By Lakhram Bhagirat
Kwakwani is a picturesque logging community sitting along the Berbice River in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) with a population of just over 6000 residents who are the nicest people you will meet. The journey to Kwakwani is most breathtaking if one takes the bus, but you can also take a boat up the Berbice River to get there.
The trip is somewhat of a long one, but with the right company, it can be a very fun one. A colleague and I left Georgetown sometime around 07:00h on Saturday morning and set out for destination Kwakwani. The journey was beyond my expectations as I was awestruck by what was waiting for me.
I have traversed the Linden-Soesdyke Highway umpteen times on various trips to the mining town of Linden, but going beyond Linden is something I have never really explored. So, as our bus wound its way through the bumpy streets of Linden onto the trail, I was immediately captivated by the level of skill it requires to navigate some sections of the road.
I was initially told that the journey would last around three hours and I should brace myself for a bumpy ride, and that I did. Along the trail, all one can see is huge trees but the air was crisp and fresh. When we arrived at the Kwakwani Waterfront, I was awestruck by the sight that greeted me: the calm Berbice River dotted with several small boats manned by residents as they moved from Point A to Point B. Wide smiles and friendly faces greeted us as we boarded the ferry to cross the river into the community.
The community itself is one out of some book as it is full of age- old infrastructure among other things. Several shops, small bars and buildings line the long curving stretch of main road cutting throughout the village. The main economic activities are farming, logging and some small-scale mining. Because of the remoteness of the community there are several challenges that residents face but they persevere.
The level of togetherness is quite visible in Kwakwani as almost every resident knows and we were told that they also look out for each other.
“The level of camaraderie here is high, because we are a small community and we must look out for each other. Kwakwani is a very good place and the people here is very nice. Life in Kwakwani here is very calm, but there is so much more that we can do to get things better,” resident Charles Thom said.
Thom said that living and raising a family in Kwakwani has had its ups and downs. He would have seen the village transform from nothing into a developed community with almost all of the amenities.
“One of the major issues we have here in Kwakwani is the lack of proper roads because we don’t have any paved road. Having paved roads would make the dust pollution more controlled, and we want to make sure that we get the best of the best as well,” he said.
Another resident, Jewel Smith, said she has been living in the community for over 20 years and she moved there after she got married.
“I love living in Kwakwani because we all live like one. We look out for each other. I raised my two children here and now they are grown up and they are doing good for themselves. I would not live anywhere else, because this place is peaceful and I can’t imagine being anywhere else,” Smith said.
The possibilities of making a life in Kwakwani are endless as there are many options to choose from, according to the resident. However, access to services is one of the major issues, since they would have to travel to Linden or even Georgetown to access medical care among other things.
As much as I would like to have stayed in Kwakwani for a much longer period, our assignment came to an end and we had to make our way back to the city. But as we were preparing to leave, I noticed something I have not seen in ages.
It was a group of about six young boys engaged in an intense game of “war break”, and I was amazed since I have not seen or engaged in a game of “war break” for over 15 years. I watched as the boys ran, hid and plunged into the bushes as they tried not to get shot.
They soon noticed I was looking on and engaged me in a conversation. The boys were all chattering as we exchanged information about what it was like in the city versus Kwakwani. I was informed that “war break” is a game almost every little boy enjoys.
Our ride back to the city was a blur as I slept for the most part of it, but I do miss Kwakwani and will soon be planning a trip back to experience what life really is like in Kwakwani. (Times Sunday Magazine)
