“Farming gives me my independence.”
At just 15, I got my farm, ‘high bush’ forest back then. Coffee was my first crop, a whole acre of it. But the Acoushi ants had other plans. Over the years, I planted more, before the gold mines pulled me away. By the time I returned, the jungle had devoured everything, forcing me to start fresh again.
My love for farming actually began with an old Copra seller. He did well for himself so I asked him for a single sapling. “Boy, you must plant,” he said, “this same coconut give me a house.” So, I planted.
I married Angela much later in life. Here it’s just the two of us.
My foot may slow me down, but the older I get, my love for planting only grows.
Retold by Danielle Swain; danielle@newsroom.gy |Photography Yusuf Ali |Series editor Neil Marks
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The News Room team travels across Guyana to bring news and features to you. Along the way, we meet Guyanese from all walks of life who have remarkable stories to tell. We believe in the power of these stories to connect us, both as Guyanese and as human beings. People of the Republic was created to record these stories and highlight our collective identity. These stories belong to all Guyanese and weave the fabric of who we are as a people. We are grateful to be able to share them with you. One People. One Nation. One Destiny. One story at a time.