An unquestionable flair for creativity … Lilowtie Bhookmohan is a ‘Special Person’
By Leon Suseran, March 10, 2013, By KNews, Filed Under News, Source
Doing craftwork takes a lot of patience, but I suppose when you enjoy it, you do not find it hard. This work relaxes you…it’s a good form of relaxation.”
Lilowtie Bhookmohan had a knack for creativity from her younger days. Since age twelve, she knew she wanted to become an interior decorator – to be involved in the practical, crafty side of home-making and the arts. She loved to have things in an orderly fashion in her parents’ home and would engage in making craft items such as doylies and quilts, a few of which she still has to this day. She nurtured this talent and it grew stronger and stronger over the years, influencing her to open one the well-known Church View Gift Shop, one of Berbice’s oldest businesses.
Lilowtie Bhookmohan
Popularly known in Berbice as ‘Jenny’, Lilowtie Bhookmohan was born at Bygeval, East Coast Demerara, she attended De Hoop Canadian Missionary School until Form 3, after which she moved to Georgetown. She later attended commercial classes at the Secretarial School, in addition to Accounting and English classes, after which she returned to De Hoop, Mahaica.
”I always tell people how I enjoyed childhood, because we never missed out—we never felt we missed out, even though now we live in a modern society, because the parents would play ‘rounders’ and cricket and so on with us, after they finished cooking. We had pastures opposite where we lived and we would use up empty spaces to play games, with the parents…mothers especially”.
She also reminisced the times when mothers in the village would dress up as Santa Claus at Christmastime, “and entertained the children in the area”.
At the age of 18, she used to attend craft classes along with her siblings, “making socks, with four straight needles and jerseys—I did crochet—whole bedspreads and tablecloths”. She related that, one of her cousins, Dolly Sukraj, was very skillful in that area and it was she who taught her and her siblings.
“They were very rounded—they knew a lot, sewing, crochet… and she (her cousin) used to show us and we worked”. Her siblings moved on to other professions, but her love for creativity and decorating remained. She never thought that it would have been a lifelong activity.
“We were five sisters and four brothers. As soon as we finished our household chores, we started doing crochet, cross-stitching and other craft. Everybody used to do it, and my mother never forced us to get up and to help cook during that period. My parents were supportive in whatever we did. My mom saw to it that if there was a craft class, she would find a way to send us and we would go because we wanted to learn”.
Another day at the craft shop
A few years later, while attending school in Georgetown, she met with the charming and dashing Ram Bhookmohan. Cupid’s arrow struck both their hearts and after a period of courtship, they got married. The union produced two wonderful children; Rovin, a successful Civil Engineer and Prenita, who, like her mother, has a flair for craft, interior decoration and business. Mrs. Bhookmohan is the proud grandmother of three boys.
The couple moved to New Amsterdam in 1973. They rented Church View International Hotel, for a few years, after which they decided to purchase the entity.
“There, we started up our own family business”, she stated. That hotel business somewhat transformed Berbice, since it was a time when partying and disco was quite popular. It was an initiative that was most welcome. She worked along her husband, running the hotel, after which she decided to venture into a business of her own—one that would see her being around craft items, things that she loved dearly. The Church View Gift Shop, adjacent to their hotel, was born in 1983.
Mrs. Bhookmohan rates the craft industry in Guyana as one of the best in the Caribbean. She admitted that, “to some, the price might seem too much, but one cannot place a correct value on the cost of the items, because of the effort and time taken to make most of these items”. “But then we have wood, and I think you can go a little bit less on some items…you’ve got to compete with the outside world,” she opined.
Nurturing the talent
”When I show you some of the work I did, you would not believe—all these things”. “I knew since then that I wanted to become an interior decorator—I never went anywhere to study it, but I think having the hotel and the home gave me the opportunity to expand myself.”
There were simple signs in terms of caring for the home. She vividly recalls when her father would put his newspaper and other items carelessly, that she would move the items to their correct places.
She read lots of books which dealt with creating craft items, sewing, etc., and made a lot of soft toys including teddy bears, which she sold.
