– Let your gifts give wings to your dreams

WOMEN are taking their places more and more in the global arena not just as workers, but also as promoters, investors, entrepreneurs, managers, as well as significant customers. While they continue to be the ones who do most of the household shopping, their situations are becoming more of being in control of having the spending power – working for their own money to buy. Women are also making a lot more of the consumer goods that are out there in the market places.

Riegina Wilson, has been doing the simple job of a cleaner at Rama Krishna Primary School in Campbellville, Georgetown, for many years and according to her, in a couple of years she will reach her age of retirement. She noted that she has grown accustomed to ensuring that the school and its surroundings are kept clean at all times and feels that there is dignity in every job.

“I love my job and I also love to work with the children, assisting in whatever way I can to make them happy and comfortable to do their school work. The money is very small but, along with my colleague, we do our best,” she said.

ENTREPRENEUR
Wilson told the Guyana Chronicle that she has devised many ways of making ends meet, so that she is able to help her family by using the gifts she has in her hands to make tasty delicacies for others to enjoy.

“I have three girls and so I work hard to ensure that they get the best education and other amenities. My youngest daughter is in one of the top 10 secondary schools and is now going in to the class to write CSEC and she has many needs, which I try my best to make sure that she is able to get. My other daughter has gone into nursing, while the other one is not so quick with the books so she is into business with me at home,” she stated.

Wilson said that her husband has been retired for some time now and so he does not get an income. I work hard, sometimes I go to bed very late so that I can finish some of my work; then I get up early in the mornings too, to make sure that I get things done before going off to work at the school,” she said.

As an entrepreneur, Wilson has a lot of drive and she talks of being creative with some of the items she prepares for sale to her customers, some of whom now reside overseas and place orders to take back to their home whenever they travel.

The items she prepares include: plantain chips, pastries and cakes, tamarind balls, sugar cakes, fudge, icicle, mauby, ginger-beer among others .

Wilson said that she prepares the various items as if she was doing it for herself and loved ones at home. “I take time to do things and I do them under the best conditions. I am not a rich woman and so I do not have all the best facilities, but I try my best to do good work for my customers, who are both children and adults,” she said.

She explained that some of the items she prepares, such as sugar cakes, tamarind balls, icicles, plantain chips and the like, are definite children favourites, even though they are also ordered by the adults. On the other hand, the pastries, cakes and beverages such as mauby and ginger beer are orders that she receives in larger quantity by the adults.

START SMALL, GO THE EXTRA MILE
Wilson said that she started small, with just one or two items since she did not have the finance to do better. “But with time, I began to expand, making more of each item and even extending towards making other things,” she said.

She mentioned that at first she sold things at the school, as well as to children living in the neighbourhood. As time went by, she started getting orders from some of the parents for some of the items she continues to make, and now she would get orders from persons who have gone to live overseas.

Wilson explained that she took the plunge into living life as a female entrepreneur, even while having all the responsibilities of managing her work at the school, as well as in her home in order to make sure that the needs of her daughters and the rest of her family are met.

“It is never easy, sometimes I get real tired. However, we women must be determined to make it in life, working hard and making sacrifices – it will not be for all the time. But, we must be able to trust God and let Him bless our hands; we must be willing to go the extra mile,” she advised.
(mercilinburke2017@gmail.com)