The Beauty Shop
THERE is almost everything in Samaroo Dam Village, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara and then there is Ash’s Beauty Salon, a cozy, spacious beauty shop that specialises in hair and nails.

This business is housed on the lower flat of the owner’s home, Amrita George Ally called Asheana, whose expertise is recognised by her clients,who travel from far and wide for the services.

For the past five years she has been at the location but was at Goed Fortuin, also on the West Bank of Demerara, for 10 years.

Ally started out with just nails and as she developed her skills, she moved on to doing hair and expanded her business.

This beauty shop is conveniently located a short distance from the main road in Samaroo dam itself and it is a cozy place outfitted with an air conditioner, television and adequate seating accommodation.

The place is well-kept and equipped with all the tools necessary for such services they provide by appointments and walk-ins.

Ally told the Pepperpot Magazine that she always wanted to become an entrepreneur.

She was determined to succeed and became qualified as a hairstylist/nail technician and beautician.

She pointed out that she specialises in hair-cutting, hair-colouring, relaxing, perming, manicures, pedicures, facials, nail designs, keratin hair treatments and make-ups.

With 17 years of service in this field, Ally has four employees who can execute the job when she is not around and they collectively manage the small business very well.

“All my staffers are trained and they are capable of pleasing the customers, so I don’t necessarily have to be there to supervise them, and they do an excellent job overall,” she said.

The village butcher
Also in the village is a butcher, Mohim Singh, a livestock farmer, who rears his own sheep and sells mutton at the Vreed-en-Hoop Junction, where he has his stall.

Singh told the Pepperpot Magazine that as a young boy, his family, parents had their own sheep, goats and other animals.

He became versed in rearing livestock, and as he grew older, he started to acquire his own sheep and now he has dozens rearing in his backyard.

The small-business owner also has some horses and he used to work at Reuben’s Lumberyard at Pouderoyen.

Singh is multi-talented and does many jobs and things to earn honestly and also worked as a taxi driver.

“It is the Christmas season, so I decided to use some of my sheep to acquire mutton, and I am selling it here for $1,000 per pound, fresh,” he said.

Singh would usually sell mutton on weekends, but during this festive season, he is at his usual spot, his stall, to earn.

The father of two is a very simple man who used to buy and sell cows,but do not handle the meat due to his religious belief, being a Hindu.

Lorna Jones
In Samaroo Dam Village is the home and business place of ex-police woman Lorna Jones, who worked for 36 years in the Guyana Police Force.

She had attained the rank of Inspector when she parted ways from the force and decided to concentrate on her small business, a shop, Lorna’s Grocery, Malt and Beverage.

Jones told the Pepperpot Magazine that the youths and young men would visit her shop to make purchases and also chat.

They would leave to play football in the afternoons, and at night, they would return to ‘lime’ a bit before retiring to their homes.

She related that the village doesn’t have a playfield, but the young men would utilise the play area in other villages.

“A lot of youths and young men are jobless in this village, as such, they became idle and are doing some things which are not favourable. I think if they can go to some skills-training institutions, they can equip themselves with life skills to earn to enhance their lives,” she said.

As an ex-cop, Jones would try to provide guidance to the youths and often encourage them to seek training to become gainfully employed, instead of having no real purpose in life.

She has been residing in the village for the past 57 years, and she is well-known, since she spent all her life there.

“Christmas time here it does be really nice, as one big family where everybody comes out with whatever they prepared in terms of foods and would have toys to share among the children and it would be a merry time for all, who would partake of the food and drinks,” she said.