–  struggling single mom confident daughter will utilise every opportunity to achieve dream of becoming a judge

By Naomi Marshall

ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD Christina Reddock did not gain a spot at any of the top schools in Linden, Region 10. In fact, she was placed at the Harmony Secondary School but not withstanding her challenges, she remains resolute about her future.
“I feel sad about my results because I got low marks and I wanted to attend Mackenzie High School, but I will try to do my best at Harmony Secondary School,” Reddock told the Guyana Chronicle.
For Reddock, who attended the Regma Primary School, growing up in a single-parent home was not easy, especially during the period of preparing for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

According to Reddock’s mother Vanessa Archibald, working and singlehandedly taking care of five children is not an easy task.
“When I have to work sometimes I would have to get somebody to keep them, because I don’t want to leave them home alone, so it is not easy,” Archibald, who is a security guard, told this publication.

The woman said that obtaining school resources for Reddock during the examination preparation period was difficult because of many reasons.
“When she was preparing for the NGSA, I did not have enough resources for her to prepare effectively. Sometimes she needed textbooks and I could not get it [SIC]. Christina use to try though,” Archibald said.

The 41-year-old mother added that E-Learning for her daughter also had its difficulties, because of lack of adequate technology in her home.
When school work was sent to Archibald’s phone, Reddock was unable to complete the work effectively because her mother would have to be at work; likewise, she was unable to take part in any Zoom sessions conducted by her teacher.
Additionally, Archibald stated that she did not send her daughter to the two weeks of ‘in class teaching’ prior to the NGSA “because I was afraid that she would contract the COVID-19 virus, so I only sent her to do the exams.”
Nevertheless, Archibald is confident that her daughter, who enjoys writing and playing with her baby brother, will make the best of attending the school that she got with the aim of becoming a judge.

The Lindener described her daughter’s personality as “bubbly” and said that her strong areas are mathematics and science.