Interviews and photos by Jeanna Pearson and Arian Browne
Stabroek News recently visited the Plastic City Squatting Area, West Demerara and residents were eager to speak about life in the swampy mangroves.
Ronald Alfred [miner]: `We were born here and we are comfortable. There is nothing to be afraid of here… even the snakes frighten us, we are not afraid of them. I lived 19 years here but the only problem is getting clean water. We are squatters but Jetty people still need water.’
Albert Link [Self Employed]: `I arrived in Plastic City when it only had four houses; that was fifteen years ago and it’s rough living without water and light for all those years. So it would be good if we could get some light and water.’
: `We are accustomed with Plastic City; fetching water and sleeping early, and no problem with people chopping people and killing. It’s quiet here but we need water and lights.’
Eon De Britta [A farmer]: `We don’t have electricity and the few that getting is about 15 houses and that’s not fair. Nothing ain’t good about this place but we living here because it’s all we got. We glad for house lots but the people at the ministry collected our numbers and years passed and they never called. When the high tide come it would flood out the Jetty area and the dirty water would mix up with the toilet water. That’s what we living in.’
Dillip Lambert [unemployed]: `It’s very nice living here, the only problem we have is getting running water. If we don’t have bicycles then we would have to fetch the water on our shoulders. Some people getting house lots but some of us waiting on the ministry to call us. They collected our numbers and said that they would call us.’
Mandoor Alli [Chairman of the Community Policing Group]: `We living comfortably here but it’s only the light and water that we need. Some have light but the rest of us have to get generators. All of us in this place apply for house lots but some of us never received a call. But me personally wouldn’t want to move if they can give us this land I would be happy.’
Susan Ramdas [Housewife]: `We are not staying here for long anymore because we get a house lot from the ministry and we start building. So we don’t have to put up with no light and clean water anymore.’
Shanta Ramdas [unemployed]: `I happy living here. We ain’t get water and light but we accustom to it. It’s a strain but we make out quite well. But I do hope that they would put in clean water for us because children have to fetch water from far to bathe to go to school.’
Maranda Thomas [Housewife]: `I’m living here two months now and the place really quiet and it ain’t get problem with thieves because everybody know everybody here and is only people from outside would come and hide in the Jetty.’
Nazetta Gill [Housewife]: `We are not happy here because the children don’t have any place to play after school and we don’t get water or light. That all we want. We ain’t pleased with the situation we living in but we can’t afford to rent a place or build a house.’
