By M Margaret Burke

AS the Pepperpot Magazine moved through the village of Nooten Zuil, our team met up with Odiri Pollard, who was taking his sheep to graze in the backlands of the village. He had with him an assistant, who helped him to steer the sheep, since they were over 150 moving with him to the pastures.

“I live next door – in the village right next to this one, but we live well as though we are family, and so there is never any problem with me taking my sheep to get grass in the backlands of Nooten Zuil.
“The grass was green on my side and so I used to graze my sheep and other stocks there, but as you can see the grass has dried up a bit, so I decided to take them where they can get better food, knowing that there is not a problem with my neighbours for me to do this.”
He explained that people must respect each other, so he starts off on the premise of love and respect for the people in the village. He pointed out that he would not go and do things that will offend or hurt them or their crops in any manner. “After all, we all have to live and it must be in love and unity,” he posited.

Pollard said that for a number of years there has always been that unity, where people from nearby villages can enter into the village of Nooten Zuil freely to transact business or in his case, to graze his sheep. He said that people also graze their cows in the nearby pastures where there is good grass, as well as water for them to drink.

FAMILY OF FARMERS

He said that he grew up in a family of farmers – rearing cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and other things; and that his family also planted cash crops and other agricultural produce and that they were always successful.

“So I feel encouraged to do this kind of thing… I trying- I grew among stocks and I am determined to make the sacrifice; to work hard just like my brothers and sisters out here. I want to make a success of my life and this is why I am doing this,” he said.