Sep 30, 2026
3 min read
Communities on the East Bank of Berbice are entering a new chapter of development, with improved roads, electricity and rehabilitated canals replacing the narrow bamboo-lined trails that once led into Mara, Germania and neighbouring villages.
Macaw Village resident Ralston Benjamin said the changes are more than new roads, rehabilitated canals and cleared lands, and reflect how far his community has come.
Benjamin, who has lived in the area for about 50 years, recalled when travelling through the communities meant navigating narrow trails surrounded by bamboo.
"For the years that had gone by, we didn't have the kind of road that we have now," he recalled. "There were bamboo kissing both sides of the road and you actually had a trail you used to be passing under and now we have the road is doing, about 75 per cent complete."
He pointed to the ongoing road works and land clearing as visible signs of that transformation.
Benjamin said he and other interested residents have also registered to form an East Bank Logging and Mining Association, following a recommendation from Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat during a previous visit. The move is aimed at strengthening the community's organisation and its access to assistance and opportunities.
"We'll be able to organise ourselves in such a way and form the group that the minister and the government can help us to do what we desire to do," Benjamin explained.
"I'm feeling good. I'm feeling proud to know that at least, you know, we are getting attention placed on us now and we are seeing the results of the effort that the government is doing in the community," he added.
The change is also being felt in residents' everyday lives. Ravi Tambarin remembers when transportation was a major challenge, particularly for students travelling to and from school.
"Recently the minister donated a school bus to the East Bank to carry the children to school. I can recall when I used to go to high school, I used to wait 10 o'clock in the night to catch a car, to come back up in here in Mara," he said.
Tambarin said the extension of electricity to Mara, road improvements and assistance to farmers are among the developments making a difference.
"The Minister of Agriculture has promised and clear X' amount of land clearing for farmers on the East Bank of Berbice and he also donated citrus plants to farmers to help them to boost production. And with the electricity, the electricity is now all the way up to Mara and we see improvement on the road," he added.
He said one of the most noticeable changes has been more frequent ministerial visits, during which officials listen to residents' concerns and return with assistance to address them.
Kortberaad resident Richard Barran, who has lived in the village for 42 years, also said he is witnessing the transformation first-hand. He pointed to the rehabilitation of the Kortberaad sea dam and canals, street construction and bush clearing as some of the major works under way.
"There's a lot of development to see in the area right now," Barran said. "Real good things are happening on the East Bank of Berbice. I feel happy, man. Real happy because you didn't see this kind of development. And right now, you're feeling the impact because you're seeing it."
As development moves further into the East Bank, residents say opportunities are emerging where for generations there were few, bringing a renewed sense of hope for the communities they call home.
