Victorians are a proud and intense people

Part 3

By Margaret Burke

MUCH has, so far, been said about Victoria village: some of its challenges and despair, its visions and accomplishments, some triumphs; as well as plans that will see much more positive developments taking place.Victoria Village was birthed out of a major struggle that saw victory in the end. Our forefathers fought, bought, and then settled, to a large extent, in this ‘first’ village. Their struggles could not be in vain, and so it is that with zest and determination they must continue to triumph.

Most of the villagers are tremendously hopeful. With the emergence of a new administration and the introduction of systems that would directly impact their lives, there is heightened expectation that they will not be disappointed. The battle to recover and sustain the economic ventures that were once well established, while at the same time moving into new areas of economic activity are well on the way. This is not to say, however, that there are not those who have major concerns; and while many people care and would like to see the day when there is change for the better in the village, some feel that they must be apprehensive, and do express some anxieties.

This situation is even more obvious among the elders in the village.

VICTORIANS ARE A PROUD PEOPLE

The people of Victoria seem almost always to be a happy people, even at ‘wakes’ and/or funerals. In the midst of all the sorrow, someone somewhere among the villagers would find something to say or do to make people laugh. The village people can safely be described as a proud but intense people.

And indeed there are many Victorians who are accomplished scholars in various areas of aptitude. Almost, if not altogether, every family in the village is represented in this category. It is said that all Victorians are related by blood, even though some are closer related than others. After some quick socialising with folks in the village, one would realise that almost all of them can explain how they are related to many others within the village.

The names of many Victorians are known to most of the rest of Guyana, but those who are and will always be positioned in the hall of fame in Victoria are people who, through their ancestors, found a place in the village and in their country; worked hard, and in some cases continue to work hard (some behind the scenes) to ensure that villagers have a taste of the good life.

The names of people who have made their mark, not only in the village but in the country, are Professor Harold Lutchman, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana; Justice Jo-Ann Barlow; famous master sculptor Ivor Thom; Attorney-at-Law Rexford Jackson; Doreen Butcher, educator, agriculturist and community activist; former CEO and Land Surveying Specialist Leon Rutherford; former Village Chairman Stanley Roberts, and many others, some of whom were mentioned before.

There are also those in the diaspora who take a special interest in the village.

CULTURE AND SPORT

The Victoria Kings football team has managed to pull through, and in the recent changing of the guard, which saw Attorney Rexford Jackson become the new president of this organisation, there are some great plans in store. Attorney Jackson said football has always been the predominant sport in Victoria, and involvement of the young people in the village has been overwhelming.

Attorney Jackson declared that the Victoria Kings Football Club remains a football powerhouse on the East Coast of Demerara. It continues to be the only club on the East Coast to have won the prestigious Kashif and Shangai Tournament.

Over the years, many of the players have represented Guyana at the junior and senior levels. The football programme is spearheaded by Mr Andre Huntley (coach), who has been working assiduously to develop and hone the skills of all the players. However, efforts to realise a holistic development of the club have been stymied by the lack of financial resources.

Despite these challenges, the players remain passionate about the sport. Jackson noted that, as president of the club, football and other sports in the community can be used as a catalyst to effect change. Sports, once properly organised and developed, can give young people an opportunity to contribute in meaningful ways to their community.

For some years now, not much emphasis has been placed on the area of culture by members and leaders of the community. There is, however, still a very vibrant and dynamic masquerade band in the village.

“We have one of Guyana’s finest drummers in Mr Nigel Fraser,” Attorney Jackson proudly stated.

VILLAGE DAY

With the coming of the Village Day on August 7, things are about to turn around. The programme and activities for the day promise to be very exciting, to say the least. However, much more than all the excitement is the fact that for the day to be as successful as it promises to be, some of the very activities that seemed to have been dead or were dying have to now come alive. Additionally, according to the architects of this event, there are plans in place to sustain what has now been restarted.

And for the Victoria Village Day, the events will commence with a church service in which there will be prayers for the further upliftment of the village. All denominations are scheduled to take part, and this activity will be held at the Wilberforce Congregational Church.

This event will be followed by the unveiling of a mini-arch at the Victoria Public Road.

The Lady Sandels Park (Victoria Ground) is earmarked as the venue where the fun will begin.

Included in the events will be the inter-block competitions, with teams from Belfield (a street away), Victoria North, Public Road, Line and Line-Carla, which is the end of the township. Among the many games will be football, cricket, circle tennis and “retire race”. Face-painting will be included.

Cooking will play a major part of the events, and so there will be hot competition, with assorted pepperpot, metemgee, cook-up (with the works), fufu and cow heel soup all vying for the top place. It promises to be good.

A cultural evening, according to the organisers, is simply going to be great. Booked as part of the events is an African wedding, and it is hoped that this activity would be a real event, with the bride and groom tying the knot in actual marriage.

But taking prominence will be the presentation of awards, which will honour the top 10 Grade Six students, as well as the top five CXC students from the village.

Culminating the cultural evening will be the sounds of drums — the drumming of the drummers at their best for the evening’s activities. There will also be a historic perspective on the village. The event will be spiced up with other additions to make it memorable.

Having been put in the mood to listen and enjoy motivating discussions, there will also be an infusion of ‘ganga time’ — storytelling in an atmosphere of camp fire. This will also be held at the Victoria Ground.

Most of the village, especially the main thoroughfare, will be taken up for these activities, with booths, tents, tables and other amenities fixed in different places.