THE village of Dakara is located just a few miles away from the Timehri airport. It lies between the village of Circuitville and the well-known Jubilee resort. According to villagers, Dakara stretches the length of a road no more than three miles long. The village begins with a turn off from the main road and ends at a loam mining pit behind the village.

Dakara, sometimes referred to as Dakara Creek, is home to less than 100 people and an estimated 15 homes throughout the community. The village is home to a creek that was once a breathtaking getaway for many tourists. The creek once gained visitors from places as far as Georgetown, Linden and Parika. Today, however, the village looks very different than it did some 20, 30 or 40 years ago.

Errol Williams lives among the hills and valleys of Dakara’s loam pit. The 74-year-old has lived on the same plot of land on the far side of Dakara for almost 14 years. Errol was born and raised in Essequibo, in the Pomeroon. He spent most of his life on the Essequibo Coast. During his time there, he was involved in logging. “I was a chainsaw operator. I worked with the same company for 15 years. But I used to do other things. I used to farm and so,” he said.

Being raised in Essequibo was a unique experience for Errol. He stated that although it wasn’t where he was born, it is where he came to know as home. “I was born in Leonora and then my mother and father bought land and went to live in Essequibo when I was very small,” he said.

Errol was born in November 1950. At that time, Guyana was drastically different from the one seen today. Errol emphasised that yes, money was difficult to come by in the past, but food, shelter and family were always around and you could count on it. “That time was a beautiful time. That time was wonderful,” he stated. “The money was small, but you would eat good and be strong.”

In his youth, which Errol described as a time in which Guyana was still grappling with newfound independence, he joined the army. The training he underwent during his three-year stint in the army, coupled with the values taught to him by his family, shaped Errol as a person. He shared that although he wasn’t too fond of the army, the vigorous training left a mark on him. “The training that we got then, we had to go into the forest. And we jumped with parachutes, ended up in trees and all sorts of things. We were on gorilla training. In the case of a war, we had to face the battle first.”

After his years in the army, farming and logging on the Essequibo Coast, Errol left the Pomeroon at 58 to pursue other endeavours. Among the things he did in the following years was fathering 21 children, spread out among five wives. Errol lived in surrounding villages like Circuitville before settling in Dakara.

Errol has no other reason for choosing to live in Dakara except for the fact that it was available. But he did state that he has come to love and appreciate living among the plants and animals in the village. Dakara is known for two things: its once vibrant Creek and its now busy loam pit. The digging and mining of the red material gives the village a red hue when trucks drive through the community, kicking up dust as they do. “They dig the loam and the red mud. And they take it to build roads in places like Diamond and Mocha,” Errol stated.

As Errol describes it, the village has very few people and thus very few crimes and problems to worry about. Most villagers work outside the village, and a few work at the nearby airport. As Errol explained, “Most of the people go out and work. Some people have chicken farms, some work on the highway, some at sawmills and some digging for gold. Some of people, if they get a chance to work at the airport, work there. But you have to have the qualifications.”

Errol loves his community, without a doubt. However, looking around and seeing the changes from what it once was, Errol would like to see his home regain its former beauty. “I visited this place first in 2002. There was a resort at the Creek, and the place was bright then. It was the first resort then on the East Bank,” Errol recalled. Although it is not a bustling resort paradise like it once was, Dakara is still a beautiful and captivating community; and a place worth a visit.