By Faith Greene

MEET David Cuffie, a man who has resided in Victoria all his life, and has dedicated some of his time to training young men interested in learning a trade; passing down knowledge from one person to the next.

The Victoria resident said he had a humble beginning, and described himself as humble and ambitious. He shared that he grew up in a home where church was important as a young boy. He also said that from his school days into adulthood, he took part in sports, and played football from a young age.

His mother was a housewife, and his father a farmer. And, together, they raised him and his siblings in that community.
“The benefits from the farm are very slow. People still doing it, but it’s not like before,” he explained. He pointed out that while his brothers pursued farming, he chose a different path, and decided to try something new by learning a skill.

“My intention was to learn to be a mechanic, but the opportunity wasn’t presented. So, I ended up falling in welding,” Cuffie said. He shared that if he did not know this trade, his chances would not have been the same when he left for Barbados. He stated that he left Guyana in 2000 to go to Barbados, and returned in 2013, when he opened his welding and fabrication shop, called, ‘Cuffie Metal Works’, in his home village.

“Where you go; you take it. Even if you leave these shores, wherever you’re going, you’re going with your knowledge. That’s what is important,” Cuffie advised.
Cuffie said that the Victoria that is known today is not the same one he grew up in. He explained that growing up, he would go to the farm of someone who had cows, and would occupy his time wisely there. “Somebody is mixing cement next door, you gone and help them, and so forth. But it’s a different time now,” he said.

Cuffie even highlighted a negative trend among youths today. He opined that young men have not been as ambitious as young women. “You find the young women more ambitious than the young men. I observed that in Barbados, before it even meet to Guyana. You’ll find women trying to accomplish more things in life,” he said.
The man said he has been training the youth in Victoria during their summer vacation, and in the afternoons after school when it is opened.

The business, which has been in operation for 10 years, has made several items for customers, country-wide. He explained that fabrication is all about making different constructional items for buildings. These include gates and fences, both of which he was working on when our team visited on Monday last.

Since opening his shop, the man said he has trained about 50 young men thus far. Cuffie attested that young men often invest their savings in purchasing a car or bus to provide a service in their community.