Scenic Bethany
A view of the Indigenous community of Bethany, Essequibo Coast, Region Two
A view of the Indigenous community of Bethany, Essequibo Coast, Region Two

BETHANY is an Indigenous settlement, about 17 square kilometres in size and located approximately five miles up the Supenaam Creek from the Supenaam Stelling, Essequibo Coast, Region Two.A peaceful forested community, Bethany is home to some 462 residents, some 30 per cent of whom are below age 18.

The Bethany Primary and Nursery schools are housed in one building

Residents depend on logging and farming to earn a living, and because of limited employment opportunities, many young people over the years have migrated from the village in search of greener pastures on the coastland.
The date of establishment of the village is not clear, but it is believed that the village was born sometime in the 1880s, when bands of nomadic Indigenous peoples from Mashabo, Tapacuma, and the Pomeroon began to settle there.
The early villagers, village elders told the Guyana Chronicle, were looking for an area to carry on their forestry activities, hunt and plant when they stumbled upon Bethany.
The settlement provided all that they were looking for: it was in the forest, part of it had fertile land, it was near the creek and as such provided them with an abundant supply of fish, and not too far in the creek was a Dutch sawmill.
The early villagers played a part in providing the hydro-operated mill with logs and were rewarded through a system of barter.
Today, the sawmill is no longer in operation, but remnants of its existence in the form of dykes remain.

An area in the forest was cleared to create the Bethany Recreational Park

From the inception, the sparsely populated settlement was a logging community, and it remains so even to this day.
Elderly residents told the Guyana Chronicle that they are fond of the peaceful, scenic and simple life of the village as they invite others to visit the settlement.
Bethany can be accessed from the speedboat stelling, located at the mouth of the Essequibo River. The journey to the settlement is about 15 minutes by speed- boat, and is one that includes traversing through narrow, meandering areas of the vast black fresh-water creek.
At several points in the creek, there are springs gushing out cool water. There are also other areas that are so clear, that one can see at the bottom of the creek at a depth of six feet.
This publication was taken to an area where residents bathe. The sandy area was surrounded by huge hardwood trees and the water from the creek was fresh as water right out of an artesian well.

The area in the creek where residents bathe

The bathing area of the creek looked like an ideal place for relaxation, and according to residents, it is a really nice place to “throwback,” never mind the anacondas that pass through, some of which are about 20 feet in length.
For the elderly residents, the sight of big snakes seem to be a normal sight, but the story was enough to cause this publication to hurry out of the area.
Out of the creek, the vast area of land is dotted with beautiful small houses and trees ranging from coconut, to awara, to plantain. Bethany has a primary and nursery school, a modern community centre, a recreational park, a health centre, an airstrip, a medical missionary college and a Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
Bethanians are friendly people and the majority appear to be staunch Seventh- day Adventists. They all live in peace and harmony among themselves.
Those who are not into logging, cultivate bora, pak choi, eddo, yam, plantain and pumpkin, among other greens and vegetables.

A modern community centre at Bethany, Essequibo Coast, Region Two

A portion of the produce is sold in the settlement, while the remainder is sold at markets at Suddie, Anna Regina and Charity.
The settlement seems to have no major problem with the exception of a few cases of suicide, teenage pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse.
These aside, Bethanians are a happy people and have a very good sense of humour. When the Guyana Chronicle completed the tour of the settlement and interviews with residents, it was time for a group photograph and a group shot was requested. Within seconds, bottles of Banko wine, El Dorado rum and Ivanov Vodka with glasses and ice appeared. Residents there are a people of very cheerful spirit.

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