A robust community on the brink of development

LAST week, the Pepperpot Magazine visited Amelia’s Ward, Linden. This village is considered to be possibly one of the largest housing schemes in Guyana.

Amelia’s Ward is a large community which runs very deep, and it has various sections. It is reported that the village got its name when the late President, Linden Forbes Burnham, visited the village and met a woman named Amelia and her children then later named the village after her.

Amelia’ Ward has a lot of shops, stores, roadside snackettes, a gas station, supermarkets, two health centres, a private hospital, a police outpost, a pharmacy and scores of other small businesses.

The construction of many houses is ongoing and new people are moving into that village all the time.

The people are friendly, and accommodating and would take some time to chat and it is one of those villages the locals would invite you for a cool beverage and offer you something to munch on.

Most of the locals were not at home; they were said to be at work, and those who were at home were engaged in their everyday routines to pass the day.

It is a bustling village with many activities and thickly populated with people from all walks of life.

Amelia’s Ward has the basic amenities such as potable water, electricity, internet and phones, but there is a need to upgrade the roads.

Gladwin Webster, a poultry farmer
Gladwin Webster,is a resident of Cinderella City, Amelia’s Ward, Linden and is among the first settlers of that village. Webster gave a brief insight on the background of the village.

The 65-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that Amelia’s Ward is a housing scheme which started in 1969 with two phases because of its size, and there were only occupants at the back and in front in those days.

He stated that the two phases are Vrezina Scheme and the other part is the Self-Help Scheme and the village began to develop after the highway was opened in 1968.

Webster added that people began squatting in Cinderella City, Amelia’s Ward to escape the burden of paying rent before Guyana gained independence.

As a result of the squatting, he related that Cinderella City was occupied way before the Self-Help Scheme was established.

Webster disclosed that, today, the area has developed, has been regularised and they are benefitting from all the basic amenities.

The villager told the Pepperpot Magazine that the Self-Help Scheme was developed partly by the bauxite company. Locals who worked with the company had to put in a certain number of hours and the materials were provided for construction.

The father of two added that he has been a resident of Cinderella City for the past 42 years, and when he moved to the area, many families were already there.

Webster stated that they have more than 60 families residing in Cinderella City to date and it is a close-knit community where there are no newcomers.

He is a poultry farmer who is rearing about 400 layers at his residence.

Webster was a vendor at the McKenzie Market but quit seven years ago. He sold fruits, vegetables and groceries for many years before he ceased plying that trade.

He was the Chairman of the Community Development Council (CDC), a Constable, and an Insurance agent in his younger years.

Webster told the Pepperpot Magazine that when he first began living in Cinderella City, Amelia’s Ward, they had no amenities, and the area was bushy with just a small track.

He stated that they formed a group and rallied for the basic services such as water, electricity and the booming bauxite company in those days assisted greatly.

Webster reported that he was originally from McKenzie and relocated to Cinderella City after marriage.

Today, he and others enjoy the benefit of all services, and they have a tranquil life in that section of the village.