Most 79 year olds are usually at home, just sitting around, carrying-out their daily chores or confined to less movement around the home. But “Teacher Attie”, one of Moruca’s well -known retired educators, defies her age limits. She climbs in and out of speed boats near her Acquero home and she even travels to the Capital City. Her age is the least of her concerns.Her name is Esther Campbell nee Sutherland, but the name “Teacher Attie” was stuck to her character ever since she started teaching back in 1953 at the Santa Rosa Primary School. Her middle name is Attiline but according to her, those around her referred to her as “Attie” while her first name, like in most Hinterland communities, was left on the back burner.

This publication was fortunate to capture the smiling senior citizen in two different settings; at her home in the quiet community of Acquero, once the main administrative centre of the Moruca Sub-Region and at the market at Kumaka where she sells clothing and other dry goods at her stall.
Early one Saturday morning recently, she was preparing to travel across to Kumaka when she started to talk about life. Seated across the room, was her husband Lennox Campbell who contributed to the conversation. A diabetic, and at 82, he rarely travels, his wife however, does all the travelling.
She spoke of going to their farm where she plants mainly cassava, a little distance up road from her modest home. After the brief chat, it was time to travel since on Saturdays she ventures across to her stall at Kumaka where she spends the day selling.
Once she was dressed, Teacher Attie led the way out to the landing off Acquero. Minutes after a little wait, the boat arrived and she was the first to board the vessel. “I’m ok,” she said as she climbed in the boat unassisted.
Minutes later the vessel was at Kumaka, and as before, she clambered out and led the way to her stall. She also paid the fare for this reporter and the guide and her generosity was displayed with more smiles. As the interview commenced at her stall, a customer stood around.
“She use to pull my ears and use the blackboard eraser on me,” her customer and former student said, as everyone erupted in laughter.
“That’s all you would hear from them, that you beat them,” Teacher Attie laughingly replied.
Her laughter comes naturally after almost everything she says.
The mother of seven recounted teaching at the Santa Rosa Primary when she was a little over 17 years old.
At the time, the Roman Catholic Church ran the school system in the region. She said she taught all the subjects at all levels of the primary school. In 1959, she stopped teaching but resumed two years later. This time, she had moved to Wakapoa in the Pomeroon River.
The Santa Rosa Primary was transformed into a Government school when she returned to Santa Rosa where she taught until 1980 when she hanged –up her chalk and board eraser.
“The nuns were running the school when I started, they were all alright,” she said. She recounted one of the nuns, Sister Elizabeth as being very strict and according to her, “she still wanted to beat us even though I was teaching,” she chuckled.
AFTER TEACHING
She said that she started working with a sewing group and they would sew mosquito nets on a large-scale. The nets were then sent to the Capital City for sale.
“An organisation use to order them,” she said. At the time too, she said that she started sewing on her own, for her own customers and she also ventured into farming alongside her husband who was then retired from his job as a surveyor with the Government of the day.
“I do farming now and then… and I used to rear some chicken, up to now I still do my little farming,” she said.
Later she took up the challenge to vend at the market at Kumaka. She said that the building where the market currently stands was abandoned and it was slated to house a cooperative society but the concept never materialised. She said that several of persons, including her, merge their efforts and cleaned the building and later, they started selling.
They would also sub monies to carry out infrastructural works. Later the building fell under the Santa Rosa Village Council and that body collects a fee of $1000 for maintenance of the building. She pointed to a few holes in the roof and chuckled as she mentioned the latter.
On Sundays, Teacher Attie said she goes to church and after the service she visits her friends while on her way home. She usually stops at the neighbouring village of Cabucalli to meet her friends.
She said that she is an ardent church-goer while her husband only goes to church on special occasions. That was the case late in June last when the couple celebrated their 53rd marriage anniversary.
While asking her age, a pronouncement was made regarding her being 71. She laughed and made a correction. “I complete 79 this May month,” she said. She said that she moved to Acquero soon after her marriage.
“At that time, yes, it was bright but now it’s dead,” she laughingly said of Acquero.
The community, which once housed the post office, police outpost and a dispensary was busy in those days. The essential services are now offered at Kumaka where the Government buildings were relocated over the years.
As regards her health, Teacher Attie was to the point. “Thank God I hardly get sick, with all the sickness going around,” she said.
She recently travelled to Georgetown to have a medical check-up and while in the City, she was looking after her documents.
“I’m going on a little holiday,” she said with a smile. Her sister, who resides in the United States, invited her for a short visit and she plans to travel sometime next month. She said that she will be travelling to the US for the first time.
“It’s just a little trip,” she said. “They already telling me what to bring back and I’m not even in the plane as yet,” she said with a wide smile, characteristic of her.