From rice mill worker to TT-trained massage therapist
Massage therapist Rajendra Prabudial in action
Massage therapist Rajendra Prabudial in action

-Rajendra Prabudial sets sights on educating, ‘giving back’

YEARS after entering the workforce as a 15-year-old labourer attached to a Mahaicony rice mill, Rajendra Prabudial is embarking on a new path to change the public’s views on the treatment of body stress or pain, after finding his calling as a massage therapist.

Prabudial, called ‘Tony,’ is the Owner of the Dauntless Professional Therapeutic Bodyworks, which specialises in massage therapy. This path, according to Prabudial is not one he had set out on, but was called to, after years of searching for a job that would be fulfilling and rewarding.

According to Prabudial, his career journey started in the rice industry just three days after he completed his secondary education in Mahaicony, Region Five. He noted that, although he was very young, he leaped at the opportunity to earn his own money.

He recalled that following a short stint at the company, he switched jobs and started working at Acme photo studio and subsequently F&H Printing, where he spent several years. He noted that he then worked with two contractors. He eventually returned to the rice mill and worked as a payroll clerk.

Prabudial stated that, while he worked at the company, he realised that such was not his calling and felt a pull towards entrepreneurship, which led him to his first business venture, a document centre, which stayed open for a year.

He explained that the business performed well and he was proud not just for being his own boss, but for providing job opportunities for other persons in his community.
He disclosed that, following that, he did many odd jobs which included minibus driving.

Though his first business venture was short-lived, that did not stop him from pursuing a second venture which was a restaurant in West Coast Berbice, which he ran for three years.

“The business ended up being difficult to manage, so much so that I ended up taking a second job as a pump attendant at a gas station. So, I worked in the night as a pump attendant so I could make money for the restaurant and then I worked the restaurant in the day, but that was not sustainable,” Prabudial stated.

Prabudial noted that even though he was sad at the closing of the business, he remained resilient about finding a career that would suit him. This led him to take a job opportunity in Trinidad in the construction sector.


While working there, he found his love for massage therapy. He noted that his sister-in-law, Viola, was already a massage therapist and would help to “fix him up” after a long day of work.

“I would work and the job was hard so I would go home and I’d be sore and in a lot of pain and Anji, my wife, she would massage me up and stuff, and the next day I would feel brand new like I wasn’t doing all this hard labour the day before and I started realising that this is very good for dealing with this kind of hard work.”

Prabudial stated that he later ended up enrolling in the Trinidad and Tobago College of Therapeutic Massage and Beauty Culture Limited where he pursued a diploma in the Professional Therapeutic Massage Programme.

He was not just the first Guyanese to be enrolled in the programme, but he was also the first Guyanese to be named Valedictorian at the college’s 2020 graduation.
“It felt great, and I was very eager to learn the material because massage therapy isn’t something so common in Guyana. Most of us think that anybody can give a massage, just a little rubbing here and pressure there and we’re good, but that’s not the truth of it; we do a lot of anatomy and physiology.”

He noted that, after completing the programme, he made the decision to invest and open his third business venture – Dauntless Professional Therapeutic Bodyworks.
Prabudial stated that he feels a great sense of pride being able to bring this much-needed service to the people of Guyana, many of whom may not have ever gotten massage therapy to help with their varying aches and pains.

He noted that massage can reduce pain and anxiety for people with chronic illnesses, such as cancer, and reduce the physiological burden of stress. It can help treat conditions including stress-related tension, cancer-related fatigue, sleep disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, low back pain, and depression.

Meanwhile, the young entrepreneur emphasised that his calling is not all about business, as since returning to Guyana, he has volunteered with several organisations to provide free massages to persons through several organisations.

“This is not just about the money; it’s about people who are in need of relief, how we can change their lives or make it a bit easier. So, I always try to give back where ever I can. I have worked with several organisations including the CIOG on outreaches and I’ve shared my expertise by giving free massages to those in need. That’s what this is about, that’s why I was called to this career, to help people,” Prabudial stated.

Prabudial stated that one of his goals was the establishment of an entity that regulates massage therapy in Guyana. He disclosed that he is currently registered with the Trinidadian body that regulates massage therapy in that country but wishes to one day be in charge of a similar organisation here in Guyana.

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