Mmunities dwindle
These days, the bamboo is left to grow ut of control. The protruding plants are nown to damage cars and sometimes even rack vehicle windscreens. One of Chassi’s rucks has lost a windscreen. A replacement will cost around $160,000. The family canot afford to replace the windscreen now. Chassi wants a return of the services that sed to be provided by the NDIA.
The farmers of Germania and the neighouring communities are plagued by wild nimals that destroy their crops. In Chassi’s ase, he says, he had applied for a firearm cence since 1994. There has been no pproval and in order to get around the roblem of having his crops persistently avaged he has to engage the services of a censed firearm holder to help get rid of the abbits and monkeys. Birds eat most of the ruit, making cultivation of fruit trees neconomical.
There is also the challenge of water. About two years ago the solar panel for the ump station was removed. Water no longer omes through the taps. It is a matter, mosty, of depending on the rain, or else, on riends and relatives who bring water from Edinburgh. Otherwise, they must use water rom the canal.
Nor is there any reliable electricity. Homes are powered mostly by solar panels r generators. There are other depressing ndicators of a community under siege. A ew years ago the Police Station was closed nd the premises have been overrun by ush. The local Health Centre is in the rocess of sharing the same faith. Medical ervices can now be had from the Health Centre at Sisters Village, 11 miles from Germania.
Chassi says that the restoration of reliable roads, water and electricity requires intervention. He believes that given help with critical infrastructure Germania can thrive again.
At the nearby farming community of Weglegegen, Deodat Persaud is feeling the pinch too. It is the same story; deficient infrastructure. Persaud has put down roots here. He isn’t going anywhere; at least so he says. He cultivates eddo, cassava, pumpkin and citrus.
Weglegegen is about 25 miles from New Amsterdam and neither his routine not his challenges are any different. He too has problems with transportation. He says he is paying too much to transport his produce to the market and he is also complaining about the condition of the roads and the electricity and the water. He, too, would like to be able to recruit a better crew of labourers. All of that, however, is not possible, at least not in the short term, and while you can make a living from farming in this relatively quiet community, it is not a pursuit that the fainthearted are likely to embrace.