Sandville is a new village; it was formally established 2 years ago, but some of its residents had settled there between 4 to 10 years ago. The village which is situated off the Linden/Soesdyke Highway through the Marudi Road is home to more than 400 people, many of whom are Amerindians.
It is behind Swan Village and bordered by forest on the opposite end; a shortcut through the forest leads to Kuru Kururu some 2 miles away. Swan Village Chairman Norbert Charles also oversees Sandville.
A government-owned 15-seat bus is the only steady transportation and it is used for both Swan and Sandville, so villagers often call a taxi to take them to the Soesdyke junction, where they take a bus to the city. Some persons, who can manage the distance, walk to the highway and wait for a bus coming along the road from Linden.
On the day I visited, it had barely rained, according to villagers, but already there were pools of water settled in the lower parts of the sand road. In some places, the water ran off into lower yards creating little ponds. School was in session, but some children were at home. This had nothing to do with the teachers’ strike; parents said they did not have sufficient funds to buy school supplies. A few of them assured me that they were trying to get school supplies so that the children could turn out for the second week.