Zeelugt is a small, yet vibrant village on the East Bank Essequibo situated between Tuschen and De Kinderen. Coincidentally enough, conversations with the taxi driver on the way there revealed that he was himself a resident of the village. During the drive 25-year-old Rovin Deodat shared that he was not originally from Zeelugt, but had moved there five years ago after his marriage.
The man said that the thing he admires most about the community is the fact that everybody works. He said that though there are no significant establishments nearby offering employment, many of the residents have chosen the entrepreneurial path, while others make daily journeys to Vreed-en-Hoop, Parika, and even Georgetown where they have jobs.
He said however that many of the persons who leave the village are young people, while the older folks often opt to create their own businesses. He also said that a significant proportion of residents work on the sugar estates and that Zeelugt itself was a former rice area.
Deodat described Zeelugt as a quiet community, and stated that while a considerable number of rum shops could be found in the village, only about one would be filled on any given day. Deodat said that the people are the easy going type who do not care much for