By Lakhram Bhagirat
Daniel Boodhoo is a quiet, reserved and respectful young man and a teacher’s dream student. He does what is expected of him and questions his teachers if he does not understand a topic and for some of his teachers it came as no surprise when he secured five Grade Ones, two Grade Twos and a Grade Four at the CSEC level.
I first encountered Daniel when I joined the teaching staff at the Vreed en Hoop Secondary School and he always stood out amongst the boys in his class. His personality was dominant and his questions were sometimes never ending. While he was in Third Form, I taught him Integrated Science and when he sat the National Grade Nine Assessment, he was awarded the most outstanding Science student. Now he is the school’s top performer, gaining Grade One passes in Agricultural Science, Food and Nutrition, Human and Social Biology, Integrated Science, Mathematics; Grade Two in English A, Social Studies and a Grade Four in Family and Resource Management (Home Management).
“I was surprised to see that I do so good. I worked very hard though but I don’t like the Grade Four that I get in Management. It was hard work and the teachers at school worked hard with us and I am thankful for them,” he said.
Daniel’s life has been and remains a challenging one. At the age of nine, he lost both parents and ever since then the challenges have been far too numerous to remembers. He tells me, even though he does not talk much about it, his father Chandra Boodhoo, first died due to kidney issues and a mere five months after his mother, Sushila Devi, died due to heart related problems.
After both his parents died, being the youngest, Daniel began living with his sister Tasha Boodhoo in the Jetty Squatting Area, West Coast Demerara. He explained that because his sister works he would have to do most of the chores before he goes to school and after he returns home. He attended the Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School and gained 417 marks when he sat the National Grade Six Assessment examinations and was awarded a place at Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School.
“It was more tough for me after my parents died. They didn’t have any sick but they died just like that. I had to live with my big sister and I didn’t get as much as they would have given to me but I improvised. My sister worked hard to make sure that would get the text book and so but sometimes I would have to wait until we get enough money to buy more.”
However, when Daniel started secondary school, a woman by the name of Angie (only name given) began paying for all his school supplies to ease the pressure on his sister. He said that he is forever grateful to her for that support throughout his secondary school life.
I asked Daniel what is next for him and he calmly told me “more CXC.” I was somewhat baffled when he told me that and as I pressed on further, he related that he is currently seeking entry into another secondary school to write Chemistry, Biology and Physics as he intends to pursue a career in the medical field.
“I went into the Ministry (Department of Education, Region Three) to see the school I could enter to do back the three science subjects and I will be getting some help from Miss Angie and some other people. I want to do the three subjects and then CAPE after that I will go to UG to do medicine.”
For now, he is awaiting a call from the Department of Education to tell him whether he gained a place at the West Demerara Secondary School or Stewartville Secondary to complete the remaining subjects.
Daniel remains optimistic about his future despite the challenges and hopes to serve all the people who stood by him to help him achieve his dreams. (Times Sunday Magazine)
“It was more tough for me after my parents died. They didn’t have any sick but they died just like that. I had to live with my big sister and I didn’t get as much as they would have given to me but I improvised. My sister worked hard to make sure that would get the text book and so but sometimes I would have to wait until we get enough money to buy more.”
