“I have a phoenix within me and I will rise from the ashes” – Ravi Latchman

…details journey of rebuilding business gutted by fire; trying to save brother’s life

After his business of ten years was burned to the ground in April 2024, Ravi Latchman was left to pick up the pieces and rebuild from scratch.
Now compounded by other complexities in life, such as a sick father and a brother in need of life-saving surgery, Latchman is determined to not let those challenges keep him down.
Latchman is the owner of the popular Indian clothing store ‘Colours of India’, which was devastated by a fire about seven months ago. The 31-year-old entrepreneur lost millions of dollars in that Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice blaze, which also destroyed a mechanic shop owned by his family.
Though he had felt at rock bottom for a while, Latchman quickly mustered the strengthen to get back into business and start rebuilding. He is currently renting a space at a mall in Rosignol, where he operates his clothing business. The determined entrepreneur is also relying heavily on online platforms to connect with customers. In fact, he often personally delivers items to his wide range of clients from out of the jurisdiction, such as in Georgetown – but it is a task that he humbly assumes.

The day of the fire

In an interview with Guyana Times, Latchman said the day of the fire would forever leave a scar in his memory, but he has to put aside the sadness, disappointment and fear in order to move on with life.
“The day of the fire is something I wish can vanish from my mind. I am scarred mentally for life. It’s not something easy to work and build from scratch and watch it go up in flames,” he noted.
At the time of the fire, the entrepreneur was out of the country.
“When I got the call, when I saw the flames, I just went blank. I collapsed, and found myself on the bed where my family was trying to comfort and revive me. When I called back, the entire building was gone. After the fire, I didn’t know what steps to take, because all I had — my savings, and also I was preparing for my 10th year anniversary sale, where I had already started investing in stocks — all I invested in the new stocks went (up) in flames,” he explained.
Neither the buildings nor his business had been insured.

Ask for help
After the fire, Latchman recalled turning to social media to ask for help.
“…because I didn’t know what else to do or provide for my family. I did get help from generous persons, and my friends and customers came together and planned fundraisers to help me also to get back on my feet,” the man expressed with much gratitude.
“The need to provide for my family kept me going, because I am the breadwinner for my family. My father is not healthy, so you can say I am the man of the house. The help I got, I used it and invested in new stocks and started back my business,” he disclosed.

Though he is operating on a much smaller scale now, Latchman said, the goal is to re-establish his store at its former location. Having obtained a loan, Latchman has already started the process of rebuilding.

Life’s complexities

However, being the breadwinner of his family, Latchman also has to find finance to not only rebuild his business, but to support his sick father, and brother who has a brain tumor. To do this, Latchman has tapped into his talent and passion for cooking. Despite being made fun of, Latchman says, he thoroughly enjoys cooking, and would have, in the past, volunteered his services for big events such as weddings.
But now he has transformed his skills into a business, and so far, the venture has proven successful.
“I cater for many events as of present. I get bookings to cook for wakes, funerals, birthdays, thanksgiving, pooja, weddings, and also private events. I do private caterings as well,” he explained.
However, it is not the easiest of tasks.
“The challenges I face with cooking (are) the heat and prepping. Prepping isn’t easy, especially when I have to cook in very large amounts. Facing that fireside heat is not easy; when I’m finished (cooking, I) just feel like I want to jump into a pool of water to cool my body out,” the entrepreneur expressed.
Despite the challenges, Latchman is determined to ‘keep grinding’. He is motivated by the need to raise enough money to fund his brother’s operation.
“This is the reason I started pushing myself even more with the cooking…He cannot get help in Guyana, and the most affordable country that can do the surgery is India…I’m trying to raise the funds to take him, but it’s so hard for me because things are so expensive, but I am still pushing myself,” Latchman disclosed.
“My baby brother told me, ‘Buddy, I know it’s a lot on you, but don’t go on the internet and ask for help, before anyone bash us.’ And he doesn’t want anyone crying on his surgery,” Latchman disclosed.

Criticisms
His brother’s advice came on the heels of Latchman being a victim of online bullying.
“Persons who have no idea of what I have been through started spreading gossip and fabrications about me. Fake profiles were created targeting me and saying all kind of awful things about me,” Latchman recalled, as he noted that he had to really try to blank out the negativity.
“Persons started saying how I burned down my business for insurance money, where I had no insurance…I was accused of taking the help I had to buy brand name clothing and flying and partying, whereas all the clothing I was wearing was stuff given to me,” Latchman disclosed.
Nevertheless, the businessman is using the negativity to fuel his motivation.
“I’m using all of the false rumours and gossips as a motivation to push myself to show the haters who Ravi Latchman is, and they can never bring me down, and I will rise and overcome…”

The future
Though the cooking venture started out as a means to fund his brother’s operation, Latchman says he plans to keep at it for “as long as I can manage”.
In fact, his vision is to open a restaurant next to his re-established ‘Colours of India’ boutique at its former location at Bath Settlement.
“So, when customers finish shopping, they can enjoy a delicious meal; that’s my dream,” he disclosed.
But for now, Latchman says, he will continue hustling, unwaveringly taking on life’s challenges one by one.
“I have been through so much for the year, and I feel like it’s not ending,” he lamented. But, according to the determined young man, “I have a phoenix within me, and I will rise from the ashes!”
Latchman also finds encouragement in messages he receives, sometimes from total strangers who see him and his story as an inspiration.
“Many people are in my inbox telling me how much of a motivation I am to them. They don’t know what they would have done if they were in my shoes, but they see my hustle and my struggles. They said if I can push myself and do it, then so can they.”