When she first started, Marilyn Clario had only two ducks- a drake and a hen – which she reared in her back yard.

Over time, the duo started a family and before she knew it she had a yard full of ducks.

It was then it dawned on her to establish her own small business right from home.

With a sign that says “Ducks for Sale” affixed to her front fence, her business has blossomed.

Today, Clario has 30 adult ducks and 23 ducklings which she rears in a pen in the back yard.

The business started three months ago and the people in the village support the venture.

Clario is originally from Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), a reservation called Kurukaru, but relocated to Brickery Village, East Bank Demerara five years ago.

The mother of three told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is expecting another child and wanted to do something for work right from the comfort of her home.

Ducks are sold ‘live’ not plucked and villagers would make purchases so she doesn’t have to go to the market to sell them.

The stay-at-home mother said her eldest son, Daniel Seebaran, 10, would assist her in feeding and cleaning the duck pen while she would focus on the household chores.

She explained that she visited the village and saw the man who would become her husband some 15 years ago and relocated when they got together.

“In this village, I know people by seeing them and greeting them but we don’t go out often so this pandemic isn’t bothering me much,”she said, yet she is still safeguarding herself and family.

The children are home-schooled via Whatsapp and she supervises the exercise daily which started when schools closed its doors due to the Coronavirus outbreak in Guyana in March.

When the Pepperpot Magazine visited, Daniel was in the process of doing some school work.

Clario was relaxing having completed her chores since early that day.

This family has a parrot and three dogs and is doing some construction work to enclose the lower flat of their house, to accommodate a kitchen and a setting area.

“This place quiet and peaceful, people do their work and stay in so there are no real issues here and I am comfortable because they have electricity, potable water and cell phone service,” she said.

The stay-at-home mother of nine
The Pepperpot Magazine also met another resident, Zabena Jhaman, who resides at Brickery Public Road.

She was visiting a friend since it had been weeks since she stepped out of her house.

The mother of nine said she came to the village 19 years ago when she got married and admitted that life is fair there.

She has three school-age children, who are being home-schooled via the internet and she also would assist.

Jhaman is originally from Kitty, Georgetown and has adjusted to the country life well because it is simple and quiet.

“The people of this village does isolate themselves and those that work go out daily while others stay indoors,” she said.

Jhaman added that the people are friendly but don’t mix up much and the children are mostly at home.

“I don’t go nowhere, because of the virus, this is the furthest I does go. I just wanted a walk and it isn’t far from my house so I ventured out to visit my only friend, in this village,” she explained.