By Michel Outridge

THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine journeyed to the old-fashioned, little village of Vive-La-Force, West Bank Demerara and interacted with residents about their way of life and developments.

Vive-La-Force is a small community which comprises Indo, Afro Guyanese and a large population of people of mixed race.

The village, sandwiched between Vriesland and Free and Easy on the West Bank of Demerara, is home of the hardworking folk of farmers, teachers, nurses and others.

The community has a school which is multi-grade and serves as the nursery and primary schools for 66 pupils within the village.

It also has a health post, many small roadside shops and a few bars, along a long stretch of which a canal runs opposite and vast backlands.

With the area being so small it doesn’t take much effort to get to know your neighbours and a place where crime and violence are almost non-existent.

The Pepperpot Magazine spoke with the headteacher of Vive-La-Force Primary/Nursery School and she was very happy to see visitors, since not very many people go that way and she said it is like they are forgotten at the location.

Gaitrie Matuhura-Smith said 66 students are enrolled in the school system and the children are not very exposed to the ‘outside’ world, so to speak but the village has produced some academics.

She related that most people have their farms of cash crops and produce are sold within the village or at market, while some have small businesses of livestock, cattle and chickens, small shops and others work in the city and nearby villages in offices and at Wales Sugar Estate.

Matuhura-Smith added that the school building is in dire need of a facelift, a paint job, new chairs for the teachers, a play area and other supplies.

“It would really nice if the business community or some like-minded person can donate a play park or a recreational area for the children to play, because here there isn’t much going on and at least the children will be able to have something to do other than attending school,” she said.

The headteacher stated that the school also needs internet service and at least one computer, which will be useful for both teachers and pupils, given the advancement of technology the children can benefit.

She pointed out that within recent times they have had some help from business people, who donated school supplies and other items they requested and they are very thankful for the support over the years.

Last year, Gafoor’s donated two bags of rice per student during an outreach in the village and gifted students a bicycle each to assist them in getting to and from school daily, since transportation is very costly and children had to walk long distances to get to school.

“These children are not very exposed because they do not leave this village often and they are unaware of a lot of things, since they were brought up in an old-fashioned way and they need to experience the digital and technology age,” she said.

Matuhura-Smith told the Pepperpot Magazine that she like others would like to see more visitors in the village, because they are a remote community and she believes many people don’t even know the place exist.

“I am from this village and choose to remain here to be of service to the people because education is the key to enhancing lives. But I want to say something else, because people here don’t go out much and they are friendly and would like to meet others. When I went to a function and met President David Granger, I felt so good because it was my very first time and the people here would like to have that same experience too,” she said.

More than often, the headteacher opined that they are viewed as ‘back dam’ people, but they are people who are steadfast and resourceful because when the estates closed they had to seek alternative jobs to provide for the families.

Apart from the need of upgrading the road, she reacted that there is a need for more teachers at the school because at present one teacher has to tend to two classes and they don’t have time to focus on individuals as such, some students are not able to learn as quickly as others.

Matuhura-Smith stated that in Vive-La-Force, especially during the holidays, people tend to play their music a bit too loudly, but people live in harmony and there isn’t much to worry about, noting that life is simple there.

“Before the internet we used to have a lot of fun, playing cricket, ‘sal-out’ on the road, swimming in the canal and have a steady bush cook, but now folk don’t do those things anymore, some people on their cellphones a lot,” she said.