Located on the Corentyne highway just before Adventure Village is the very small, very quiet, very bushy Hogstye Village. With a population of just under 50, and many abandoned houses, the village is at a standstill developmentally. It has no cross streets, one major grocery store, two gas stations, one lumber yard and a masjid.
Azad Taki, owner of one of the gas stations, explained that initially Hogstye was a private estate owned by the Hack brothers. He said that they were “big time road contractors”, who first moved to Georgetown, after which they migrated to foreign countries.
However, he said, since he moved in to the village some 30 years ago he has always known it to be called Hogstye. Taki was formerly attached to Bermine Factory on the East Bank Berbice, but after that was closed, he moved into the Corentyne village and opened a small hardware store in the hope of bettering himself and being able to provide for his family. “When I came here,” he said, “it had rice industry, it had big rice mill there.”
Taki said he noticed the need for a gas station and decided to open one with a spare parts store attached. “I was the only one who come and start some development here,” he added.
A few lots away from Taki, his brother-in-law also operates a gas station. But he said that they do not look on each other as competition. “We got to live like that,” he said. “Now you find with the fuel business you have the big rice industry that open now they giving credit and with the improved vehicles coming now fuel not selling so much.”
A former Neighbourhood Democratic Council member, Taki explained that businesses in the area are affected by the declining population. He estimated that there are some 50 residents remaining in the village. Businesses, he said, mostly depend on the “travelling public because we don’t have the population here.”
The houses in the area are noticeably sparse with vast empty land between them.
Additionally, he said, the village is in dire need of some drainage and irrigation work. “Mostly you find things happening in other areas and not in this village,” he said, summing it up to be one made up of wholesome with kindhearted persons.
Mohamed Shakeel, 70, who plants cash crops for a living, said he enjoys living in Hogstye because of its peacefulness. This, he said, was as a result of the reduced population. He joked that it was something he welcomed. “When new people come it a bring problem, cause you nah know who and who a come,” he warned. “Me enjoy live like this here, me a do me lil garden and pay all me bill and thing.”
According to the farmer, he plans to work and take care of his family until he breathes his last breath.
The very witty man said that he underwent a heart surgery recently at a private hospital in Georgetown where the doctor advised him to down his tools and retire. However, as he laughed at the idea, he said, “Me come home and ask she [his wife] what I doing.”
His wife, Asha Shakeel, 66, said her husband wakes up in the wee hours in the morning and tends to his farm before sunrise, he is not physically able to work in the hot sun. Her husband added that the desire to take care of his family is what pushes him to work every day, something which he thoroughly enjoys doing.
The Shakeels have been married for over 40 years; they have one child. Shakeel boasted, “Me married life alright. Me never touch [beat]me wife yet. Me never raise me hand and knock am yet. Abie a live good.” He advised young couple to have “better understanding. The secret is that we understand one another.”
They both said together, “Since abie married, abie never get one problem.”
Asha added, “If any lil problem, abie a make it out. And when you a live you got to understand each other.”
Her husband added, “When one girl a see one man she got to see he background.”
World Beyond Georgetown was told that there was once a rice mill in the village, but it closed many moons ago and the owners migrated.
Yasmin Baksh, who has been living in Hogstye for some 20 years, jokingly said, “Just the other day me move in here.”
The woman’s yard can be spotted from a distance away because it is adorned with flowering plants. Although shy to have her picture taken, Baksh explained that Hogstye had all basic amenities when she moved into the village. However, she said, a welcome development was the installation of road lights which was done a few months ago. According to the woman, this makes her feel safer as she can easily see “the happenings” on the road at the night.
Baksh who was preparing to head to a funeral noted that she enjoys living in Hogstye as it has “nice persons”. According to her estimation, the village has about 30 residents with the majority being older folks.
Vincent Ferdinand Henry was delivering newspapers as he rode his bicycle along the road. He said he works from Alness Village to Friendship Village and then to Whim Village, Corentyne, a great distance that most would shy away from.
But the 69-year-old Henry said he enjoys working the route and does so with ease because he has been selling newspapers since he was 12 years old. “I enjoy selling quite a lot. I have four bicycles to do the work,” he said.
Most of the residents, who are mainly farmers, were at the backdam when I visited the village, but some of those I spoke with mentioned a haunted house. However, one woman cleared it up, she said it was an old story made up to scare newcomers to the village.
