MOST of its residents like, Rawle Semple, he is pleased to be residing in a village where he enjoys peace and quiet and is among neighbourly people. He lives at Onderneeming Housing Scheme, West Coast Berbice with his wife and seven children. Semple is originally from Hopetown, the village next door but relocated three years ago when he acquired a plot of land. His wife has a grocery shop she operates and he is a Linesman attached to the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) for the past 19 years. He was at the time fixing his car which was at the side of the road

before going to take rest. Semple told the Pepperpot Magazine that three of his children are employed while the rest are job-hunting. He has a lovely kitchen garden in his yard which is bearing boulanger among other vegetables. “Well you can’t live in the country and have yard space and buy greens, no way, you must plant and that is used in the kitchen,” he said. Semple is rearing some ducks and sheep in his backyard and describes life at Onderneeming as good because there is so much to do with little time.

The homemaker

Chelsea Semple lives next door to Rawle Semple and she was fixing up the house for the holidays. The homemaker reported  that she has been residing in at the location for the past 12 years and it is a

peaceful community where everybody is their brother’s keeper. The 22-year-old added that she is originally from Hopetown Village but Onderneeming has become her home. She noted that the place is safe because you can leave

things around and no one would interfere with it. Next door to her is a large scale poultry farm and its owners do not reside there but would visit every day and she and others would keep an eye on things. Semple lives on the lower flat of a two-storey house while her sister occupies the upper

flat and they co-exist on good terms.

She disclosed that in Onderneeming they are contented and life is good because they have so much to be thankful for.

The Village elder Amus Alfred is one of the oldest villagers and these days he would take things easy because he had worked hard for many long

years. The 79-year-old was a contractor, but  owadays his sons have stepped up to the task and when the team met him he was at the Post Office, waiting to uplift his pension. “I worked hard for 28 years as a contractor, look at my hands, so I am taking it one day at a time now because I am of age and I do little things around the house though,” he said. Alfred disclosed that he began working as a carpenter and later retired as a Foreman in the construction department of the Regional Office at Fort Wellington.

He reported that he and three sons but one died and they followed in his footsteps in terms of career and are doing construction work. Alfred celebrated his 79th birth anniversary on November 28 and he was happy to do so.  He is a committee member of the Hopetown Land Coop Society and a ranger.