Embracing loss to leadership… Sir La Cruiz Joe and the Work of Belief in Paramakatoi’s Students

Dec 25, 2025 News

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(Kaieteur News) – In Paramakatoi, education is not an abstract idea. It is lived. It is walked, waited for, translated, shared, and earned. La Cruiz Joe, a teacher and coach at the Paramakatoi Learning Pod, understands this intimately. His journey into education was shaped early by loss.

Three years before he sat the Common Entrance examination, his mother passed away, leaving behind a newborn and children who had to grow up quickly. As the eldest child, responsibility arrived before readiness. Grief followed him through primary and secondary school, weighing on both his confidence and his academic performance. For years, he underperformed, not because of a lack of ability, but because pain has a way of dulling belief. What changed his trajectory was not punishment or pressure, but people. An aunt and uncle who provided patience and stability. A welfare officer who paid attention and intervened when it mattered.

Adults who saw promise even when results lagged. When La Cruiz Joe began to understand that others genuinely believed in him, he began to work harder and believe in himself. His grades improved, but more importantly, his sense of self returned. That experience now defines how he teaches. His grandparents, who raised him, were illiterate. They never attended school, could not speak English, and could not write. Still, they believed deeply in education. They ensured school attendance every day, made sure meals were ready, and reminded the children that farming life, while honorable, was hard. School was often far, nearly forty minutes away in the farm area, and staying at the village home was rare. Education was treated as the doorway to opportunity, even if they themselves never passed through it. Like many young people, La Cruiz Joe went through a rebellious phase. What stayed constant was guidance. People continued to support him, correct him, and offer second chances.

When he entered the teaching profession, he quickly recognized familiar patterns in his students. Many were navigating grief, poverty, language barriers, and self-doubt. He began sharing his own story openly, not to seek sympathy, but to show what perseverance looks like in real terms. That honesty created trust. Students listened because they felt seen. When he is not teaching or coaching, La Cruiz Joe prioritizes time with his children. Loss has taught him that time is not guaranteed. Weekends are often spent on the farm, planting or harvesting to support the household. These moments are grounding. They reinforce the values he brings into the classroom; discipline, care, and responsibility. The realities of education in Paramakatoi are demanding.

The community relies on one secondary school to serve several villages. Dormitories and classrooms are overcrowded, as many students must board to attend school. Internet access depends on unstable satellite connections, where even sending a simple message can take time. There is no fully equipped information technology lab, despite students’ eagerness to learn. Transportation is costly and unreliable, especially during the rainy season. For many students, English is a second language, with Patamona and Macushi spoken first. Some children walk up to an hour daily to reach school. Others live away from home from as young as eleven. Citizens understand that teaching in Paramakatoi requires resilience, adaptability, and cultural sensitivity. Resources that coastal schools take for granted are often unavailable.

Parental involvement is limited, and students struggle with English and Mathematics under difficult conditions. Yet La Cruiz Joe remains motivated because he knows success is still possible. He is living proof. The Paramakatoi Learning Pod exists because of the kind sponsorship of the MODEC company and the collective efforts of students, parents and Ms. Krystal Fisher, a fellow teacher whose leadership plays a vital role in bringing the learning pod into the school and who continues to support the pod daily. Ms Fisher’s commitment has helped sustain the program and strengthen its impact within the community. For La Cruiz Joe, teaching is not about ideal conditions. It is about showing up anyway. It is about standing with students as they navigate hardship and helping them believe, sometimes for the first time, that their circumstances do not define their future. In Paramakatoi, that belief is not theoretical. It is practiced, every day, in classrooms filled with determination.

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• La Cruiz Joe, Learning Pod, Paramakatoi, students

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