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Jul 20, 2018 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Do you shop often at the supermarkets? Well if you do, except Massy in Providence, Bounty branches on Water Street and Regent Streets, and DSL on Mandela Avenue, I shop not regularly but incessantly at all the other supermarkets in Georgetown – DSL, Survival, Nirva, Budget, Mattai, True Value, Gainmart, Bounty in Kitty, etc.
The cashiers and attendants know me very well. In some instances, they tell me about their problems in general. About twelve years ago, while chatting with one of the cashiers at Survival on Vlissengen Road, she asked me to get a job for her. I was curious – she was already employed. This young lady had ten CXC subjects with Grade 2 in Maths and English and was doing cashier work at a supermarket. But that was not all.
Things were bad in Essequibo and she had three other siblings. She was the eldest. She came to Georgetown in search of a job. She found one at Survival. This is still not the end of the story. She was renting a place with another girl in Cummings Lodge. With rent, transportation cost and food expense, this girl was not saving a cent. In addition, she had to work at nights and went home late. I agreed to help because life had to be kinder to her.
I went to a friend of mine who had a big position in Guyana – Mike Khan. He was the CEO of a public sector organization that employs hundreds – Georgetown Public Hospital. Mike employed her the next week. About five years after, I saw her at the hospital and she was quite happy. I don’t know what became of her. I never knew her name so I can’t research her history at the hospital.
I meet people like that girl all the time in many, many commercial places especially the supermarkets. You are not going to believe these two situations I am about to disclose to you. There is a young man in his early twenties packing your items in the black bags as you leave the cashier.
It was through my regular chats with him that I found out that this boy (he is literally a boy) has ten CXC with Maths and English at grade 2. He couldn’t find work so he spent a year at UG to do business studies. But he couldn’t continue because of the family situation. He just had to find work. He found doing what he currently does.
He said, “Mr. Kissoon, I know you won’t believe it but I completed one year at UG.” How could a young man with such qualification be a packing boy at a supermarket? Here is the other one. Her story reminds me of the Survival employee twelve years ago. It is so identical you would not believe it. Because of economic pressure in the family in Essequibo, she came to Georgetown in search of a better life. She found one as a supermarket cashier. She rents a flat with another girl in Cummings Lodge.
This young lady has thirteen CXC subjects with distinction in Maths and Grade 2 in English.
Here is the problem. With that kind of CXC performance, they can enter UG but they have to live and to live they have to work so UG doesn’t come into the equation. It is the need to earn that made the young boy leave UG in the first place.
My thinking on this issue is either they find better jobs or they are given well-funded scholarships to go to UG. Both of these young persons have asked me for help. But times have changed since twelve years ago.
I don’t socialize with power people. I campaigned for the AFC then the AFC became a monster and I keep away from AFC personnel except Michael Carrington who was a personal friend moons and moons ago.
I don’t know the powerhouses in the PNC leadership to the point of asking them a favour. I do not socialize with wealthy people. I do not socialize with the business world. I cannot get employment for people. So my assistance to these two kids has taken the form of this column. My cell is 614-5927. Home is 222-1615/1616. Email is fredkissoon@yahoo.com.
Finally, an update on two columns. I had asked readers to join me in filing a writ against the post office. I received many positive replies. The other is the result of a personal poll on readers’ attitude to the two teenage girls whose murder charge for killing their father was dropped by the DPP. I will offer a feedback on both matters later.

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