Dear Editor,
Please allow me to illuminate the ramifications of having different employment in Guyana. I have two children, a boy and a girl. Growing up, they went to the same schools, had the same upbringing and the same opportunities. They chose different paths. Today, my daughter is a school teacher in New Amsterdam and my son sells clothing at Stabroek market. I hope the job comparisons below encourage our young people to choose their career paths wisely.
● My daughter has very good health coverage, my son has none; my daughter is respected, my son is frown upon.
● My daughter will have a pension and NIS, my son will have neither; my daughter loves what she does, my son does not.
● My daughter never has to pay any money to teach, my son pays a vendor’s fee to Stabroek Market; my daughter works in air-condition rooms, my son sells in the hot sun
● My daughter gets raises, my son does not; my daughter makes $100,000, my son makes half of that
● My daughter gets free vaccines, my son never had a vaccine; my daughter gets nearly three months off every year, my son never get a day off
● My daughter gets one month paid vacation, my son gets none; my daughter gets union protection, my son does not
● My daughter gets travelling allowances, my son does not; my son’s children call my daughter Miss Angela. And my daughter’s children call my son Clive.
Sincerely,
Herbert Allen
