-Rayon Piggot tells her story of resilience, empowerment

IF she wasn’t persistent and went about seeking the assistance she needed, today, single mother Rayon Piggott would have been working for other people instead of being self-employed.

Her story is one of resilience and empowerment as a woman who did what she had to do to become an entrepreneur by utilising her inbred skills to earn.

Piggott told the Guyana Chronicle that she had been hearing persons talk of getting help from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and became a recipient of a brand-new industrial sewing machine from Food for the Poor (FFP) Guyana.

The single mother of three biological children and foster mother to three others works on a full-time basis from her home at Central Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden.

The 44-year-old reported that more than a month ago, she, along with a friend she knew since school days gathered up enough courage to journey to the city to seek assistance in acquiring sewing machines so they can earn.

She explained that at first they were very unsure of their decision to come to the city with letters in hand at FFP headquarters in Festival City, but managed to convince the staffers that they were worthy of the help they were seeking at the time.

Being an introvert, it was a difficult decision to leave Linden to venture into the city to ask for help, but she was in dire need of a new sewing machine. The existing one had long outlived its usefulness, and she was told that it cannot be fixed anymore.

Piggott stated that she had to put pride aside and ask for help, but she is not that kind of person, but she had a genuine need and thanks to FFP it was fulfilled.

Today, she is very happy, earning as a seamstress in her community, from the confines of her home rather than working with others.

She was once a taxi driver, but was more than pleased to quit that job, which was part-time, and is now fully committed to fulfilling dozens of orders for school uniforms.

Piggott explained that in the day, after completing household chores, she would take some time to rest. At night, when it is quiet, she would complete the school uniforms for customers.

“When I heard that we would both be getting brand new sewing machines, I was in tears because we took a chance and came to the city without knowing if we would have succeeded. And it happened because we prayed and we needed it so bad,” she said.

Back in the days, as a girl when there were no sewing machines, Piggott grew up watching her grandmother cut by hand, cloth to make dresses. She also hand-stitched them.

She was in awe at the finished product and knew she had to learn to do the same. Raw skills were acquired from a young age and put to use 13 years ago when she needed to earn.

Piggott disclosed that when she separated from her spouse, she had to seek a job to provide for her three children, all of whom were then minors.

She is a native of Kairuni Village, on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, and relocated to Linden for her children to be closer to school.

The seamstress related that she is earning, and is very happy she can, and is in the process of adopting a child she is fostering from a single father of three, who is her neighbour.

Piggott is full of hope, and is working towards saving up some money to buy a specialised sewing machine to do over-edge stitching to have a better-quality product, particularly uniforms.

The Linden resident pointed out that her adult daughter who used to assist her in sewing is employed as a trainee nurse, so she shares the bulk of the sewing with her friend, Fally Harris, who was the other beneficiary of a sewing machine from FFP.

Piggott added that for the first time in years, things are falling into place for her, and she is more than contented to be able to become self-employed to earn a living.

“Being a seamstress has provided for me and my children over the years, even with an old sewing machine then I had to use it, and I am very glad to be able to get a new one,” she said.

Piggott can sew just about any piece of clothing, made to order and can also do patterned clothing of suits, blouses, shirts, skirts, dresses and uniforms for teachers, nurses and others.

She can be reached on 670 3991.