The uncomplicated lady

MP Bibi Shadick talks about her life and her simple approach to its challenges

Member of Parliament, former government minister, advocate and patriot, Bibi Shadick has ardently used her office to help others; something she feels very passionately about.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Shadick said she was born and grew up in Leguan , Essequibo.

Childhood in the country, she noted, is always a happy experience. She attended primary school in Leguan and is the fourth of nine children.

In 1956, Shadick enrolled at the Bishop’s High School on a government county scholarship. There she completed her O’ Levels exams but could not move on to A’ Levels because of family responsibilities. She disclosed that her mother was experiencing a phase of illnesses and she (Shadick) was needed at home to ensure her siblings were taken care of.

Taking the duties of the household upon her shoulders, Shadick still worked relentlessly to take home an income. Although she never learnt to climb a tree or ride a bicycle, being busy with school and home, Shadick still enjoyed aspects of her childhood like going into the backdam and doing ‘bush cook’. For her, it was a “normal childhood”.

The young Shadick’s life was very demanding. In the mornings and evenings, she had to attend lessons if she wanted to be the “brightest of the brightest”. And this she was. Only the brightest students would be considered for government scholarships, and Shadick was one of them.

Her mother did not have any formal schooling; as the eldest child she had to take care of her siblings. Nevertheless, Shadick’s mother valued education and placed great emphasis on her children to be educated. In order for this to happen, Shadick recalled her mother working industriously, selling eggs and chickens to pay for her daughter’s lessons.

School years

Having earned the government county scholarship for Essequibo, Shadick had to leave her home in Leguan to live in Georgetown to attend Bishop’s, an all girls’ high school at the time. First, she stayed with her grandmother and aunt in Alexander Village, and would walk to and from school. Shadick recalled it was not difficult for her because in Essequibo she lived a mile away from her school and was accustomed to the walk.

Later, she stayed with her father’s relatives in Windsor Forest on the West Coast of Demerara, and would take the train to the ferry to reach school. These long, challenging journeys made getting an education even more important and valuable. Education, she noted, was not something that was handed to her, it was something she worked very diligently for.

After completing school at age 15, Shadick became a pupil teacher at her primary school in Leguan. There she earned what she called a “princely salary” of Gy$65 per month, and every year wrote qualifying exams, which added more money to her salary. By the time she went to the teachers training college in 1969, she was already getting a salary that was equal to a trained teacher’s salary then – about Gy$156.

At age 24, Shadick attended in-service training but could not afford to do pre-service training because that would mean her family would not have sufficient income. As a teacher, Shadick was very involved in union matters and was part of the teachers’ union. She even managed her school’s cricket team.

In 1971, Shadick became a trained teacher. The educator has taught at various schools in and out of Georgetown, and never stopped developing herself academically.

In 1978, she enrolled at the University of Guyana to pursue a certificate in education. She then went on to do her bachelor’s and graduated in 1981. After graduating, she was appointed Maths lecturer at the Cyril Potter College of Education until 1995. At age 50, she retired from teaching.

In 1993, she began law studies and graduated with a LLB in 1996. She then went on to Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad, graduated in 1998, and was called to the bar in Guyana that same year.

Political career

Concerning the conception of her political life, Shadick noted that her father was always a member of the PPP party. When Dr Jagan would visit Leguan, he would have a meal at their home.

However, while her family was “politically astute” Shadick was never involved in political activities, she was just a member. But when a PPP representative from Leguan decided to retire, the party asked Shadick to take his place. They told her that groups of persons in Leguan nominated her to take up his responsibilities and that is what she did without letup.

“I had no excuses because at that time I was no longer a teacher, I was self-employed. I accepted and began a very hectic political life.”

When elections came in March 2001, she was selected to be a Member of Parliament. She then received a call from the president and was asked to be installed as the minister of Human Services and Social Security.

With her new role as minister, Shadick sacrificed much just to help the people of her nation. Being an effective minster, to her, means “being available 24 hours a day seven days a week to the exclusion of everything else.” She led a very scheduled life. Her new position somewhat curtailed her freedom because she could no longer put on her shoes and go shopping without people approaching her on the streets. However, helping people was her priority. She served in that position until 2006.

After serving as minister, Shadick requested to just focus on her legal practice, but would make herself available for her country. Presently, although she has her own private law practice, Shadick spends many hours daily fulfilling various duties for her party.

She has been a backbencher MP since 2006 and is serving on the Public Accounts Committee since that time. Shortly after 2006, she was named a member of the UG council, in which she is still active. She also chaired the Rice Assessment Committee in Regions Two and Three, but only chairs the Region Three committee presently. Recently, she was appointed chairperson of the Guyana National Broadcast Authority, which is very taxing on her time, yet she continues to work assiduously to formalize its structure so that it can be effectual.

Additionally, she recognizes the members of the authority’s board who have been working very hard in making it effective. She noted that they have continued to do so despite the negative comments.

Shadick said all she does is not answer negative comments, but focuses on putting forward her best.

Private life

Shadick, now 67, has her appointment book filled with daily meetings with various committees. Nonetheless, she finds time to prepare dinner, wash, clean and shop. She is not keen on hiring maids. Her mother always cooked and when she passed on, Shadick cooked. In fact, when she was a minister she had a kitchenette at her office and would cook there.

Speaking about a family of her own, Shadick divulged, “I have no children but have lots of nieces and nephews who view me like a mother. I was never married; not because of lack of opportunity but of choice. I don’t think I could be doing all these things if I had to take care of a husband. I’m a mother to lots of persons and I don’t regret not having a family of my own. I’m not short of children, but it’s just that I don’t have any of my own.” (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)