Defying the odds to secure a career

UNABLE to complete her high school education in Dora Village, Angeline ‘Ange’ Jones was 20 years old when she started her first job with the aim of pursuing her studies. She’d save her money to buy textbooks. Then, on her own, she would study. She did this for two years before enrolling to write CXC. Coming off successful with five subjects, she applied to become a teacher – the only job that was available to her at the time.

As much as ‘Ange’ enjoyed growing up in Dora with her nine siblings – playing hide and seek in the moonlight nights, swimming in the river, and taking long nature walks – there is no secondary school in the area, so she had to spend her teenage years working on the farm and helping her mom to sew.

Even though her dream was to become a dressmaker and designer, she had no choice but to settle for the teaching job. Now having spent 14 years in the profession, Ange taught for the first nine years in Dora before being transferred to Stella Maris Primary, where she currently teaches Grade Four.

“Life in Dora is unique. Growing up there is nice and it’s still my favourite place. My dad was the main breadwinner of the family, being a farmer and woodcutter, and my mom helped to make ends meet with her sewing,” Ange shared in an interview with Pepperpot Magazine.

Although the children were home after completing primary school, Ange’s mom, Shelley, made sure that education remained an essential part of their lives. “Because it was 10 of us, we had each other’s company day in and day out; people were living far apart. What was important in my family was education. It was something my mom made sure we did on a daily basis, whether we were at school or not. She made sure we did something every day; reading, spelling, tables.”

There were always many books in Ange’s modest home. With no electricity in Dora, the children would read with the use of kerosene light or would spend hours talking and laughing among themselves. Ange especially loved working on the farm because it allowed her to be with her dad, Stephen, who was almost always there. “We planted eddoes and cassava, among other things. What was nice was seeing how we could’ve reaped what we planted and then cook it. That was enjoyable.”

Walking for Miles
Having started to teach in Dora, Ange was hungry to learn more, so she applied to the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), where she was accepted. But attending CPCE proved to be one of the most challenging things for her.

“One of my struggles was that once a week, I had to walk five miles from school in the afternoon to reach the Soesdyke/Linden highway and then walk back the day after attending classes to reach back to school,” she recalled. This she did for three years straight.

As if walking that distance every week in and out of Dora was not hard enough, getting transportation on the highway would be the next difficult thing. At times, Ange would spend hours waiting for a bus or just about anything to get her to Georgetown, so that she could attend classes.

“Most mornings after travelling, my dad would meet me halfway along the trail with coffee and bakes and that would be my breakfast. For three years, I was walking that road every single week back and forth because I could not afford transportation and there were not many vehicles traversing the road. I’m glad to say that I conquered the challenge though.”

Seeing Dora Develop
Ange, a mother of two, is still making great sacrifices in education. Now a first-year student at the University of Guyana (UG), she is finding it hard to juggle everything; to study, keep the house, and continue teaching at the same time.

“My day starts at 5 in the morning and ends at midnight or after. I have to get one child off to school, and then after teaching, I have to hustle home for UG classes online, which would go until nine some nights. After this, I still have my assignments to do and then prepare for school the next day. From being an early sleeper every night, I had to adjust to all of this,” she explained.

But Ange can still see herself becoming a dressmaker because it is still her goal. Apart from wanting her own home, she hopes to one day be able to return to living in Dora. The establishment of a secondary school in the area would significantly help her in this way.

“I really would like to see Dora develop. When I say develop, I mean have access to electricity and have proper cellphone signal so that persons living there can have access to the internet. In this pandemic, online teaching and learning teachers are not getting to access their studies from UG or CPCE; they have to travel to Georgetown to access same,” she pointed out.