IN giving a historical background of Fort and Whitputush Islands, Essequibo River, Mahendra Mookram told the Pepperpot Magazine that back in the Dutch days in the 17th century, Fort Island and Whitputush Island were one huge island until the siblings who owned them had a falling out.

It was reported that the elder brother was a quiet, withdrawn individual, while the younger sibling was often angry and outspoken and after Fort Zeelandia was built on Fort Island, the little brother (Gravesande) took the lower part of the island while the other brother was left with the other section.

The brothers then divided the island into two parts; a canal was dug to determine the boundary, and that canal was dug by man labour during slavery.

Over time, the brothers settled in their sections of the two islands and made life for themselves.

The islands later became deserted after the war in the 17th century. Years later, they were subsequently used by locals of Morashee, Bonasika and other islands to farm and most of their children attended Fort Island School.

Mookram told the Pepperpot Magazine that many people left the islands seeking higher education for the children and could no longer maintain their farms due to high tides (climate change).

This move caused the islands to become abandoned for some time once again, and after 14 years, Mookram, well known as “Uncle Joe” bought Whitputush Island and began farming after he had invested in preparing the land for large scale cultivation.

“The land had to be empoldered, a trench was dug, the sea defence was boosted and a dam was made for two self-acting kokers to drain the land whenever the tide is high,” he said.

Mookram reported that they had done a lot of land clearing and preparation before he could plant any crops. He has been providing steady employment for locals of the riverine communities since.

Dexter Caesar, the excavator operator
Meanwhile, Dexter Caesar, who is employed with Mahendra Mookram told the Pepperpot Magazine that he has been working with Uncle Joe for the past eight years.

The 53-year-old stated that he works on the farms for land preparation for cultivation and is from Look Out Village, east Bank Essequibo.

The father of four added that he is getting steady work and working for Uncle Joe has been good so far.

“Visiting these riverine islands for work is a frequent thing and I like what I do for work and there aren’t any complaints. Right now we are trying to build some sea dams to reduce flooding on the farms,” he said.

That day, he went on a tour to inspect with Uncle Joe and visited Baboon Hole Island, Essequibo River.

Kishan Teehal, the farm worker
The Pepperpot Magazine also spoke to Kishan Teehal, a farmer who works on Uncle Joe’s farm at Whitputush Island, Essequibo River.

The 22-year-old reported that he is from Quarter Benabo, another island in the Essequibo River and it is owned by his family, who are the only residents, and it is located about a 20-minute boat drive away.

“I love farming; utilising the land to grow crops to secure food security has been a part of my family for generations and me and my brothers are all farmers, keeping the tradition alive,” he said.

Teehal has been working on the farm for about six years and he finds the work rewarding because there is enough land to do large-scale farming.

The farmer stated that they hadn’t had a good harvest in some time due to heavy rainfall and flooding, but he is hopeful they will see bountiful reaping soon.

That day when the team visited, only three farmers had showed up for work and taken a lunch break, having completed some weeding and tending of the crops of fruit trees, coconuts and ground provisions.

“This is a nice place because no one is here permanently and we visit daily for work. We can cook and take a rest without fear. Being a farmer is part of our life,” he said.