A quiet place to settle

IN 2020, when the PPP/C Administration won the general elections, the people of Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo’s home village of Unity, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, honoured him by renaming a street in the village ‘Bharrat Street’.

The street was once called Factory Dam because it housed an ice factory and was once a mud dam before an all-weather road was built.

This week, the Pepperpot Magazine journeyed to Unity Village to highlight the way of life of the villagers, most of whom have lived all their lives in that community they call home.

Bharrat Street is a long road with dwelling houses on both sides, and it goes all the way to the Old Road into the neighbouring village of Lancaster.

The people of Bharrat Street, Unity, Mahaica, are very friendly.

Surajpaul Harrichan is a well-known resident who doesn’t waste any idle time since he is always on the go, working, going to the backdam to gather dry coconuts, pick puri leaves or bamboo based on orders.

The 60-year-old seems so much more effervescent for his age and has the endurance of youthfulness and exuberance that surpasses a lot of people who are far younger than him.

Harrichan is a very humble person who is very jovial, and being around him will undoubtedly cheer you up by his jokes and easy gyaff.

The father of two told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is expecting his first grandchild, and he is very excited about it.

He has two daughters; one is married and has her own small business, and the other is up and coming with her own religious store and is an aspiring singer.

Harrichan resides in the house which was owned by his parents and was handed down to him, a colonial-style structure which is a wooden building with detailed woodwork.

He has done a lot to maintain the edifice in good condition even though it was built in the 1960s.

Harrichan explained that his parents constructed the house with all the materials for just $600, and back then, it was a lot of money, but they saved up proceeds from their small profits as farmers.

He related that he came from a large family of 13 siblings. Two others live in the same village as neighbours, while the others are abroad.

Harrichan stated that life is fair in Unity, Mahaica and he is quite contented to be able to have good health so he can work and provide for his family.

Even as a young man, Harrichan is accustomed to hard work, and it doesn’t bother him because he cannot stay still for long.

He would go around on his bicycle to visit coconut estates, farms and backdam to gather whatever is required for people based on their orders of dry coconuts, puri leaves, and bamboo.

When the team caught up with Harrichan he was on his way home after visiting a customer and would have to pick 300 to 500 dry coconuts and peel them by hand to deliver them.

He would wake up early, get about his day before sunrise, and return home to have lunch and rest before returning to work in the afternoon.

“I do a job work, for a day and I work based on what the people want, so if I get a call and order to get 300 puri leaves, I would have to go and cut it and get it to the customer within a period of time,” he said.

He also works on people’s farms to pick coconuts and whatever else is needed for the job and is the community’s go-to-guy.

“I like to work, it doesn’t bother me and I will continue to work hard until I can so I need good health for it,” he said.