The World Beyond Georgetown

Story and photos by Gaulbert Sutherland Reaching the shell mound involved stooping through tunnels made by the thick bush, balancing on slippery logs and tramping through thick mud.

Story and photos by Shabna Ullah Residents of the mixed community of Cumberland, East Canje in Berbice have various occupations and some have undertaken businesses ventures which have helped with the development of the village.

Photos by Anjuli Persaud “I born and grew at this place.

Photos by Anjuli Persaud A twenty-minute drive across the Demerara Harbour Bridge, heading to the West Bank of Demerara, takes you to a small village called Nismes.

y Roxanne Clarke with photos by Anjuli Persaud La Bonne Intention familiarly known as LBI is a village located on the East Coast of Demerara.

The predominately African-Guyanese village of Lovely Lass, West Coast Berbice, seemed quiet during a midday visit with most of the residents busy trying to get chores done.

With a population of around 2000 people of different racial backgrounds, the community of Blankenburg is found on the West Coast of Demerara some 12 km west of the capital city.

By Frances Abraham with photos by Lakhram Bhagirat Located on the East Coast of Demerara is the village of Beterverwagting (BV) (a Dutch name meaning ‘Better Expectation”), better known to residents as ‘Barron.’

Located some 8 miles up the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, the sparsely populated community of Kuru Kuru is struggling as residents plead with the authorities to develop the area.

On entering the village of Meten-Meer-Zorg one encounters a series of canals, a reflection of the grid-like order imposed upon the coastal landscape by the drainage patterns of the sugar plantation.

Hague is a small West Coast Demerara village located about 12km away from Vreed-en-Hoop.

Herstelling is located on the East Bank of Demerara and is known not only because of its new housing scheme, Somerset Court, but because its ample size and proximity to Georgetown (7.9 kilometres) notwithstanding, it remains a close-knit country community.

“This community future hinge on three things – water, light and roads,” says Vanessa O’Donoghue, a resident of the small community of Barnwell on the East Bank of Demerara.

The village of Somerset and Berks, located on the Essequibo coast, can be spotted from a distance because of the old rice factory which is located at the entrance to the community.

Situated on the West Bank Demerara, the village of Good Intent which is sandwiched between Sisters Village to the south and La Retraite to the north is about seven-and-a-half miles from Vreed-en-Hoop.

Sixty-five miles south from the capital city lies one of the larger housing schemes in Guyana: Amelia’s Ward, Linden.

Springlands/Number 78 is known as a business hub in the town of Corriverton, and includes the backtrack crossing which facilitates cross-border trading with Suriname.

With a contented look on her face Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident Lakhraji (only name given) recalls “the long way the community come through“ since she moved to the area more than three decades ago.

By Roxanne Clarke with photos by Anjuli Persaud There is a rural community not far from Georgetown whose peace is only shattered by the whine of vehicles racing on the highway.

The village of Edderton, or No 4, West Coast Berbice can be spotted from a distance because of the huge mango trees which line the roadside in front of residents’ homes.