Swan Village A picturesque community on the verge of development
The signage of the name of the village on the main access road to Swan (Delano Williams)
The signage of the name of the village on the main access road to Swan (Delano Williams)

THE Pepperpot Magazine recently journeyed over land to visit Swan Village, Soesdyke/Linden Highway to highlight the way of life of the locals.

The village is located just about 10 minutes from Timehri Junction, and it is accessible via the Marudi Resort access road.

Swan Village has electricity and potable water supply, which is unreliable but the situation is being remedied.

A new well is being constructed to boost the water pressure and provide a 24-hour service.

Efforts by the Government of Guyana (GoG) and the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) are being undertaken to drill a new potable water well to serve the community.
The existing water distribution system at Swan is a low-producing one that currently cannot supply the entire village adequately.

As such, a site visit was conducted by GWI one year ago, where it was determined that the community needed a new well. As such, work towards this end was initiated.
The community is regarded as an Amerindian village, and it is thickly populated and is home to a lot of school-aged children.

Swan Village is managed by the Community Development Council (CDC) and the Chairman is Fenton Ragonauth, who has held the post for the past two years.
There are 270 households in the village, and the population is just about 1,000 residents of mixed ethnicities: East Indians, Africans and Amerindians.

Swan is a very green village with lots of plants, trees, flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables. Most of the villagers take pride in keeping their surroundings clean and well-kept.
The people of the village are ordinary and down-to-earth, who work various jobs to earn honestly.

The locals of Swan Village are self-employed, labourers on poultry farms and at sawmills, shopkeepers, chain saw operators, loggers, labourers, teachers, taxi and bus drivers and people with artistic and craft talents.
Swan Village has three churches, a large community centre ground in the centre of the village with a brand new community resource building outfitted with 20 laptops that will be internet-ready in the near future.
The CDC has a tractor and a canter truck to assist the villagers with transportation within the community.

Many of the locals of Swan Village are from Region One (Barima-Waini) and Morakobai, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), who relocated to have a better life.
The people began squatting, and then Minister Carolyn Rodrigues approached the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission in 2004.

A 40-acre plot was allocated for housing for the residents, who came by the dozens to have a better standard of life.
Food for the Poor Guyana also pitched in and constructed 65 houses for the locals after assessing their poor living conditions.

Today, Swan is a developing village with many small shops, poultry farms and other businesses.
The population is growing, and the community is making strides to become self-sufficient by growing their own food.

The people of Swan Village are very friendly and accommodating and did not hesitate to take the time out from their daily activities to interact with the team.
Swan Village has a lot of nooks and crannies, back trails that lead in and out of the village and it is quite large in size.

There was a policing group in the community, but it became defunct. They have a vehicle for patrol and efforts are being made to resuscitate the group due to the increase in break-ins and violent crimes.
Swan is a very picturesque place to reside with wide open spaces, clean air and space to plant.

Robert, the village pet on the prowl

The people are neighbourly, and it was reported that there is an alcohol abuse issue in the community, which has led to several murders in the village.
Transportation to and from the village is via taxi and the cost is 2,000 one-way since the public transportation system doesn’t ply that route.

School children often have to walk to the nearby village of Kuru Kururu for school and a brand new primary is set to open its doors for the new school term in September.
Swan Village is bordered by Kuru Kururu and Yarrowkabra villages and it is just off the main Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

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