RAMLALL Rajmonie is a native of Plegt Anker Village, East Bank Berbice and he is a farmer who also has a small shop in the community.

The 60-year-old has lived all his life in the village and he grew up at a house across the road from where he currently resides.

When he was of age, he married, built his own house, and raised his two children right in that house.

Rajmonie reported that he had just reached home after shopping for essentials for the shop in New Amsterdam and he would make that trip on Mondays and Fridays every week to stock the shelves.

He has one of three small shops in the village, and he provides a reliable service.

The father of two cultivates crops in three locations and he would sell his produce at New Amsterdam Market whenever he has a harvest.

Rajmonie related that he used to rear cows, but he got rid of them and was only farming these days.

He reported that the last flood, earlier this year, caused his crops to perish in flood waters and the heavy rainfall was also taking a toll on his farm.

“Despite the challenges of living so far away, at least this village is quiet and I like it here,” he said.

He is, however, hopeful that they will soon benefit from an upgraded road and the basic infrastructure to enhance their lives.

Azad Mohamed, the sluice operator
Azad Mohamed lives at the edge of Plegt Anker Village, near the koker and he has been the sluice attendant for the past 21 years.

Not having to travel for work was good for this father of five, whose children are all school-aged.

Mohamed told the Pepperpot Magazine that he has a kitchen garden, and he would hardly have to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, which saves him a lot.

He has the yard space to do some farming, and he would plant cash crops during the day and keep an eye on the tide and rainfall to ensure the sluice was opened and closed when it should.

The 42-year-old added that his wife was ill and was a stay-at-home mom, and he would do many things in and around the home to assist.

He has a well-kept yard with lovely flowers and plants, which light up the environment with many bright colours, and his farm was purely organic.

Mohamed has been living in the village since he was 19 years old and he was one of three residents in the community of Zorg en Vlyt.

His neighbours are far off but it is a very peaceful place to reside.

Mohamed has made his surroundings clean and comfortable and even constructed a swing and a table with a chair under a tree outside his home for his children to play and have a relaxation spot.

“I like living here even though we have a lot of hardships but it is home for me and the best part is I do not have to pay any transportation to go to work. My job is attending to the sluice and it is just outside my house, a stone throw away,” he said.

The sluice operator stated that his only challenge is when it rains and the tide is high, the doors of the sluice become heavy and it is difficult to roll up manually, but he would get assistance from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).

Mohamed reported that life in that village was slow and it is a sleepy village. Though his house was the only one in that part of the community, he did not mind at all since it was quite safe.

He would get around on his motorcycle, the fastest mode of transportation in the village due to the deplorable condition of the main access road, the only way to get in and out of the community.

Mohamed reported that there was no public transportation system in that village and hiring a taxi was very costly.