By Michel Outridge

FROM a bottom-house private school which was started by her late husband, the Shivita Business School is now evolving into a fully-equipped two-storey building as one woman strives to keep the dream of her late husband alive.

Eslyn Gossai’s husband, Ramkissoon Ramsaroop, who is now deceased, is the founder of the school, so she is going to great lengths to ensure that the institution continues to expand.

The private school started with five students, from the bottom house of their residence in 1985 and today, the school has 100 students in its enrolment.

The mother of two related that her husband was a teacher and he had a very benevolent attitude whereby he wanted to provide education for the less fortunate and to serve his community.

He established his school and when students could not pay their fees, he didn’t ask why and would let them continue their studies.

Shivita Business School is located in Cane Grove, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara and is presently under construction from a one-flat concrete building to a two-storey structure.

“My husband had this dream of building a school for children to get an opportunity to study, but he died before that could happen, so I am continuing where he left off because my daughter is a product of the school and today she is the Director of Internal Audit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC),” she said.

At one point, her son was also home-schooled and today he is a doctor attached to the GPHC.

Shivita Business College is a specialised school where business subjects are taught and they have a staff of four full-time teachers, including Gossai and two part-time teachers.

The curriculum includes Principles of Business, Principles of Accounts, Office Administrative, Social Studies, Economics, Electronic Predation, English and Mathematics.

The classes are from Grades seven to 11 and annually the school is producing more top performers.

Gossai added that last year a student attained four distinctions and several Grade Ones.

She explained that the school is a secondary school and after the students have completed their studies, they go into the workforce or to the University of Guyana (UG) to pursue further studies.

“We cater for school drop-outs and slow learners and we work with them even on a one-on-one basis, to ensure they realise their full potential because we want them to be successful,” she said.

Gossai told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is passionate about teaching and wanted to follow in her late husband’s footsteps, because he invested a lot of time to make the school become what it is today.

He passed away in 2016 and Gossai is trying to keep the door of the school open and to have it internet-ready in the future.

“I am giving back to the community and it is no big deal. When students come and they can’t pay I let them study regardless and I don’t treat the paying ones any different, since this is a friendly environment for all,” she said.

Gossai stated that some students are from the village while others are from outlying areas.

Gossai noted that she would regularly provide subsidies to students, because she wants to promote education and is fully aware of the challenges many students face.

“My husband worked hard to see this school through and I will not let it go down just like that, so I am doing all I can now to make it into the school he would have wanted had he been alive,” she said.