How one mother from Swan’s hard work paid off
A dedicated mother and worker.
FAR from the hustle and bustle of Georgetown, lies the community of Swan—a quiet, warm, and welcoming community that is home to an estimated thousand people. Among these people is Drupattie Domingo. Coming from humble beginnings in the community of Soesdyke, just a few miles away, Drupattie’s journey of adversity and resilience has brought her to the community of Swan.

Although she now resides in Swan, Drupattie was raised in Soesdyke. As close as these two villages are, Drupattie says life in them has been as drastically different as possible. Swan has developed, particularly over the last couple of years. Certain necessities have been brought closer to the community, including education, water, and health, among the biggest improvements. Many would expect life in a more centralized village like Soesdyke to be easier, but Drupattie said that, many years ago, life had far more challenges. As she stated, “I grew up in Soesdyke, a village not too far from Swan. Growing up there was hard. We were poor.” Her humble beginnings, although challenging, taught her the value of hard work.

Born into poverty, Drupattie sought solutions for herself and her family. Her mantra and outlook on life were shaped at an early age. Growing up, she was very cognisant and aware of her family’s economic situation. As she shared, “Everyone is not born to be rich. My family were poor people, but we did everything to make life easier. I know about poor life.” Her family embarked on many endeavours in an effort to relieve the financial pressures on the family. Among them was farming. During a time when most work was largely dependent on manual labour, agriculture was a welcomed alternative. However, farming was just Drupattie’s first step into all things agriculture. She later joined the poultry sector in one of the most unique and surprising ways.
From farmlamd to prcessing plant

Chicken has become a staple in most of our homes. The affordability and availability have made it the best option for families everywhere. But before a pack of drumsticks is picked up off a shelf, a thousand other things need to be done. This is where people like Drupattie come in. For many years, she worked at a chicken processing plant in Guyana. She spent 29 years surrounded by thousands of chickens every day, from when they are eggs to when they are ready to be sent out from the plants. “I worked at Bounty. I did hatchery work, and then I used to work at the processing plant. I used to process the chicken until it was ready to pack out,” she stated.

The work she did for almost three decades required more skill than most would think. It included long hours spent standing, sorting, checking, and ensuring every chicken piece was perfect for human consumption. Drupattie was good at her job; it was, in fact, the only work she had ever done apart from farming. She stated that it was a job that she enjoyed. “I loved my work at Bounty. But after 29 years, my children said I should retire. So I decided to retire. I worked twelve years at the processing plant and seventeen years at the hatchery.”

Retirement seems good to Drupattie as she spends most of her days at home. She explained that she has worked tirelessly for most of her life. Looking back on her life, Drupattie is very proud of herself, particularly of her children. Throughout all her years of working, this mother of five only had one goal: to give her children a better life than she had. As she stated, “I know what it means to have a hard life, and I wanted to give my children better. So I worked for them.” And her hard work has finally paid off. Today, she lives with her youngest son in Swan. Each of her children has branched off into their respective fields, with one even following in his mother’s footsteps. Looking at her hard work today, Drupattie stated, “When I look at my children, I feel very proud.”

Life after retirement
Drupattie is living out the true definition of retirement. After moving to Swan just two years ago following her retirement, the fifty-five-year-old is living an easy life. Most of her days are spent tending to the small shop she has in the neighbourhood, not too far from the nursery and primary schools. In the few years she has settled in the village, Drupattie said that much has changed for the better, and she is optimistic about the way things are going, stating, “I like living in Swan. The village is alright, and I have no problems with the people here.” After working as hard as Drupattie has, she sees this point in her life as one when she should release all the strain she has placed on herself for so long. With adult children there to look out for her, Drupattie is finally living life for herself.