Sand Reef is located on the Corentyne just aback of Albion Village. The village, which has one tiny access road and three cross streets, sits adjacent to Guava Bush.
According to residents, the village has always been called Sand Reef and was established over 70 years ago. It is home to numerous teachers, estate workers, farmers, farmers and two doctors who are now stationed in Georgetown. Many hard-working women who live in the village shared their stories with me during my visit over the weekend.
What is noticeable about Sand Reef, is how well residents maintain their properties, including the planting of beautiful flowering plants. I visited the village just around 10 am and most residents had been up since 6 am, had completed their chores and were having their breakfast.
Bomattie Sirgobin, 73, said that when she moved into the village 21 years ago, it had a mud dam and no potable water. She said that as years passed by the village progressed tremendously, “We get road, light, water, phone, everything. It is a very quiet village nobody na fight, you a get lil quarrel sometime and that is it.”
Sirgobin, a seamstress by profession, explained that she has been doing this for about 15 years now. “But me na see prapa now, so me a do lil Jhandi flag and lil lil thing,” she added.
According to the woman, there is one small shop located at the beginning of the village, but “Everybody a go market or Rose Hall and buy everything and then come back.” It also houses a mandir and a mosque.
Drupattie Tilokie, 73, jokingly noted that people spend their time “minding them own business” in Sand Reef.
According to the woman, she has had some woes over the years with the loss of her husband and then having her only son take his own life.
But the woman stressed, that she is extremely proud of all her grandchildren pointing out that two are doctors, one is employed at a bank and another works with an oil company in Georgetown, while the others are still in school.
Tilokie now sees from one eye only, after she underwent an unsuccessful surgery in New Amsterdam. “Me got to use eye drop every day and me grandson a buy all me eye drop for me,” she boasted.
Tilokie said that “back in the day” she too was a seamstress. She told the World Beyond Georgetown that she is still the proud owner of an “ol- time sewing machine”, which she often cleans while reminiscing.
Fifty-three-year-old Lilowattie Ramoutar said she was born and grew up in the village which was full of kind persons. “If you get one lil teeth and tongue [argument] you mend am by yourself man. You na get so problem here,” she said.
The woman explained that she was born with a deformed arm and she has never been bullied about her disability. “It a work out, me a take me time and do me work and cook me lil food, people never tell me anything about it, never. Me lucky, nobody na tell me nothing, everything good,” she added.
However, she said, during her young days a branch had fallen from a tree and broken one of the bones in her upper arm. “Me get steel in this hand onto now, you know,” she said.
The woman was in her sister’s hammock having her morning tea when the World Beyond Georgetown visited. “Me a live over so but this a me sister house. She deh overseas so me does come cut off light and breeze out and so,” she explained.
Bhimwattie Sahid, also known as ‘Mala’, 41, said that she has spent most of her life in Sand Reef. She said that her husband died 16 years ago, and she was forced to become the only breadwinner for her family.
A mother of four daughters, she worked and ensured that they were all provided with opportunities. She recalled that she once worked on a farm where she had to water plants, clean weeds and package items. She has also done domestic work, sales and other odd jobs to make ends meet.
She added that she does know a life of not working. Today, with all of her children grown and on their own, she sews and has her own garden in her yard where she plants vegetables. “Me run pipe and put one pump a backyard so me just a turn on to water and me grandson a help me clean it,” she said.
She encouraged young persons to always be hardworking and be mindful of who they keep as company. “On Father’s Day, you know how much call me get? All body a say me a father,” she joked.
Kalowattie Singh, also known as ‘Kathy’, 51, who has resided in the village all her life, said that the village has tremendously improved over the years. “We does go mandir and come back that is it,” she said. “Me na get children. Me and he husband a live and sometimes we go market; a simple life.”
She noted, that her husband is a farmer. “People good in here, everybody a talk,” she added.
Meanwhile, O’Neil Panday Mutuveeren, one of the only male residents who was home, noted that the village was in dire need of proper drainage. “Them need to clear this drain and trench, we a get flood too quick,” he stated.
He pointed out that since 1970 he has been a resident of Sand Reef. “Just the draining we need man,” he stressed, insisting that he did not want to seem like he loves to complain. He said too that the village is a quiet one with lots of friendly residents.
