The friendly faces of Unity-Lancaster
Melchior Hinds
Melchior Hinds

CYRIL Singh is a resident of Unity Village and is a security guard at nights and a farmer during the day.

He has been residing there since 1985, has been a bachelor since the age of 15 and is well versed in the kitchen, where he prepares his meals on the fireside.

Singh, 61, has a kitchen garden of bora, calaloo, boulanger, eschallot, ochro, corilla, and passion fruit.

He explained that fellow villagers would buy his produce which he plants on a small scale; he also has eight goats.

Narine Singh, Justice of the Peace of Unity Village

Singh added that he is the father of two and, having been single for so long, he manages his time and can get some rest before going to his night job.

His home and surroundings were notably clean and comfortable and he said that’s how he likes to keep it and he has a good life in the countryside village of Unity.

Singh was, however, upset that the high tides caused the canal to overtop slightly and flooded his yard, which damaged his crop of bora, but said he will re-plant.

“Dis a one nice place fuh live, but you have to work hard to live a good life because most people here are either farmers or fishermen and that entails very hard labour,” he said.

In Unity Village, Singh reported that they have good roads, a good cricket ground, a health centre, a kindergarten, schools and many shops.

“Unity means togetherness and we are such a people here; we live nice and as a big family,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, Narine Singh is a well-known resident who is the Justice of Peace, Commissioner of Oaths and Affidavits and constantly entertains visitors, who conduct business at his place.

A villager out for a ride (Carl Croker photos)

The 78-year-old is still able-bodied and is active in his garden, doing chores and tending to his livestock.

The retired headmaster of Gibson Primary School said he was also a councillor and has a bit of knowledge about Unity Village.

The father of two added that there are 350 house lots in Unity and mostly East Indians reside there with a few Africans, some Spanish and a handful of Indigenous folk.

Narine reported that there is substance abuse among the young people in the village and there is a need to address the problem.

But besides that, Unity-Lancaster is a quiet place to live a good life where the day starts early and ends very late at nights.

Cyril Singh’s kitchen garden of calaloo

“Development of the village is slow but sure and we have seen the cleaning of drains and canals within this community over the years,” he said.

He related that Unity is a place where people live off the sea and land, grow what they eat and fish. He was born and grew up there and has made something of his life and wish the youths can adopt the same culture of hard work to become useful members in society.

The Pepperpot Magazine also met Melchior Hinds, who operates the vulcanising shop on the Unity Public Road and is familiar with the residents.

One of the well-paved roads in the community

He has been there for the past six years and has developed a good relationship with residents, to whom he said he would gift his fresh-caught fish, garden fruits and vegetables.

Hinds said although he is from the city, he likes the countryside life where everything is in ‘slow motion.’

He added that the good fruits and vegetables come from Unity-Lancaster villages and the people are very welcoming and warm to visitors.

When the Pepperpot Magazine visited Hinds he was relaxing under a shed which serves as his work area and two of four kittens he rescued were sleeping on chairs after being fed.

“A man abandoned them in an old car by the roadside and I went and got them and took them in and now they are my company and we are happy here,” he said.

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