For the love of the children 
Life is good. I’m at ease. I’m just relaxing and enjoying every day” – Elizabeth Abraham
Life is good. I’m at ease. I’m just relaxing and enjoying every day” – Elizabeth Abraham

Elizabeth Abraham won’t quit teaching, even if it means tutoring for free!

Abraham being honoured by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs in 2016.

ELIZABETH Abraham, fondly called ‘Miss Liz’ of Kato Village in Region Eight , has essentially dedicated her entire life to the teaching profession in Guyana. Having retired after 40 years of teaching, she now uses her time to volunteer her services to the care and well-being of the children in the village.

Abraham, 60, was born and raised in Kato by parents who were from the Arawak and Patamona Indigenous tribes. The Catholic Church had taken her dad, Francis Gomes, to Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) to preach and teach; and that’s where he met her mom, Priscilla.

At just 16-years-old, Abraham began teaching. Despite having to deal with challenges that made her think of quitting at times, she battled each one successfully and managed to help hundreds of children in the community over the years.

Abraham spending some quality time with her grandchildren

Starting out as a young teacher, Abraham did not have access to training nor did she benefit from a lot of resources in the region. She taught for two years at Chiung Mouth Primary School, located about 15 miles from Kato, and spent the rest of her time at the primary school in Kato.

Approximately 12 years after starting to teach, she was afforded the opportunity to be trained at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) in Georgetown and was officially appointed headteacher in 2004, although she had been carrying out these functions since during the 1980s.

After the death of her husband, Abraham did her best for her six children

After retiring in 2013, Abraham continued teaching on contract with the government and was often recruited for specific projects that would be carried out. In one instance, she did some work in surrounding villages and spent over $300,000 of her own money but has not been refunded. “I submitted all my receipts to NCERD but I have not been refunded any money to date. That’s the bad part. But I enjoy working,” she said. Her last contract expired three months ago.

Ever since then, she’s been keeping lessons for free on the weekends; Saturdays from 09:00hrs to 15:30hrs and half day on Sundays. “I volunteer my services because in Kato, we are all related in some way,” Abraham joked during an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine. “I want these children to do well; I want everybody to do well. And you see, the parents can’t afford to pay for it; it’s not like out there,” she added.

DEVELOPMENT IN KATO

Abraham’s house located on ‘Gomesy Bump’ in Kato

Abraham still works on her farm, located not too far from her house on ‘Gomesy Bump’; this she does in order to rake in an income. And she’s ever so happy that the government has recently constructed a marketplace in Kato to aid villagers in getting their produce sold.

“Whereas in the past people took their items from the farm to the church to get them sold, and had to look for people who were interested in buying their produce, people now carry their crops on Sunday to the marketplace. So it’s much easier now because people know where they have to go,” she said.

Kato, home to roughly 400 people whose homes are scattered far apart, has never benefitted from much development, Abraham observed. But at the moment, things have slowly been improving.

“We have development in Kato; things that we never see before we seeing. We never see development. But for the past three years, they’ve built a market, a multi-purpose hall and a workshop where vehicles are repaired. And people are happy because many more of them have been employed,” Abraham expressed.

The secondary school, which was being built over many years, finally opened its doors last week. “We’re thankful for the secondary school. It has been built at the right time and at the right location because the population of the children is growing. More so, it is a unique school in the whole country because it is well-equipped,” she said.

Abraham has been serving as one of the nine councillors on the Kato Village Council since last May and is also the secretary to the newly installed council.

In 2016, she was awarded by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs for her years of service.

A RESPONSIBLE TEACHER

Abraham is very happy about the secondary school in Kato which opened its doors last week (Michael Mc Garrell Photo)

Abraham is concerned about the issue of untrained teachers in the region and is continuing to hope that they will do well. “These teachers are badly in need of help; some of them just left school and are on their own, so to speak. We don’t have trained teachers in the region,” she expressed.

The children, on the other hand, have young parents who are occupied trying to make a living. “So it’s very hard out there, but I am just hoping that the teachers do well because right now they are on some training. Even so, I encourage them not to neglect their classes because they are being paid to teach the children,” she said.

Abraham also gives thought to the fact that even if some children perform well in school, they can hardly find a job afterwards.

She is hoping that the government will consider providing transportation to those children who are attending the secondary school. “Workers, too, have to leave the village on foot; at times walking for 45 minutes.”

Abraham’s daughter, Karen Abraham, one of her six children, has followed in her mom’s footsteps and is now the head teacher at the primary school in Kato.

Speaking with the Pepperpot Magazine, Karen said of her mom: “Mom was always very supportive when it came to our education. I worked with her as a young teacher and she never treated me as a daughter when it came to work. She pressured me more than she did the other teachers. At times, I questioned why she dealt with me that way. She told me that she did not want me to feel I can slack off and get away with certain things because she is my mom and that I have a responsibility, not to her, but to the children and to the Ministry of Education. This has helped me to become a responsible teacher.”

Karen said her mom has assisted her and the rest of her siblings in whatever way she could. “My siblings chose other paths, but I was motivated by her example and thus followed in her footsteps. Though she is retired, she provides the necessary guidance and assistance as it relates to headship responsibilities,” she said.

‘I’M FREE’

With two of her daughters ,Larissa and Karen , and her grandson.Karen (first from right)is now a headteacher at Kato.

Today, Abraham said she is available should she be called up

on to assist with any of the ministry’s projects. “I’m free,” she said, adding, “Life is good. I’m at ease. I’m just relaxing and enjoying every day, especially with my grandchildren,” she said.

Asked if she would consider teaching again, especially with the completion of the Kato Secondary School, Abraham said she would not hesitate if she is asked.

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