AMONG the residents of Champayne village, Burma Road, Mahaicony, is rice farmer Dhanpaul Samaroo, better known as ‘Dick,’ a popular villager who has lived all his life in the village.

The 78-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that being a rice farmer is all about taking chances with your money. In his case, he invested in rice crops but hasn’t been able to make a profit for some time now.

Samaroo added that life in general isn’t bad or good and it is just in between due to his failing crops; there isn’t any yield as yet.

The father of four stated that he is in the process of ploughing his rice field to start a new crop and that he will have a good harvest this time.

Samaroo has four grandchildren and one of them has since passed away.

“Since the last flood, I didn’t get to re-plant any rice, so I am looking forward to having a good harvest this year,” he said.

Samaroo reported that Champayne is a safe place to live and the people are mostly quiet and are all familiar with each other.

That day, when the team visited Samaroo, he was reclining in his hammock and preparing to go to his rice field, which is located aback of Champayne West, to oversee the ploughing of the land.

His spouse was in the kitchen doing chores and he would get around via his bicycle or his son’s motorcycle.

Shabanna Ramsayack, the stay-at-home mother
It was 25 years ago when Shabanna Ramsayack left her home village of Montrose, East Coast Demerara and began living in Champayne, Mahaicony.

The stay-at-home mother of four told the Pepperpot Magazine that she likes the quiet stillness of the community and she is accustomed to the simple way of life.

Her husband, Ravi (only name given), is a rice farmer and he is well-known in that part of the country.

Ramsayack stated that her days are spent doing household chores and preparing meals for the family and she is quite content to take care of everyone in the home.

She explained that in Champayne, there are no shops. As such, they would have to go to other villages to buy essentials, including groceries at supermarkets and markets.

The resident of Champayne added that there are no facilities or anything so you must leave the village to get supplies and they would have to travel to Dundee to shop at the nearest supermarket.

Ramsayack related that the village has electricity and potable water supply. Some people have a landline phone while others don’t and it is the same with private internet service, which is pricy.

She explained that the cell phone reception is fair and even though the village is deep, they have enough space for cultivating their crops of rice.

Champayne village has no street lights, and it is so dark at night that a few locals had to buy and install solar powered lights.

It was evident that Ramsayack is happy and resides with her husband and three of her four children, who are grown, assisting them in rice farming.

Of her two daughters, one is married and is living outside the village while the other has a fiancée and it is only time for her to get married.

This family has a kitten and two dogs as pets and they live in an alleyway in East Champayne village, just off the main access road.