– How Rustom Seegopaul stopped moaning about not finding “the job” to setting up his own manufacturing business

By Telesha Persaud

THERE was a point in Rustom Seegopaul’s life when he felt he should do like many and leave Guyana’s shores to secure a proper job, and ultimately, enjoy the good life. After all, who could’ve convince him that even after qualifying himself academically overseas he would return and be unable to find a job?With a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication, specializing in journalism, documentary, film and advertising in hand, Rustom, now 30, felt he had the power to redefine the media industry in

Guyana. But to his dismay, it wasn’t until he did the “Guyanese thing” and had his uncle pull a few strings that he got a job.
“I felt I should have just done what everyone else did and left this place as it has nothing to offer me. But then there’s only so much of time that you can complain. You have to move on. So after begging for a job for about four months, I did the Guyanese thing and had my uncle call one of his friends who gave me a job at Kaieteur News. I stayed there for a year,” Rustom said in an interview a few days ago at his West Coast Demerara home.
Just at the point when he started to feel like he wanted to try something new, his good friend Jonathan Beepat phoned him and he decided to help Beepat establish Wildfire Productions.
A short time later, Rustom’s mom, Kala, reminded him of the need to obtain a Master’s Degree. “I found a really cool programme offered by the University of Bolton in England. It was a Master’s degree in photo journalism. So I applied, got through, and left. They gave me the option of doing it in China or England; China seemed a lot cooler.”
He spent the next two years in China and returned to Guyana with his Master’s Degree in International Multimedia Journalism. “Again, I couldn’t really find consistent work and Jonathan and I reestablished Wildfire Productions, well, Wildfire Films now, and we do a bit of work every year. But still, nothing consistent.”
Rustom works with Wildfire Productions as the Director of Photography. “This sees me setting up working with cameras (both still and video), lights and storytelling. Within this portfolio, he has done work for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Civil Defense Council (Guyana), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), as well as with a number of musicians and recording artists helping them to produce still photos and music videos.

Making a Switch
Determined to remain in Guyana despite his job situation, Rustom embarked on a soap business with his old time friend Louisa. “My sister, Rishon, is a massage therapist and we always talked about little hustles that we can pull to make some extra cash. She said we should make some soap. I said soap is cool. I heard that Louisa was also making soap. We brought together our ideas and came up with six soaps that we wanted to start with.”
Jonathan, Rustom’s friend, did not dig the idea of a soap business initially but after being presented with a few samples, he called Rustom to talk about the quality of the soap and to make known his desire to invest with him. “Louisa and I were just doing it on a small scale, but he said GuyExpo is in a week, let’s launch and do it properly. That was three years ago. We are now in every big supermarket in the city,” Rustom said.
He explained that making the switch from communications to manufacturing was just a matter of necessity. “If you don’t have a job, or if you need a job, you do something. You can only moan about it for so long.”
And Rustom now loves what he is doing. “Creation of stuff is really cool. If I could take random bits of video and make something coherent out of it, it’s a great feeling at the end of it. With soaps, you take five or six things that have no scents being together and you can make something. It works; it’s fun.”
Rustom and his partners have on the market two face soaps (Turmeric and Neem Stream and Black Sage Trails), two body soaps (Coconut Plains and Lemongrass Lands), and two exfoliant soaps (Coffee Grounds and Ginger-aloe Creek Sands). “They are all made from a coconut oil base, so that makes them naturally good for your skin. And to each one, we add something that is known for its skin-care benefits.”
Louisa, in an invited comment on the soaps, explained that they place a lot of emphasis on including coconut oil every one of their soaps, apart from the other things they include like coffee, lemongrass, aloe, black sage and other local herbs and plants that are known for their skin benefits.
“Lots of people are into coconut oil because it’s the new miracle product and we produce coconut oil in Guyana. So we take something that the world wants and we turn it into something that they need. People are starting to become more conscious of the products they use. The kinds of soaps that we get at supermarkets are mostly plastic, not actually considered soap. Soap needs oil and a base. A lot of people who use our soaps are surprised that soap can actually make you feel so different. You get a good lather, and so forth.”
Rustom’s dad, Krishna, made and sold coffee back in the days and today, Rustom is able to use the very factory behind their house for his soap business.

This is home
Meanwhile, although Rustom has received job offers overseas, he has chosen to remain in Guyana. He has spent quite some time living abroad in places such as Cambodia, Malaysia, and China.

“This is home. I have travelled all across the world. It’s fun, but this is home. I don’t want be anywhere else. I have had offers overseas. Despite the challenges, it’s still home.”

Rustom said it is important for people to be themselves and do what they enjoy doing.

“Don’t be scared of change. My parents always encouraged me to do what I like doing. Down here, we have a serious syndrome where if you’re not a doctor or a lawyer, then you’re a failure.

“But you still need people to take the trash out; you still need people to make your television shows, to write your newspaper, to drive your taxi. I don’t think there should be a situation where anyone feels like what they do is good enough or not good enough depending on what people tell you. It’s important to define yourself for who you are. Do what you like doing.”
Rustom has spent quite some time in Annai, Region Nine, and has found most of his friends there.

“I have a passion for the news and the media; its content and production. While my formal education is in communication and the media, I am interested in environmental issues, the law and policy that guide its protection, sustainable development and exploitation of natural resources. Much of my personal work reflects my interest in these areas.

“At the same time, I am interested in development of people, both as human potential, and as a means and catalyst of continually raising people’s standard of living. I bring both domestic and international experience to all aspects of my work.

“These experiences have enabled me to relate to people of diverse age groups, cultures and economic backgrounds.”

Rustom has worked with indigenous youths at Bina Hill, Annai, to help them write radio skits about HIV/AIDS. He has also helped broadcasters with their mastery of the English Language, particularly with their pronunciation and diction.