-Otis Roberts tells his story

GROWING up in Supenaam Creek, Essequibo River, Otis Roberts learned at an early age the value of things due to his disciplined upbringing and strong parental guidance.

He is from a small riverine village located about 500 metres from the mouth of the Essequibo River and he grew up with a deep love and appreciation for sports, especially football and cricket.

Roberts also served as a Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) councillor, and he became self-employed when he managed to establish his own speedboat service.

The father of four told the Guyana Chronicle that Roberts Speedboat Service plies the Parika/Supenaam route, and he is also a licensed tour operator.

The 37-year-old stated that he provides tours to both locals and foreigners (tourists) and would provide this service to Hogg Island, Fort Island, Saxacalli Beach, Baracara Falls, and Tiperu Falls, among other places, all located in the Essequibo River.

Roberts reported that he has reasonably priced tour packages with his two boats and has teamed up with his brother, Christopher, to establish Roberts Speedboat Service.

“Growing up in Supenaam Creek gave me a strong connection of the river life as a youth and I learned a lot of things such as the tides, the currents, weather patterns, etc and since business was part of my family, my parents had a food business at Supenaam waterfront and that motivated me to become independent at an early age,” he said.

Roberts related that he began rearing meat birds, knowing the principles of hard work and dedication he went into entrepreneurship, he used to walk and sell plantain chips to earn to send himself to school.

He stated that his father worked as a speedboat operator when he was younger and today, he is the monitor at the Supenaam stelling for the speedboat service.

He gathered the know how to run a successful business as a young man and after he completed secondary education, he went to Kuru Kuru Training College to pursue skills training programmes.

Roberts added that he spent 11 months at the training facility and was successful in his courses in joinery and Information Technology.

Following the graduation, he returned home and began working as a bowman with a privately-owned speedboat operator for some time.

After gaining some experience in that field, Roberts became a schoolteacher, moving around mostly in the Essequibo River, teaching at Hogg Island, Great Troolie Island, and Karia Karia Primary schools for four years.

When Roberts had children, he knew he had to choose his career carefully in order to provide adequately for his family.

He decided to quit teaching after four years in the profession and he attained his boat-captaincy licence and began working with boat owner, the late Elton Wong, who had provided mentorship to him over the years.

It was Wong who encouraged him to get his own boat to start his own speedboat service to earn a livelihood because he wanted his children (family) to be financially stable to pursue tertiary education.

Roberts said it was Wong who helped him to establish his own speedboat service and without his (Wong’s) input, he probably wouldn’t have been able to.

He has been in the speedboat service for 11 years now and he worked with Wong for almost nine years before he recognised the potential the industry had to offer in becoming self-employed.

Roberts attributes his success to President, Dr Irfaan Ali, who during a meeting enabled the Maritime Department to reopen the licensing of private speedboat service for locals. In 2020, he was granted approval for his boat licence.

He began operating his first boat soon after and a year later he was able to secure his second boat. These two boats and one belonging to his brother operate as part of Roberts’ Speedboat Service.

As he spoke with this publication, Roberts revealed that he used to walk and sell boiled corn, referred to as ‘gun oil,’ a trade he did to assist himself and four siblings to attend school.

He is very grateful for his family, who has always been by his side, in the highs and lows of his successes and for that he is very fortunate to have people beside him every step of the way.

“The speedboat business has potential, and my service is widely known because of the service we provide in meeting the needs and expectations of passengers. We do it the right and safe way, everything is licensed and legal with all safety measures in place,” he said.

Roberts stated that the speedboat business is something you have to keep investing in to remain operational and he is thankful to his wife, who is a pillar of strength in his journey of gaining boat ownership.

“For young entrepreneurs, my advice is simple: stay committed, be willing to put in the work and never give up. Successes don’t come overnight but with the right mindset and persistence, you can build something great,” Roberts said.