A Salute for Uncle Ranny

 

GINA, GUYANA, Monday, October 10, 2016

If you traverse the Agricola Public Road in the mornings between 7:30 to about 9:00 hours, you are likely to have passed Uncle Ranny. He may have stopped the vehicle you were in so persons can cross the road or, he may have helped you across the road. This is what he does.

Randolph Smith better known as Uncle Ranny is well-known not only in the Agricola community but to the thousands who pass him every weekday. For over 20 years Uncle Ranny has been assisting school children and adults to cross the very busy Agricola public road.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) visited Agricola to speak with Uncle Ranny and captured him in action.

Uncle Ranny said he was born on the July 23, 1934. He explained that he moved to Georgetown in 1953 and in 1965 to 1974 he worked with Bookers. In 1994 he joined the staff of the Agricola Primary School and there is where his passion for helping people blossomed.

Though he no longer lives in Agricola, he still makes every effort to ensure the children are safe when crossing the road, even when they attempt to use the road in an unsafe manner.

“Some of the children misbehave also, so I have to be telling them stand up cause some still want to run across the road and they have vehicles on that(other) side that don’t stop so there is a lot of headache with some of the children them but I never had an accident with me on the road for the time,” Uncle Ranny said.

Residents of Agricola, young and old, motorists and all who traverse the Agricola public road, all compliment Uncle Ranny for his service to society.

Alicia Roach, who lives in the area, was very happy when she saw GINA speaking with Uncle Ranny to get his story. She wanted to add her bit. “This is something I really want to do for Uncle Ranny. He is one of the best in Agricola and I don’t think he (is being) paid. So God bless him!”

Shontel Matthews, said Uncle Ranny is doing something great. “Ranny is a fixture is this community for over a number of years assisting the school children in the crossing of the road even the elderly and even us workers when the traffic is heavy he would ensure everyone crosses safely,” Matthews said.

Dennis Matthews, who has benefitted from the humanitarian service, said Uncle Ranny has been a great help to him. “Uncle Ranny is a good guy. I know him since nursery (school) crossing everyone. I think he needs a medal or something for his service for helping us every day,” he said.

Other residents from Agricola also praised Uncle Ranny for his service to the people of the community.

If you travel the East Bank of Demerara road in the mornings, you surely would have passed one of Guyana’s real life heroes.

GINA does not have a medal but we salute uncle Ranny for his selfless service. Mark Twain once said “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see”

 

By: Delon Sancho