By Michel Outridge

THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine visited the riverine communities of Fort Island in the Essequibo River and Upper and Lower Bonasika Creek, a tributary of the Essequibo River.

Fort Island is the perfect place for a weekend getaway to enjoy the therapeutic scenes of historical sites, the beach, the river and the lush greenery.

This place will certainly make you want to inhale the fresh island breeze and there is a natural attraction where one can just sit and look out at the mighty Essequibo River in the background.

It is such a beautiful island with equally nice people, who are hardworking.

On the visit to Fort Island, the Pepperpot Magazine interacted with the locals, who were very eager to share their stories.

Fort Island is very large but has fewer than 100 residents of mixed ethnicities, whose economic livelihoods depend on fishing and farming.

The island has a multi-grade school which consists of nursery and primary.

A health post is manned by a resident community health worker, a few small shops, Fort Zeelandia and the Court of Policy which comes under the National Trust of Guyana and is often visited by tourists.

The Guyana Defence Force has a Coast Guard Base on Fort Island. A Dutch Cemetery is located at the rear of the island and it is a place with untouched beaches, lush greenery and vast savannahs.

Even though the soldiers and residents exchange cordial relations, there is still need for a police outpost on the island, since domestic and other issues require a visit to the nearest police station which is at Parika and is costly for these riverine folk.

The people are friendly and most of them are farmers, some of whom have their farms elsewhere, while others utilise the vast land mass for planting in their backyards.

Some residents have livestock and poultry, which they sell to supplement their incomes.

Fort Island is frequented by tourists, but due to the global pandemic all tours and visits to these historical sites are on hold.

The acting head teacher of Fort Island
The Pepperpot Magazine met the acting head teacher, Antonio Fraser, a resident of Parika, East Bank Essequibo, who is residing on the island in the teacher’s house which is located in the school compound.

The 20-year-old, a budding young man of Amerindian ancestry, said he teaches the primary-level pupils, while his colleague teaches the nursery pupils.

In total, the school has in attendance nine pupils and for this term they may have one or two new registrations.

Fraser stated that even though it is his first teaching job he is gaining experience, working away from home and he has made new friends who have quickly developed into family.

Explaining how he landed the teaching job, Fraser added that he was job-hunting after being a miner and the resident teacher was going to the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) full-time and there was an opening.

He applied for the teaching job and was successful and officially began working in January this year.

“Even though I never taught before I was able to grasp the much-needed skills to keep the attention of the pupils and it brings me great joy moulding the minds of children, because it feels right, something that is fulfilling,” he said.

Fraser, a very outgoing fellow who is always smiling, is easy to talk to and has a friendly disposition and because of this demeanour he relates to the people very well.

He has developed good relations with the locals and can often be observed at the homes of others engaged in a chat.

With schools closed since March, the young teacher was at home but with the new school term he has returned to Fort Island to register new admissions.

When school was in session he would reside on the island during the week and some weekends he would return to his home village.

“The island is interesting and there is always something to do, so I am not bored and I have people to talk to,” he said. “I really like this experience so far. I have developed my teaching skills as well as my interpersonal people skills and can relate to others better; and I am gaining plus sharing my experience at the same time as a teacher,” he said.