Limlair matriarch committed to community service

CATHERINE Elizabeth Fraser is retired and is at home tending to her plants, doing chores and rearing her own chickens from her back yard.

She used to be an HIV/AIDS Tester and Counsellor and was an active community worker with St. Francis Community Developers under the watchful leadership of Alex Foster.

In Limlair Village everybody knows ‘Mrs Liz Fraser’, as she is fondly known as and is regarded as the village elder and held in high esteem.

Counselling and volunteer work
Giving a family background in the community work, Fraser told the Pepperpot Magazine that she and her late sister, Bobesie Humphrey were community workers for many years.

Fraser related that through Alex Foster, the founder of St. Francis Community Developers, she began working with single parents, youths and pensioners and performed the duties as a counsellor.

She worked in the village and at Kildonan with her sister, who established a feeding programme for children twice weekly.

Their work grew and over time, they got some land aback the village which is 10 acres and it was converted into a playground and integrated farm with a shade house and a chicken farm.

Fraser added that her sibling moved on from that and established a play school in Limlair Village and was the host of many events such as Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas parties for more than 300 children.

“She was good at bringing people together and simply loved community work as a volunteer but I was on staff with Alex Foster and I learned a lot over the years,” she said.

Fraser stated that she later branched off and did volunteer work with USAID and was an HIV/AIDS Tester and Counsellor for many years.

She explained that the experience was eye-opening and it broadened her scope because she got to travel and met a lot of people at workshops and other training events.

“I like volunteer work because you are serving the community in a way and it makes you feel good about yourself and one thing I admired about Alex Foster is he didn’t look at qualifications, he, however, watched your character and behaviour and gave you an opportunity to learn,” she said.

Fraser revealed that she never went to High School but was able to apply herself with guidance from Alex Foster and he encouraged her to get into counselling.

“Alex used to tell me you can make yourself into anyone you want to become, to search yourself and know what you want to be and I was able to transform myself into a person who everyone felt comfortable around and my door was always open,” she said.

Fraser related that she travelled around the country as a counsellor and experienced the different cultures and met some nice people and noted that Guyana is a good place to explore.

“Meeting people and talking- I was very shy and withdrawn but it helped me to come out of my shell and today I can talk to anyone and I can say exactly what I want to without fear or being embarrassed or intimated,” she said.

The 70-year-old added that often she had to do some public speaking, something she dreaded but was confident after years of counselling people and it became easy.

“If you get up to talk, let it flow, be you and don’t force nothing,” she said.

Fraser stated that she used to do general and domestic counselling in the community and encountered a lot of troubled youths, as well.

In a lot of domestic cases, she pointed out that one has to look at the root cause first before trying to settle the differences among all parties involved.

“A house is not a home, you can have a mansion and still not happy, you have to make it your home, a place that is safe and comfortable,” she said.

Fraser disclosed that the confidentiality aspect of counselling is most difficult because you cannot discuss what was said to you in private and at times you know the situation can lead to murder or suicide and you have to be the one to resolve that matter well.

“Sometimes it goes both ways, a man should not take a woman who looks untidy and doesn’t keep her surroundings clean and take care of a house and children because he will find comfort with someone else and somewhere else,” she explained.

Fraser added that if the man comes from a loving family and if the woman is from a rowdy family well it is a work in progress because the two are very different.

She pointed out that reading and non-verbal communication are very essential in counselling and it is also effective.

Life as is
The mother of four stated that she used to visit police stations, health centres, hospitals and other public buildings to put up Information Racks where people can access information.

Fraser disclosed that these days she would pass the time cooking, reading, or spending time in her garden because she doesn’t buy fruits and meat, she rears her own chickens.

“Life is good you have to make it nice, what you can’t handle, let it go, move on, don’t worry about things you have no control over,” she said.

Fraser is an elder in her church and these days she would attend services on Sundays and take things easy.