Looking at what it takes to settle down somewhere new

WHEN 11-year-old Mai Farrier left her home in Mabaruma, she was just as excited as she was scared. Today, the 21-year-old lives with her family in Circuit Area, Timehri. A small and peaceful community, the village is deemed one of the best places to raise a family. Mia agrees, as she spends most days at home with her one-year-old Jada. The young mother shared her story and interesting journey from her home in Mabaruma to Timehri. Along the way, she says there have been challenges, but learning to accept and not look back are truly vital lessons in life, and so is looking forward.

The famed township of Mabaruma is considered by many to be the capital of Region One. A captivating place near the Venezuelan border, home to fewer than 1,000 people, is where Mia spent most of her childhood. Mia says the community played a big role in her life and taught her most of what she knows today. Mia describes her home as quiet and rural, not too different from the village she calls home today.

Playing an even larger role was her family of 16. The family of 14 siblings lived together and, in a similar fashion, faced their problems together. Mia explains that her love for her home runs deep, but her family faced countless challenges growing up. Talking about her siblings, she said,“All of us used to live in the same house; it was not bad. That is just how we lived; it was good.”

The bright lights of Rosignol were the first things Mia remembered after leaving home. As the family continued to face hard times, they began making serious sacrifices for the development of the children. Among the various steps, the family was also leaving the region. As the youngest daughter, Mia left Mabaruma with her older sister when she was just 11. She says leaving the only home she has ever known was challenging and striking at the same time. As she stated, “Leaving Mabaruma was hard, but coming to Rosignol was a big change; the first thing I noticed was how bright the place was—the lights.” She spoke.

The move left an indelible mark on Mia. She says it was a big change and took a long time for her to get adjusted. As she stated, “Rosignol is very different from where I grew up. It had a lot more people and everything. It was a while before I got used to all of it.” She said. However, she adjusted to the change and gained a new appreciation for Berbice. Since then, Mia has lived in a few other places in Guyana, each one more new and more exciting than the last, but Circuit Area is where she began a family of her own.

With so many siblings, it is no surprise that the Mia family has spread out throughout Guyana, starting their own families in various places. When Mia came to visit another sister in Timehri, she liked the community, its peaceful nature and its loving people. A few years later, Mia has a family of her own, including her one-year-old, Jada. The mother and daughter spend most days at home, enjoying the serenity of the community without race. As she stated, “Right now, I am not working, and most days it is just me and my baby at home when my husband leaves.”

The trio makes a beautiful family and enjoys living in the community. Mia’s husband, a machine operator, finds steady work in the many sandpits of Timehri and the Linden area. Mia expresses that the community does face its challenges. There seems to be a price to pay for peace. Mia explains that the community is home to fewer than 100 people spread out across a few miles, making being neighbourly difficult. As she stated, “The village is small; my neighbours live all the way down the road. It could get boring sometimes.”

Mia admits that she does miss the excitement and liveliness of other communities, and in many ways, she misses her region. “Since I left Mabaruma, I have never gone back. But I want to, and maybe I will sometime,” she shared. Today, she calls Circuit Area home, learning about the atmosphere and understanding the way of life in the community. Everywhere Mia has called home, someone has left something with her. Whether it is the white sand of Mabaruma, the hustle and bustle of Rosignol, or the serenity of “Circuit.” home is where the heart is.