram, an ex-farmer who is now retired and enjoying the comfort and affections of his family.
“Bai, this village wha yuh ah see hea , nah bin deh suh lang time. When meh was ah young bai, dem nah been get plenty house, and shaps, and thing like today. Bai, an in me time since rain fall de whole plaice bin ah flood out and it ah deh suh fuh weeks sometime, before all dah stink wata drain aff. Dem pickney used tuh get sick and dem can’t guh tuh school. Things moh betta today and de place get real nice. Dem atharity ah wuk pon awe drainage, but dem got fuh wuk lil hardah. But de village real nice now, fancy house and all da…”
Today, Mon Repos is quite a colourful and impressive village with its fusion of posh buildings, restaurants, furniture store, shops and so many other facilities that meet the necessities of the people.
And to mention a few, one can pop in and out of the Lenny’s Ice-Cream Parlour, Silver Star Restaurant and Bar, make purchases at the Melsha Furniture Store, Nalo’s Ideal Snacks, D & D Food Bar, Navin and Sally’s Mini Mart, and Emran Khan & Daughters Hardware & General Store.
Or you can always skip over to Bibi’s Halaal Butchery for fresh meat, or pop in at the Double Discount Electrical Household Supplies for fantastic bargains. There are so many other businesses too numerous to mention, but let me make things easy for you.
Hop on a mini-bus (please avoid the noisy one with the dare-devil drivers), and take a trip to this exciting village, and get a first hand opportunity to soak up all the fun, fresh wind and the frolics of life Mon Repos has to offer.
By Alex Wayne