Hopetown, a village in West Berbice, approximately 97 kilometres from Georgetown, was bought by the Blaire brothers, who pooled their money to purchase the village. It was said that the men loaded their pennies and other savings on to a wheelbarrow and pushed it all the way to Georgetown, a journey that took four days. They named the village ‘Hopetown’ in pursuit of hope for a better life after slavery.
After the community was purchased, it was divided into Fybrace, St. John and Number 22 Village where farming and bartering to earn a living were done. Additionally, roads and streets were allotted. The community already had in existence a church and school, and the occupants subsequently established a governance system to facilitate the smooth running of the village.
Today, Hopetown is known for the traditional annual soiree which is by far the biggest event of its kind held in Guyana. The soiree started many years ago, and had its inception with the newly freed slaves to eventually become an annual event.
This year’s Emancipation Day Festival at the National Park, scheduled for August 1, will have many interesting artefacts from slavery as well as pictures of villages bought by freed slaves.
