THE mystical little township of Charity, on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two, has abundant potential, but is begging for an infrastructural upgrade.

Charity is a location with a unique, serene beauty, and is inhabited by cheery, hospitable people.
Delicately poised on the Pomeroon River, although being a part of the Essequibo Coast, Charity provides a gateway both to part of Guyana’s interior and to Venezuela. Many travellers use this waterway to commute between Guyana and Venezuela, where they work.

Charity is a central focus for the farmers who live in the various grants, settlements and villages of the Pomeroon River.  They bring their produce to this location, and from there it is transshipped to other townships or major ports like Anna Regina and Parika, and to the capital, Georgetown.

As we travelled to Charity, an unseen hand seemed to be moulding an aura of excitement around us, as lush, green rice fields rushed by, and horses and cattle sublimely ignored moving vehicles as they grazed lazily by the roadside.

On arriving at our destination, we were warmly welcomed by hospitable folks at the very elegant and sophisticated Purple Heart International Hotel, Restaurant and Bar.  A vividly intriguing journey had begun.

Growth & development
In years gone by, Charity had the appearance of a regular settlement with just a hint of simplicity to its quiet existence. Whereas houses were scattered in blissful disarray, the abundance of fruit trees and bushy foliage, coupled with the ever-ready smiles of residents as they toiled to put food on their respective tables, had strangely lent Charity an ambience of contentment.

A few shops could be found in the township, but those had limited grocery supplies, although that never bothered residents, since catching fish and crabs was the ‘in thing’ for most families, thus not only providing added food choices, but also paving the way for various sources of livelihood.

Farming will continue to be a major form of occupation for many residents, and some thrive on this immensely, since they can market their produce not only in Charity, but also at Anna Regina and as far away as Parika.

Soon, more shops began to pop up, many of them well established businesses, and the village gradually began to wear its prized coat of modernization.

Then came shopping malls, supermarkets, Internet cafes, and the Charity Amazon Market which was welcomed by farmers near and far. The swampy areas in Charity soon became very busy populated zones as squatters began erecting houses in the proverbial ‘blink of an eye’. Many spent their hard-earned dollars, and did work on the swampy lands, fortifying it up somewhat to accommodate houses, shops and other structures. Man-made streets and pathways soon began to appear, and families could be seen toiling assiduously in the broiling sun to build walkways and alleyways leading to their respective homes. A few bridges sprang up over small and large trenches, and one or two of those bridges were even built to accommodate heavy-duty vehicles.

Today, Charity is abuzz with activity as shoppers rush to cash in on deals at the supermarkets or grocery outlets, especially now that the Christmas season is here. The massive Alfro Alphonso and Son’s entity now supplies every imaginable household need or article.

Residents also no longer have to travel distances to conduct cash transactions, since the Citizen’s Commercial Bank in the village now attends to all their ‘money needs’. The Big Bird Supermarket also now allows shoppers various options, and an opportunity to compare prices.

And the ‘Lil Indian Sound House’ is doing wonders for local musicians in the area, since folks there are supporting and selling the original songs of talented singers in Charity. To date, Charity Calypsonian, Edward ‘Young Fyah’ Perez’s hot reggae single, ‘I am not the Man’, is a hit at this location amongst the selections of many other musicians.

Delip Singh’s Shopping Mall is also another massive structure that meets the kitchen and household needs of villagers.

There seems to be a little alcove in Charity that certainly promotes law and order, even as it supports effective communication and customer satisfaction. I’m talking here about the Charity Police Station, the Post Office, and Magistrates’ Court, all nestled together quite close to the Charity Main Road. And just on the outskirts of this commercial haven is the Charity Tarmac from whence taxi drivers ply their trade around-the-clock.

Undermining fire
It appears as if most villagers have grave grievances with the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) operating in Charity. Every interaction with villagers reinforced the opinion that officials there are not functioning as effectively as they ought to.

And there seems to be evidence of this in the build-up of garbage at the market area, not far from the police station. Treks through Charity highlighted the garbage build-up in several areas as well.

Then there is the issue of vendors operating on the shoulders of the Charity Main Road. They claim that the NDC was attempting to remove them from their area of operation without providing an alternative location.

Vendors were served notices of violation recently, but are planning to stage a massive protest in the village.

Other issues
There was a unanimous ‘cry for help’ from residents who were occupying or squatting in areas alongside the Charity River Dam. They were all lamenting and begging for installation of street lights and electricity, and not without reason. Residents told horrifying stories of young girls being raped and males being robbed on the River Dam, which, by the way, is void of any street lights.

One murder has been recorded not so long ago in the same location when an unfortunate male resident was traversing the area under influence of alcohol, and was said to have received his salary the evening before the murder. He was mugged and killed by perpetrators who, it is said, never managed to get any loot, since the man had left his cash at another location.

Most residents living around this area are using generators, which they claim is very expensive to fuel continuously.
Flooding during the rainy seasons has kept residents in the Squatting Area locked in for fear of contracting water-borne diseases. During this dilemma, outside latrines are flooded and human faecal matter floats around.

