At 60, Vibert Wilson, a father of 10, still works around the clock to provide for his family.
In fact, he still wakes up at 2:30h on Monday mornings to start his day – that is providing transportation services along the 22-mile road which links Santa Rosa, Moruca, with the riverine village of Kwebanna, where he lives.
“The most trips I make is four per day and this happens on Mondays and Saturdays,” he told Guyana Times.
The early days
Wilson’s children are now young adults; the eldest is 38 years old while the youngest is 21. Wilson, who is fondly called ‘Uncle Vi’ by villagers and people at Moruca, recalled starting his adult working life back in the late 1970s when he moved to Georgetown in search of employment.
Vibert Wilson (left) sharing a light moment with his family members during an event
“They hadn’t any jobs in the village and so I went to town to work in the slaughterhouse (abattoir),” he said. He stayed there from 1981 until 1983.
He would then return home since farming was the only viable option to make ends meet, he noted. Wilson said his peanuts were in demand at Charity on the Essequibo Coast and as such, he spent his days cultivating the crop. He noted that the crop can be cultivated all year round.
Fetching his crop was another issue and Wilson vividly recalled carrying bags of his produce from the village for several miles to another village called Manawarin. He would then paddle in his canoe for hours out of that village to the mouth of the Moruca River before heading south to Charity on the Pomeroon River. He would go alone, he said, but sometimes others who worked with him on his farm would accompany him on the trips. “This was to get cash for the peanut crops and to buy other items to bring back and sell,” he said.
The entire trip lasted five days; he would leave early on Saturday and return with his earnings and goods on Wednesday. At that time, he and his wife Lorna had started their family, and their family’s welfare, he noted, was always his main priority.
His first boat
Wilson worked and saved his money from the farming business until he managed to save enough money to purchase an outboard engine. He said he bought a 15-horsepower engine, and this greatly aided his farming business since he was then able to transport multiple bags of produce, including peanuts, to Charity.
Wilson is an ardent church leader and pastor
The trip, he said, would take hours along the Waini River, then via the Moruca River, and onward to Charity via the Atlantic and the Pomeroon River.
“I did it for years, buying and selling goods and then I managed to buy three additional 15 horsepower engines,” he said.
Wilson then purchased a 75-horsepower outboard engine but this, he noted, was for emergencies and special occasions. “That was in case anything happened like anyone gets sick or so,” he added.
Walking miles with the children
Wilson said while he continued to provide for his children, his wife was always supportive of him, and she too had a knack for business. “She would sell at the shop, she would bring in about 45 to 50% of the earnings,” he added. “The first thing I used to think about the most was to get resources for my children to have an education. To ensure they have everything.”
He recalled walking the 22-mile road from Kwebanna to Santa Rosa with the children at the beginning and end of the school term. “So, because we didn’t have transportation back then by road, I used to walk out with them,” he added.
Around 2010, he made another ambitious move, and this time, with his family in mind, he bought a Toyota Hilux pick-up. “The vehicle was to cut the distance to Moruca by boat, so it came in good,” he said.
At the time, the road was narrow, and vegetation lined the roadway’s edges and Wilson noted that although it was a rocky ride, he always placed safety as a priority. A few years later, he would then buy his first car and as the village’s and the country’s economy grew, he purchased another car. Today he owns several vehicles, and his sons provide support to his transportation business. “I slow down a bit, but I would do normal trips, not plenty in one day like before,” he said.
Wilson and his family are ardent churchgoers. In fact, he is a pastor and church leader at the Rose of Sharon Assemblies of God church in the village, and being close to God is one of the fundamental aspects of his family’s life. He is also a cricket enthusiast and played a key role in his team during his younger days. He also provides support to sports and other events within the village.
Wilson told Guyana Times that he holds his family close to his heart and one aspect of their childhood he keeps in his memory is that of Christmastime. He said he and his wife would wait until the children were asleep on Christmas Eve and the duo would place a bag with toys under their Christmas tree. The following morning, the smiles on their faces brought joy to his heart. “We used to admire them,” he said.
In November 2020, tragedy struck Wilson and his family when one of his sons, Kamal, succumbed to chop wounds that he sustained at the hands of another resident of the village. The family holds frequent tributes for their fallen son. They plan to hold activities, including sports events, in his honour in the years ahead.
