Community development by the community’s own

By Shaniya Harding

IN many communities, there is the common belief that things done in some communities just have to be cooperative efforts. According to the people of Village No 4, one of those things is keeping the community clean. Ever-so-often, the people of No 4 and surrounding villages get together to show love to the place they call home.

Championing for a better Community
The wee hours of Sunday morning saw several people coming together for the greater good of their community. Members of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council, CIP workers, and various people from the ten-day programme, along with CDC in the constituency, banded together to clean up the community.

The NDC that coordinated the clean-up campaign is responsible for villages from Rosignol to Zeelust. This time around, the clean-up was focused on the Rosignol market. But this is just a glimpse of the multiple cleaning and restoration projects regularly done in the community by the community. The 18 members of the council all reside within the constituency they represent. And because of this, they do the work they do with great passion.

Playing a major role in developing communities like No 4 village is Devina Chufoon. As the constituency’s overseer, Devina and her team have plans to take their village to new heights. Devina Chufoon is ambitious as the overseer at the Rosignol to Zeelust constituency. After having held office for three years now, Devina came to live within the constituency at No 4 about six months ago. Although she originally hails from the village of Blairmont, she says that No 4 has become a place she is happy to call home.

In the time as an overseer, she has seen the community develop and bloom. While as a resident, she has come to call this close-knit village home. The 29-year-old, along with her council are seeking to usher in more development. “Well, we are a new council in power after local government elections. And the new council has new ideas, new initiatives. The first initiative since we took office is the major clean-up campaign.”

On the matter of what impact she is hoping to have, she stated that, “As a new council comes, they want to produce more and give more to the people.” She went on to explain, however, that for an initiative like this one, the work and preparation is harder than it may seem. “The clean up campaign started at 06:00 hours. But as the overseer, that is, the administrator of the NDC, I have to be out extra early to ensure that tools, refreshments and machinery are in place,” she said.

The community and its various collaborative efforts are not easily pulled off. But as Devina states, she and her team’s love for what they do makes it a little bit easier. Devina stated, “People ask me how I get my job done; it seems like so much. But one thing I can say is that if you love what you do, your job becomes very easy.”

New roads
One of the noteworthy characteristics of the people of No 4 village is their unwavering welcoming nature. The Fous on the village team was offered a tour through the community because, according to many residents, the only way to know about the village is to be in the village.

The community is still strongly involved in agriculture, as many of the villagers are still farmers of one kind or another. The quiet neighbourhood has streets littered with small gatherings of people, further emphasising its strong sense of community. Although still very much a traditional place, village No 4 and the surrounding villages are undergoing changes done by those outside of the community as well.

Most recently in the neighbouring No 5, there has been a series of road developments that have been praised by many of the villagers. The villagers of No 4 are a diverse lot. As much as the community may be known for farming, they are also adaptable. Today a walk through the community’s few streets will show a strong business presence. With everything that has been done and is set to be done in the community and with the continued corporation of the people, the village is slated for greater things.