A story of resilience

By Indrawattie Natram

Women across the world have been the strength behind their families, and many are poor single parents who struggle daily to provide a decent way of life for their children while guiding them to their own future successes.
Forty-year-old Devika Persaud of Mainstay Village on the Essequibo Coast is one such single mother of four girls, including triplets who were born Nov. 2, 1994. In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Persaud said she remembers that day vividly, as it was raining that morning when, around 2:00am, the triplets, Radha, the eldest, followed by Rajshri then Reenica, were born by Caesarean section at Woodlands Hospital in Georgetown.
Never having ultrasound during her pregnancy, Persaud said it was a “surprise” to discover upon delivery that she was having triplets. She wasn’t aware of any multiple births in her or her husband’s families before.

She described that day as the most memorable day in her life and the most life changing.
A humble woman, Devika, who never received a formal education, married young and settled into the role of wife and mother when the first girl, Kavita, was born. But all that changed a year later after the three girls arrived.
Just three days after the birth of the triplets, Devika and her husband had a misunderstanding and separated.
Persaud, who was originally from Essequibo but living in Georgetown at the time, said after the separation she was forced to return to Essequibo and start all over again from scratch with her daughters. “It was not easy; I didn’t have a house… nothing… and my hands were filled with so many children to take care of,” she recalled emotionally.
Working first as a domestic, Persaud said her income was meagre and never enough to support herself and her four daughters, but with the assistance of kind family members she got by. Her husband has since never supported the family in any way and has remained out of their lives.
For Devika, education, she confessed, became her priority for her daughters, now 18 and 17 years old; with the triplets recently completing their secondary education. Ensuring they obtain a good educational foundation however, she recalled, was not easy, but with her determination to ensure they got one, she worked tirelessly.
Reflecting over the years, Devika believes that her strong values and morals she taught her young daughters are ingrained in them, and today they continue to put smiles on her face. She said her daughters, who have also made education and religion their hallmarks, have stuck to those principles, and their attitude to life has made them resist being caught up with the present social ills that other parents battle with. She said her daughters were never exposed to parties and other such entertainment, and today she is proud of her girls, and boasted that all four daughters under her roof have attained an education and are improving their lives.
Persaud, presently working as a security guard for the Neal and Massey company, said two of the girls are now employed and two are currently attending extra lessons in an effort to rewrite Maths and English.
She noted that although her resources were limited for her daughters, they never complained during the difficult times.
“They never used to take public transportation to school, instead they used to walk mornings and evenings to school and lessons; ever since they started school they walked; they would begin their journey early morning so they will reach in time for school. Sometimes, kind persons used to stop and give them a lift to school,” she recollected.
“They knew my situation, and never persisted [in having] or wanted anything I couldn’t afford,” she said gratefully, while thanking all those who helped in supporting her moulding of her daughters too over the years.
Kavita, Rajshri, Radha and Reenica praised their mother for her pivotal role in their lives, and said she should be complimented for her tireless efforts, especially in her struggle for their education. They described their mother as hard working and displaying the true meaning of independence and commitment.
The close- knit family say they share everything with each other and are happy with their life together – however, the girls do wish they had a brother.