For as long as he could remember, 23-year old Joshua Edward has aspired to be a lawyer. The absence of affluent family members or even a government scholarship to fall back on never led him down a dark path of worry over financing his dream. Fuelled by his faith in Jesus Christ and confidence in the deliciousness of his mother’s cooking, Edward opened a small pizza business, the profits of which he used to fund his studies at the University of Guyana.
With just one more year to go, a grateful Edward said he is excited about pulling through with exceptional grades, which he hopes to be the ultimate reward for anyone who ever bought a slice of pizza to support his dream.
During an exclusive interview with Guyana Standard, the budding lawyer shared how his now thriving “side hustle” all got started. Edward intimated that the idea was conceived in St. Lucia where he was born to Guyanese parents. Before moving to Guyana, the 23-year-old said he had experienced some financial difficulties trying to keep up with fees for the sixth-form in St. Lucia. He made it clear however that failure was not an option hence he told his mom to make some of her tasty pizzas and he would ensure they were sold. Edward intimated that he received a lot of support from friends, strangers, relatives, and even from the members of his church, Refiner’s Fire Ministry International.
After completing sixth form, the avid reader noted that he and his family decided that he should move to Guyana to further his studies since St. Lucia does not have a University. Edward shared that he migrated to Guyana in 2018 and signed up for studies at the University of Guyana. But after trying to make ends meet with the little funding he had at the time, financial hardship hit again. Driven by the unquenchable thirst for success, he called on his mom to restart their pizza partnership. Upon returning to Guyana in 2019, his mom made moves to get the humble business called “Wendy’s Pizza Parlour – Where There’s A Pizza For Everyone” off the ground. The business which officially started in February 2020 offers a variety of pizza options with an assortment of toppings such as pepperoni, chicken, and other meats along with cheese and fresh sweet peppers.
Speaking to the success the business has achieved thus far, Edward could not help himself in praising his mom who he intimated has been extremely supportive, patient, and loving. “They say behind every man is a good woman…but for me, my good woman is my mom. She has been very instrumental in my success and very loving and I make no apologies about what I say. I am busy having this interview and she is busy washing dishes and preparing for tomorrow and I had to leave her so I could do the interview.”
The budding lawyer added, “There is really no amount of success I can achieve that I can use to pay her back for what she has already done for me. She keeps me on the right track with God, on the right track with helping others when necessary, and on the right track with good morals and standards…She is someone the world can honour…and I am unapologetic about my love for her. She is behind whatever success Joshua Edward attains.”
The University of Guyana student also noted that his mother is the reason he can be so organized with his business while still maintaining a good handle on his grades. He shared that his day usually starts with prayer and devotion with his mom around 5 AM, followed by rigid preparations for the day. He said this would include taking orders for the day and juggling chores. Edward said the delicate balance that is managed by his mom allows him to make three trips a day to sell his pizza. And no, these trips are not made using a car or motorcycle. Edward usually takes the bus and walks around different villages selling his mother’s sumptuous pizzas. Other days, he would use his bicycle to get around the city to make his sales.
Edward said the goal, for the time being, is to finish strong on his upcoming exams following which; he will continue his studies virtually at the University of Law Guildford, a prestigious institution in London. He was already a place at the institution pending the completion of his studies at the University of Guyana.
In explaining his reasoning for taking this path, Edward said, “The next thing after UG is law school and many Guyanese go to Trinidad and Tobago’s Hugh Wooding Law School but I decided to take a detour to go to England. I decided to do this because it solves many problems. It is a different time zone so when they have classes it won’t prevent me from doing the pizza business during the day and secondly, I want a doctorate in Criminology and taking this route will help for that programme.” If all goes well, Edward would only have to do six months at Hugh Wooding instead of two years.
When asked to say if he is worried about where he is going to find the funding to now back the UG leg of his career path, a confident Edward told Guyana Standard that he is trusting in God to take him to the finish line while pushing his humble pizza business. In the meantime, Edward said he is extremely thankful for how much God has blessed him with, especially as it relates to the love and support he receives from all. He said that this outpouring of care has also been instrumental in fuelling his unrelenting push to succeed.
For anyone interested in supporting Wendy’s Pizza Parlour, they can be reached on 5926624843, 5925004649 or simply pay them a visit at Lot 137 Waterloo Street Georgetown opposite John Lewis Styles.
