Over the years the name Bamia has been associated with one thing – its creek. At least, this is the case as far as the residents of Linden are concerned.
The Bamia Creek in times gone by was a hive of activity, especially at weekends and holidays when families, groups and organizations would go there for recreation. In addition, some churches, especially the Assemblies of God Church in Linden used the creek for baptismal purposes.
Those were the days when it was still in its natural state flowing between two banks of white sandy slopes and spanned by a huge tree. Its brown water streamed from one side of the road to the other and residents enjoyed swimming in its chilly waters. Some people would recollect paddling downstream to fish, birdwatch or just simply enjoy the sounds of nature.
Those were the days when persons en route to Linden and interior locations, or travelling in the other direction to Georgetown, would stop on the bridge over the creek just for a ‘stretch,’ a soak, or even to clean off the red dirt of the interior roads from their vehicles.
“Those were the days, up until a couple of mornings after they do over the highway; that was the beginning of the end of Bamia Creek,” said a Linden resident who was at the creek at the time of our visit to the small community.
“I would still come here because it’s my source of inspiration and relaxation. The state of this place is cry of shame on the government and even the Linden Town Council and the whole pack of leaders,” said the man. The creek extends into the backlands of Amelia’s Ward with a few farms situated near its banks.
The highway notwithstanding, there remains a beauty and uniqueness about Bamia. The origin of the settlement goes back to the early 1990s, according to Amelia Gill, when three or four families decided to come together and identify themselves as a community.
Years later, the name once again rose to prominence, but this time it was not because of the creek but because of the cemetery. The story was told by Gill of how they were granted permission and the allocation of ten acres of land to accommodate the cemetery. “The first person who was buried here was my family’s hand,” she said.
Gill said that though she couldn’t recall dates, the AME Zion church then took over the management of the facility. Today, though there is some contention between residents, the Linden Municipality and the church as to the management and use of the burial ground, it is the lone facility that draws a large number of people to the community.
“We don’t want people to come here just to bury their dead but to celebrate life; Bamia is a beautiful place with a lot of potentials,” said Orlieta John, a resident of Bamia.
John was at the time promoting the community centre, one which is well kept with no sign of pest infestation as happens frequently in the case of similar facilities in forested communities. The bottom flat of the building houses the lone school, a combination of both nursery and primary levels.
The upper flat of the building can seat approximately two hundred people in an audience setting, while outside the bleachers can accommodate approximately five hundred people comfortably. The white compacted sand forms a solid base for a variety of activities. According to residents it is underutilized and should be explored for the possibilities of fairs, sports and rallies. “Here solid for so much activities and could help us to raise monies to develop the community,” said resident Edward Persaud.
“But most of all we want our creek back,” Persaud said. It was a call which was echoed by the approximately sixty residents of Bamia. Erosion has taken the better end of the Bamia bridge, and by extension, the creek.
The asphalt driveway leading down to the creek is in a sorry state due to erosion.
Although recently the Ministry of Public works has expended close to $2M to arrest erosion that is undermining the integrity of the bridge, it is still evident that if not addressed urgently there could be a major catastrophe.
“We can really do with some development here man, we really can,” said Sasha Gibson. The young woman who recently returned to the community after a number of years spoke of the absence of electricity, potable water supply, telecommunications and affordable transportation.
“We are this close to the big Amelia’s Ward and yet we can’t enjoy these things,” said Gibson. She was moved to tears as she spoke of her younger sister, a student of the senior secondary school in Linden, Mackenzie High.
“My little sister has to be up in the wee hours of the morning, press her clothes with stove iron in dis day and age, then be out on the highway no later than 6 am to get to school in time for 8 o‘clock.’ said Gibson. Her sentiments were repeated by every resident with whom we spoke.
Residents find comfort in their limited economic activities of coal-burning, logging and cattle rearing. “We need to get our young people in school because so many of them of school age don’t attend school, and it’s basically because their parents just can’t afford to send them,“ said Gibson.
There is also the issue of land titles and allocation. They intend to have these addressed following the formation of a new Community Development Council (CDC). With the promised assistance of the Regional Chairman Kuice Sharma Solomon, they will also be lobbying to be included in drainage and irrigation (CDNI) works.
- The Gibson family of Bamia
