Young woman from Sheildstown shares her story

LIFE is full of adversities, and we all face challenges. However, the important task at hand is to keep moving forward, regardless of how steep the climb becomes. This week, the Pepperpot Magazine ventured to the quiet community of Shieldstown. Tucked away just off of Rosignol, Shieldstown is like countless other residential communities in Guyana. With calm streets and friendly people, Shieldstown reminds us of the courage and silent strength of the Guyanese people.

At the very far end of the cozy community lives a young woman with an extraordinary story of trial and strength. Rajmattie has overcome childhood struggles and motherhood mishaps. However, quite uniquely, she still holds on to hope—hope that things will get better.

Most of Shieldstown is characterised by a quiet and warm aura. The streets of the community are still, and most homes and businesses have a tranquil atmosphere. The home of Rajmattie Mankarran, however, is a bit different. The house is home to a large family comprising her grandmother, mother, sisters, brothers, and their children. Twenty-six-year-old Rajmattie is a mother of three young children.

The young mother stated that her family has been a major part of her life for as long as she could remember. Growing up, the family’s first challenge came with her parents’ separation. With seven children, when Rajmattie’s father left, the family was at a standstill. Although young, the children wondered what the family’s next move would be, as their father was known to bring money home.

Rajmattie’s mother took up the seemingly impossible mantle and began working various jobs to feed her children. As Rajmattie remembers, “When we were small, mommy and daddy used to live together. But my father started drinking, and then he went away. He left. And Mommy used to take care of us until we grew up; until we started to work and so on. But mostly, it was my mother that raised us. We were very small when he left. I do not even remember. All I know was we were very small when mom had to work to mind us.”

Most of Rajmattie’s childhood was characterised by her mother working and the children learning to care for themselves early. Although it was deeply challenging for the entire family, Rajmattie says it was a good time. She recounts the happy memories they shared in the face of adversity. Several years later, however, tragedy struck, and the family was thrown into another whirlwind.

“When I was about 14, our house burnt down. Nobody knows what happened. All we knew was that we were on the road, and somebody told us our house was on fire. When we came, we saw fire. We had to move. My mother stayed with somebody, and my brother and sisters stayed with family in Berbice,” says Rajmattie. More than a decade ago, the family’s home was burnt almost to ashes.

This was a difficult time for a family so bound together. Rajmattie explained that finding someone willing to take in a woman with seven children was difficult. This forced the family to separate, with each member or two finding refuge in a family member’s home or a friend’s hospitality. This was the situation for a few years. Sometime later, the family rebuilt the house, and the close-knit family was once again together. But, as always, challenges persisted.

In the wake of the fire, many aspects of the children’s well-being were placed on the back burner, with education being one of them. Rajmattie never had the opportunity to finish her high school education. This has been a major challenge. She says, “I did not finish school. I left by the time I was 14, and we had the fire. I never thought about going back. But I had a job, and now I am working on finding something else to look after my children with their father.”

In the years since the family has reunited, the family dynamic has changed quite a bit, according to Rajmattie. The loving closeness that the home once housed seems to have evaporated. As the children grow older, more members venture out to start families. This creates less time between mother and children, and Rajmattie believes the distance harms their family’s dynamic.

“When we were small, it was nice. Everybody used to live well. Now everybody has grown up and moved out, and we are not like how we used to be. Everybody is on their own now,” says Rajmattie. Incredibly, Rajmattie still has a peaceful nature and a happy, welcoming personality. Although the family has changed, Rajmattie is very optimistic about the future. Moving forward for Rajmattie is simple. She hopes to get a job and have a home of her own where she can settle down with her family. She says that she does not want much, just a loving, caring family of her own.