Some weeks ago President Ramotar was the guest speaker at the launching of The Mini and Small Business Project at the National Conference Centre. The aim of the Project is to help to create and foster the entrepreneurial spirit among ordinary folk so that they could develop their social and economic conditions. The Project which is headquartered at the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry is offering training, financial help and other assistance to those desirous of starting up small businesses or persons who already have their own small businesses.

The occasion was well attended by members of the established business community, the Diplomatic Corps and large numbers of small business persons and aspiring entrepreneurs.

The President gave a wide-ranging and inspiring address and one of the subjects he focused on was the more scientific production of cassava and the value-added products which could be had from cassava such as starches and snack-foods. He pointed out that some importers are bringing in cassava snack-foods from CARICOM countries which Guyanese could easily produce and from which they could make a good living.

In keeping with the President’s encouragement of cassava cultivation, last week Government gave one million dollars to the Amerindian village of Taushida in the Karasabai District to help this effort. And as if to be in consonance with President’s Ramotar’s advice, the news also reported that the Trinidad and Tobago government “is developing a Strategic Industry Development Plan for the cassava industry.” There is obviously much wealth and well-being in an extending cassava industry.

Many years ago, Mrs. Savithri Mootoo, a British-trained educationist and widow of the legendary Dr Leslie Mootoo wrote a children’s short story about the wealth that lies in the cassava. The story was one of a series of simple reading aids for Amerindian children and is still relevant to-day. The story:-

THE MAGIC OF CASSAVA
Once upon a time there was a little boy named Peter. Peter lived with Anna, his grandmother, in a little house near the village market. Every Friday afternoon, Anna made twelve jars of guava jelly. Anna was very good at making guava jelly. Her jelly was the best in the village. Every Saturday, Peter sold the twelve jars of guava jelly in the market. The people in the village loved Anna’s guava jelly.

It was so delicious that Peter had no difficulty in selling it. It was sold out almost as soon as he took it to the market. However, one Saturday Peter was not so lucky. It was a rainy day and there were very few people in the market. Peter asked the people in the market if they would like to buy some guava jelly. They only shook their heads and said “No thank you Peter. We don’t need guava jelly to-day. Maybe, we will buy a jar of jelly from you next week”.

It was raining heavily and the people were in a hurry to get back to their homes. It was getting late and Peter was getting worried. He had not been able to sell even one jar that day. He knew that his grandmother would be very worried too. She needed money to buy food to run the house.

It was nearly time for the market to close. At last Peter decided to go back home. He would explain to his grandmother why he had not sold any guava jelly that day. Peter walked slowly and sadly back home with his basket of unsold guava jelly.

As he neared his house, he met a strange-looking old man. “What have you in your basket?” asked the old man. “Guava jelly, Sir” replied Peter. “Would you like a jar of jelly, Sir. It is very delicious. My grandmother made it.” “What! Guava jelly! That is exactly what I have been looking for” said the strange old man. “I will buy all the jars of jelly you have in your basket”.

Peter was very pleased. He handed the old man all the twelve jars of jelly. The old man gave Peter a paper bag with something in it. Peter was very excited. He quickly opened the bag to see how much money was in it. “What!” exclaimed Peter, “oh no! This is not money! There is no money here! Only a piece of cassava!”

Peter wanted to give the piece of cassava back to the old man, but when he looked up the old man had disappeared. Peter ran up and down the road looking for the old man. But the old man was nowhere to be seen. Peter was afraid. “What will grandmother say?” he thought as he walked very slowly to his house. When Peter arrived home, his grandmother was waiting for him.

“Why are you so late, Peter?” She asked. “I have been waiting for you. Give me the money quickly so that I may go and buy some food. There is no food in the house to-day.” Peter was afraid. “I have no money grandmother” replied Peter. “The man who bought the guava jelly gave me this in return.” “What!” shouted Anna, “A piece of cassava in return for my twelve jars of guava jelly? You stupid boy! Go give this back to the old cheat and bring me back my twelve jars of jelly at once!” “Grandmother please don’t be angry with me. The old man has disappeared. I looked for him everywhere but he seems to have vanished.” “Oh you stupid boy!” shouted Anna. “How did you allow that man to cheat you like this”. “That wicked cunning old man grumbled Peter’s grandmother.

“Well, I suppose we will have to eat this piece of cassava for dinner” she said. She then washed the piece of cassava and put it to cook in a large pot. While the pot was cooking she grumbled at Peter for allowing the old man to cheat him. She said Peter was a lazy, stupid and good-for-nothing boy.

When the cassava was cooked, she tried but could not open the pot. “Come Peter, come and help me. The cassava is cooked but I can’t take the lid off. Please help me open this pot.” Peter tried to open the pot but he could not open it either. “What shall we do?” asked grandmother. Peter had an idea.

Before grandmother could stop him, he picked up a cutlass and broke open the pot. “Oh! Oh! Oh!” cried grandmother. “It’s gold! It’s gold!” shouted Peter. “The pot is full of gold!” There was no cassava in the pot. The pot was filled with bright glittering pieces of gold. “Now we are rich!” shouted Peter. “Yes we are rich!” shouted grandmother. “I am sorry I called the old man a wicked cunning cheat. He must be a very kind old man.”
“Peter, you are a very good boy, I love you.”