LAST week the Pepperpot Magazine visited four islands in the Essequibo River, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) to highlight the way of life of the locals and focus on some of the development of the islands.

The team first stopped at Fort Island, a 20-minute speedboat ride from Hubu Koker, East Bank Essequibo.

The first resident who showed up, Arjune Nellie, was working at his first full-time job as a line catcher with Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) at the newly commissioned Fort Island Ferry Stelling.

The 49-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that as a first-timer holding a job as a public servant for the past four months is a new experience for him.

“I feel I can keep this job because it is not so taxing physically, and I enjoyed the training plus I am still learning,” he said.

Nellie’s role entails collecting the rope to moor the ferry, Makouria, to the actual ferry stelling whenever the vessel is ready to dock for passengers on the way to and from Bartica via Parika Ferry Stelling.

He is also responsible for securing the rope to allow the ferry to fully moor before leaving the Fort Island Ferry Stelling on weekdays and weekends. Once there is more than one passenger, the ferry will stop.

Nellie related that he is very thankful he was able to secure a job right on the island and extended his support to the current administration for constructing a new ferry stelling and re-launching the ferry service.

Due to the development, many residents who were not working were employed with T&HD as full-time employees affording them an opportunity to earn.

Nellie stated that he was a farmer and a fisherman but it is a seasonal job and at times he was unable to bring in an income to his home.

He also expressed thanks for the government’s COVID-19 cash grant initiative of which he was a beneficiary of $25,000 and the cash grant of another $25,000 for hinterland and riverine communities.

Nellie has been living on Fort Island for more than 20 years. He has a farm of ground provisions, pineapples and coconuts on a neighbouring island, Dookalbo, also in the Essequibo River.

He stated that when he has a healthy harvest, he would sell to mostly wholesale buyers at either Hubu Koker or at Parika.

Nellie, better known as ‘Lil Boy’, is very happy to get a steady job and right on Fort Island.

He told the Pepperpot Magazine that he was also the recipient of 25 black giant chickens, a project initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture via GLDA to assist riverine and hinterland residents affected by the flooding, earlier this year.

Nellie disclosed that for this year alone, they have seen accelerated development on the island with a brand new ferry stelling, re-launching of the ferry service, upgrading of the sea defence by
Fort Zeelandia, private internet service at a reduced cost and for the very first time, solar street lights were installed on the island.

The Fort Island resident reported that the $82M Ferry Stelling on the island was commissioned on May 24 by Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill and the ferry service was re-launched after many years.

Francis Cornelius King, the security guard attached to the Fort Island Ferry Stelling
Meanwhile, another resident, Francis Cornelius King told the Pepperpot Magazine that he was happy to have a permanent job following the opening of the Fort Island Ferry Stelling and the re-launching of the ferry service.

The 39-year-old added that he was on the 23:00hrs to 07:00hrs shift and it rotates with a few guards holding down other shifts so there was always a security personnel on the location.

He has been on the job since September this year and finds the experience good despite a few challenges.

King is employed with T&HD and he is of the view that they have seen a lot of development within recent times and it is a plus for the locals and he looks forward to even more community development to enhance their lives.