THIS week, the Pepperpot Magazine visited the countryside village of Goed Bananen Land, East Canje, Berbice, to highlight the way of life of the people.

The journey saw the team crossing the Berbice River Bridge into Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and into Sheet Anchor, after which the overland trip was down a long stretch of all-weather road to the small community.

Goed Bananen Land is bordered by Betsy Ground and Adelphi villages and is separated by a drainage canal on both sides.

Goed Bananen Land was established on historically Dutch land, and its population is approximately 500 persons with 276 houses.

There are a total of nine streets in the Goed Bananen Land. The economic activities in Goed Bananen land are cash-crop farming and livestock/cattle rearing.

There is one small shop, one mandir and two Kali Temples in the village. It also has the Canefield/Enterprise NDC office and at the bottom flat of the building is the health centre. There is also one ballfield in the village.

The NDC covers the following villages: Canefield, Rosehall, Reliance, Adelphi, Goed Bananen Land, Betsy Ground, Gangaram settlement.

Recent developments done within the district are installing street lights, filling potholes in streets, and doing excavator work to dig and clear all drains.

They had had a clean-up campaign recently and a total of 11 new roads were built within the district recently.

There are houses on both sides of the road, and the village is bordered by canefields and savannahs.

The village has many small walkways, nooks and crannies and one-vehicle cross streets, which are made of crush- and-run composition, while the main streets are paved.

The people of Goed Bananen Land are very friendly, welcoming and hospitable.

Most of the locals are employed on the sugar estates, while others are self-employed, work at the joinery shop and the mechanic workshop in the village and some have jobs outside the village.

The Pepperpot Magazine was told by residents that the village was established on “Dutch land,” which in the ancient days was actually a cemetery.

Within recent times, residents have reported that while its estimated population is 500, many locals have since migrated and some of the elders have since passed on.

The village also has a church, a mechanic shop, a tyre shop, a joinery workshop, many small roadside shops and stalls, a ballfield and the Canefield/Enterprise Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) building which houses the Goed Bananen Land Health Centre on the lower flat.

It is often joked that the village is a place of bananas because its name Goed Bananen Land was actually named by the Dutch and means ‘good bananas.’

Goed Bananen Land Village is an antiquated place that is breezy and spacious and the people have their surroundings well-kept. It is a village where the people take pride in cleanliness.

The locals live very comfortable lives, utilising their living space to erect hammocks under their houses and seating accommodation for relaxation after a day of work.

It is a village of sugar workers, teachers, small- business people and others, who work in both the private and public sectors.

Goed Bananen Land is a place where old-fashioned architecture meets modern designs and there is an excellent combination of old and new buildings dating back to the colonial days.

The village is among many others along that stretch of road, which goes way down to the last village, New Forest.

Schools and other facilities are either accessed in neighbouring villages or in New Amsterdam, which is a 15-minute drive.

The same can be said for shopping and doing other forms of business.

The people are simple and they are hard workers, most of whom have lived all their lives in the village, a place they call home and wouldn’t wish to relocate.

Goed Bananen Land has potable water supply, electricity, internet and phone services.

It is a safe community where everybody knows each other and they live in a neighbourly way and in peace.

The locals are predominately East Indians, but there is a handful of people of other ethnicities residing in Goed Bananen Land Village.

Almost everybody in this village plants vegetables and fruits. There are some farmers who have cash crops, and poultry and cattle farmers.

Goed Bananen Land is a place of flowers and plants in all colours and well-kept yards which complement the surroundings.

The people often find things to do to pass the time and it is a village where the residents can be considered as ‘go-getters’.

It is also one of those villages where people do not lock their doors and their neighbour is like family and they look out for each other.

Goed Bananen Land is the home of one of the oldest residents, Harold Bisso, who will be celebrating his 102nd birth anniversary this month and award-winning humanitarian and recipient of a medal of service (MS) Brahash Dyaram, better known as ‘Aunty Brahash.’

The village is a nice place to raise a family and visit to have a chat with the locals, who are really nice people.