ALTHOUGH she is not from the village, Shondell Roberston was elected Overseer of the Perth/Chance Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) since 2012 and is doing her utmost to ensure that her role is fulfilled to its capacity.

The NDC covers three constituencies from #40 to #10, then #10 to Chance villages and the NDC consists of six members, including the Chairman Marlon McRae.

Presently, the NDC office is housed on the lower flat of the Perth Burial Society and Hall building as a rental, until their office which is being constructed at the Community Centre Ground is completed.

Roberston highlighted some developmental works done by the Perth/Chance NDC and of some she stated that through their annual subventions, they have allocated money for construction of the NDC building at the playground at Broomland.

She disclosed that apart from the Perth Nursery School, there isn’t any other government building in the community which is basically a farming village of rice, cash crops, livestock and poultry.

Roberston added that under their Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP), they have in their employ 11 workers along with a team leader, who are responsible for the maintenance of parapets and drains in the 11 villages they cover.

She reported that their rates and taxes collection is very poor because they do not generate a lot of money to do anything; as such, they solely depend on the annual subvention for all projects to enhance the villages they cover.

The NDC Overseer pointed out that the community centre ground is not operational because the ground needs land-filling, and at present it is overrun by weeds and no games are played there.

She added that a pavilion needs to be constructed and the pitch will have to be upgraded before games are played there.

Roberston reported that the boys and men in the village have been utilising an empty plot to play basketball and football.

She looks forward to completion of the NDC building, because there are many challenges renting and at first they had a bat infestation.

“We are doing what we can with the money received through the administration’s subvention and we are hoping to garner more money via rates and taxes collection,” she said.

Councillor Paula Morris
Meanwhile, Councillor Paula Morris told the Pepperpot Magazine that she has been residing in Perth Village for the past 20 years and they have always had a problem with collection of rates and taxes, simply because people are not paying up.

She pointed out that with the more than 5000 population, they can garner enough funds to do a lot of developmental works within the villages they cover.

Morris is of the hope things can change, so they can benefit from good roads and internal streets, which are very muddy and they are flood prone.

Joycelyn Charles, the elder
Joycelyn Charles is one of the elders of Perth Village, Branch Road, Mahaicony and when the team visited she was trying to do some laundry to catch the bit of sunshine that day.

The 64-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is a mother of two and her daughter is living with her and she has a small shop.

She describes life in Perth Village as being fair and peaceful.

Faye Richmond, the farmer
Faye Richmond was out and about that day, she had gone to a villager to buy some squash and was at the shop when the team met her making a purchase of chicken to go home and prepare a meal.

The 67-year-old stated that she is a cash-crop farmer, but with the rains and flood she lost all her crops and is now buying vegetables because there is nothing left.

Richmond added that she has three adopted children and she is rearing some chickens and has a very simple life in Perth Village.

She is hoping for good weather to re-plant, so she can resume earning.