DAVID Garraway is a resident of Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area and these days he is closer to home, his family and has given up working in the interior for extended periods.

He has a small roadside shop just at the edge of the village, and he spends most of his daylight hours there tending to customers, mostly locals.

The 32-year-old is pleased to be a small-business owner where he sells cold beverages, packaged snacks, sweets, groceries and other things, including water coconuts.

Garraway explained that he used to be a miner and was away from home a lot, but he realised his children were growing up and he needed to be home. As such, he decided to utilise his savings to build a small shop and established his small business two years ago.

Today, although business is not a real profit-making venture, he is at it, taking things one day at a time and he seems contented that some days will be slower than others.

The father of three related that life is comfortable because he is humble and in that part of the country, the people live in harmony with no racial overtones or burning issues and they do not worry about bandits and thieves since their neighbourhood is free of that.

“This place has a lot of children and with that in mind, we need a play park or some sort of recreational facility where the children and go and play and interact through games,” he said.

Garraway, who is a very friendly guy who is quite a talker with a genuine personality of goodness, says there isn’t a lot to get you upset in Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area, since the place is nice and everything is okay.

He explained that the people of the village have no real jobs but they are ‘hustlers’ who go out and do things to earn honestly; and they have skilled people and those who have small businesses.

Garraway told the Pepperpot Magazine that some people have farms and gardens and sell their produce in the community, while others have washbays and some men have brush cutters and work as landscapers.

“It is a very close-knit community and the people look out for each other and things are just as it should be; visitors are welcome at any time and we are very hospitable people as you can see,” he said.

Garraway reported that he and others in the village would get together and try to develop the road, but when nature takes over, when it rains it is quickly eroded and they have to do it all over again.

The expectant mother
Meanwhile, in the same village, farther down the street, is the home of an expectant mother, Roshanna Rodrigues.

She is heavily pregnant and is expecting her second child and is quite excited about welcoming her new baby.

The 26-year-old has lived all her life in the village and is a stay-at-home mom and says life in that area is quite peaceful and quiet.

She was in between cleaning and parenting and is also looking forward to spending the holidays with her family.

Rodrigues lives in an extended family setting with two large houses in one yard and just next door is the home of her grandparents and other relatives, all of whom have three houses in one large yard and there is no shortage of cousins, either.

Her grandfather, Walter Moses, is among the first settlers in the village and he is the village elder.

“This village is quiet and the people are good and some people are related so we know each other and we live in harmony and things are just as we expect,” she said.

Rodrigues stated that the people of the village are of mixed races and they live in unity and peace with no issues, except that they need a good access road because the taxi drivers hardly ever want to traverse there.

Besides that, the village is a good place to reside. It is certainly home where she is most comfortable and among family, even a large one that occupies several houses in that community.