RESIDENT of Moraikobai, Juliet Adrian, told the Pepperpot Magazine that their aim as elders in the village is to preserve their culture, particularly when it comes to ensuring that the younger generation is familiar with speaking the Lokono language.

She explained that in their community, which is very remote, they want to maintain their traditions and there is a 10-month programme in the nursery and primary schools in Moraikobai to teach the children Lokono, which is an Arawak language.

Adrian was tasked with teaching the children the language which ended after the 10 months, but they are hoping to re-start the programme since it last happened two years ago.

She related that the children were quite receptive to the teaching and some even speak it, but mostly it is only the elders of the village who still speak the language frequently.

“As times goes by, the young people are wasting a lot of time because they are diverting from their culture and language, which is very important in our indigenous lives and we want to correct that as elders, but there is [only] so much we can do as is,” Adrian said.

She told the Pepperpot Magazine that she grew up in the riverine village and she is from the second generation of Adrians who were also from the village; as a result, there she will remain.

“I am so happy to be living in Moraikobai, because here we don’t short of anything and life here is stress-free,” she said.

At 65-years-old, Adrian is a farmer and it entails back-breaking labour hours upon hours daily and since her farmland is miles away from her house, she has to walk for hours to get there.

Adrian has a pineapple farm which sits on a two-acre plot; besides that, she has bitter cassava on an acre of land plus two acres of provisions and greens.

She stated that she is trying to secure a better market for her produce before going on a larger scale of farming, even though the villagers buy.

Adrian added that prices for plantain and cassava are just like the “road” price, which is $100 per pound which is very cheap and she doesn’t really make a profit.

“Our way of life is very simple but hard because we fish, we hunt and we plant and from that, we eat so we are a hard-working people, who don’t sit idly, but we like our life here,” she said.

The village guesthouse

The Moraikobai Village guesthouse has modern amenities,but yet a rustic feel to it and it is a place where the sunset is breathtaking, among other things.

The place is managed by Bridgette France, a native of the village and a mother of three boys.

She told the Pepperpot Magazine that she struggled a lot to send her children to school but hard work paid off, because today she is very proud that one of her sons is a secondary school teacher.

France said Moraikobai is a very beautiful village where peace prevails and it is a perfect place for a vacation and to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

“We are a people noted for our hospitality and we welcome all to our village and we ensure your stay is memorable, because being kind to people was ingrained in us at a very young age by our parents,” she said.

France reported that the guesthouse is a modern building with nine bedrooms outfitted with mosquito nets and electric fans among other things.

She stated that guests can cook in the spacious kitchen, but she is also a caterer and would provide meals upon request of the visitors and guests.

France noted that a standard room at the guesthouse is very affordable and your stay in the village will be one to remember, since they seek to please rather than receive.

She added that life in Moraikobai is good, because it is like one big family resides there and everyone was born and grew up there, so there are no strangers among them.

“Life is generally what you make of it no matter where you live, so you have to work and you also have to have some fun at the same time, which makes it exciting and worth the while, but [Moraikobai] is paradise for me and it is my home,” she said.

In Moraikobai they promote eco-tourism and also showcase their talent by way of their food, art and craft.