This week the Pepperpot Magazine visited two locations in the Essequibo River. The team journeyed over land and water to visit locals of Fort Island and Bonasika Creek, a tributary of the Essequibo River to highlight the way of life of the people.

Fort Island is located at the mouth of the Essequibo River. It is on the right bank and it is home to 95 residents of mixed ethnicities, whose main source of income revolves around farming, poultry, fishing, cattle and livestock-rearing.

The people are friendly and welcoming and recently benefitted from a brand new ferry stelling which is yet to be opened.

The island has a nursery and primary school housed in one building, a Coast Guard base, a health centre, a roadside shop, one church, an up-and-coming resort and bar, Fort Zeelandia and the Dutch museum.

It is a tourist island and a bird-watching paradise, which is full of wildlife and amazing places to visit.

It takes about 15 minutes via boat from the Hubu Koker to Fort Island. The boat ride via a 40 horsepower engine is relatively smooth when the tide is favourable during the early-morning period.

Upon arriving, Fort Island visitors can visit the historical sites which are managed by the National Trust and take a brisk walk around the island to interact with villagers.

The people recently have gained access to the internet on the island via a private internet provider and some have benefitted from solar lights.

There is no electricity or potable water supply at Fort Island. There is cellphone reception, but it is often not reliable.

Bibi Catega, the farmer
Among the locals is Bibi Catega, a farmer who also rears layer chickens by the dozens and some cows.

The 58-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is from Liberty Island, Essequibo River, but later relocated to Gluck Island due to hardship faced by the family.

She added that they also moved to Rock Island and later to Manaka, and she is from a family of farmers who worked the land to earn.

Catega is marry and is the mother of four. She however relocated to Fort Island after marriage and settled there.

She reported that her last child born at Fort Island, a place which brings much peace and serenity to her life, home.

“We came to Fort Island, and we have a much better life because we started to farm, and I used to make furniture using a manual hand saw, mind cows, fish, rear layers and sell the eggs and later bought some ducks, all in a bid to earn,” she said.

Catega and her husband have their farm right on Fort Island, and they would go to the Hubu Koker to sell their produce whenever they have a harvest of crops.

She stated that they utilise a section of the vacant land to rear their cows.

Catega noted that they have access to healthcare and other facilities, which are not very far away in the event of an emergency.

She pointed out that they also have a kind health worker on the island, one you can call on at any time, whether it is day or night, to assist medically.

Catega is pleased about the recent development on the island, which is a spanking new ferry stelling, but would also welcome a drainage upgrade to prevent flooding on the island and to save their crops.

She reported that they need more drainage canals to access their farm to bring out produce that is bulky and difficult to carry manually, such as plantains and bananas.

“Due to age and illness, I cannot fetch the plantains like before, so it is challenging at times to get the produce out to sell,” she said.

They have crops of lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines, corn and cash crops.

Zakir Mohamed Omar
Meanwhile, her husband, Zakir Mohamed Omar told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is originally from Leguan Island, Essequibo River, but began living at Fort Island when he was just 14 years old.

He has been a farmer all his life and is from a long line of farmers. He has been really active with his own farm for 40 years.

Omar is from a family of five sisters and one brother. Today, three sisters are overseas, two sisters live in Guyana as well as his only brother.

His father passed away, but his mother is still alive and in her late 80s.

Omar disclosed that he came to live at Fort Island with his stepfather and mother and they settled there because they can earn as farmers.

In his younger days, Omar had a government job and did farming on a part-time basis.

After 38 years of marriage, they have three daughters and one son, four of whom are leading their own lives off the island.

They are only responsible for one school-age daughter. She would also assist on the farm from time to time.

Omar disclosed that when they have a good harvest, he would employ a few labourers to assist on the farm, but recently, his crops have been plagued by pests.

He revealed that in the rainy season bats have been killing his cows; last year he lost 18 cows as a result of bat bites.

Omar added that wild animals have been attacking his cows too.

He added that at times, farming is difficult due to the increase in prices for drugs and fertilisers, and market prices also fluctuate for produce.

“Despite hardships, I can say I have a quiet, hardworking way of life here where it is peaceful, safe and quiet,” he said.

Omar and his wife, Catega have a lovely modest home that is well-kept, and they have a lot of plants, flowers, trees and all kinds of fruits and vegetables in their yards.

They are obsessed in a good way about plants and they have a lot of cacti too.