Preparing meals for the GuyWid Valentine’s Night fundraising dinner at the Church View Hotel
“I still have a huge tablecloth that I made… and a bedspread… nearly 38 years old”. She also made blankets, baby booties, bonnets, shawls. She proudly displayed these items during the interview, and they are still in excellent condition.
Her artistic abilities became sharper over the years. “If, when you know a little, you just want to know more and anything comes up, you are in for it, because you have a craving. Every morning I get up and sew a little. Nothing too special, but something to stitch here, there…making something for Church View—little things that we need—it is so that you develop. If anyone wants to develop oneself, one can do it without someone teaching them all the time”.
She related that persons can easily develop their artistic skills today as they have an added advantage, as there is more available literature, You Tube – the internet in general.
Mrs. Bhookmohan has tried over the years to pass on her skills to other persons, especially the young, but admits it is not an easy job.
“Now people don’t want to learn—you’re teaching them for free and it’s a different thing. You’ve got to give them stipend to travel and they don’t want to learn. I have a lot of books and I am willing to lend the books so that they can make copies. It’s a different generation altogether”, she stressed.
Being an active member of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Mrs. Bhookmohan would conduct floral classes, etc., “but it doesn’t produce how much you want…you might get two or three [persons]—very few, and they don’t improve on that [skill]”. She is of the opinion that not many persons see the craft industry as being lucrative.
Putting her skills to work
After the Church View Gift Shop was opened and business commenced, she decided to start working with flowers, to accompany the craft items. This new skill enabled her to skillfully create bouquets and other floral arrangements.
“I thought about doing something with the craft and I started to play around with the flowers…I tried to perfect myself. Doing craftwork, takes a lot of patience, but I suppose when you enjoy it, you do not find it hard. This work relaxes you…it’s a good form of relaxation.”
Managing the Church View Hotel these days, means being able to put her creative and homemaking abilities into action – new curtains, coverings for lamp shades, and other items are cheerfully made just for the love of it.
And her opinions are sought after and in most cases, valued.
“Persons would, from time to time, ask me for advice regarding home designs, living room designs, etc. They would ask me if this or that looks good… if the colour looks good, or I suggest to them where they can put items in their home. People do ask me, because they see and they know I’m always willing to give a word of advice”.
“You really don’t need to dig deep into your pockets to make your homes and living rooms beautiful. A lot of people only think when they buy marble or silver or crystal—only then their homes look nice. But it depends on your taste. There are numerous local things around, nice things that can be used to make your homes look attractive—nice wooden carvings which local people surprisingly do not appreciate too much.”
The good citizen she is, Mrs. Bhookmohan also is also a founder member of the Guyanese Women in Development (GuyWid), whereby she is actively involved in women-empowerment activities in Berbice and further afield.
“Whenever people need help, we will come together and help”.
Being a generous and community-minded person, she would occasionally allow her hotel to be used for free to host dinners and fund-raisers for the organization. She is a Justice of the Peace, and was also a member of the N/A Lioness Club, which is now integrated into the Lions Club.
Life today
Due to her busy schedule managing the hotel and gift shop, it is quite challenging to engage in craft making and floral arrangements, however, she does find some time for it now and again. She relates that a morning ritual of sewing for a few minutes reminds her of the years gone by. A typical day starts with getting up early in the morning, having breakfast, prayers and touching base with her grandchildren. “I am at Church View by 9 o’clock, and I spend most of my day doing my marketing for the hotel. I sew every day, just for the love of it. There is always something to sew—but not for long, sometimes 15 minutes, half hour.”
Some of her hobbies include fishing, listening to music and viewing comedies, including her favourite TV series, ‘The Golden Girls’, of which she owns an entire collection.
While many persons are recognised for their service to respective professions, community work, medicine, humanity, and other pursuits, Mrs. Lilowtie ‘Jenny’ Bhookmohan’s artistic abilities and entrepreneurial charisma, as well as her work for women empowerment, are attributes that have made her special.
