…“Braff” tells his story of hard work,
determination and success
By Lakhram Bhagirat
One thing that is guaranteed in life is the fact that at some point, there is going to be struggles, but how we deal with those struggles is what truly defines us as individuals. The struggles we encounter should not be what defines us, rather we should use those struggles to achieve our end goals.
On the paved road, there is always going to be bumps but when we fall, we should get back up, dust off and continue. For 47 years, Rambarran “Braff” Persaud has been constantly dusting himself off and has no plans of going down without a battle.
Persaud’s story is one that resonates with many Guyanese, mostly in the poverty-stricken areas, since they know the battle to survive every day. When life handed him the short end of the stick, Persaud knew he needed to forge ahead in order to “become something”.
Born in deep poverty to a family that depended on the water for their living, from an early age Persaud knew the value of hard work. He knew that life would be different from that of many others. As a child, he had no idea what the inside of a school looked like but he knew the ins and outs of being a fisherman.
“Me father didn’t have a choice but to carry we. He never try to put we somewhere else but he always say that we must treat the workers nice because fisher wuk nah easy,” he said.
At the tender age of 9, when most people are busy playing with their friends and going to school, Persaud would get up early and go with his father onto the Atlantic Ocean as he sought to learn the workings of becoming a fisherman. After his father felt that he had accumulated enough knowledge, Persaud was given his own boat along with his brother and they would go out on their own.
At that time, the Unity, Mahaica native would just go close to shore and fish with his brother. They would bring in their catch and prepare for the next day.
“We used to go out on the beach corner. Abay never go to school. Long time the wuk nah been hard because you used to get plenty fish and you used to get the money. Now it [the work] is better but the fish get hard. It [the fish] is not so plenty and there is plenty boat and you nah get the price fuh the fish,” he said.
From his childhood days at sea, Persaud remembers that there were times when the rain would soak them, the sun would bake them, and their boat would go down in the water but they braved it all. He said back then he was never afforded the opportunity to own or be given a cloak to shelter from the rain or sun, rather he would use cloth seine as protection and wrap up in it.
The hardships, according to him, have shaped him and drives him to achieve a better standard of living. Working at an early age and being forced to grow up meant that Persaud’s life was fast-tracked. In 1988, he met and eloped with Anita Jairam. Their life of struggling entered a new dimension but for him, the support system was there and ever present.
Out of their union came seven children and as his family grew, Persaud knew that life needed to be different for his four daughters and three sons. He knew that the opportunities that he failed to get needed to be presented to his children. Education needed to play an integral role in their development.
He began to tread a different path and ensured that at no time would he take his children out of school to join the family fishing business. While he would take care of the home and send his children to school, his wife stood by his side and they persevered. They saved whatever they could, whenever they could and about five years ago, it all became worth it.
After years of working for one of his sisters who owns a boat, Persaud was able to acquire his own.
“Lil bit, lil bit we save up and first me buy me engine and then some seine and then me buy me boat. Life is nice now. Me nah regret because me wuk and get me own boat and thing. Before then, me used to wuk meh sister boat.”
Over the years that he has been a fisherman, Persaud said that he has never had any major incident or been attacked while on the water. He lamented that piracy is mostly a concern for persons in Region Six but added that they are also aware and always alerted.
“Don’t start going to sea young because it hard.
Long time you nah even get a cloak or a piece ah plastic and you got to be in the rain and rain and sun ah beat you. Me father always tell me that you must treat yuh workers nice because fisher wuk nah easy so nah invest yuh money in something you nah know nothing about,” he advised.
With two sons still in school, Persaud continues to push to further improve their lives.
He said that he is sure that the fishing industry is not for his children since he once took his older son out to sea but seasickness got the best of him and he never went back.
Whenever he is not out in the ocean, you can find Persaud and his workers at the Mahaicony Stelling repairing their seines before they prepare to go back out.
