By Venessa Deosaran
Kwakwani is home to more than four thousand people, and sits on the Berbice River, one of the three rivers that cross Region Ten, and can be accessed both by road and water. Once boasting national champions and a flourishing community, residents of the area are focused on reclaiming Kwakwani’s former glory.
Transportation in and out of Kwakwani is by road through Linden. Whenever the roads are in reasonable condition due to fair weather, it would take a maximum of two and a half hours by minibus from Linden at a cost of two thousand dollars, one way, per person, with a surcharge for extra luggage. The other route would be from New Amsterdam via the Berbice River, but this is now mainly used by the bauxite operations at Aroaima.
There are two nursery schools, one primary and secondary school. Most parents send their children to Linden or Ituni for schooling as there is a shortage of teachers and modern facilities in Kwakwani.
There are in excess of five sub-communities making up the NDC of Kwakwani, one of which is Lamp Island. This is a small community, strung out along the bank of the Berbice River, and is home to about 25 families.
There is limited emergency care provided at the Kwakwani Hospital, which presents a matter of concern to residents. Patients have to be transferred more than twice a week to the Linden Hospital Complex, a long journey for sick individuals, especially those requiring emergency attention.
Guyana Times Sunday Magazine interviewed Kelvin Daly a 50-year-old resident of the area, who was born and bred in Kwakwani, and is an active member of the community. Daly is determined to restore his home to its former glory by urging businesses to invest in the community.
“Bauxite mining companies had more interest in the community and would invest in the community’s development, especially in sports as we produced star athletes. The Workers’ Club, which existed even before I was born, had a great managerial committee, and this helped in the community’s development. I used to come to the club to play volley ball. Every worker was a member of the club. We have a community pool, which was managed by the club – now dilapidated – and was used by everyone for recreational purposes; but without any funds for maintenance, it remains as a relic,” Daly disclosed.
Daly said the Workers’ Club is falling apart and is used for drinking sessions and as a venue for meetings. It also houses the community’s library- a small space for research. He mentioned that the club played a vital part in the community years ago, and contributed to the administrative needs of sports activities. The restoration of it will see a new development of sports in Kwakwani, helping youths to become national champions. Daly believes if bauxite mining companies operating in the area invest in Kwakwani, it can be restored to what it was years ago: a flourishing community.
“The potential in sports is great. We need more opportunities for our youths because they have talent. There is also a great potential for agricultural activities. I urge the Ministry of Agriculture to check out the potential we have here. We need a banking system up here also. To use banking services, we need to travel to Linden, which is a long journey. Transportation cost is expensive and so it is very difficult for us to travel. Flying was an option, but it is only done by companies now because there are no commercial travel services offered,” a distraught Daly revealed.
Other landmarks in the area are the Supervisors’ Club, which is now being used as a legal court dealing with the community’s matters; there is also the basketball court and houses that have been in existence for decades.
Mobile company contributes
Being made aware of the community’s needs, Digicel Guyana travelled with local DJs, its brand ambassadors, to do their part in contributing their time to help the youths in Kwakwani.
Digicel donated a computer system with all accessories to the library, which will assist in research and printing of school materials. Along with the DJs, Digicel’s staff members repaired the basketball court, constructing benches and painting.
