MEET Margaret
‘Maggie’ Harris, a Guyanese United Kingdom-based award-winning author whose upbringing in Guyana has considerably influenced her writing. Now the proud author of 11 books, she wants to revisit the land of her birth soon. She hopes to meet fellow writers and see more of her country while there, and she is also preparing to host a poetry reading session at Moray House on April 2 at 17:00 hrs.
The 70-yearold, who now resides in Kent, UK, left Guyana in 1971
when she was 17 years old. Born and raised in New Amsterdam, Berbice, she completed her secondary education at Berbice High School before leaving.
Maggie’s father died very suddenly in 1969, and her mom was left with four girls to raise on her own. Having family in the UK, she decided that maybe it was best to relocate the family there. So she decided to send Maggie over to an uncle in the UK before moving with the rest of the family 18 months later.
“It was very hard for her,” Maggie recalled in an interview with Pepperpot Magazine, and selling the family home took some time. For her, it was somewhat exciting to be going to another country.
“When you’re 17, going to another country, you think
TIMOTHY Morrison, a constable in the Guyana Police Force (GPF), has big plans for himself. He will stop at nothing to keep educating and elevating himself, and he surely doesn’t believe in settling just for what comes his way. He’d rather go after his dreams and spare no effort to use whatever time he has available to study or learn something new.
Perhaps it was his military background and the males in his life, including his dad, retired police officer, Ronald Fraser; his grandfather, the late Carlos Grey, who was in the army; and his uncles, who were soldiers, which inspired his career choice.
“When I joined the force, I was actually inspired by them, so I was like, I would love to become a police officer to serve and protect the country and to give back to society. The goal
was to make it my career and to do the best in my capacity in the GPF,” Timothy shared in an interview with Pepperpot Magazine.
The 29-year-old father of five hails from Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara, and joined the GPF as an apprentice when he was just out of school almost 13 years ago.
Timothy has never been focused on a promotion, but believes in being patient and using his spare time wisely.
“Whenever it is your time, it’s your time. Unfortunately, it’s not my time as yet. I am currently waiting, but in the meantime [I am] being patient and trying to elevate myself.”
His association with the police force has driven him in the direction of law, and there’s nothing that he’d love more than to become an attorney, specializing in criminal law, which he sees happening soon.
Those in the GPF would usually benefit from extensive training on law from the training school, as officers would
HUMANITY First International has been registered in the UK since 1995, initially aimed at aiding the displaced people of the Bosnia War. Since then, the venture has evolved, reaching more people worldwide and eventually finding its way to Guyana in 2004. Humanity First Guyana is the local installment of the nonprofit organisation. Recently, they have made great strides in reaching farther corners of the country. The Pepperpot Magazine sat down with Maqsood Mansoor, chairman of Humanity First Guyana, to understand what goes into an international nonprofit organisation and how it manages to reach new heights.
Although the organisation had humble beginnings, it has grown to be a team fully equipped with hundreds of people across the globe. Speaking of his team’s strides, Mansoor stated, “We had a humble beginning, and now we have grown and spread to different parts of the country. Just recently, we were able to reach 665 patients in three days. This is remarkable. The US Ambassador visited one of our outreaches and encouraged our whole team to continue serving mankind. This is great. Every time we reach a new level. We are very motivated and encouraged by our last outreach.”
Humanity First Guyana has very specific goals; this is perhaps one reason they have succeeded. As Mansoor stated, the foundation has goals, “Our primary goal is to support the most deserving citizens of Guyana in the pre-designed programmes such as Food Security, Global Health, Orphan and Community Care, Education, and Disaster Relief when and if it occurs.”
Children are always a primary focus for the team. As Mansoor outlined one of their most recent endeavours, stating its success, “Under our Food Security programme, we focus on feeding the underprivileged who are unable to make ends meet. One example is our
providing lunch to schoolchildren at West Ruimveldt Primary School. The teachers, parents, and children were extremely grateful, and the staff expressed how students were more motivated to come to school, knowing that they would be provided a lunch.”
As much as the success of any organisation can be seen, accounting for the impact of a nonprofit organisation is a bit tricky. According to Mansoor, feedback plays a big role in measuring success. “Our success is measured by keeping track of our activities, getting feed -
back from the recipients, and ensuring that we are benefiting the greatest number of people for the least cost.”
The organisation’s greatest challenges are reaching the far-off communities and getting the supplies needed to support their medical outreaches and food hampers. However, they do have a plan for reaching the farflung areas that need help.
“We are reaching out to support organisations and collaborators in this challenge.
The American Embassy in Georgetown has in the past provided air transportation to a remote community, and we are grateful to them for the personnel, material, and other support they have
provided and continue to provide. We need other collaborators to assist us in this joint endeavour.”
At the core of every organisation is a targeted issue they want to solve, and Humanity First Guyana has shifted its focus and target, choosing to take on the challenges of far-flung communities. Mansoor stated that their decision was ignited by a gap they saw, stating that, “We spent a lot of money, time, and effort on donating cooked food to the homeless and street dwellers, but later realised that many other organisations were serving the same group of people during the same time, so we diverted our efforts and funds to the needy children in other areas where such services [are] provided mainly to the underprivi-
leged children, especially those who were skipping school on account of not being able to have lunch during school days.”
