Digging Up New Skills
Venita is among several young women happy and proud to be a part of the growing field of machine operation (Samuel Maughn photos)
Venita is among several young women happy and proud to be a part of the growing field of machine operation (Samuel Maughn photos)

Single mother and operator breaks new ground in a male-dominated field

 

GUYANA’S success has reached the global stage. However, at the very root of international change are the small developments in the everyday lives of Guyanese people. Venita Chatergoon is breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry as a female heavy-duty machine operator.

With a passion for her career and a drive to empower others, she has not only overcome the challenges of working in a masculine field but has also become a source of inspiration for her community. As a single mother and a trailblazer in the agricultural and construction sectors, Venita is proving that women can thrive in roles traditionally held by men while also giving back to her community in ways she never imagined possible.

In No. 5 Village, machine operation is a popular job in the region, but it is dominated by men. Since 2023, however, Venita has been one of the region’s newest operators. Now, almost two years later, she is among the most skilled in the Mahaica-Mahaicony region, doing impactful work to help develop and safeguard agriculture. Venita was one of the many young men and women trained under the Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training in collaboration with the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary Agricultural Development Authority.

Single mother and heavy-duty machine operator Venita Chatergoon (Samuel Maughn photos)

Although she is still new to the field, Venita says that learning machine operation has opened new doors and given rise to new opportunities. As she shares, “I started working in machine operation in 2023, on the 1st of February. I did training, and then I applied and got a job, and to this day, I’m still employed.” Her passion for the job, however, runs deeper than just employment; it is a career she is fully dedicated to. “This isn’t just a job for me; it’s like a career choice,” she told the Pepperpot Magazine.

The first step into this new role came with nervousness, especially as one of the first females to join a traditionally male training programme. “We were the first batch of female operators to be trained in heavy-duty machine operation.” She further added, “It was a big nervous moment in my life.” Despite the nervousness, she quickly found support and strength in her colleagues. “We had fun while learning with other operators during on-the-job training. We learned to drive trucks, tractors, excavators, you name it,” she said.

A major milestone for Venita came when she got her first real-life experience on an excavator through the Ministry of Agriculture, which she describes as a deeply emotional moment. “After the minister gave us our excavator last year, I was ecstatic to the point that I was crying,” she recalls. This event marked the moment when she could finally apply her training to real-world tasks. “It gave me a chance to put the skills that I was taught to good use,” she stated, noting that the work she does benefits both her family and community. “I’m helping my community in a way that I didn’t think I could have done.”

Venita says that she faces challenges as a female in a traditionally male-dominated industry. But she has found support and encouragement from her fellow trainees, many of whom are young men. “The same males are the ones encouraging you to go into it as a female. Because it brings a light to the 21st century. We’re not back in the old age. This is a new millennium. Women can do it,” she stated. Venita champions the idea that women are more than capable of succeeding in roles traditionally reserved for men, further adding, “You can do it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re female or male.”

Balancing the demands of her career with being a single mother has not been easy, but Venita embraces the challenge. “Being a single mom and a female in a male-dominated field can be tough. You have to cater to the needs of being at home and doing family duties while being in the field, acting and moving like a man,” she shared. Yet, she encourages women to never compare themselves to men. “Don’t ever evaluate yourself and compare yourself with men. We can’t be like them.” She added, “We have to find our strength within ourselves.”

Venita also champions the importance of giving back to the community, something she is committed to through her work. Although she is just one of many machine operators in the Mahaica-Mahaicony region, Venita plays a major role in supporting the region’s agricultural sector. “For me, the fact that I am able to maintain those areas, have them clean, make sure that people can go to their farms, the water is regularly maintained, and drainage is maintained for the water to flow properly for them to get to have their crops maintained,” she further explains, “We have a major role for every community in the city and the country itself. And if we don’t fulfil that part, then we’re definitely not going anywhere.”

Looking to the future, Venita is determined to continue growing in her career and help other women break into the field. “I want to sharpen my skills more,” she says. She further added, “I would have loved to come out from the mini excavator to the bigger ones to start working.” Beyond that, she’s eager to help other women follow in her footsteps. “I want to be able to, if possible, assist more females who want to come out. And if I could help train them or whatever, possibly if I could give back the same way I was given, I would do that.”

 

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