From heartbreak to independence, a Stabroek Market vendor shares her story

EVERY year, Guyana joins the rest of the world in celebrating International Women’s Day and this week, the Pepperpot Magazine ventured to Stabroek Market to gain a better perspective on the strength, stories and perseverance of the everyday Guyanese woman.

Beneath the iconic Stabroek Market Clock, Natasha Ramlal begins her day at 7 a.m. sharp. A market vendor since her teenage years, the 33-year-old is a well-known name in Stabroek. Having sold fabric for the past 17 years, Natasha has become an expert in the trade. But behind her effortless craft is a story of resilience—one stitched together through struggle, single motherhood, and an unyielding determination to stand on her own.

Seated amid the hustle and bustle of the marketplace, Natasha shared that she grew up in Number 2 Canal on the West Bank of Demerara as the eldest of six children. With three brothers and two sisters, responsibility came early. “I was the eldest daughter, so I started mothering from small,” she shared during her interview with Pepperpot.

That sense of duty carried Natasha into her teenage years and into motherhood. At just 16, she met the man who would become her husband. Married young, she started a family, eventually having three children—now aged 14, 13, and 9.

But as the years passed, the relationship fell apart. “At the age of 27, I got separated. My husband was working in the interior, and I found out he was unfaithful. He made a child outside of our marriage,” she revealed. The betrayal was devastating, not just emotionally but financially. As a young mother who had depended on her husband’s income, she suddenly found herself solely responsible for her children.

Having worked in the market before marriage, Natasha decided to return to what she knew best. “I used to work at the market before, but then I stopped after I got married. After I had my three kids and we separated, I said, ‘You better come back to work,’” she recalled.

Being a single mother was not easy. The weight of responsibility was overwhelming. “For a while, I was a single mom. It was hard—sending the children to school and then having to come here and work,” she admitted. The stress took a toll, and in her lowest moments, she turned to alcohol to cope. “It was stressful. I got depression. I couldn’t concentrate. And I started drinking and drinking, getting drunk, drunk, drunk,” she shared.

But even in her darkest moments, her children remained her priority. Determined to turn her life around, and with the support of her now-partner, Natasha overcame her struggles. “I sat down one day and said, ‘Tasha, this is not for you.’ And that’s when I met the person I’m with now, and they helped me. Now, I don’t drink,” she said.

For Natasha, returning to Stabroek Market was more than just a job—it was a path to survival and independence. “Everything happened here,” she reflected. “I started working at 16. I stopped, and then I came back. So I’ve been in this market all the time.” Selling fabric became her way of rebuilding her life. “We sell mostly fabrics—chair material, sofa material, African prints,” she explained. “A guy brings them in from different parts of the world, and we buy from him.”

Even though she has spent years in the business, she acknowledges that the market is not what it used to be. “When I first came here, the market was bright. The market was good. But now, this is how it is—day by day, it’s different.” Still, she remains steadfast. “Doing this work now is simple for me. Maybe because I’ve been here long, but it would be hard for somebody new to come in and try to do it,” she noted.

Her work not only supports her family but also gives her purpose. “When you have six children, you gotta try to start life early,” she said. “If you don’t start life early, it’s not gonna work. Now I have my own children, and I’m trying to give them the life I never had.”

As someone who has endured hardship, Natasha has strong views on the struggles many women face, particularly in relationships. “For the past couple of years, a lot of violence is going on—especially with women,” she said. “Women have to stand up for their rights now.” She believes too many women remain in abusive relationships because they feel they have no choice.

Natasha hopes to see more resources in Guyana for women facing abuse. “Women got to stop taking beatings from men and try to walk away,” she insisted. “But some women try to get out and can’t. They need to open something where a woman can go and express herself.” For Natasha, leaving her marriage was a difficult but necessary decision. “I’m glad I got out,” she admitted.

Through early marriage, heartbreak, and financial struggle, Natasha has proven that resilience is built thread by thread. From behind her fabric stall in Stabroek Market, she continues to push forward—not just for herself, but for her children and the future she hopes to give them.