Former Enmore sugar estate worker, Afzal Deendial has set up a barber shop and a small cash crop farm to keep his family going.
Deendial was one of thousands who have been made redundant by the Guyana Sugar Corporation as a result of the revamping of the industry.
According to a press release from Region Four, Deendial worked 21 years at the Enmore Estate and when it closed he decided that he was going to find ways to keep earning. As such, he ventured into establishing a barber shop and a small cash crop farm. The barber shop, ‘Classy Touch Barber Shop’ and the cash crop farm are both located at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, where Deendial resides with his family.
“I was disappointed when the estate closed as I had 21 long years working there. However, I refuse to give up as I have a family to care and feed and I can’t allow that situation to get me weak,” he said, according to the press release.
Deendial, hearing about the Self Reliance Business Workshops for women, approached the Regional Democratic Council Region Four with a request to be a part of the workshop so that he could benefit from some business-related training.
His request was granted and the release said that Deendial has expressed gratitude and thanks to the First Lady, Sandra Granger on the initiative and the Regional Chairman, Genevieve Allen for making the opportunity possible as he declared, “I will use this training to further grow my barber shop and cash crop farm as hopefully it may even create employment for others.”