A “man of the soil” celebrates his 85th birthday

Oct 21, 2013 News

“My journey over the years has not been easy but I treated every disappointment as a step forward”- Dr. Yesu Persaud

“Always stand for what is right. What is right is goodness, humanity and humility,” Dr. Yesu Persaud told guests who gathered yesterday at a Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara mandir in honour of the business icon’s 85th birthday.

Dr. Persaud welcomes African Cultural Development Association (ACDA)’s Executive Director, Eric Phillips.

The celebration was organized by members of the mandir, and businessmen across the country attended the simple ceremony for Dr. Persaud.
Persaud is the Chairman of the Demerara Bank, and Chairman of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), one of the country’s most diverse business enterprises, known around the world for the El Dorado brand of rums.
He heads the Institute for Private Enterprise Development, which provides small and micro financing for small Guyanese entrepreneurs. Dr. Persaud is also a founding member of the Indian Arrival Committee, which was later converted into the Indian Commemoration Trust.
He is single-handedly responsible for creating the Monument Gardens, which hosts the replica of HMS Whitby, the vessel that brought the first batch of Indian indentured labourers to Guyana in 1838.
At the ceremony, Dr. Persaud said, “I have done my best and I think in life whatever you can do, you do and don’t worry with people because they would want to pull you down but never allow them to do that.”
He also requested parents to pay more interest in their children and ensure they tread the right path. “Young people get very disillusioned because of their surroundings.”
“They are so many people looking for jobs but can’t find and they are becoming very disappointed and then they turn to drugs and all sorts of things,” Dr. Persaud stressed.
Dr. Persaud was described as an icon and a gift to society.