Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast

Acklima Pearce and her students

Onderneeming on the Essequibo Coast is well known as the home of the New Opportunity Corps (NOC), the institution that houses minors who have been in trouble with the law, but it is gaining more attention now since the establishment of the Rooster Resort and Fun Park.

Acklima Pearce and her students
Acklima Pearce and her students

The resort is popular with residents of the Essequibo Coast and Islands. On a Saturday morning when we visited, one family was there on a picnic.

A staff member of the resort, Tiffany Benn, told The World Beyond Georgetown that the place is crowded on Sundays, when persons have more time for fun, relaxation and entertainment.

There is another resort in the village at the Ituribisi Lake, commonly known as ‘Hot and Cold Lake.’

From a population of about 150, the village has grown to about 800 residents. This was following the establishment of the Little Red Village in 2009 by the Food for the Poor organisation in collaboration with the Roetheli family of the USA.

The bushy area, which already had 15 houses, was cleared to accommodate100 more in order for residents who were living in small shacks to have a better standard of living. They were drawn from poor communities like the Pomeroon and Capoey

Because of their circumstances, villagers purchased house lots, which measure 50 ft by 100 ft, from government at a reduced cost of $66,000. The Little Red Village, which is found in Sandpit Road, also has a school, a health centre, a community centre and a shop.

In general though, the children of Onderneeming attend the primary school in the