THE people of Leguan Island, Essequibo River, are very passionate about sports, especially cricket. So much so,that they have a cricket club with a winning team that would compete in tournaments both locally and overseas.

Local butcher and cricketer, Shazad Razak, told the Pepperpot Magazine that they have hosted many tournaments on the island with their team.

Their team, called ‘Team Satro,’ went to Suriname two years ago and won the 10/10 tournament and in the 20/20, they placed third on their second visit to the Dutch-speaking country.

Razak explained that they play only seniors’ cricket and they have two founding members, himself and a poultry farmer, Naim Habib.

He related that they would raise funds from their own pockets through their small businesses and when they went to Suriname, they held a food sale on the island to garner funds for their travel expenses.

Team Satro has 15 members, all from the island, but some are away from Leguan, mainly working.

“Our team won a lot of tournaments and we are inspired by that and the last competition we had was the Phyllis Carter tournament, which was played right here on the island. In that tournament, the former President David Granger was present to hand over the winning [sic] trophy to the team,” he said.

Razak stated that it was a 20/20 match and growing up, even as a boy, he loved cricket, which is the preferred sport on the island.

At age 12, he began competing in matches and it is now 37 years that he has been involved in cricket.

He disclosed that they have three ballfields on the island and they would utilise them for their matches and for practice.

Razak added that they would do things to raise funds to buy cricket gear and upgrade their cricket uniforms.

The butcher and his wife
While cricket is a major activity on the island, other residents lead a simple life going about their duties, like Kayume Razack, who is also a butcher and who has a herd of cows at his home.

He would rear and sell his own beef at Bartica.

His wife, Gomattie Razack, is a farmer and has a small shop inside her yard.

She is a plant lover who has dozens of plants and flowers and spends a lot of time tending to them.

Razack keeps a tidy home and often utilises her outdoor fireside to prepare meals.

The 59-year-old also rears ducks, chickens, goats and sheep.

She is the mother of four and she has a lot to do at home and doesn’t sit by idly, but is engaged in meaningful activities to earn.

The RDC driver
Siahwa Hardat, called Terry, is a resident of Leguan Island and he is a carpenter/driver attached to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), Region Three, and is based at the Leguan Island office.

He has been on the job for the past 23 years and did all the carpentry work before he began driving for the RDC.

The 41-year-old would assist his wife, who sells snacks at the Leguan Secondary School early in the morning, to make egg balls and cassava balls.

“Waking up early is a challenge, but to earn and help my wife, I would do it, because it is too much for her alone to make all the snacks for weekdays, selling at the school,” he said.

Hardat, the father of two, has a lovely home and does not have neighbours in that section of Leguan Island, but he doesn’t mind that at all.

Rookmin Murray, the village elder
At 84 years old, Rookmin Murray is one of the elders on the island, and she is basking in retirement after working at many jobs in her younger days.

Murray, who is originally from De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara, was a rice farmer, a gardener, reared cows and cleaned trenches before she attained the age of a pensioner.

The mother of 10 stated that two of her children have since passed away, and she lives alone in a very comfortable environment.

She got married and relocated to Leguan Island in 1953 and began working to assist her husband in the home.

Her husband passed away many years ago.

“I would do all the chores and cooking, but I don’t cook every day. I would prepare two sets of meals for two days at a time and have it refrigerated. That way, I don’t overwork myself,” she said.

The neighbours would keep an eye on her, and she gets daily visits from her long-time friend, Tella Nankumarie, who has recovered from a stroke and is happy to engage in friendly banter.

Murray resides in Clairmont Village, Leguan Island and her mother, Ramwattie Kellawan, is 101 years old and is residing in Richmond Hill village.

She is caring for grandchildren and still is very active, doing all the cooking.

That day when the team visited, she was not feeling well and was supposed to go to the doctor, but couldn’t, due to the heavy rainfall.

Kellawan also hails from De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara, but moved to Leguan Island many years ago. She was a cane harvester and had worked hard for many years before she quit working in the fields.