How one father rebuilt life in Fort Island for his daughter
WHEN 79-year-old Francis Debideen came to Fort Island years ago, the plan was simple. He and his wife would stay with their daughter for five years before returning to their home in the North West region of Guyana. However, this plan did not quite work out. After more than several years, the family remains on the island. Francis says he stays on the island for one reason: His family.
Francis explained that life in Guyana’s vast North West and Fort Island are not that different. Agriculture was the major means of survival in his home village, which is still the case today in Fort Island. Coming to Fort Island, miles away from his home, was no coincidence. When his eldest daughter got married, she and her new husband moved to Fort Island. As he explained, she was the first to leave the family and travel so far away. “I was born and grew up in the North West of Guyana. In my day, I used to do farming and so on in the North West. And a man came there and married my daughter, and he brought her here to Fort Island.”
The importance of family and, moreover, the love of a father is what brought Francis to Fort Island. When he received news that his daughter was sick just months after coming to Fort Island, he and his wife had a difficult decision to make. Would the father trust her husband to care for her, or would he make the journey to Fort Island, moving the rest of the family in the process? Francis chose the latter. As he stated, “When they came here, her husband came back to tell us my daughter was sick. He asked for one of us to go with her; me or her mother. I thought her mother should go, but I had my sisters living here. My wife said that we both should go; she did not want to travel alone. So both of us came to Fort Island.”
The husband-and-wife came to Fort Island, expecting a life similar to the one they lived back home. And although farming was present, it was not the farming they knew. Francis explained that the young couple had issues developing their farm on the island. “They had land, but they were not planting anything really. Just some ginger and yam. My wife said we should stay five years and give them a start before we go back. So we stayed the five years.”
After their daughter regained her health, Francis and his wife decided to stay a few years to help the young couple. These first five years were some of the hardest, he said. In a strange place with new people, Francis and his wife struggled to find work. As he stated, “We stayed. We could not get work on the island. We did not know anybody here, but we just kept going along.” Their determination was unmatched. The two persevered and sought out opportunities. Eventually, their hard work paid off, and they both got jobs on the island, becoming a part of the island, its people, and its culture.
The family’s first big break came when his wife got a job at the local school. Although frightening, this was the first change the family had seen since their time on the island. As Francis explained, “Eventually, my wife got a job here on the island. A woman asked her to work at the primary school, and she did, and that’s how we got work. We were in a strange place, and we did not know who was who.” As Francis explained, financial situations were still challenging, but they stayed for the sake of the family. As he shared, “It was hard. The salaries could not mind me and my children, but we still prolonged it and stayed.”
Over the years, the family quickly became more a part of the community and grew to appreciate the island. This is one of the reasons they stayed and played a major role in developing the island. Considered a jack-of-all-trades by many, Francis was among a group of people who sought to develop multiple aspects of Fort Island, the biggest being the road. As he explained, “Because I knew a little bit of work from the North West, we decided to do a self-help and build a road. When we did, it was me, my wife, and my children who dug out the new road.” Eventually, the family’s efforts were noticed by different ministers, and they gained support for their venture, leaving their mark on the community.
Today, Francis works a humble job as the school’s security guard. Life on the island has not been easy, but it has been a truly unique experience. Leaving the only home they had ever known to restart in the name of family. As he shared, “I am glad I get a job here. I don’t have to jump over wood or lift bags or dig, plough, or go on any boats. I am already old, and I thank God I am still here.” Francis now lives a simple life, still with his children and now grandchildren at heart and a father’s love as his driving force.
