MEET 72-year-old Puranmati Singh, well known as ‘Nanny’ and in the past, ‘Kero Lady.’ Born and raised at the corners of Curtis and James Streets, Albouystown, Ms. Singh is now relaxing and enjoying life, having worked quite hard in the days gone by. 

Born on May 26, 1942 to parents Shiwdayal (Lil boy) and Sanchara (now deceased), Ms. Singh has five siblings-Phagu, Kubare, Daleep, Ivy Pahrun (Bee) and Dori, all of whom are still very much around with the eldest being 80 years old.
Her father was well respected and very popular in the community due to his kind and industrious nature. In fact, to this day, people would recognise his family members only when they mention his nickname.
Mr. Shiwdayal managed a large shop and each member of the family helped out; the children, whenever they were at home from school. Back then, everyone in the community lived as a family and no one at the shop was taken by surprise when a neighbour might ask for something to cook but had no money. Mr. Shiwdayal, in his goodness, would not object.

According to Ms. Singh, life was very easy back then and things were affordable. “At that time everyone lived as one,” she said.

The ‘fireside’
Ms. Singh attended Mr. Ross School and later pressed on to Freeburg School where she spent seven years. She did not get a chance to write the ‘School Leaving’ examination. Her two older sisters got married and so she was the only girl left at home to assist the family. “In those days, parents hardly sent their girl children to high school. My brothers went to Tutorial,” she recalled.
Not being able to write the exams, though, hardly made a difference to Ms. Singh, as she made good use of her years at school and hence was quite competent academically after leaving. In fact, she is still as sharp as a sword in this regard.

While still at home, her job included cooking on a ‘fireside.’ “The old man (her father) used to cut the wood with an axe in the yard and me and Kubare used to fetch it up. We got joy from doing that.”
Thanks to the ‘fireside’, Ms. Singh said the family was always in for a nice, hot meal that somehow tasted better than one cooked from a kerosene or gas stove.

Grove Cinema
Ms, Singh started her married life in 1961 and had three children, Doodnauth (Doodie), Ramdularie (Lully) and Indira. But it was not too long after that she became a single parent. “I had to raise the three of them on my own and so it is not one work I used to do. It was hard. I had to pick up my own work,” she expressed.
Ms. Singh rode her bicycle to Grove, on the East Bank Demerara, to sell plantain chips and salted nuts to the shops in that area. She recalled how she would stop at the cinema there and then work her way down.
She later gained employment at ‘Rics and Sari’ where she spent six years sterilising bottles and filling them with whatever the company produced. She worked the entire week for $55, which was greatly appreciated but still insufficient.

To make ends meet, she started a small trading business in the 1980s. On Fridays, she would travel to Suriname, purchase goods that were hard to get in Guyana, and then return on Sunday. At times, she even went to Trinidad.
Eventually, though, she started to sell kerosene at home in Albouystown where she continued living. The business was good for her because in those days, kerosene was not being sold by many shops. Later though, she opened a shop and began selling other items.

Now is the best time
Ms. Singh, grandmother to eight and great grandmother to five, is now a pensioner and greatly appreciates whatever money she gets from the government each month. “Back then, I had to hustle because of the children. Now, I am relaxed. I don’t take on any stress and I don’t have any type of sickness. No aches and pains.”
Ms. Singh would only get the bus or a taxi when she really needs to, such as when she has heavy bags. Otherwise, she prefers walking. And this, she believes, contributes to the good health she is enjoying. “Now is the best time of my life! I know when the month come I will get a lil raise and so I just have to relax.”

(By Telesha Ramnarine)