– housewife turns businesswoman; did it to save her daughter

A MOTHER’s love is irreplaceable and unforgettable, especially because of the sacrifices she makes to ensure that her children have the best care and life. Businesswoman, Bibi Farina Fareed is one such mother who took a leap of faith to start a business in order to save her daughter’s life.

In 1997, Fareed of Belle West, Number Two Canal, gave birth to one of her daughters, Kristina Issaradeen, but doctors discovered that the child had Hydrocephalus–a condition in which there is an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the brain. It typically causes increased pressure inside the skull.

“At that time it was hard on me because she had to get a surgery done in Trinidad and we did not have enough money. So I started to preserve Carambola or as we know ‘five finger’… I was not working, only my husband, so I had to find a way to get it done,” said Fareed during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday.

The businesswoman knew that she had to get something done fast, so she created Lisa’s manufacturing at her home. The establishment was named after her eldest daughter.
Although they managed to get Issaradeen to Trinidad in 1997, a few years later they had to take her to do another surgery. In order to earn more money, Fareed started to make plantain and cassava chips.

“My husband was working but ends could not have met, so we had to get something done to sustain us; my father who lives in Canal Number One had ‘five finger’ trees and my cousin used to preserve it but she migrated around the same time, so I decided to do it and it eventually became profitable, although not on a large scale but it gave us enough to make ends meet,” she said.

After being able to get her daughter treated, she could not give up the business because she had found a market that needed to be supplied.
Fareed was supplying the regular markets and even supermarkets with her products. Since then, she said they have kept their standards and quality high so that the market will continue to grow.

“One of our biggest challenges so far was finding proper labels and packaging but after trying and trying, we found a good one but right now we are trying to change the package for the chips,” said the businesswoman.

In the future she hopes to access international markets, but Fareed intends on ensuring that she could satisfy the local market before moving on.
Lisa’s manufacturing will soon be introducing new items. For now, on the weekends, they have been selling barbecue and fried rice.

“The gratitude I have for what my mother did and is doing for me is overwhelming; words cannot express how thankful and grateful I am for my mother and the business,” said Issaradeen.

She described her mother’s efforts as remarkable because she managed to get the money and business together in such a short time.

“I owe her my life; it was a miracle…she brought me to where I am today,” Issaradeen said, adding that she intends to contribute in a great way to the growth of the business.
Despite what she experienced in her younger days, Issaradeen, with the help of her family, has become a successful young woman and continues to grow. She is now a student at the Cyril Potter College of Education but still works with her mother at home.