A community celebrating unity

Waiakabra comes from an Amerindian word, which means ‘getting together.’ Whether by accident or design, this completely and perfectly captures the essence of the community. A beautiful tapestry of people and cultures, Waiakabra is home to a diverse mix of residents, all with unique beginnings and stories. A few of the community’s women sat down to talk about motherhood, community development, and what they love about their home.

Becoming a part of Waiakabra.
Coming from Santa Mission on the banks of the Demerara River, Roxanne Defraits is one of Waiakabra’s first residents, living in the community for more than thirty years. Her move was a sacrifice made for her children. After having an impressive twelve children in Santa Mission, Roxanne left the riverine community, so her eldest daughter could pursue an education. As she explained, “I grew up in Santa Mission, had my children there and everything. But I left because my eldest daughter wanted to study nursing.”

However, the family faced challenges upon moving to the community. As Roxanne explained, life in the village was not that different from Santa Mission at first. Some 20 years later, she began to see subtle changes and then big changes in the community. She recalls, “When we first came here, it was just trees. We had no light or water. Twenty years after, I started to see things happen; we got light and then water.” Although there were challenges, Roxanne said she stayed because of her family. “I have seen a lot of development in the thirty years I have been here. Some people come and go, and some have the faith to hold on.”

Roxanne has become a significant part of Waiakabra. Now in its fourth year, Waiakabra’s heritage celebration continues to garner great support, with women like Roxanne at the forefront. As she explained, heritage has always been a vital part of the community. This year is no different, and Roxanne plans to be part of the festivities with her signature food and drinks, leaving her mark on the heritage and the community.

Community development and creativity.
A newcomer to the community, Aliyah Kellman was born in the village of Rockstone. However, most of her childhood and schooling took place in Waiakabra. The community made for a wonderful childhood, said Aliyah, exploring the vast area with its blackwater creek and neighbouring fruit trees. As she stated, “My early days in Waiakabra were nice. My friends and I would go to play at the creek and all over. The village did not have all these houses and people.”

In recent years, however, the population has been on a constant rise. With more people seeking jobs, opportunities, and chances, Waiakabra has seen an increase in its population. With the introduction of multiple developmental projects and others in the pipeline, people continue to come to Waiakabra.

The village has also begun emphasising the development of creativity among its people. This creativity comes on full display during the exciting heritage celebrations. Home to vibrant dancers and skilled basket weavers, the community’s true artistic nature shines when this mix of people showcases their talent in September. As Aliyah shared, “Heritage is a nice time in the community; people come out, and we have dancers who perform and tell stories.”

Waiakabra’s heritage celebration.
There are quite a few things that led twenty-one-year-old Melissa Persaud to Waiakabra, a far way from home for the young mother who was born and raised in Region Three. As she explained, “I recently came here to live. I am from La Grange Independence Street in the West Bank of Demerara.” She shared that her family came to the community because of her mother, who is from the region. As she stated, “We, my family, came here because my mother is from this side. I came here and finished school.”

After falling in love with the community, Melissa decided to start a family of her own and settled down in Waiakabra. She explained that there were challenges in the beginning, but over the last few years, the quality of life in Waiakabra has changed for the better. As she stated, “At first, it was a bit hard, doing without some things. But there have been changes and improvements. The village just needs one or two things, like street lights. But other than that, Waiakabra is a nice place to live.”

Waiakabra’s heritage celebration and activities are special to Melissa. Normally occurring around her birthday, Melissa takes the day to connect with the community and herself. Most times, she would find herself sampling the top dishes and drinks present at the event, with cassava bread, pepperpot, and “piwari” being the front runners.

Waiakabra is a community that has managed to not only create a people-centred environment but has kept it that way. The village continues to develop as more people learn about this hidden gem. As a month of celebrating Guyana’s people takes off, Waiakabra teaches us that it is important to celebrate as one.