An almost sombre quiet, luxuriously swaying coconut palms, cheery folks, picturesque ambience and rich camaraderie can be the best terms used to describe the small but striking village of Malgre Tout on the West Bank of Demerara.

This village is located just over seven miles from Georgetown. Wedged snugly between the busier villages of Versailles to the west and Klien Pouderoyen to the east, Malgre Tout is one of the quiet little alcoves that not much people seem to know about.
With Latitude readings of . 6.8000° and Longitude. -58.2000°, sunrise is often expected in this location at 05:41 hours and Sunset at 17:31 hours.
This village has a population of just over two thousand according to a few villagers.

Earnest Pleadings

It was really not my intention to visit this village, but I must say the impact that our village focus features have been creating is resulting in residents clambering to have their location featured whenever I happen to be in their area.
This fateful morning I was heading to work from Versailles, but stopped to get some credit for my cellular phone when I was bombarded by the still peppy and energetic 78 year-old Brenda Massiah who literally blocked my path and exploded like a cannon.
“You de Alex…. I can’t believe you…. Every week I picking up de Sunday Chronicle and enjoying dem village stories and you live right round de cornah and yuh can’t come tuh Malgre Tout. Well eh eh…I TELL YUH WHAT…. Wait man… Like we ain’t important tuh. Like we ain’t exist at all or wha? Well hear nah yuh get yuh pen and yuh writing pad hea suh yuh gon do dis village or yuh ain’t leaving dis shop”
Well this woman has always been a good friend of mine while I was employed at the Aracari Resort in Versailles. So after almost doubling over with laughter, I hugged her gleefully and decided to do as she requested.

Walking through the village I was somewhat taken back by the quiet atmosphere.
While there was a constant buzz of conversation coming from the nursery school there, most of the houses were locked tight while the sound of televisions blared from the interior.
A few housewives peered from behind window panes, withdrawing to the safety of their living rooms if I showed signs of approaching their gates. Cows grazed lazily in the shade of huge tamarind trees, ‘mooing’ their delight as they chomped on juicy grass and shrubs.
Here and there a few stray dogs ran along the alleyways sniffing at the grass in desperation as they tried to find ‘snack left overs’ thrown in the

streets by the little ones as they trudge home from the Malgre Tout Primary School.

Chatting with residents
Well the feisty Mrs. Massiah did everything in her power to ensure that she was the first person I interacted with so she held onto to me like an octopus and marched me to her nice and cozy cottage some distance from the

public road.

Ensuring I was very comfortably seated in one of her ancient but somewhat stately sofas she fluffed the cushions and hurried to the kitchen to get me a glass of cold guava juice and three juicy looking cashews picked from a tree in her backyard.
As we chatted the ‘old diva’ as she called herself changed into one of her favourite blouse, mussed her hair a bit and sat back for photos. She was soon interrupted by a female friend who came over and insisted that she be a part of the interviews.
Sharon Thom, a housewife lauded praises on the village, noting that it is by far one of the more appealing villages in West Demerara, emphasising that its beauty is still to be discovered by many.
“Malgre Tout has a strange appealing beauty that is comforting and soothing to the soul. From our green pastures, lovely houses, dusty side streets and few ancient structures, this village is the ideal spot for those that desire peace and comfort. I want to grow old right here since it’s the most peaceful location I have ever known. In this village there are East Indians, Africans, Amerindians and mixed races, but everyone lives here as

one and look out for each other.”
Mrs. Thom was however concerned about the state of some drains and irrigation trenches in the village that have become clogged with weeds and other plant species.
“The beauty of this village won’t last however, if the authorities do not clean up the drains and canals that will help to provide proper drainage. Look at the state of the canal by the public road… It is full of grass and all kinds of plants… This can eventually lead to flooding of the village during the rainy season. Someone needs to look into such issues. But yuh got tuh give Jack he jacket…. I am very pleased that at last the Government is repairing the bridge that allows access from the village from the public road. This structure was rotten in several areas and I used to fear greatly for the young children that had to cross there to get to the nursery school”

Malgre Tout In Times Gone By

As we spoke Mrs. Massiah reflected on her days as a young girl when the village was less developed and sported few houses.
“I have been living here for over fifty-five years and I would not trade this place for anywhere else. This village has always been a quiet and very pleasant place to live and all the races here live in harmony and with great respect for each other. Of course there are a few who are just stuck up and aloof at times, but the majority is just down-to-earth and ready to help out each other”
The bubbly woman noted that in years gone by Malgre Tout was a location that sported a small number of cottage styled houses, lush open pastures and natural gurgling waterways that provided the life-saving liquid for the many cattle, sheep and goats that roamed the land.
She explained that eventually a scheme was built in what was called the backlands of the village and the village became more developed and took on a better infrastructural layout. She noted that in her days as a young girl there were never out of water since they would fetch from the neighbouring Versailles where the then Versailles Estate made it much easy for them to obtain water for drinking purposes. However, in those days as she dictated many preferred to wash

and cook with water taken from ‘running streams’ which was boiled before consumption.
Mrs. Massiah spoke of the days when she would reap guava from a special tree in her backyard that weighed a pound and star apples of gigantic proportions from her own backyard.

