The Neighborhood Where I Was Born & Grew Up!
Mimbari
October 16-2007:
The Neighborhood Where I Was Born & Grew Up!
I was born on March-05-1950, in the neighborhood of Charlestown-
Georgetown, British Guiana. This neighborhood is typical of most
neighborhoods at that period in the City of Georgetown. It consisted
of a multi-ethnic array of residents, many of whom could trace their
ancestral lineage from that same neighborhood. I have also learned in
time, that most residents who lived there for long periods, would not
move out, unless it was vitally necessary to do so. Because the rents
remained very stable over very long periods.
Most of the friendships that I made attended my school from
kindergarten to elementary levels, up to the fifth standard. The
school that I attended from kindergarten to secondary level, was in
the same neighborhood, and occupied the same real estate or property.
So it was not necessary for me to leave one school, to attend another
one at another location, like so many of today's beginners.
I could recall my very first teacher in kindergarten too. Her name
Miss Fraser. She was a very fat and short in stature, with a booming
and high pitched voice. She also had her children attend the Carmel R
C. School also. It was one of the Roman Catholic schools that was
targeted by residents in and around Charlestown, Albouystown, and Werk-
En-Rust neighborhoods.
So if you grew up in any one of those neighborhoods, chances are that
you would attend the Carmel RC School too. There was also St. Philip's
School, (an Anglican School), and the Dolphin Government School. These
were the primary levels. Then there was the Central High School ( a
private school), Chatham High School, St. Stanislaus High School, (A
Catholic High School), and the Muslim Educational Trust School. All
of these schools competed for pupils, and overtime, each one developed
a reputation for academic proficiency, respectability, and most
desired, in that neighborhood.
I never got beyond the sixth standard level. I was barely able to
study some O Level type courses at the GEC level. Because
circumstances at my home caused me to leave school at the fifth
standard, in search of employment. This I did reluctantly, but I had
to make a choice at that time between eating at home on a regular
basis, or not eating on a regular basis, if I continued in school.
Reasons being that my mother was the only provider economically at
home. There was no male or father figure that she could depend on for
financial assistance. So the burden of supporting and providing for
five children was solely on my mother's abilities and endurance.
So the first job that I was able to acquire, was at The Guiana
Lithographic Co., Ltd, as an Office Boy/Messenger. At a living wage of
eleven dollars and twenty-six cents per week ($11.26 per week). The
working hours were from 8.00am-4.00pm, from Monday to Saturday.
Saturday's were from 8.00am to 12.00 Noon. I worked there for five
years, before I was eventually retrenched or (given the boot), after
some organizational restructuring was done.
Thereafter, I sought other forms of employment, and worked at several
jobs in Government, the Private Sector, The Guyana National Service,
and finally Guyana National Insurance Organization for ten years. I
emigrated to the USA in 1989, after serving at NIS for over ten years.
After ensuring that I accumulated the prescribed amount of
contributions, that would make me eligible for a pension at sixty
years of age. And that was 750, (or Seven Hundred & Fifty
Contributions), as per NIS regulations.
Pollard's Govt. Aided Self-help Housing Group:
"Meadow Brook Gardens."
This was a period in my life that today is still very painful to talk
about, much less write about. But it must be written, and it can only
be written by me, for I am the only survivor of that experience
capable of explaining it, because I was personally involved throughout
the entire project!
Sometime in the 1960's my mother who was a member of a group of
individuals that wanted to own their own home, was eventually given
the opportunity to realize it from the then PNC government headed by
Prime Minister L.F.S.Burhnam. This Housing Project was one of several
that was implemented by the government, to aid poor people in
attaining homes with State assistance. This concept was called the
'self-help' or co-operative approach for building homes. Several
groups were called in, lands were identified for each group to build
houses on, accompanied by a government Supervisor/organizer for
official guidance & supervision of building materials.
We were called 'Self-helpers' & toiled days & nights for over two
years in the building process. The work was dreadfully hard for me as
a child. My Mom had to fool the authorities about my age (because
minors) were not allowed to help in the building of these homes. I
suppose several members of our group knew that I was under-age, but no
one 'snitched.' We were all poor people, and desperate to have a home
to call our own! In the rainy days & nights that followed, fighting
the mosquitoes & gnats and coping with the flooded lands that we were
given to build on, we toiled relentlessly until it's completion.
The going was very rough for the women especially among us. The men
often made them feel in-adequate by saying they were not pulling their
weight, and the men had the BRUNT of the work to shoulder. The
supervisor in his capacity as overseer, then would try to pacify these
contentions as he sees fit, by encouraging UNITY and camaraderie among
us. This helped greatly to alleviate many quarrels from getting out of
hand or physical.
Our homes were eventually completed in 1978, the keys handed to each
resident at a Total Cost then of $3 to 4,000.00 dollars per Unit.
Payable in monthly installments of $25.00 dollars to The Ministry Of
Housing, (Housing Dept). We moved in, all five of us.
My Mom (Enid, me, Valerie, Eulyn & Eileen),with the exception of my
eldest sister Patricia, who was by then already married & living with
her husband in Kitty Village, Newtown Georgetown. My mom became ill
some time afterwards from a heart condition & subsequently died.
The burden of paying the monthly/rental payments fell upon me now.
Before my mother died though, she never really liked being there. She
complained that it was too far for her to get to, and it encroached
upon her ability to continue puntering-gambling at the local 'horse-
race betting shop. So shortly after moving in, she deliberately
stayed away at her friend's home (as she referred), to be able to get
personal help with her illness. Incidentally, this friend of hers
"never gave us a dime" to assist me or anyone of us with the burial
of my mother, (her so-called friend)!
Some Facts About My Mother:
As far as I can recall, my mother never worked with anyone in her
adult life, except for one time. She was offered a position in a Take
Out Ice Cream Shop that was about to open. She was able to obtain this
position from the owner, whom she knew. However, the job description
was either never told to her, or she lied about it to us, (her
children). However, after two weeks on the job, she left it saying
that the supervisor wanted her to mop the floors, and that was not
what she was expecting to do. And that was that!
The first time my mom was offered a job, and she left it because (in
her own words), she was not prepared to do floors. My mom preferred
to visit the Betting Shop (which she did on a daily basis), to bet on
the horses. This was an obsession or addiction with her. She never
won anything in the thousands though. At least as far as I know. But
she was always hoping to 'Win Big' sometime in the future, that was
always illusive.
Thus ends the SAGA of my Formative Years in Guyana!
Derryck S. Griffith.
Guyanese.
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