Forging a Future
⁠Altaff Basalot hard at work turning his passion into a thriving business (Samuel Maughn Photo)
⁠Altaff Basalot hard at work turning his passion into a thriving business (Samuel Maughn Photo)

One young man’s journey from trainee to entrepreneur

Along the Mahaica-Mahaicony region of Guyana, a significant change in pace is unfolding. Across the easygoing community of the Berbice region, large-scale work and fast-paced projects are becoming the norm. With these new developments comes a whole new generation of workers—a team of ambitious young men proving that, with even the simplest skills, they can develop themselves by building businesses, their communities, and their country.

Twenty-three-year-old Altaff Basalot is one of these individuals. When he first heard about the opportunity to learn welding, he wasn’t particularly excited. Speaking to the Pepperpot Magazine, he shared that he initially didn’t want to join the training programme offered by the Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT). However, Altaff’s perspective changed after experiencing the opportunities the programme provided. Now a welder with his own small business, he uses his skills to support his community and inspire other young people to embrace the value of learning a trade.

Like many young people involved in the training programme, Altaff was born and raised in an agricultural community called Britannia, located on the West Coast of Berbice. “I’m from Britannia, West Coast. My community is a very small community,” he explained. He further shared, “Most people do not know about the community, but it’s strong. It’s people that plant rice, build tractors, and help people with mines.”

Altaff’s colleague Darren Sahadeo, another young welder and entrepreneur (Samuel Maughn Photo)

When he first ventured into the training programme offered at the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA), Altaff didn’t enjoy the theory aspect of the training. Having never been a fan of school, he saw little appeal in the welding programme. However, encouragement from his trainers, family, and friends made all the difference.

It was the practical work that truly captivated him. Seeing the complex inner workings of machines and the sparks of a welding rod sparked a fascination that hasn’t left him since. “So now, I just come and train one day, and when I come and train, I see the bikes and go to the workshop. I’ve never seen that before, and I just fall in love with it. I can’t help but see everybody doing it,” he said. “From that day on, I just start coming every single day for this training.”

After recently graduating with a BIT certificate in welding, Altaff is making waves in his community. Described as highly skilled by his trainers, Altaff is giving back to his village and its bustling agricultural sector, helping tractor owners keep their machines running with on-call maintenance. As Altaff explained, “I just really give to my community. Because nobody have tractors. So, if one of them broke anything, I just come here. I just go with them. Help them out.” He further added, “Sometimes I don’t even take money; I just do it to give back to my community.”

Altaff says he is thankful for the opportunity to learn a skill. Growing up in rural Berbice, he, like many young men, struggled to find work. “It’s a very small village. So, I really give thanks to MMA, BIT, and the Ministry. If it was not for the training I got, I wouldn’t be here today,” he said. Before venturing into welding, Altaff shared that the most common job among men his age was carpentry. “It was a nice thing growing up here, but there were not many jobs. Before this, I used to do carpenter work.”

Altaff has gone a step further and is now an entrepreneur. Although his business is still in its early stages, he is quickly becoming one of the community’s well-known welders. Working alongside a fellow BIT graduate, Darren Sahadeo, Altaff is proud of the strides he has made. As he stated, “I just fell in love with welding. And I’ve been doing it since then. Since then, I’ve been doing it.” He added, “Yeah, I got my own real small business. It is not much. It’s me alone. I get somebody call me. I go by them. I help them out.”

Altaff also encourages other young men to take up the mantle and learn a skill, whether it’s welding, machine operation, or mechanics. “As a young man growing up, you should know a trade; it’s very good. And it’s very important for a person to know a trade.” According to Altaff, learning something new, regardless of how simple, can open new opportunities. “Some youth, man, out on the road, right? You see them. They’re not doing nothing,” he said. “I would say to young men right now, as a youth, learn a trade. Every youth supposed to know a trade.”

From a young man unsure about his path to a business owner dedicated to giving back, Altaff proves that it’s never too late to change your trajectory. His message to young people is simple yet powerful: “Learn a trade. Trade is a very important thing. Every youth should know something.” Altaff’s journey serves as an inspiring reminder that with hard work and the right opportunities, success is within reach.

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