A village where tradition meets progress

SOESDYKE is a village that merges the best aspects of a close-knit community with that of a busy city: the constant hustle and bustle of vibrant entrepreneurs with the peacefulness and tranquillity of its people and riverside setting. It is one of the few communities where the sounds of birds can still be heard through the noise of the busy street. Perhaps this is why Soesdyke’s residents love their community uniquely. Lindon Gilks is one of the countless people who are proud to call Soesdyke home. Moreover, according to Lindon, his family is among the village’s original inhabitants. He has witnessed the community evolve from a little-known settlement before the highway to its major highlight today.

Soesdyke of 30 years ago looked much different than it does now, having been more grasslands than homes and more cows than people. Lindon explained that his family came to the community when it was still pasture. “We are the first set of people to come into the back here to live. We used to live inside a small house here. It was a cow pasture. The man who brought us here to live used to mind cows. So we used to take care of the place. We came here as caretakers. That’s how we eventually ended up living here.”

Lindon and his entire family eventually turned to agriculture. After coming to the community in search of work, Lindon’s father turned to farming, and his children soon followed suit. As Lindon stated, “We were looking for land to buy. My father hooked up with this man who had land. He brought us here to look after the cows. That’s how we ended up here.” Most of Lindon’s childhood was spent surrounded by animals and trees. “I must have been nine [when we moved here]. We used to mind pigs,” he recalled.

As the community started to develop, however, agricultural production in the area declined and Lindon sought more viable work options. He tried his hand at quite a few jobs before settling on construction. “Before the construction work, I used to work as a taxi driver at the base, at the airport. Used to refuel them aircraft and stuff. And then I left there and went to work at GAC, Guyana Airways Corporation. I worked there for four years, but I worked as a taxi driver for seven years.”

With development on the rise, construction quickly became the more viable option for work. Lindon took up construction; learning his trade from bits and pieces, he gathered from various places. As he added, “I had a little idea about carpentry and stuff. But the mason part, I never really did that. But when I came off, I had no alternative but to go into that. I started doing construction work, and I am doing it until now. The only work you’d make a little money [from] is construction work.”

Development in the community has been on a steady and stable rise, with involvement from both local residents and their wider community members. The village has recently seen large-scale infrastructural development, with new roads and bridges. The people of the community have also played their role in building up their homes, with collaborative community efforts and an explosive rise in entrepreneurs who support each other.

The village has still retained much of its traditional practices, but afternoon hangouts are still present and are very prominent in the community. As Lindon stated, “We used to have parties and dances in the village on the football field. We still have it sometimes, but people are so busy now.” He shared that Soesdyke is home to happy people who seek to hold activities as often as possible.
One of the interesting practices that is still alive and well in the community is bird-racing. As an avid ‘bird racer,’ Lindon says it has always been a sport in the region and continues to thrive in Soesdyke. “I have a towa towa. I take it out to go and race on the race ground. We go and race for money. I would say that bird-racing is still a very big thing in Soesdyke. People do not know it is a very hard thing to get into.”

As Soesdyke continues to grow and develop, it maintains a delicate balance between progress and tradition. The village serves as a testament to the resilience and adaptability of its people, who have embraced change while holding onto the aspects of community life that make Soesdyke unique. From its humble beginnings as a cow pasture to its current status as a thriving hub of activity, Soesdyke’s journey mirrors the stories of many of its residents, like Lindon Gilks, who have grown and evolved alongside their beloved village.

As the village continues to attract new residents and businesses, it seems poised to remain a vibrant and dynamic place, where the echoes of its pastoral past blend harmoniously with the promise of a bright future. As Soesdyke moves forward, it stands as an example of how progress and tradition can coexist, creating a rich tapestry of experiences for all who call it home.