– Her go-getter personality saw her through

LIFE has not always been smooth sailing for Abigale John, a young woman who lost both her parents by the time she was in her mid-20s. This did not deter her, though, from striving to achieve the goals she had set while growing up.

Her goal-oriented, go-getter, charismatic personality saw her through her rough years, allowing her to complete her mom’s dream of being able to complete her studies at the University of Guyana, and today, owning two businesses at just the age of 32.

Abigale grew up in Canal Number One, on the West Bank Demerara, but when her dad Nigel John died, at just the age of 35, the family moved to Church of God Road, Middle Walk, Buxton, on the East Coast Demerara, where they remain until now.

Her mom, Jenny John, abandoned farming after the death of her husband and took up buying and selling, and whatever work she could find to make Abigale and her three brothers, Akeem, Kevon, and Jermaine comfortable in life.

One Sunday morning back in 2013, though, the family was together and Mrs. John, 48 at the time, was sharing ‘old time’ stories. “We were all talking and laughing, and she asked me to do her hair,” Abigale recalled during an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine a few days ago.

While she was at the pipe washing her hair, Mrs. John felt a sudden pain in her chest. “We braced her up to the back door. She was not the type of person who would talk about death and stuff like that, but this time she told us she didn’t feel she was going to make it and that we should live in love and peace. A blood vessel burst inside of her and she died within an hour of us taking her to the hospital.”

Abigale said she and her brothers had to adjust themselves to their new circumstances. “We just had to bond together and come to grips with reality. Her training for us to set goals and be independent came in handy after her death. We stuck together and we carried on the Parika business. We did what we could to get by.”

Even after achieving a Diploma in Marketing and a Degree in Business Management, Abigale continues the trade her mom started in Parika, where she would leave Buxton at 3 am on Sundays to get to Parika by 5 am. There she would sell radios, solar and other electronic items to people who live in the riverain communities.

“People might look down on this, but I am filling a need for people who live without electricity, and when you get into business, you must look for what people are not doing and try to stand out. At the moment, I don’t have competitors. Nothing in life is easy, but you have to know what you want work towards it,” Abigale advised.
She is also proud to be the owner of AJ Signs, located at her home in Buxton, and to share in a family-owned business called GT Wine.

“Everyone in my family was into business, so that motivated me to do something for my own. I worked with companies before, but my dream was to have my own business; to do something that I love. When you do something that you love, you become more fulfilled and you get more output from what you do. I am living my dreams, basically.”

‘KEEP PROPELLING’

Abigale attended Stella Maris Primary, Campbellville Secondary and Critchlow Labour College where she took a course in Industrial and Social Studies. She later did a certificate in event planning management and then pressed on to UG.

Abigale did not yet complete her studies at UG when her mom died. In fact, she did not yet achieve anything on her own. “But I set goals in my life, and my mom passed on values and morals to us and motivated us to do what we needed to do. At a young age, she trained us to set goals and accomplish them. So it’s easy for me now,” she expressed.
Abigale is happy that by the time her mom died, all her brothers had finished school. “It was very hard. It’s still very hard, battling life without parents.”

Although Kevon, one of her brothers, is a certified electrician, he followed in their parents’ footsteps and took up farming. Another brother, Jermaine, has just been promoted to Lance Corporal in the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

Abigale’s drive to achieve her goals, coupled with her hard work, allowed for her to leave her full-time job and focus on her own businesses. She doesn’t regret for a moment the way things turned out.

“You see, when you have a creative mind and love doing something, it’s very easy. I’m goal driven, I know what I want and I do not settle for less. I go strong and hard for what I want. I did what I had to do.”

Abigale’s advice today is: “Don’t use your situation as a reason not to keep propelling. You have to set goals, achieve them, and surround yourself with people who can up build you. Don’t take advice from people who cannot help you.”

While at Campbellville Secondary, Abigale became friends with Wanda Samantha Fortune, another brilliant young woman who continues to exhibit qualities like Abigale. Now a magistrate, Wanda and Abigale are still good friends.

“I’d say that her humility, selflessness and drive stands out. I’m proud of and admire her because she has overcome many obstacles and throughout it all, she remains charismatic and positive. Man, I just love her drive and overall attitude,” Wanda said about her friend.