African Guyanese need to return to entrepreneurship

Aug 03, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
Prior to 1964, I vividly remember our African brothers being involved in agriculture especially the cultivation of ground provisions, rice, fruits and vegetables. Also, they dominated the construction industry as masons, carpenters, joiners, painters, etc and were involved in the fishing industry as well. As a little boy growing up in Little Korea (Ann’s Grove- Clonbrook), I frequently visited Cousin Tom (Tom Alexander) for the gift of mangoes and other fruits.
Cousin Tom taught my father the difference between riches and wealth. He said that wealth increases by itself such as mango and other fruit trees, livestock, etc. You earn riches (money) through toiling and sweating. Further, he emphasised that when you produce wealth, you learn to manage it, accumulate it and finally profit from it. That is what the freed slaves accomplished.
Meanwhile, my father’s friends, George Gulliver and Petal Andrews, gifted our family with ground provisions, plantains, bananas, etc while we shared our cooked Indian dishes with them and their families. This was replicated over and over by members of the community. These men followed the examples of their mentors who had bought the villages after gaining their freedom from slavery. After 1964, the offspring of these men seem to have lost their way and gravitated towards office jobs and today comprise the majority of public servants, lawyers, security personnel, sales clerks, etc.
They ceased to be producers of wealth and have become consumers of it. In this scenario, few are involved in agriculture, fishing etc while the East Indians dominate these areas. In this way, our African people are banking their money in East Indian apron pockets since they have to eat. This is the sad reality which African leaders must face if ever they desire to lift their people out of poverty. To do otherwise is to court disaster.
Hence, African leaders should provide more role models in agriculture, fishing, etc for young people to emulate now and in the future. Already, we have an over-abundance of role models in music, sports, athletics, public service, etc. Talking, making fancy speeches, promising, etc will never lift you out of poverty and create sustainable livelihoods. Our African leaders must show their constituencies that they are interested in more than votes at election time and our youths must pick up their beds and walk.
Ed Singh

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