Dear Editor,
Recently, two men – whom all who knew them would agree they were role models, not only to the people from Aurora, Essequibo Coast but for the entire country – Ramjohn Mohamed Khan, called “Uncle Johono” or “Johano Majey”; and Gladstone Augustus Mack, familiarly called “Brother Mack” and “Uncle Mackie”, died about a month of each other.
“Uncle Johono” lived for 105 years and “Uncle Mackie” for 107. They were both farmers, devoted husband and fathers, had the same number of children – 10 – were community minded, worked very hard to educate their children, and similar earning habits and religious convictions were very strong.
Aurora Village, on the Essequibo Coast, has traditionally and will always be agriculture based; rice cultivation and ground provision, as well as greens, and other vegetables. “Uncle Johono” was a rice farmer; he and my father were very good friends, their rice farms were close so as a lad in company with my father, we would walk to and from our home with “Uncle Johono” and would also visit each other’s watch house.
Those were the days when the farmer ploughs the land with his bull, plants the rice, cut it by hand, fetch with bull and slide, mash it, wind it, bag it, fetch it again then sell it; the entire process was manual. Now, the entire process can be mechanical. “Uncle Johono” was also during all those days a member of the church committee, and later became the Imam of the Aurora Masjid.
As for “Uncle Mackie” or “Brother Mack”, he was a ground provision farmer whose farm land was about eight miles away from his home and the only means of transportation was by boat, and before he bought a seagull engine he would sail or paddle his boat with his produce to the market place. My father and “Uncle Mackie” were good friends too, and their farm lands were next to each other, so as a boy I was fortunate to spend a lot of time in his company. When I became a farmer decades later, I got a lot of advice from him as it relates to farming; he was always a member of the farming group and strongly believed that together we aspire, together we would achieve. He was tireless in his advocating for better prices for farmers’ produce, yet he found the time to be at church every Sunday and in the absence of the priest, would conduct services at the Methodist Church in the village.
Aurora, a place known to have produced many academics, doctors, lawyers, head masters and head mistress, entrepreneur, etc but when any discussion takes place, “Uncle Johono” and “Uncle Mackie’s” names have to be mentioned. It is interesting to note there were other persons in the village that lived close to the century landmark. The two men are at the top for many, many reasons.
The amount of people, from all walks of life, race and religion, who attended their funerals and paid tributes, expressed condolences and sympathy to their children and other relatives were a testimony to the exemplary lives both of these men lived and may their souls rest in peace.
Yours faithfully,
Archie W Cordis
Resident of Aurora
