AYANA John, a mother of one, was born and raised in Hyde Park, Timehri, and is employed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) as an Aviation Officer.
The good part of the job is being close to home, and not having a long commute is quite convenient for John.

The 24-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that they had a shop years ago, but it has since been closed down. Due to her grandfather being 70 years old, he quit running the business.
John has a six-year-old son, but is also tasked with taking care of her nine siblings (four brothers and five sisters) since their father left home, and their mother is in the hinterland working.
John said that life is considered fair in that section of Timehri, but for the past five months, they have a potable-water issue, and water is not running from the taps at their home.

As such, they have to use buckets to fetch water from the nearby well station.
She said that though they have two water wells in the area, there has been little or no water for the longest time, and would like to have the water woes rectified at the earliest opportunity.
John pointed out that they usually depend on rainfall for water, or have to fetch water from the well station.

She stated that even though they are not getting water, they have been receiving water bills every month.
John related that her grandfather was the first settler at Hyde Park, having settled on the same spot on which they reside today. She recalled that he was one of the men that came looking for work, and settled in the village which was uninhabited at the time.

She stated that he was employed as a soldier at Base Camp Stephenson, which is not far from the village in the valley.
John explained that back then, her grandfather was living all the way up in Berbice, which made commuting difficult for him, so he decided to clear the bushes at Hyde Park, built a little house, and began living there to be close to his place of work.

Her grandfather, who is well-known in the area, had served in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) for many years until he retired. Better known as Cassava Joe, the valley was given its alternate name in his honour as the first settler.

Unfortunately, on that particular day when the Pepperpot Magazine team paid the community a visit, Errol Alphonso Wilson was not at home, since he was unwell and had journeyed to the city to see a specialist doctor.

In Hyde Park, in the valley, there are no roads except for footpaths and small tracks leading to houses and all around the village, which is basically downhill and very steep.
John said she would like to move out of the area because of some issues, since it is thickly populated.

KURT WILSON
Kurt Wilson is also a resident of Hyde Park, Timehri, who was making his way out of the village to go out that day when the team visited, but decided to stop for a bit to have a chat.

The 40-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is originally from Berbice, but relocated there with his family when his father joined the army.

He said that most of the people in Hyde Park are related by blood, because when they settled there, they also brought along other relatives, thereby making it a tight-knit community.
Wilson recalled that about nine years ago, the village was regularised, so while they were able to benefit from electricity, potable water and Internet service, there are no all-weather roads or landline phones.

He said that before the village was regularised, it was a squatting area, and even though it was in existence many years ago, it was undeveloped.
Today, that community still lacks basic infrastructure due to its location in the valley.

Wilson is a miner, but has left the interior to be closer to home, and now works as a construction worker.

He explained that while most people in the village are soldiers, some work at the airport, and others at Bounty Farm and Gafoors at Land of Canaan.
Wilson is related to Errol Alphonso Wilson, called Cassava Joe.