Teshri Jeetnarine called “Kavita” is a mother of two and she is a cash crop farmer of Section ‘A’ Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice.

She had a harvest of tomatoes and sweet peppers, two of her main crops and had already sold it to wholesale buyers that day when the team visited.

The 41-year-old has her cultivation on the sea dam in her village and lives opposite her farm which is very convenient for her to tend to the crops.

Jeetnarine has a nice, well-kept home and is quite contented with life so far, she explained that being a farmer is not easy because she has to cope with losses due to the changing weather pattern and it is also hard work.

“I have everything I need here and life is comfortable,” she said.

The Balkarrans
Further down the street, another resident, Nandkumarie Balkarran and her husband live with their disabled adult son.

The 76-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that they have been there for the past 30 years and they live peacefully and with their pensions.

Her husband, Ramnarine Balkarran would assist her in and around the home.

The 68-year-old is disgusted with the garbage situation in his village and it was evident of the pile up and a pungent odour was emanating from one of the many heaps there, along the main drainage canal.

He stated that during the night people would come and dump rubbish in the canal and on the parapet and it is a serious health problem for himself and family.

“We used to have a bed out on the verandah where our sick son would be for the fresh air but we had to take the bed inside because of the unpleasant smell,” he said.

The 47-year-old at birth seemed healthy and as he grew was delayed in learning and it was evident he could not help himself.

He cannot walk on his own or do simple everyday things including eating and is being taken care of by his elderly parents, both pensioners, who depend on their monthly allowance to upkeep the home.

Balkarran added that when it rains the place would flood because the drains haven’t been cleaned in a long time.

Puran Ramoo
A few houses down in the back street is the home of businessman, Puran Ramoo, who has a car rental and fishing business.

The father of three related that the street is very narrow, a one-vehicle road which needs upgrading and for two and half years a canter truck is parked but recently it was set alight and the owner never showed up to have it removed.

The 39-year-old stated that because of his car rental business customers need to have access to his residence and with that truck stationery there it is difficult to do so.

He is also the owner of two fishing boats and have in total 10 employees, who mostly work on the boats.

Ramoo reported that Section ‘A’ Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice is a good neighbourhood but they have a refuse issue and the infrastructure need some attention such as drainage and roads.

He added that the place is relatively quiet and peaceful and the people are very neighbourly.

“This road was upgraded three months ago but look at it, falling apart as you can see so often I would try and fix it to cover huge potholes because getting in and out with vehicles is stress,” he said.

On another note, Ramoo is the Treasurer attached to the Three-Door Koker Fishermen’s Coop Society, a stone’s throw away from his house.

He explained that the facility was commissioned in 2015 by the then President Donald Ramotar and it is owned by the government and they pay a monthly rental for the storage facilities for fisherfolk.

He stated that all fishermen have to pay the watchman fee of $1,200 per boat and a $500 subscription fee for membership, $100 for fresh water and no landing fee/entrance fee which is fair.

“We have bills to pay so we have to garner funds to do so because it is a service we provide and we do issue receipts so there is adequate transparency in transactions,” he said.

Ramoo pointed out that they have security cameras, as well, and they have a membership of 35 fishermen.

He stated that they have a chairman, a clerk, a treasurer and five committee members as the managing body of the Three-Door Fishermen’s Coop Society.