By Michel Outridge

THE Pepperpot Magazine during its visit to Hope Village, East Coast Demerara, spoke with several residents, who shared their stories.

One of those persons is Handso Rammit, a stay-at-home wife, who was in her front yard enjoying some good country breeze after completing some household chores.

She stated that at present things are a bit worrying because of the elections debacle and the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), causing people to panic and economically it’s a bit stagnant.

Rammit related that their community depends heavily on farming and with the existing limitations on certain things, it is a real struggle for them to sell their produce and still make a profit.

“We make do with the farming and I have a son, who is an operator, but he don’t get everyday work so we trying as is,” she explained.

She stated that they would sell their produce at Annandale Market on weekends and would buy groceries outside the village.
The 59-year-old said they never had any real all-weather road in the streets in that village, except for the main access road which is asphalted and lived all her life in Hope Village, since in the days when her house was a logie.

Rammit reported that over the years they were able to demolish the old structure and construct the flat concrete house they currently reside in.

She pointed out that sometimes one just needs to pray instead of worrying.

The team also met Shoba Sookraj and her husband, Mahadeo Mohabir; the couple has a farm and that’s their only source of income.

They are also residents of Hope Village, who has several acres of farmland in front of their home.

Sookraj told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is a housewife but would assist her husband on the farm.

She disclosed that they have wholesale buyers for their crops of squash, boulanger, fine leaf thyme, papaya, ochro and passion fruit.

The mother of three related that the farming life is not one of glitz and glamour, but is hard manual labour and long hours of toiling in the humid weather conditions that exist presently.

Her husband Mohabir said that he would get up early and begin work on the farm. That day, he was engaged in spraying pesticide and was on a break, after which he was expected to return at 17:00hrs to continue the task.

“In this business of farming the middle man makes the money, that is, the people, who are buying from us, because they pay you small and sell at market price which fluctuates as a result, we carry a loss,” he said.

Mohabir however, remains optimistic and his motto “You can’t give up” keeps him going and his family are his helpers and constant prayers often carry the burdens of life.

He stated that life is how one sees it and for him his vision is through his children and that is his motivation: to keep working to provide for his family, which is his priority.