DEVICA JAIPAUL BACCHUS, better known as Aunty Anita, is a stay-at-home mother who resides at Cornelia Ida Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara and passes the time by doing the things she loves at home.

When the team visited, she was sweeping the front of the yard ensuring that the place was well-kept and tidy as usual.

The 53-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that after her mother gave birth to her at the hospital in the city, she grew up in Cornelia Ida with her grandparents, whose house she still occupies.

Aunty Anita explained that her mother died during childbirth. Being the only child, her father remarried, and she had to live with her grandparents.

However, at age 13, her grandmother who served as her maternal mother, passed away, and when she was just 19 years old, her grandfather died.

“I grew up here, at this house, left for me by my grandparents and I am taking care of it. Today I still live here with my husband and my two children also grew up in this house,” she said.

The mother of two stated that she doesn’t get bored because she plants fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers to enhance the environment, plus does the cooking and household chores.

Aunty Anita added that she would only leave the house if she has bills to pay or do document-related business or shopping.

Since her spouse works in Georgetown and both of her children reside overseas, she is usually home alone but doesn’t mind since she is surrounded by neighbours who live nearby.

“Life here is quiet and mostly peaceful, but I like it here because I like where I am from like most people and I am used to this place and cannot see myself living elsewhere,” she said.

Aunty Anita recalled growing up in the village was nice. Back then, it had a lot of children her age and, in the afternoons, they used to come out to play hopscotch, sal-out, hide and seek and other outdoor games.

She remembered that it had a wide canal running through their street; they used to fish and swim in it as children.

Aunty Anita related that, as they grew older, many people migrated while some others died.

She reminisced that her childhood was good and she did all the things as a child should before growing up to have her own family.

When she was younger, that is, before marriage, she worked in the city but after that she adjusted to being a housewife.

Aunty Anita told the Pepperpot Magazine that, annually, before COVID-19, she used to host a small service in front of the Christmas tree that was planted outside her yard for the children in the village and would share goodies with them.

It usually happened on December 1, but, for the past two years, she did not do anything due to the pandemic.

The Cornelia Ida resident stated that, in the olden days, when she was a child, most of the men worked at the sugar estate and the women stayed home to care for the children and were tasked with the household chores.

Then, the women did not leave the house for work, but as time changed and things became modern, women became independent through education and began working.

Aunty Anita pointed out that a lot has changed over time in the village and they have also seen some development.

She is also thankful for the new street they will be getting soon.

Aunty Anita is one of the nicest people you will meet and there is abundant energy within her that is contagious, including her laughter when she talks about her childhood days.

The fishmonger
Randy Crawford isn’t a fisherman who goes out to the Atlantic Ocean to fish, but he would buy fish from the local fisher folk to re-sell in the community.

When the team did its walk-about in Cornelia Ida that day, he was passing through via his bicycle selling fish.

The 30-year-old reported that he would buy and re-sell whatever fish was in season for a small profit.

That day, he had “kurass” and “cumma-cumma” fish in a gallon bucket and the prices were reasonable.

The father of two stated that work was not readily available and he had to find work, so he began buying and selling fish.

Crawford reported that he was also a weeder and uses his brush cutter for day jobs within his home village of Anna Catherina and the nearby Cornelia Ida.