The Hubu landing snackette brings convenience for travellers

ONE of the most important ways through which many women launch out and excel is small business. Some women may feel that they did not acquire sufficient education or skills to advance in the world of work; others may simply love the feeling of independence which comes from working with themselves. They become entrepreneurs in their own right.

In Guyana, many women feel the freedom to engage themselves in small food businesses, especially as it relates to the prepared local foods. Snacks such as plantain chips, ‘chicken foot’, ‘mittai’, a variety of cakes, roti and curry, puri, channa and many more. They also prepare many local drinks for sale, which include the good old mauby, sorrel drink, cherry juice and many more juices, as well as local drinks.

Ms. Debbie, the name she is referred to by those who visit to buy (and the only name given) is a shy, small lady, but who stands tall at the edge of the Hubu landing, where she has established the only snackette in that location. There are other snackettes around, but none so close to the landing.

TAKING UP THE CHALLENGE
She told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is a single mother of three children, who are all adults now. However, she explained that because of her need to be employed she decided to make a shop where very many people pass through on a daily basis, knowing that her sales are sure.

“I am not out here very long now, but I have been doing fairly well because I make all sort of nice things that I think people would like and put them out…I still have to get much more things; for example, I have not been able to buy a lot of water and other things that people would need. However, I am doing well with what I have at the moment,” she related.

ST. LAWRENCE
Ms. Debbie said that even though she was born in Hubu and spent some of the years there, she is now living in St. Lawrence and feels very happy.

According to Ms. Debbie, St. Lawrence, like Hubu, is a very quiet village where most of the people are doing some amount of farming; “Some farm in large quantities to sell retail and wholesale, while others farm mostly for their domestic purposes; and the women and men farm,” she stated.

She said that she is comfortable with doing her small business and still do some amount of kitchen gardening, from which she would take out to the shop to sell from time to time. At the same time, Ms. Debbie said that she is very encouraged with the support and encouragement she has been receiving from her fellow villagers, but more so from the people who need to use the landing to go to the different islands and villages in Essequibo.

ENCOURAGING OTHERS
She told the Pepperpot Magazine that women should not be afraid of pursuing their own businesses. However, she went on to point out that with some amount of encouragement from other people who are able to help, the lives of many other women can be improved.

“Many more women are willing to take up the challenge of doing their own thing in business or other things, but some of them are not bold enough and some may not even have the money to start; some might even be afraid that people may take advantage of them in some way or another. However, with some help, they can overcome the challenge of starting their own business. I did not have much and I still do not have much, but I started,” she offered.