A Community Leader’s Perspective

THE bustling township of Port Mourant is known for many things. It is the birthplace of Cheddi Jagan, home of the famous Guyanese establishment, Spready’s, and has given rise to some of Guyana’s best cricketers. But the town is more than busy markets, businesses, and the constant noise of change.

The once-little agricultural community has blossomed into one of the country’s highlights. This week, the Pepperpot Magazine sought to take a step back and look at the Port Mourant village of Manager’s Compound; to examine the change, beauty, and profound development Port Mourant has undergone to become the magnificent township it is today.

Home to more than 5,000 people across its many subdistricts, Port Mourant is one of Guyana’s largest and most diverse communities. Among the beautiful assortment of people is Pastor Vernon D’Oliveira. The pastor and well-known community leader was born and raised across the country in Bartica. Having moved to the Corentyne more than four decades ago, Pastor D’Oliveira says he now considers himself a ‘Berbician’.

Speaking to the Pepperpot Magazine, Pastor D’Oliveira shared his journey to the county of Berbice. He came to the community as an adventurous and ambitious young preacher who found his place in Port Mourant. As he shared, “When the Lord called me to preach, I started as a young preacher. I would go to different places and preach. A friend brought me here to Corentyne. I stayed permanently. But I did not initially come to stay …[but] then I got married and settled.”

Port Mourant of today is a bright and bustling place that serves as the home, workplace, and hotspot for thousands. However, according to Pastor D’Oliveira, the village was not always as overwhelming and exciting as it is today. More than 40 years ago, Port Mourant was a quiet, humble place and was seen as much less lively; it was home to so few that people described the community as ‘dead.’ As Pastor D’Oliveira explained, “I recall when I came here, they used to say the place was dead. At that time, if you went to Rose Hall, it was a bright place, a business place, thriving.”

Moreover, the change in pace has had a big and positive impact on the township and, more importantly, for the people who call places like Manager’s Compound home. As Pastor D’Oliveira explained, the growth and development of the community can be seen around every corner and in every home. “But then in my days, they had three stores… you hardly had vehicles in those days. I recall they had one hire car in 1976. Now we have traffic jams here. Every single day, as you would have noticed up here, traffic jams. So that speaks of development.”

Manager’s Compound has retained its authenticity and cultural blend in many regards. The community is home to a captivating mix of people from around the country. Traditional jobs and industries exist alongside new entrepreneurial ventures. These differences have crafted a unique, accepting, and peaceful village where neighbours are more family than friends. As the Pastor shared, “We have a lot of cane cutters. There will be cane cutters and fishermen. Those are the two main industries we have here in the Corentyne. It is a very mixed community, too. You have the Muslim community. You have the Hindu community, and you also have the Christian community.”

Speaking a bit about his church and personal journey in his faith, Pastor D’Oliveira shared that his church was the only one around when he began spreading the gospel. As he explained, “This church used to be full at one time. Full. We’re talking about 400 people. But it’s not so anymore. Because of different reasons. Because in those days, you didn’t have a lot of other churches. Now, people have a choice. If you don’t feel like coming here, you go somewhere else. But when this church was built, it was the only main church.”

Pastor D’Oliveira ‘s message to the rest of Guyana is one of peace and appreciation for all things. As he shared, “As a Christian, I know God has been blessing us. I would love that people will come to themselves and think about the Lord, think about God. As much as we are blessed with material things, as a pastor- as a Christian, I would love to see that spiritually, people begin to become conscious that we not only need money and material things, we need God. God has been a blessing. That is my desire and prayer. And we’re working towards that as well.”