THE ceaseless chatter of housewives was very amusing, as was their jovial banter about issues prevailing in their village. And I almost giggled out loud as one housewife wantonly spoke of her husband’s lack of responsiveness in the bedroom, evoking raucous peals of laughter from her female companions.

I was in a minibus headed for Supply Village, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, and
I could remember that this village, in the early 90s, was just a smattering of houses serviced by two small grocery shops. I had always planned to revisit Supply, since I had recently noticed, whilst en route to the nearby Cane Grove village some time ago, that Supply was rapidly evolving in keeping with the transcending hands of time.

Location
Located some 15 miles east of Georgetown, Supply is situated in Region 4, Demerara-Mahaica, which is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) to the east, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) to the south, and Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) to the west.
The Government of Guyana has administered three official censuses since the 1980 administrative reforms: in 1980, 1991 and 2002. Even though Region Four is administratively the smallest region, it has the largest population of all Guyana’s administrative regions. In 2002, the population of Demerara-Mahaica was recorded at 310,320 persons.

The blissful arrival
The bus rolled into the Mahaica bus park located next to the district market, and its passengers disembarked into the dusty streets, engrossed in their raucous conversation as they showed intent to trudge the long road to their respective destinations, or board one of the many hire cars that would take them all the way to Cane Grove, Supply being one of the Villages along the way.
Joining the mad rush for cars, I was spared the hustle when a taxi driver hailed out to me by name, and opted to take me to Supply Village after he knew I was going there.
The scenery was charmingly rustic as we drove down the Market Road to our intended destination. I sucked in the fresh country breeze and just marvelled as the wild churning of the dark waters of the Mahaica River.
The solitude was short lived as the car bumped and rattled into the many large potholes on the road, jerking me out of my little world of brooding on the pleasant task ahead.

The transformation
After some humping and bumping along the road, we arrived in the very dusty village of Supply, Mahaica just as school children were tumbling out of the primary school on their afternoon recess.
We stopped at a location which has a small mart, where most of the housewives would hang out, and I was totally bowled over by the transformation of the village. In times gone by, Supply was just a small clustering of houses interspersed mostly by bush. The primary school was housed many years ago in a small church building, and the students were always packed therein like sardines.
Today, through Government intervention, students are benefiting from a spanking new primary school, and the former building is now abandoned.
In 2002, the village celebrated unanimously when the school moved into its new building. Parents had been reluctant to send their children to the very small church building that was used before, because of lack of space and furniture to accommodate the masses who were trying their best to get an education in the village.
Villagers now no longer need travel distances to worship, since a sturdy concrete Methodist Church has also been built to afford this service to the holy at heart.
More shops have sprung up, and very posh and impressive buildings are now present. Generally, Supply Village is rapidly evolving into a modern, attractive location.
And villagers are now preparing their own ball field, a feature they were hoping for several years ago. While the ball field is still in its preparatory stage, the youths are eagerly waiting its completion to host several entertainment and sporting projects they have planned.
The old shabby houses of Supply Village are now all gone, replaced by lavish buildings which all add a somewhat sparkling hue to the previously ubiquitous old world charm.
We were readily welcomed by smiling residents, and they all fussed around us, eager to share what one school teacher referred to as the ‘perils of the village’.

Challenges
Villager elder Lorraine Jackson was a bit perturbed by the fact that the issue of bad roads is still not properly addressed in the village. “The issue of intolerable roads has been an ongoing problem we are facing for years. And I frankly have no idea what the NDC is doing. The roadways in Supply have been going from bad to worse, and nobody is doing anything about it”.
The road leading into and running through the village is very narrow, and residents are lamenting the need to make it wider to accommodate both pedestrians and drivers. Sections of the road are falling apart, while in other areas there is the constant feature of large pot holes.
The road can barely accommodate two vehicles at one time in some areas, and residents think the situation very unsafe. That aside, the muddy puddles created during the rainy season is quite a discomfort to villagers.
Another issue bothering residents is the unavailability of street lighting on the main road and in the many access streets. According to housewife Debbie Argyle, villagers in times gone by would host fund -raisers during their annual Emancipation celebrations and used same to purchase street lights for at least two access streets in the village.
She said that after some time, important planning individuals migrated, and the event planning capacity of the village fell apart. As such, the street lights could not be maintained, and in time dwindled away as well. Streets are now pitch black at nights, and villagers fear danger from reptiles that crawl around in the dark.
Mrs. Argyle is also the founder of the Supply Women’s Action Group on Social Issues, which has been contributing positively to society for the past two years.

Camaraderie
Everyone lives as one in Supply Village, and the love and harmony amongst residents is very evident.
It was very apparent in the jolly laughter of school children heading home from school; in the gossip of housewives as they purchased over-the-counter groceries and other supplies. And there it was again in the raucous guffaws of young men playing cards by the small shops, or having a few beers under their houses.
This village was a bundle of joy showcasing cheerful residents doing their best to keep abreast with the changing hands of time.
Well, folks there are enjoying potable water, made possible by the GWI, and there is abundance of the precious fluid flowing in the trenches for them to keep their crops and livestock alive. What is also evident is that villagers no longer don their forlorn appearance, since ‘things are looking up’ in the village, and they are seeing the signs of ongoing development there.

Employment/Entertainment
Most of the villagers have, over the years, been farmers; and still continue to be farmers both on a large- and small-scale basis, cultivating various cash crops and various vegetables, rice and ground provisions on a smaller scale.
A significant few are employed in administrative offices outside the village, and function as teachers at the Supply Primary and the nearby Bygeval Multilateral School.
As per the norm, several young men are more intent on making a fast dollar, and as such prefer to try their luck in the hinterland areas, where they work as pork knockers.
Many housewives enjoy the thrill of rearing and selling poultry, which is rapidly becoming a popular form of employment for many.
In this village, the self-employed also provide employment for others. Many years ago, Supply was popular for its many street parties, fairs and Emancipation celebrations. Today those are no more, but residents are contented to stay at home consuming alcohol and listening to music. The more hyperactive youths would, nevertheless, venture outside the village to seek hectic nocturnal fun at night spots.
That aside, villagers are satisfied with gathering at two shops close to the primary school on weekends for their ‘beer drinking fiestas’.

Domestic abuse
Domestic abuse is prevalent in some homes in this village, according to a group of females, and the said group is suggesting that workshops be brought to the village to sensitise couples on preventative and eradicative methods to fight domestic abuse.
The main proponents of this type of abuse are reputedly males, especially those hooked on drugs and consuming alcohol regularly. They are calling for counselling session to be made available for victims of domestic abuse in the village.

The Mahaica Women in Action Group
Women in Supply and contiguous villages are making a positive turn in life, and in so doing, are joining on social issues the Mahaica Women in Action Group headed by Debbie Argyle, an offshoot of the Dynamic Sports, Youth and Culture Group formed in the village five years ago. That group fell apart, and villagers came up with the women’s group, which is allowing women to find their scope and skills in cake decorating, pastry making, floral decoration, and cosmetology.
School dropout and single parents are also grasping this opportunity, and Nail and Hair Class teacher Oneika Daniels said the response has been overwhelming since classes began.
She added that, so far, 105 students have graduated from the Cake and Pastry classes, with a grand total of one hundred and fifty-six students graduating with certificates over the past two years.

Conclusion
The village is relatively small and still under-developed in some areas. But it is the love and joy abounding in the village that leave the visitor enthralled. In this village, which faces challenges like any other village, residents have learnt to ‘let the language of love’ be their comfort and guidance on a daily basis.