Waiakabra | A green paradise
Waiakabra Village (Carl Croker photos)
Waiakabra Village (Carl Croker photos)

By Michel Outridge

THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine visited the community of Waiakabra,Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

The village is located at Ideal Road and is home to about 500 residents of mixed ethnicities, most of whom are from Region One, Eight, Nine and farther afield.

Waiakabra was formerly called “Roberts Bush” community, but the name was changed to Waiakabra when the Community Development Council (CDC) was formed on July 11, 2017, by a group of residents.

The word Waiakabra means ‘getting together as one’ and the village comprises 14 blocks and is divided into two sections: the regularised and unregularised areas.

The village is located about a 15-minute drive from the junction on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and is between Hill Foot and Yarrowkabra.

Home of Lloyd O’Selmo

It is home to Camp Kayuka and four sandpits and the main access road, which was once an all-weather road has deteriorated to a sand-loom one which is impassable in sections, as such, the team could not journey to Camp Kuyuka.

Waiakabra also has two CDC groups and the residents are farmers and others go out of the village to work, while some are employed on poultry establishments and large-scale farms.

In Waiakabra there are lots of foliage and trees, many of which are fruit trees, planted in the yards by residents and is home to the biggest passion fruits.

The regularised section of this village has electricity, while the other section is without, and residents have been trying to benefit from this basic necessity since 2013.

Waiakabra has potable water supply and some villagers make do with makeshift houses and cottages, while there are also some large edifices within the community.

The community has a Community Centre building but no schools; children attend the schools nearby in Kuru Kururu.

The people of Waiakabra are friendly and some have invested in small businesses.

The Village Leader

Village Leader Lloyd O’Selmo

The Pepperpot Magazine met the Village Leader Lloyd O’Selmo who has had that position for the past three years.

He reported that most of the inhabitants of Waiakabra work outside the perimeters of the community and some are miners.

O’Selmo disclosed that 15 years ago he left his hometown of Matthews Ridge, Region One (Barima-Waini) because he wanted his children to benefit from tertiary education;

a decision he made with much thought but has not regretted the move like many others, who also relocated to the quiet village of Waiakabra.

The village leader added that some lands in the village are privately owned and as such, some residents do not have leases and cannot access a loan from the bank to upgrade their accommodation.

“There are land issues that have engaged the Lands and Survey Commission for many years with the private owners and we would like it to be resolved,” he said.

O’Selmo is a member of the CDC which is made up of four members and he is a miner, who has turned construction worker.

He disclosed that within Waiakabra 30 families have electricity and he is still trying to make representation for the villagers.

He pointed out that under the stewardship of the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs they have benefitted from a community centre which is 95 per cent complete.

The construction of the multi-purpose building was done three years ago and it is outfitted with solar equipment.

“I did approach Food For The Poor (FFTP) to assist villagers with better houses, but they did not meet certain criteria and that did not materialise,” he said.

O’Selmo reported that Waiakabra is home to a doctor, nurses, teachers and other professionals, including his four children.

“One of my daughters is a teacher and the other has just enrolled in nursing school, while one of my two sons is a contractor and the other works with Gafoor’s.

O’Selmo stated that his children had sound education and they have developed skills to be gainfully employed and that was his main reason for leaving his hometown of Matthews Ridge.

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