Bareroot residents feel neglected by Govt.

Feb 26, 2025 News

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 …call for access to farm lands

Kaieteur News- Residents of Bareroot, East Coast Demerara (ECD) have accused the government of neglecting their village while complaining that they are unable to access the back lands used for farming.

Bareroot is a predominantly farming community. According to the residents, they are now forced to farm and rear animals in their back yards due to the contamination of water sources with animal waste and plant debris.

The stagnant, foul-smelling water in the community’s drains and trenches remains a major concern, as clogged, poorly maintained drains exacerbate the problem. Residents are worried about potential health risks, particularly for children.

Additionally, the residents disclosed that the rate of school drop outs and teenage pregnancy is ever-increasing.

Seventy-six-year-old Negla Garraway, one of the oldest members of the village and a former member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) told Kaieteur News that she is afraid of the contaminated water causing health issues. Garraway said that she too does not have access to farm lands.

She said approximately 20 years ago the government assisted the community with the development of lands noting that the land the residents now live on was once a rice field.

After the rice field stop bearing fruit, Garraway said the residents turned to farming and then built houses.

“We had street lights and used to farm, people would come from all over like Buxton, Dazzle and so on to farm and would eventually live in the community,” she recalled.

However, as time progressed, Garraway said nothing else was done to help residents of the community.

“Things start getting worse and worse and worse, they start to neglect the community. We have a very serious problem in this community. I am afraid of any outbreak of any disease at this time in the community, because we rearing a lot of pigs in this community, the waste of the pigs is feeding into the drain, the water black and stink,” she expressed.

Garraway added that the situation could affect nearby villages. “If we get an outbreak, it will affect the neighbouring villages too, especially Enterprise and Bachelors Adventure, because we all intermingle.”

When asked about the maintenance of the drains, Garraway responded saying, “They would rake-up the grass from the drain but the drain need to be dug so that water can run in and out, the water is stagnant in this community. Now and then they will come in and say that they cleaning, but just move the grass at the top,” she said.

A Kaieteur News reporter walked through the community and observed dark drains due to them being heavily clogged causing the water to be stagnant.

“Early last year the minister of agriculture came in here for a meeting, I went to listen to the meeting and when I got there, he talking about boosting agriculture and I said, minister if you come in the context of agriculture, we have to have lands,” she said.

Garraway disclosed that the minister said that the lands will be given to the residents. However, the residents have not gotten access to the lands due to the lack of bridges.

“He said that he will give us the land to do farming and couple days from then he sent in drainage and irrigation and other people to measure the land. Because for us to go into the land we need access because there is no bridge and they said that they will build a bridge so that we could go over to get access to the land.  But from early last year to now nothing was done,” Garraway explained.

The frustrated 76-year-old woman also claimed that the lands are being given to foreign investors.

“They are giving all these lands to foreign investors. Sooner or later, we won’t be able to go at the back because is everybody getting a big junk of the land at the back there and we have to live with the animals. They are roaming around the village, mashing the roads down, coming in your yard, eating your things,” she said.

Further, the elderly woman said, “This community cannot exist without farm lands because most of the people in this community are rearing animals and people need to plant. We are not begging for these things, this is our democratic right, every government got to see that communities get light, road, water and anything else.”

Meanwhile, residents have also complained about the state of their roads.  “Since two years they started the road and they ain’t done yet, they doing lil thing to drag their foot on it. This is the main access road,” another resident told this publication.

It was observed that the roads are primarily sand filled which makes it difficult to manoeuvre particularly during the rainy season.

Natasha Richmond, a 19-year-old mother told Kaieteur News that there is no progress for youths in Bareroot village. She said, “It is stressful, the only jobs nearby is at the Chinese supermarket but they don’t pay no good money.”

Richmond also noted that the community’s unkempt environment and lack of opportunities are driving young people away. “There are a lot of children running away from their house here, there is no work, the community is unkempt and there is nothing to do here,” she said.

The young mother suggested that local employment could be boosted by developing the village’s vacant land.

“There’s a lot of empty land here. They could build a restaurant and create jobs right here in the community,” she proposed.

(Bareroot residents feel neglected by Govt.)

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• animal waste, Bareroot, East Coast Demerara, farming community, teenage pregnancy

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