Derick Narine is the Chairman of the Community Development Council (CDC) and made Nottinghamshire Village, Linden his home in 1989 and is playing his part to develop the village through community-based self-help projects.

He has been living in Nottinghamshire Village for more than 30 years and is also a small scale farmer.

The CDC was formed in 2003 and he was recently elected the Chairman by the people.

He reported that the Wesleyan Church began utilising the building that was once the caretaker’s home, who was attached to bauxite company Furatana Farm.

Through a self-help initiative with residents, a bus shed was constructed at the head of the village where they have the village name hanging on a piece of board.

He disclosed too, that it was villagers, who came together to build the road in the village and today that road is in a deplorable state.

Narine stated that the people would cooperate for such projects to develop the village and through the CDC, he is embarking on a new project where a building for the Resource Centre will be constructed and the government has promised to equip it with a computer to make it an ICT hub for the children in the village.

The building will be built at the ball fieled in the community which is a sizable plot just as you enter the village.

He reported that the first settler in Nottinghamshire is Ramnarine Jettoo, who was given a plot and he started his sawmilling business, that place is still in operation and is standing.

Narine reported that the CDC through the Local Government will look at having the playground fenced and built a pavilion.

The CDC Chairman recalled that the Furatana Farm was operated by Guymine, the bauxite company and it was located in Nottinghamshire Village and when the company folded the operations ceased.

He stated that they had a poultry farm, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and Guymine workers used to go there to make purchases with the company’s identification card and get eggs, meats, and vegetables. That money would be deducted from their salary at month end.

The Furatana Farm has a hatchery, and they planted their own fruits and vegetables.

Narine added that the railway ran through that village and the train used to pass to go to the farm and they used to assist people in transportation, back then.

He pointed out that was about 25 years ago and all remnants of the railway have since disappeared and it is replaced by a loam road that has huge potholes.

As for the farm site it is abandoned and overgrown with bushes and parts of the buildings that were once in tip-top shape are in a state of disrepair.

The farmer
Ronald Narine is a farmer and his backyard has cash crops and fruits but it was flooded and he lost 12 beds of bora, 2000 ochro plants, 3000 roots of cabbage and many other crops.

The father of five told the Pepperpot Magazine that he has been in Nottinghamshire Village for the past 25 years and he is making a living by farming.

He has spent a significant part of his life there and describes life as good until they are flooded.

The 60-year-old and his wife had two and half acres of farmland in their backyard and they earn from farming.

Narine reported that this season he suffered a loss because of the heavy rainfall. He lost his crops to floodwaters and all the plants he bought are gone.

“I have to start over because what can I do? Farming is my life and it is my sole income generator so I must find a way to continue,” he said.

Narine stated that it is hard to recoup his losses but all his celery, sweet peppers and basically most of his crops are gone.

The floodwaters were evident on the farm and it worries Narine about his future because he would sell his produce at the McKenzie Market when he makes a good harvest.

He, like most farmers, is hard hit by the heavy rains and floodwaters that flooded many parts of Guyana that never saw any flooding before.