A Village rich in history and hope
COMMUNITIES grow, cultures evolve, and traditions are carried on. The village of Bagotville on the West Bank of Demerara is a vibrant place with a deep history and an interesting way of life. A close-knit community by nature, most of the village’s people are related, crafting a unique sense of togetherness.
Among the hundreds of men and women who call the community home is Troy Isaac who holds interesting insights into the community’s past, current way of life, and the potential future of the village he has known for over a decade.
Although it is among the oldest villages in the country, not many have heard about Bagotville. A small village on the West Bank of Demerara, it was among the first communities started by ex-slaves. The village has slowly but steadily developed over the years, going from a bushy plot of land tucked away to a hub of buzzing entrepreneurship.
Troy has known the community for more than a decade. First venturing into Bagotville because of his family, he has fallen in love with the village. Talking to the Pepperpot Magazine about the changes in the community, Troy expressed that the community has changed to resemble a calm residential area. As he shared, “When I came to Bagotville, it was a little more busy to me, but to me, like, economic activity slowed down a little. Like, for instance, it had more business places in front… and we don’t really have much businesses now.”
One area that Troy would like to see development is in youth programmes. Bagotville has many young people, many of whom have no real after-school activities to occupy their time. This is something Troy would like to see changed. As he stated, “The village needs some more support in terms of development for youth. In the village, we need to develop youths and have more technical skills. Most of the time, you find youths just lying in the house, don’t have much things to do.”
Bagotville has always been a community to rally around its young people. Troy believes that investment in the youth would go a long way in developing the village and region on a larger scale. As he puts it, creating meaningful people in society, he stated that, “They won’t be able to get much input at a young age, when they grow up, they won’t be meaningful adults, like they are, and contribute meaningfully to the community as well.”
Most days could find Troy selling coconut water at his Bagotville home. Like so many businesses now up and running, Troy began his venture during the pandemic. Since then, he has become a staple among the people of Bagotville.
Talking about his business, he stated, “I’ve been doing coconut business for about two years now. After they had this big COVID thing, and a lot of people needed coconut water. That’s how I came into it. And I find it profitable. But now it is a little less profitable because the price is low, and people lose their wealth.”
Apart from being a lucrative venture, Troy is a champion for the health benefits of coconut water. As he explained, “It is what you call live water. Yeah, it’s very good for the immune system. It’s very good for clean-out in terms of any ailments, internal ailments. It will clean it out and things like that.”
After more than 15 years in the business and in the community, Troy has become a part of the community’s sense of togetherness. As he stated, “People live, basically, good with one another because you find most of the people, since I’m in the village, they’re related. Right? So, you wouldn’t find much problem with people in that area. They’re very peaceful.”
Cultural activities have always been a yearly highlight of life in the community of Bagotville. Throughout the village’s hundred-year history, emancipation celebrations have always been a major part of life in the community. In recent years, however, the community has been seeing less of these vibrant celebrations. As Troy explained, “They used to have, like, pageants. That was a big thing. Things like that, you don’t have them now. I don’t know if it’s because the centre has been broken down. They need those pageants to come back and more culture should be instilled into the community.”
Troy emphasises the importance of cultural celebrations and youth development; his words echo the sentiments of many in Bagotville. The village stands at a crossroads, balancing its rich history with the need for economic and social progress. The return of cultural pageants and emancipation celebrations could be the spark needed to reignite the community’s spirit and provide a sense of direction for its youth.
As Troy stated, “It is very important because people need to know their own, their next of kin. And things like that. Their culture, where they’re from. So that they can know where they’re going in the future. So, it is very important, I stress again, that these activities should be returned to this community.”