Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
This week, Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara in Region Three about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Nafeeza Majid
Nafeeza Majid, a 49-year-old single parent said: “The rising cost of living is hard for me and my family. In Canal Number Two we do lots of farming but the flooding affects everyone’s crops. Everything gone up in Guyana – goods, greens, for example the big bottle Canola oil used to cost $5,000, now that same bottle oil cost $6,000; everything gone up. The packet Thunderbolt flour that used to sell for $300 a few months ago is now $500. As a single parent, seeing that everything gone up, the transportation cost to send my child to secondary school every day is expensive. It cost $2,000 and not forgetting the other expenses needed to do her assignments and pay for her lesson fees. The father supports us when he wants to, my mother lives with us and she receives her pension. I don’t have any sort of income to provide for my daughter. This is really hard on me, especially when everything in the market is expensive. Right now I’m trying to get a work, I put in for the part-time work the ministry is offering but until now, it’s like three quarter into the month since I applied for the work and still haven’t received any response from the ministry. I would like if the government can provide assistance for my child while attending school. It is not easy on me, I’m also sick too and when the father feels like giving money towards his child’s future, he give.”