Guyana History: Village problems in Guyana 100 years ago – By Winston McGowan

-Stabroek News – April 12, 2001 – By Winston McGowan 

This article will focus on conditions in eighteen villages of Guyana, which one hundred years ago were under the control of the Central Board of Health. These villages were for the most part inhabited mainly by Africans.

They included Sparendaam, Plaisance, Beterverwagting, Buxton and Friendship, Golden Grove and Nabaclis, Victoria and Ann’s Grove and Two Friends on the East Coast of Demerara, Agricola, Mocha and Craig on the East Bank, Bagotville, Goed Intent and Sisters, and Stanleytown on the West Bank, Den Amstel and Fellowship and De Kinderen on the West Coast of Demerara, Queenstown and Danielstown in Essequibo and Cumberland in Berbice.

About one hundred years ago these villages were experiencing serious problems which made life for the residents very challenging. Perhaps their most fundamental and most disturbing problem was geophysical, namely, their inability for the most part to cope effectively with the formidable challenges of sea and river defence, drainage and irrigation. These difficulties stemmed from the fact that the coast was below sea level, the rivers often overflowed their banks and the country frequently suffered from seasons of heavy rainfall.

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