Boyo Ramsaroop, who has lived the life of a horticulturalist, political activist and electrical engineer, now wears the cap of a philanthropist and has spent the last month working with several Sophia residents who are facing difficult circumstances.
He has embarked on an ambitious project that aims to uplift residents in Plum Park, Sophia and bring about change in the lives of its young people. ‘Uncle Boyo’, as he is warmly called by many in the area, has plans to build a community centre there that will house a nursery and day care, among other facilities. The land has already been marked off.
Ramsaroop has taken several young men from the area under his wings, and is teaching them some aspects of horticulture. Provided they get through that okay, which he is optimistic about, he will move on to electrical engineering. Nearly all the boys he is working with have abused marijuana, are school-dropouts and spent most of their days idling in Sophia. According to him, he is compelled to make an intervention before the number of troubled youths in the country spiral out of control.
Another thing that drove him, he pointed out, was the fact that more young men are either turning up dead or as criminals.
“I could not believe my eyes when I opened the newspapers late last year and saw the image of a scrawny, ruggedly-dressed child leaving the Magistrate’s Court with police escorts after being charged with the Kaieteur News pressmen executions. I wanted to know where his parents were; whether society had failed him by not reaching out earlier; whether I could have done something, I had all these questions,” Ramsaroop said.
The child he referred to is infamously known by many as “Nasty Man” of Agricola, East Bank Demerara. During his court appearance the child told the magistrate his father was not around and that his mother went to live in a Caribbean island. Ramsaroop said he was particularly affected by “Nasty Man’s” story because of the fact that the child is 13 years old.
Ramsaroop said he is not hoping to get a medal for anything he is doing; he has no desire to run for President and is not looking for thanks either. He also clarified that what he is doing is not charity. He said the need to help in whatever way he could comes from a burning desire to give back, especially to Sophia because that was where he got his start in life.
In a sit-down with Stabroek News on Monday, he digressed from the project to share a little about his early life. He said at the age of 12 years he had to work after school in the Sophia area, at the time it was called Cameron.
The work he did entailed weeding and cleaning up a section of the area. Though his family was fairly well off, he said, there were days when he used to rely on an old woman who lived in the area to share a plate of food with him.
Ramsaroop went on to work as an apprentice at the Botanical Gardens where he started learning horticulture. He later left the country for Germany where he studied Electrical Engineering. Before leaving to pursue his studies, he had been active in the People’s Progressive Party and upon his return continued to be involved with the party. However, things would change later and Ramsaroop pulled out. He said when President Cheddi Jagan died he felt the heart of the party died with him.
Since he has lived a full life so far, Ramsaroop said, he has time to commit to the project and to see to it that the people of Plum Park, Sophia elevate themselves. The community is a stone’s throw from his Lamaha Gardens home, so Ramsaroop is acquainted with many of the people. He has known some of the boys working with him since they were toddlers.
In terms of what he has planned for the Sophia residents, Ramsaroop said he will give every household a few fruit trees, among other plants. He said mangoes, soursop, calaloo, pepper and spinach are certainly among the plants he will personally help to plant for the residents. According to him, the residents will have their own kitchen gardens and many could stop worrying about where the money will come from to buy vegetables as they often do. He said the children will also be able to have fruits to eat and not go raiding trees in other people’s yards.
In addition, he said, many of the homes are still without electricity because the people cannot pay for their homes to be wired. Ramsaroop has offered to do the electrical wiring free of cost in homes that are getting electricity legally from the Guyana Power and Light. He said those people who intend to steal electricity will not benefit since helping them would mean condoning the illegal theft of electricity. Already many persons in the area are excited about getting such services free.
“Many of them want the electricity but cannot afford to pay an electrician so I am going to do it for them with the help of these boys who are working with them. They would have to pay for the materials though since I am just offering my labour free,” he said.
Though he is working with young men, Ramsaroop noted his concern for the young women of Sophia and pointed out that he hopes the community centre when built will be a sanctuary for many of them. Often he has seen them being cajoled into doing things, he said, which are for grown-ups. He said there will be people at the centre who will hold discussions on various topics and have interactive sessions with the young people.
Ramsaroop said if what he is working towards can be achieved in several areas across the country, circumstances will change for many young people.
He said their vulnerability will be reduced and people with wicked intentions will not be able to penetrate them so easily. He called Agricola, Enmore, Lusignan, Buxton and Sophia where he is working as areas that should be targeted for such projects, adding that they are many more countrywide.
He said when a proposal was made several years ago for money to be allocated to Buxton by the late President Desmond Hoyte there was widespread protest and his voice was among those who disapproved.
Looking at what has happened in the area over the last few years, he said, things might have been different had the proposal been taken seriously and implemented. “That money might have saved a young life or two which is something worth saving,” Ramsaroop opined.
According to him, if people want to donate anything to the project they could do so by providing educational equipment, toys and sporting equipment, among other things for the centre. But all other things he is personally handling.
Kevin Dillon, 24, is one of the young men working with Ramsaroop. He told us that things have been hard for him since November last year when he was forced to give up vending at the Stabroek Market Square. He was selling caps and sneakers opposite Demico House.
“They tell we to build a stall and fix up properly and after I do that they tell me I had to leave. I invest me money and had to leave, that was my life,” the young man said, his voice breaking. He had known Ramsaroop since growing up and had worked with him for some time before going back for a job a month ago.
Of all the others working with Ramsaroop, he is more knowledgeable in the area of horticulture. He easily rattled off the names of plants and flowers for us and knows every ingredient that is needed to make an organic compost off his head. He said the job is not the one he dreamed of doing as a young boy but it is an honest living.
Dillon disclosed that his cousin, policeman Lloyd Cameron was gunned down at their Sophia home in front of his eyes nearly four years ago. Since that day, he has pledged not to let his relative down and do anything his family would not approve of. He said during the rough patches in his life he has always looked to Ramsaroop and now because of him he has a job.
Plum Park resident Rawle Spencer joined the staff at Ramsaroop the same day Stabroek News visited. He is no youth and has four children of his own. He
had been without work for some time. Spencer admitted using marijuana to forget the pressures of not finding work and for recreational use. However, he said he is no addict. The man said he is a sub-contractor and would work if he finds anything. However, he could not find anything for the last three months and the situation at home is getting worse.
“I came to work here cause nothing else ain’t doing and I have the children to look after. Whatever I got to learn I gon learn,” Spencer said.
Ramsaroop and the young men are making organic compost, which they resell at $1,500 a bag. Among some of the ingredients in the organic compost are builders’ waste; leaf mould; black sand; wet rotted sawdust and charcoal. The young men work six days a week and are paid a weekly wage.
