Taking one look at the well-kept grounds of the Biche police station, health centre, recreation ground and RC church, anyone may be tempted to assume that it's because there are offices of two Members of Parliament a stone's throw away from each facility.But truth be told, MP for Cumuto/ Manzanilla, Colin Partap and Mayaro MP Winston "Gypsy" Peters have nothing to do with the "hard work" it takes to maintain these grounds.The award-winning project is the effort of a lone community lover, Aphizal Baksh."I started this about 25 years ago," Baksh said as he sat with the T&T Guardian in the cool pavilion of the recreation ground."The bench seats were wooden and I changed them to concrete," he said, and gestured toward the benches bordering the playing field.A mason by trade, Baksh religiously power washes walls, takes care of the plants and does the landscaping for the facilities, all at his own expense."Many years ago the Corporation used to give me paint. But now I have to depend on my little salary and money from PJs to maintain the project. I even pick up bottles and sell to help fund the project," Baksh explained, adding that he also recycled pieces of "garbage" to make the benches.
Award winning
Despite lack of funding, though, the project has won its fair share of awards, among them a Certificate of Merit in the Green Leaf Award in 2005; first place in the Clean and Green and Best Flower Garden in T&T categories, and second place in the Best Block category in the Prime Minister's Best Village Competition in 2007. "The Village Council asked my permission to enter the project in the competition," he explained, adding that they had a verbal agreement regarding the prizes."The submission had to be done as a group. When we won, I kept the trophies, gave the Village Council some of the cash, and put the remainder back into the project," he outlined.The project also won the Green Leaf Award in 2008, and copped several prizes at the 2010 Best Village competition, after it was submitted by another group, Biche Young Developers. Unfortunately, though, Baskh lamented, that agreement didn't end cordially. He said when it came time to distribute the trophies and cash prize, the group reneged on its agreement."We agreed that the prizes would be mine, the points would be theirs, and if I wanted to give them something I could."However, when it came time to give me the prize money and trophies, they called me into a meeting and offered me 50 per cent. They didn't have a project. They never came one day to help, except on the day of the judging they washed down a wall."Now they seem to want to own the project," he said, adding that they did not even give him one of the trophies.
For the love of a community
But despite what he deems a stab in the back, Baksh insists the work must go on."I was chosen to do this work. This project has so far to go, how can I retire now?"He admitted that his love for his community was so strong that it was sometimes at the expense of his family."It took me over a decade to complete my own home. I could lose my family because of all the work I put into this," said the father of two.How could one man be so dedicated to a community?"This is the cinema," he said of the pavilion."Here is a packed house when there is a crusade."This is the only thing we have here. Biche is a poor community."You know we have a reputation for growing marijuana. I have seen too many young dead men lying on that field," he lamented, pointing at the playing field."They could have been my son," said an emotional Baksh, who turned away as tears threatened to surface.But while he may not have reaped any monetary rewards for his hard work over the years, his work is indeed appreciated by several community members, among them, Sgt Mervin Downing and Councillor for the area Glen Ram.
"That exercise that he has undertaken is welcomed by a lot of people."I worked here a few years well, left, and when I came back I thought it was CEPEP. I felt good to know that someone from the community took such a good initiative. I hope the government gives him some funding to help with the work," Downing said.Meanwhile, Councillor Ram noted, "I can attest to the work that he has done."For the past decade and a half, Mr Baksh has on his own accord, constructed and maintained park benches ...he has landscaped, planted and pruned close to 350 trees of various species along the streets to the grounds (recreation), and the perimeter of the ground, all at his own expense," and with a passion few people were willing to demonstrate for their communities.
