BISHNU Lochan is a resident of Lower Bonasika Creek, Essequibo River and he is a member of the Community Policing Group (CPG) and the Neighbourhood Police, who is attached to the Bonasika Police Outpost on a full-time basis and also a farmer, who is active in community-based development projects.

He has been living at the location for the past 66 years since he moved with his parents from their home village of Ocean View, Uitvlugt West Coast Demerara and they relocated to the High Level Canal area.

Lochan is well-known and well-respected among his peers and all the locals, who would often turn to him for advice and support, and he is always available to lend a helping hand.

With his personal mantra, “It is more blessed to give than receive,” he doesn’t hesitate to assist people in whatever way possible.

He is very active in all community-based initiatives and often goes beyond the call of duty and is also a volunteer with the CPG, doing patrols at night.

Lochan grew up as a boy in Bonasika Creek and made it his home after a cousin offered him a plot of land. He then made it his home after he got married and started a family.

The farmer explained that he grew up working alongside his father on their farm, something he adopted as a young man and comes from a family of four brothers and three sisters.

He, however, migrated to Suriname to work and he was doing just that for two and a half years until he got a message that his father was ill and he was needed back home.

Lochan returned to Guyana, learnt of his father’s death, and had to stay to upkeep the farm and take care of his mother and siblings.

Lochan added that when he used to live in the High-Level Canal whenever the tide was low it was difficult to get out; as such, his cousin offered him a piece of land in Bonasika Creek and he relocated there after building a house.

Back in those days, Lochan remembered paddling his little boat full of produce to take to the Parika market to sell and things were much slower, yet simpler than they are today.

He recalled that life was hard, money was little, and when they lost a crop to wild animals, it was frustrating to recover from the loss. He had to go and work with other farmers to earn.

Lochan reported that there has been much development in the riverine community over the years.

He is very pleased about it because Bonasika is a major food-producing community. To sustain their farms and livelihoods, drainage and irrigation is being boosted significantly in the community.

The father of two told the Pepperpot Magazine that the land in front of his home is eroding rapidly and soon, his house may end up in the creek if sea defence work isn’t done.
The local related that the CPG doesn’t have a boat and engine to do patrols and it is up to them to use their personal boats to assist in volunteer work for the community.
“We have to put our hands into our own pockets all the time to buy fuel to do patrols and other community-based work and it is time we get the resources to function effectively as a CPG,” he said.