As his father battles illness, young entrepreneur works to preserve a family legacy while calling for collaborative development in his hometown


ON the edge of the Bartica Arcade is a little shop that has an old soul, with a young entrepreneur at its helm. Ravindra Singh is the owner of Laban’s Variety, a business his father owned and operated for several decades before handing it over to him. A little business that seems to have everything, is lined with watches, electronics, perfumes, and decorative pieces and is one of the oldest stalls in the Bartica Market.

Now twenty-four years old, Ravindra has been around the arcade for most of his life. As a child, he would pass through the rows helping older vendors, trying to stay useful, trying to learn all he could about the market he found so interesting. As he shared, “At a tender age, I liked being in the market. I used to come through the arcade, helping people, finding something to do.”

Now, he’s preparing to take over the family business officially. The paperwork is still in process, and the name is being transferred from his father to him, a long and arduous process, he says. “I am now taking over my father’s business. I am working on getting my licence and paperwork right now.” He added, “In the past, it was my father. Now we are going to switch it to mine.”

More than a business, Laban’s Variety Store is to Ravindra his father’s legacy. To him, it’s more than just a way to earn money. It’s something built across generations—something that represents time spent, time earned, and now, time passed. “Everybody got a hobby. Everybody got their own method into, you know, getting money. And for us, my family, we earn money and make a living with this business.”

But things have changed for the business in recent years. Especially since the pandemic, the arcade has not been the same. Fewer people come out. The energy that once buzzed through Bartica during big events like Regatta has slowed down. “For a couple of days, the arcade was a little challenging for us,” he added, “People ain’t walking, people ain’t coming out—put aside pandemic, naturally everything change up rapidly.”

Even now, during the peak season, the stalls are quieter than he remembers. “We used to beg people to not pass this place. Imagine this is Regatta time, like now—we don’t sleep, we walk,” he further added, “This is the first time since I know myself this place has gone to sleep.”

Some of the changes, including movement restrictions and stall restructuring, have impacted vendors in small but real ways. “They have decided to do certain things where it kind of impact we as vendors in our little ways.” In response, he’s been adjusting the way he does business. “We got to use different methods and strategies where we could occupy different things,” he said. “We gotta come up with different strategies, and these things pitch it a little technical because those little things were our day-to-day living.”

Still, he tries to keep the business afloat, not just for himself but also for his family. When sales are low, and the cost of things around them continues to rise, the pressure adds up. As Ravindra shared, “Selling business as it is, when you don’t get the customers you used to, and you still have to provide stocks and pay the government, it is hard sometimes.”

Beyond business, Ravindra’s mind is on his father. His father, now 71, has been battling serious health issues and is currently undergoing dialysis. “My father already gone on dialysis a month now. It’s very expensive.” He added, “We have to find close to 80,000 now, three times a week.”

With rising health costs and limited options in Bartica, families are forced to travel to Georgetown for treatment. This is something Ravindra says he would like to see changed. “Personally, right now, I am concerned about the dialysis machine.” He added that although the region has seen major improvements in recent times, he still would like to see a dialysis machine closer to home. Ravindra stated, “The government knows what is best, and there are good things happening in Bartica. But the only thing I would like to see is for this town to have a dialysis machine like the one in Georgetown.”

The journey isn’t easy, especially for the elderly. “The travel to town from Bartica is a hectic thing for elder individuals.” He added, “My father is an elder person, 71 of age, he can’t take the heat.” He noted that the structure of the arcade itself doesn’t help. “When sun start to play a part here, the heat up there, it’s not healthy for us.” His hope is that some simple changes can be made. “I hope they give us certain upgrades, for example, more height in the stalls.”

Ravindra has been speaking with the local council to raise concerns. He hopes to work collaboratively to help develop the market. “I am trying my best to talk to the council to see what input they have.” He believes if enough people speak up, some attention could be given to the matter, and he has reached out to his fellow vendors and business owners to raise their voices and work with the region’s leaders.

The hope is that Bartica, now a township, will continue to receive the kind of infrastructure and services it needs. For Ravindra, the dream is to see the town grow while the people who live in it, especially the elderly, get the support they need. “I think if they fix the health side of our people, afterward they could put other things in place,” he said. “Health is a serious thing now.”

The business, while still running, is under pressure. The emotional weight of supporting his father, holding up the stall, and hoping for change all sit side by side. “It’s something very difficult to cope with,” he shared. As he continues preparing to take over fully, Ravindra is still determined to carve a new path in an old business. “Everybody know my father in the past. Now they gonna start to know me.” He knows the transition is more than just a business change; it’s a continuation of a legacy left behind by his father.