By Michel Outridge

Gem George and her family of 10 relocated from Waramuri, Moruca, Region One (Barima-Waini) 20 year ago and is making their life comfortable in River’s View Mission, Lower Bonasika.

She related that life isn’t always easy but she try to make it work by assisting her husband to bring in an income to the home by making Amerindian arts and craft and sell.

She also makes cassava bread and wild meat Pepperpot to go with it among other Amerindian dishes that is consumed every day in the household.

George stated that her husband is a farmer and they have a plot in which they cultivate cassava and bananas and when they have enough, they would sell the excess.

The mother of nine added that life in River’s View Mission is not easy because they don’t have access to many things such as online or distant learning for the school-age children which number about 40.

“My 13-year-old wondering when school will re-open he is fed up of being at home and is excited to return to school but with the pandemic, I don’t know what to tell him,” she said.

He is a student of Salem/Parika Secondary School.

The 53-year-old would also like to have a health outpost nearby to cater to their medical needs since they have to travel by boat to get to a health facility.

There is no potable water supply, no electricity and internet access in this community and a few years ago a serious outbreak of a skin disease had plagued these villagers, who depend on the creek water for household use.

The farm labourer
The Pepperpot Magazine also met Filbert Williams, a labourer on a farm at Lanaballi, Essequibo River.

He is a resident of River’s View Mission and would travel by boat to his work site which is about six miles away.

The sweet fig farm runs for 20 acres and is privately-owned and at times he is not being paid regularly and over-worked.

Williams is a very good interpretive dancer and usually participates in the annual heritage celebration in the village and would do the ‘Crappo Dance’.

Williams is a village elder, one of the oldest residents in the community, who is known as the ‘medicine man’. He prepares various bush medicines for others to use to improve their health whenever they are ill.

“First you have to know the bush and what it is used for and mix it and boil it for quick relief of many ailments,” the 76-year-old said.

He disclosed that for snake bites, he would use tamarind seed which he makes into a paste and puts it on the bite and within a half-hour, the person will get relief.

Williams added, too, that dry coconut shell is burnt and put in water to drink for snake bites.

He has many home remedies, and he would assist villagers from time to time whenever he is not working as a boat captain transporting goods and services along the Bonasika Creek to Hubu Koker.

“Wood ants nest is boiled and consumed for malaria and it has proven to be successful,” he said.

He is a jolly fellow, who is always up for a quick chat no matter how busy he is.

The other village elder
Simon Featherstone is an elder of River’s View Mission and although he is not a man of many words he would engage in a conversation when necessary.

He is 76 years old and originally from Waramuri, Region One and was the first man to bring the gospel to the riverine community in 2004 when he opened the very first church, the New Testament Tabernacle, in the village.

“At that time not much people were residing there and it was much forested and he cleared a piece of land of thick bushes and erected a church and a small house,” he said.

Featherstone stated that he retired from preaching five years ago and is taking things easy these days.

The father of two added that he was not well but is trying as is and is pleased with the development of the village from then to now.