Residents are requesting that the infrastructure of that area be developed to encourage comfortable existence.

Nightlife
Entertainment is not lacking in Charity. The area is gripped in frenzied revelling and various party concepts as the weekend begins.

Zenon and Purple Heart hotels have now become the generators of ‘riveting entertainment specials’, and their night clubs are packed to capacity on weekends.

Just recently, Zenon Hotel hosted a massive comedy show, dubbed ‘Uncensored’, which featured some of Guyana’s most recognized comedy faces in the likes of Kerwyn Mars, Miranda Austin, Leeza Singh, Mark Kazim and many others.

Persons who prefer a cozier atmosphere can also soak up the karaoke sessions at Zeon on Friday nights. Even as all this is happening, the Purple Heart Hotel is promoting quite an erotic show all weekend with the X-Factor Dancers.

There are small entertainment gatherings all around Charity, and a few small ‘house parties’ are usually hosted; but the biggest and most anticipated events are hosted at the Sky Bar, which seems to be Charity’s ‘entertainment hotspot’.

Employment opportunities
Fishing, farming and crab catching continue to be the ‘employment highlights’ in Charity; but, here of late, several employment gateways have been opened with the erecting of several new business structures in the area.

Young children are offered spiritual education, along with craft skills made possible by a branch of the Spirit and Truth Church operating there for the past two years. Added to that, the Alfro Alphonso and Son’s Enterprise now offers tremendous employment opportunities for youths and adults.

The Big Bird Supermarket, Zenon and Purple Heart hotels, WD Shopping Mall, and Alfro Alphonso Fish Complex are all entities which have helped Charity residents to garner and maintain proper professions.

Some prefer to be employed at the Kasia Crystal Ice Factory, the Pomeroon Oil Mill, or will settle for employment at boat building entities which reportedly ‘pay well’.

Harmony
The people of Charity are very generous and hospitable, and good laughter and happy smiles abound always. Children can always be seen frolicking in the sun, or sharing fruits and other goodies. The love and harmony amongst neighbours is enjoyed mostly in the Squatting Area, which is much closer to the River Dam.

There, we were mesmerized by the cheery chatter of children, mothers chatting over their fences, or women groups enjoying a good gossip under a mango tree.

Children will rush off in the evening to make purchases at a few small stalls where young girls will sell phulouri, egg balls, black pudding, and other items. Some students will gather together for group studies in the afternoons, while others busy themselves with afternoon chores for fear of screaming mothers brandishing belts and tamarind whips.

However, the harmony may come to an abrupt end when a neighbour’s cow or sheep enters another’s kitchen garden and eats or otherwise damages vegetables. This would result in much screaming and shrieking from housewives, and if the husbands do not prevent it, things can escalate to a ‘good wallow in the mud’ between the shrieking women.

Natural survival
Many years ago, inadequate and poor quality water supply was one of the problems faced by residents of Charity. Even though this has been considerably tackled, residents still seem to prefer turning to the Pomeroon River for most of their water needs.
On weekends, mothers and daughters would fetch large tubs of laundry to various small ‘water landings’ families had erected at the Pomeroon Water Front, and spend sometimes the entire day washing and chatting in wild abandon. The young children will frisk about in the shallow areas of the river under the watchful eyes of the mothers, who seemed naturally able to monitor their every move, even as they divulged the juiciest gossips making the rounds in Charity.

The water of the Pomeroon River is also used to make coconut oil, and for many other purposes in many businesses. Some families even related that they consume this water for drinking purposes, but are sufficiently health conscious to boil it, or otherwise treat it, before drinking it.

Transportation
Minibuses seemed a rarity at Charity. Save for a few transporting supplies to the various supermarkets, the  main mode of transportation is the hire car, which traverses routes from Charity to Anna Regina, or to Dartmouth, or to other areas along the Essequibo Coast.

We witnessed the amusing sight of ‘human drawn carts’ taking vendors’ supplies from their places of trade to their homes or elsewhere.

To a lesser extent, motorcycles seem to be an affordable method of transportation, but bicycles abound, since almost everyone seemed to have a bicycle in their possession.
Chatting with several young bicycle owners revealed that it was a much faster and more effective way of traversing some of the treacherous pathways that lead to various areas in the small township. Those owning bicycles were mostly persons residing in the Charity Squatting Area.

Scope for improvement
Charity may have become reasonably developed over the years, but there is still dire need for infrastructural development in many areas. The Charity Wharf, for instance, is rapidly reflecting the effects of the natural elements, and at least needs a thorough repainting, and repairing.

Villagers are complaining of the need for access roads to certain areas of the township, and also bridges to link outlying areas to the ‘commercial locations’ in Charity. There is need for some side streets to be properly paved and covered with asphalt to accommodate smooth transport from one area to another.

The Charity NDC Office is an old, almost dilapidated structure crying out for repairs, expansion, and maybe a little remodelling.

That aside, Charity is indeed a beautiful township with great potential. With a little sprucing up by the relevant authorities, Charity could easily hold its own against Linden, Georgetown, New Amsterdam, and the other townships in Guyana.