By Michel Outridge

HAVING spent more than 20 years as a food vendor at the Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara Primary School, which provided an income to educate her three children, today she has retired and is enjoying her golden years.

Wanita Forde is a resident of De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara and over the years, she has developed arthritis in her shoulder and knees.

Forde told the Pepperpot Magazine that she had some good years as a food vendor and would do it all over again if she had to.

“I know a lot of pupils and their parents and they used to come and chat with me while waiting to pick up their children from school, and I became well-known there,” she said.

She has been a resident of De Kinderen Village for the past 28 years after relocation from Region One (Barima-Waini) Mabaruma, where she used to work in the ‘gold bush’.

The 54-year-old added that she wanted a better quality of life and she opted to move away and bought a plot of land at De Kinderen and made it her home to date.

“In life, you have to make the sacrifice if you want a better life and I did and put my children through school and today they have good jobs and they have made me proud,” she said.

She retired as a food vendor four years ago based on her doctor’s advice.

This easy-going friendly woman used to prepare home-made foods and snacks for schoolchildren and used to sell snacks and other odds and ends that the children needed.

She used to be the chairperson of Jaso’s Nursery School Committee at Meten-Meer-Zorg, a position she had held in high regard.

Forde has two daughters and one son. One daughter is married and lives overseas, the other daughter is a nurse and her son is a police sergeant.

Her husband is a bus driver and she is taking care of her granddaughter who has been with her since she was seven months old.

The little girl is her ‘company,’ along with the many animals she has.

“I used to work hard in the bush and selling at the school, but now I do my gardening and take care of my granddaughter and my dogs and parrot,” she said.

Forde related that her mother is of East Indian ancestry, while her father was of African descent.

Sadly, her father passed away at age 63 years old, but her mother is 80 years old and resides in Matthews Ridge, Region One.

Her mother is originally from Moruca and got married when she was just 14 years old.

Her dad fathered 29 children wi three wives and of that number, he had six children with her mother.

“I live a good life, nothing don’t bother me and I don’t mix up too much with people and mind my own business, besides, I have a lot to do,” she said.

Animals are my best friends
At one time, Forde had 29 dogs that were all trained and named and 18 cats but today she has three dogs and two puppies.

Forde also has a parrot called Lora, who is 24 years old and she got her as a baby when she used to work in the interior. She recalled that the bird fell out of a tree and was injured.

The mother of three took care of the parrot and she is in good health and seems contented with her current conditions.

“It is better to have animals around you because they are true friends and they do not act up when things go wrong,” she said.

Nowadays, Forde is busy with household chores, gardening –- the products of which she uses in her kitchen — and taking care of her granddaughter and her pets.

Her yard is quite an envy because of the many fruit trees and vegetables, so she eats what she grows.

Forde has come a long way and she is pleased with herself today, because in 2001 her house was destroyed by fire, it was a Father’s Day but she managed to pick up the pieces and start over.