Interviews and photos by Shabna Ullah
This week on What The People Say we spoke to West Berbice women who were part of the single parent programme sponsored by the Ministry of Labour, Human Services & Social Security. The women attended a five-month training course in catering, sewing and information technology. They also received a grant of $65,000 each to purchase items to invest or expand in a business. They told us about some of the challenges they face as single mothers.
Linda Daniels, ‘As a single mother it is very challenging for me to take care of my seven children. Two of them are at school and the others are looking for jobs but they are not getting any. They are still living with me.
It is very hard on me; I face a lot of financial challenges. I recently started working at Guysuco but now it is the out-of-crop season. Sometimes relatives may give us something but not every day I can depend on them. I would also make snacks to sell some days. I attended the single parent training and I was able to develop my skills. I would use the money that the government gave to me to purchase a sewing machine to start a business.’
Celestine Fullerton, ‘I have four daughters; the eldest is 13 and the youngest is seven. I was separated from their father three years ago and recently I had to summons him to support them. Being a single parent is a real challenge. I would sell fruits in the market for three or four days per week whenever I get the load to buy. I cook in the mornings before I go out and the big girl would help me to look after the smaller ones. Life is very rough; some days I would get good sale at the market and other days it is hard. I don’t get enough money sometimes but I have to make much with what I get and I thank God for small mercies. I would save whatever little money I get to buy books for my children. My relatives would send clothing for them. When I don’t have money I would sometimes send the children to ask their father but not every time he would give them. I plan to buy a sewing machine with the money I got from the government so I can work from home and be there for my children more.’
Indranie Baljit, ‘My husband died 10 years ago and since then life has been very challenging. It was hard to raise my two children. I do a little poultry and gardening to survive. My son is big now and he is working and assisting me. I used to get public assistance for my daughter and that used to help out but she does not get it any more. I face a lot of challenges especially when the bills come. It is time for me to do something else to get more money because I cannot depend on my son all the time; he would have to start his own life. Since I became a part of the single parent training I learnt a lot and I plan to start a catering service.’
Bernadette Johnson, `It is not easy being a single mother. My husband died in 2005 and I have to take care of five children. I have to play the mother role and the father role. Two of my children travel to secondary school and one to primary school. The other two finished school and have gone to Georgetown to seek employment. We are surviving by the grace of God.
He always sees us through our difficult times. I always kneel and pray to him… I commit everything to him. As a Christian I do not give up.
At one time I was going through a storm and I prayed and prayed and I passed through it; my children are getting big now. I was making a little snack to sell for about two hours in front of my house. Since I joined the single parent group I learnt a lot so now I am making more items to sell. I grew up in a poor family. My father died when I was just eight years old and left 10 children. I worked hard from that age to help my mother make copra and coconut oil to sell.’
Jasmattie Shivrattan, ‘Life is very hard for me. I have four children; three are attending school. My eldest daughter was supposed to write the CXC exams this year but I did not have the money to pay for her so she could not write. I am trying with the rest and I hope that they would not be denied the opportunity too. I plant a few banks of eschallot which I sell for a living. Sometimes I would get good price for it and other times I barely make any profit. My sister would assist me whenever she can. I do not always get to give my children up-to-date meals but I teach them that they must be contented with whatever little I give them. I would explain to them that we are poor and I cannot afford more and they would understand. When other children in the area outgrow their clothes their parents would pass them on to my children.
The teachers at the school would fill up forms for one of them to get school uniform and the others would wear back their old ones. I learnt about the single parent group through the school and I am happy to be a part of it. I learnt a lot; the teacher had a lot of patience. I can now sew on my own after the training and I plan to buy a sewing machine with the money from the government.’
Parbattie, ‘I am finding it very hard because I am not working and I have a 14 year old daughter to send to school. My husband walked out on me when my daughter was just one year old and he never looked back. I cannot afford to get a place of my own. We are staying with my relatives who I grew up with and they are helping to take care of us although I always preferred to be independent. Now that I got involved with the single parent training and learnt so much and I am now getting the opportunity to do my own business. I have already started taking orders to make icing cakes and pastries to sell.’
Trudel Fordyce, `I have two children; one is attending Berbice High School and the other is attending Mahaicony Secondary and it is very difficult for me to find the passage for them. I also have to take care of my mother who has strokes. I got through with the single parent programme and it helped to change my life because I benefitted a lot from the training.
I used to make a small amount of snacks to sell but now I am doing it on a larger scale. I am doing bar-b-que and I am also catering for weddings. My father would help me out financially sometimes. I plan to use the money I get from the government to purchase the equipment to expand my business more.’
Akeeza Jones, `I have three children who are three, seven and nine-years-old and it is really hard on me to take care of them. My eldest child is sick and he is presently a patient at the Georgetown Hospital. I have to be there every day with him and I have the two others with me.
I would do domestic work from time to time to earn a living or I would sell certain fruits when they are in season. Nobody helps me with the children and I don’t know where their father is. He used to abuse me and when my last child was just a few months old he fractured three of my backbones. I reported the matter and the police charged him but he never attended court and I never see him after that. I am struggling to raise my children. I would use the money that I got to purchase a gas stove so I can start doing catering.’
Jaikallie Itwaru, ‘I have a disabled child and I have to take her to school and bring her back every day. I am also taking care of my bed-ridden mother so I am unable to work and as a single parent I find it very hard. My mother uses disposable diapers and her pension money is barely enough. It is sad that when she needs something I cannot give it to her. At times my sisters would give me $1,000 or $2,000 and I try with that. My husband committed suicide 10 years ago when my daughter was just a baby and since then I have been struggling. Hopefully things would change now because I learnt a lot through the single parent programme and I can earn while I am at home by doing catering. I plan to buy a gas stove and other equipment with the money I got so I could provide the three of us.’
Doneta Sibdhannie, `As a single mother it is very hard to raise my three children, not just financially but morally. My second son attends secondary school and persons in society would take advantage because he does not have a father around and encourage him to gamble and use weed. His attitude has become very strange. I made several reports to the Fort Wellington Police Station against the gamblers but whenever the police go they would not catch them because they would probably get a tip-off. My eldest son was attending the New Amsterdam Technical Institute but he was forced to drop out and now he is in the army. My daughter was assaulted and that matter is engaging the courts. I am struggling to find money for bills. I operate a salon in front of my home but because of the location business is very slow. I also have a stall at the Rosignol market where I sell on Saturdays and I was willing to take the salon there but the market does not operate on a daily basis.
I also rear a little poultry. I plan to use the money I got from the government to purchase a computer so I can start a document service to design and print items like business cards, flyers and invitations.’