The Royal Brenda
Brenda Massiah is a popular figure in the village, especially for her exploits in the fields of drama and culture.
She was given a lead role in the local movie dubbed ‘Guiana 1838 where she played the role of a slave woman ‘Nanu Majuhar.’ She was very impressive in her role and she made a fantastic fusion with actor, Henry Rodney who played the role of her son.
She has also graced the stage of the Theatre Guild on many occasions, and was quite a phenomenon in plays at the National Cultural Centre.
She attended the then Malgre Tout R C School where she fell in love with the head teacher, Kenneth Massiah and married him when she was only eighteen.
The two brought into the world five children and among them the popular standup comedian, Max Massiah who is quite a top rated figure in the entertainment arena these days.

Today Mrs. Massiah is also playing a major role at the Bernice Manson Foundation where through donor support the group feeds the poor and helps the underprivileged. This organisation is headed by Mrs. Doris Lewis and presently folks there are preparing for their annual feeding programme which is conducted in November of every year.
This very peppy elderly soul has to her belt twenty-two great grandchild children and twenty grands.

Employment
This village does not seem to have an employment problem since almost everyone seemed to be engaged in some job or the other.
In the olden days farming seemed to be the order of the day and almost every home sorted a kitchen garden from which residents obtained their fresh fruits and vegetables.
The many fruit trees remain today but the gardens are almost no more since villagers have taken up professions of masonry, carpentry, driving, shop keeping and a few others.
To date there are just two small stalls in the village that market ready groceries, but villagers can now get all their supplies at the spanking new supermarket that was recently erected in the village.
Some residents are employed in various positions at the Guyana Power and Light entity just outside the village, while a few have taken up the job of fish mongers.
Some villagers would also purchase food items on a wholesale basis in the city and would retail same at roadside where the Malgre Tout Market is set up for about three hours every Saturday morning.
In olden times this market operation was quite vibrant but as vendors moved to the nearby Vreed-en-Hoop Public Road area and to the Stabroek Market, Georgetown, the market has dwindled greatly in size and impact.
There is a lone doctor (Dr. Ivor Walcott) in the village but this does seem to bother villagers since they can access medical treatment at the Versailles Health Centre or at the West Demerara Regional Hospital in Best Village, just over a mile away.
Villagers would however like to have their own playfield for recreational purposes.

Religion and Culture
Today Malgre Tout boasts a mixture of religious beliefs. While some villagers worship at the lone Anglican Church in the village, others worship at a Hindu Mandir while Muslims would gather at a Mosque in the village.
That aside villagers stay close to their roots and all there locations of worship come alive annually when the various religious groups celebrate important occasions according to their relative faiths.
The culture at Malgre Tout slightly resembles that of the Indian immigrants who crossed the Atlantic Ocean over 150 years ago and the Africans who were brought here during the era of the slaves.
About 35% of the population are Indo-Guyanese and 45% Negroes, while a small group of Chinese and Amerindian families comprise the minority – the culture is very similar to that of the rest of the British Caribbean, however according to the locals with an East Indian/African flair.
The residents of this village brought their foods, traditions, religion and customs with them. This is very prevalent today in the food and language of the people.
Over the years, it is said, the population of Indians has lost their mother tongue completely, and although Indian music remains very popular, the English Language, with a slight Creole touch, has taken complete control. Almost no one speaks Hindi anymore and this village, some consider it a dead language.
The religious beliefs of the people have gone through a major transformation as well. Even though the composition of the population remains the same for several years, the religious beliefs have changed dramatically.
Regardless of religious conviction every holiday social or religious is celebrated and respected. Many of the customs that foster public life are commonly organised by community leaders.

Great camaraderie
On our very arrival at this village we were engulfed win the refreshing hospitality of its people.
Car and minibus drivers were sporting flashing smiles as they directed us around the area. Mothers looking over their fences never failed to give us a smile and welcoming salutations. This was very stirring, and what surprised us most was the well-mannered school children who never passed us without a “Good afternoon sir” coming from their smiling lips.
They however blushed shyly at any attempt to make conversation, and seemed more concerned about getting home, maybe for the tasty refreshments awaiting them.

The Almost Mystique Malgre Tout
If you are a quiet person who loves the outdoors and the wind in your hair, then Malgre Tout is the place for you. Hop on horse drawn cart with rollicking bare backed lads……It’s quite a thrill as you bump and rattle your way to the backlands. The fresh, pure wind will do wonders for your lungs, and the many beautiful butterflies flutter around, reminds you of the divine wonders of Mother Nature
Such beautiful, colourful pond flies make crazy patterns in the air, making that lovely sound as their translucent wings clashed together.
It’s the sight of the tamarind trees, almost regal in the golden rays of sunlight that leaves you enthralled.
You can tie your hammock in a tree, and enjoy a good novel, or simply soak up the natural beauty of this simple but alluring village.
Join us next Sunday when we bring you the mysteries of the exciting Zeelugt.
Until then folks, do enjoyer the remainder of a hopefully sunny weekend. I am headed off to bed. Bye folks…..

(By Alex Wayne)