Ouditnarine Tejpertab
“When we build our communities, the next generation benefits immediately, since there is a paved future for all. I want to make my little contribution; I want to make a difference.”
By Leon Suseran
This week we feature a young man—in his 30s—who is tangibly making a difference, using his life to touch others; a young man who sacrifices a chunk of his small salary to treat kids at the New Amsterdam Hospital every month, making others happy— because that’s what he loves. And to highlight his special qualities even more, he came from a poor, humble family.Ouditnarine Tejpertab is well known in his area of Port Mourant as a community-minded servant, a leader, and one from whom many seek advice. To the youths, he is a vibrant role model.
‘Tej’ as he is popularly called, did not have it easy as a young boy. He lost his father at the tender age of two. Later, in his teenage years, he had to ‘step up to the plate’ as they say, and help with providing for his sister, mom and himself. He obviously has no recollection of his father – not even a photographic image – since he stated that it was very expensive in those days to take pictures.
Spending time with children at the Port Mourant Nursery School
“It was tough on my mom because it was her alone and there was not help coming from anywhere else, but she did stuff to make ends meet—made crushed ice, sugar cakes, etc., and sold by the street corners for many, many years.”
‘Tej’ recalled the days when they would “walk the entire Port Mourant market area” in an effort to sell their products.
“We would make icicles and put it in our neighbour’s fridge and pay a small fee and sell it in the afternoons—walking and selling. This money was what my mom would use to prepare snacks for school. I also took an evening course from GuySuCo in Domestic Electrical Installation. I was able to pay for this course from funds garnered from selling icicles and sugar cakes.”
‘Tej’ recounted that he sold on the streets and in the market for 16 years, from the age of thirteen. “I was 29 years old when I used to take buckets and bags and go in the market and walk and sell”, he stated.
Because of further financial difficulties in the home, he could not sit all nine subjects for CXC which he had wanted to do. He sat five subjects while attending Lower Corentyne Secondary.
After CXC, there were no jobs, so he applied to the Port Mourant Neighbourhood Democratic Council in 1998 for a job as a Clerk of Market. After a year, he also did work with the Guyana Elections Commission and Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB). In that same year, 1999, he began what would be a long journey as Administrative Assistant of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), Rose Hall Branch.
Three years later, in 2002, he was an Enumerator of the Bureau of Statistics for the 2002 census and became a Rural Constable for the Guyana Elections Commission in 2006.
He was contracted with the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2011 – in the Citizens’ Security Programme – as a Community Action Officer with the Port Mourant Action Council and was involved with many workshops concerned with domestic violence, intimate partner violence, child abuse, youth violence prevention, etc.
‘Tej’ was also involved in what was known as the Rapid Impact Project which saw him going into the communities across Corentyne “and mingling with the people”.
“Through this, I was able to listen to their concerns and assist them with their needs, such as developing sports grounds and doing community projects…building a relationship with people…There were times when elderly people would call me and ask me for advice to talk to their children, etc.”
He also worked with the Corentyne Outreach Centre in Letter Kenny, assisting an overseas- based Guyanese from 2009-2010, as Assistant Director. This venture, the Saturday Kids Place Programme, catered for children from the community to receive skills-training. Through this exercise, ‘Tej’ was able to access funding and donations from benevolent organizations, which he would ensure go to the less fortunate and elderly.
In 2010, he joined ‘Celebration of Hope’. This group touched many lives not only in Berbice, but also in Linden and other locations, “sharing shoes and boots, bags, pencils, etc., to children”.
Presently, he is Secretary of the Cyril Potter College of Education. At the moment too, he is also involved with the New Jersey Arya Samaj Humanitarian Mission at Ankerville, Port Mourant. He is the Secretary for the Guyana Chapter of the organization and is overseeing the construction of homes for the less fortunate and vulnerable in society.
He then discussed his special gift—to lead.
When asked how it feels to be touching lives, being involved in all the community-related activities, he responded, “You feel like a millionaire—it makes you feel good, like you have truly accomplished something and this is what I really like to do, not only with young people but also older people”.
A significant attribute is his contentment with the little he has had.
“I don’t have everything that I would have loved to have in life, but I am thankful for what I have because from the person that I was and the way how we used to live and the things I went through—comparing it with now, the difference is that I am able to stand where I am and thank God that I am far better off and I am able to help those in need.”
Our ‘Special Person’ plans to continue the community work and enjoys sharing duties with his girlfriend, Sheneta, to whom he will be getting married later this year. The two share common interests in helping their respective communities and he is pleased about this development.
“One day with the help of other organizations I am going to build this little home where I would be able to help children—bring them and give them a meal. I already talked to my wife-to-be about this and she agreed. I don’t want children today to experience some of the things people like me experienced in our childhood, and yes, the children are vulnerable and they need help.”
He reminisced that a role model in his life was his Sunday school teacher, Rampersaud Budhu. “He used to be there for us… come with the bicycle and take three of us and he continued to do this for many, many years—not days—and after seeing him doing this constantly, and there wasn’t a time he looked annoyed—I said to myself ‘you know, one day I want to do this for children’”.
“I am concerned about what is taking place today. We are living in a time where people just—do whatever they feel to do, and think Laying the first block on the NJ Arya Samaj Benevolent Home Project at Ankerville, Port Mourant last year it is right.
Young people need to stop and listen to their parents, the elderly… people who would give good advice. They must seek out positive role models, rather than persons who are not making any positive impact in our society.”
When he is not involved in community service and activities, ‘Tej’ writes.
“I love to write. I would write stuff and post it on social media and I like to have gatherings with friends, surfing the internet, going to church and in spare time I sit and read the Bible and newspapers.”
Today, it is not easy to get people to do voluntary work. Volunteerism is essentially dying, since persons expect tangible returns from their ‘hard’ labour, even when it is for the betterment of their communities. This is why we believe that it is important that we highlight more young people like Ouditnarine Tejpertab, who selflessly gives to others.
“When we build our communities, the next generation benefits immediately, since the future is paved for all. I want to make my little contribution; I want to make a difference,” ‘Tej’ concluded.