A safe haven for residents

This week the Pepperpot Magazine visited the small, sleepy community of Brickery, East Bank Demerara.

It is home to labourers, heavy-duty operators, poultry farmers and large-scale farm workers, small business owners, both public and private sector employees.

Brickery Village is sandwiched between Garden of Eden and Support and is home to more than 400 residents, of all ethnicities, except Chinese.

The land in the village was originally owned by the Persauds and the Kissoons, both of whom began selling off the land as time progressed and it later developed into a community.

Brickery has one main street which was made into an all-weather road last year.

In addition, there is a small track which is considered the only street by locals, who use it as a shortcut to the Public Road.

The community has about 48 houses, and the villagers reported that it is a very safe place to live.

In almost every yard there is a macaw or two, parrots and monkeys which are kept as pets in in the village.

Farida Wilkie
The Pepperpot Magazine first met Farida Wilkie, a stay-at-home mother of five, who was relaxing in her hammock at the time.

This friendly woman related that she has lived all her life at Brickery, East Bank Demerara and it is a place she wouldn’t trade for anything.

She has been residing in the village for the past 40 years and has a small business, a shop, which is under renovation presently, as a result of the novel COVID-19.

Wilkie added that Brickery is considered a residential area where the residents would keep to themselves but if the cooperation is needed they would step out to lend a helping hand.

“We used to play cricket at the playfield in the village, a few doors down but we stopped because some neighbours have complained that the game was too noisy and the balls were had damaged their property,” she explained.

Wilkie added that the cricket matches ceased 13 years ago so there are no recreational activities for locals but at Easter, they would clean up the ball field and go there to picnic and fly kites with their families.

This year, however, no such gathering took place because of the global
pandemic.

Wilkie told the Pepperpot Magazine that most people from Brickery go out of the village to work and a handful of them are farmers.

She stated that the people of Brickery are indoors people when they are not working so the Coronavirus ‘stay at home’ policy isn’t affecting them because they are accustomed to being home.

The small business owner disclosed that life in Brickery Village is very peaceful and safe.

She stated that she chooses to renovate her shop now because people are hesitant to exit their houses with the virus so sales were down and it was the best thing to close it until things get back to normal.

The Wilkies have two monkeys as pets but there is another, named “Jacko” that belongs to the neighbour and usually sits at the entrance of the shop, where he would welcome shoppers and sometimes partake in a social drink with the men.

Wilkie said Brickery is a place where Guyanese of all ethnicities reside and there is simply no discrimination there.