Operations and Programmes
Humanity First Guyana has a long list of ventures they have already undertaken. Some of these are Disaster Relief, Food Security, Water for Life, Knowledge for Life, Gift of Health, Gift of Sight, Community Care, and Orphan Care. Other than Water for Life and Disaster Relief, The organisation has been keeping the programmes active. It has worked to develop its governing system. Each Country Director works with the volunteers of each particular country, decides on the programmes after
analysing the needs and ability to sustain such a programme, and can procure the funds to ensure the smooth running of the programme.
Humanity First Guyana can reach hundreds of people in a matter of weeks; this is made possible largely in part by their volunteers. “Our volunteers are an essential aspect of our organisation. Because we are an NGO, we heavily rely on our volunteers to dedicate their time to serving humanity. We are inclusive and promote diversity, regardless of religion, race, culture, or political affiliation – indeed, we are a humanitarian organisation. To get involved or to discuss any pertinent issues, one can simply text/call our chairman or directors,” said Mansoor during our interview.
The organisation also travels to many countries, aiding in similar issues in every region. However, they have learned that every country is different, and thus, every country needs a different approach. This is where community leaders play an important role. As Mansoor stated, “When we engage with a new community, we try to utilise the experience of the community leaders to be introduced to those in need. We always try to contact different leaders, such as the Police Commander, Toshao, Social Worker, Mayor, Counsellor, etc. In that way, it ensures that the right people are receiving assistance.”
As champions of humanitarianism, the organisation works towards creating a sense of community with a collective, genuine ambition to help others. This is where their volunteers come in.
Mansoor says the organisation’s success is owed almost entirely to the people who dedicate their time and energy toward the cause that Humanity First believes in. “To maximise our programmes and include volunteers that are dedicated to making a change. In this way, these programmes will be operating efficiently and with the spirit that Humanity First Guyana strives for.”
Motivating others to not only join their mission, but also to undertake causes of their own is an area Humanity First is focused on. Their message to anyone who wants to help is simple: start small and with good intentions. Mansoor shared that, “Even the smallest effort can make a difference in someone’s life, especially for a person in need. One should not think that just because they are benefiting five people or 15 people that they are not making a difference. Rather, even this small difference can cause an impact, and once these small efforts are recognised, they can develop into something bigger,” Mansoor said. “In addition, the intention should always be pure. Never seek fame; rather, be sincere in helping mankind and the recognition will follow afterwards.”
IN Smith Creek, Region One (Barima-Waini), Evadney Wells is doing a remarkable job managing the Wiri Wiri Pepper Project, which is very empowering to the 27 Warrau women who have persisted over the years despite challenges from crabs, crickets, and caterpillars who love their pepper plants as much as they do.
She and other women in the group, including married women and single mothers, are gainfully employed as farmers in the wiri wiri pepper project in Smith Creek, which produces pepper flakes and spices. The women have named their group, “Towatuma”, a Warrau word meaning ‘women coming together’.
Wells told the Pepperpot Magazine that during the year since the establishment of the wiri wiri pepper farm, they have harvested 24 crops so far, and will be able to do even better with installing a drip irrigation system soon.
She disclosed that the initiatie has allowed for 27 pepper beds, and provided permanent farming jobs for 27 Indigenous women whose lives have been significantly improved.
Wells related that the wiri wiri peppers are dehydrated and flaked at
their processing plant in Smith Creek and shipped to the city for the final process to be completed before it is marketed.
It is sold at expos and wholesaled to buyers nationwide based on orders.
She explained that the drip irrigation system will soon be installed to ease the backbreaking work of manually watering the plants. This project was established in September 2022, and made possible by several public and private organisations, including Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), IDB Lab, Van Oord, the National Agricultural and Research Extension Institute (NAREI), and the Region 1 Regional Democratic Council. Wells stated that the peppers are harvested manually, and then processed into pepper flakes using renewable energy supplied by the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA).
She is originally from Red Hill, a far-flung Amerindian village in Region One. She relocated to Smith Creek four years after marriage, and is still adjusting to a different way of life there.
“I had to re-start my life because everything was somewhat different from where I am from, and there were no real jobs. So I became a Com-
munity Service Officer (CSO), and that enabled me to meet people and equip myself with life skills to earn,” she said.
Wells added that she was one of 10 CSOs in Smith Creek village, and when the idea of the pepper farm was realised, she was happy to become the manager, thus gaining permanent employment. She is the mother of a six-year-old child, and being a farmer, she can contribute to the home as a parent.
“I am very happy to be employed to have my own farm, and I get paid, based on the amount of wiri wiri peppers I harvest, and it is a stable income to my family,” she reasoned.
Wells reported that the nearest village to theirs is Morawhanna, and being a remote community, gaining a living as a self-employed person is not always possible, considering the lack of resources and opportunities.
She told the Pepperpot Magazine that she also has a part-time job as a caterer, and would prepare meals for visitors at the Imbotero Research Centre, her former job, and she re-joined the female drone unit in January this year. Wells is also the founding member of the Barima-Mora Passage female drone unit.
DESPITE working most of his entire life in the printing industry, Dennis Nelson never ventured into writing during those periods. In the earlier years of his career, Nelson spent some time at Guyana Printers Limited, where he worked until 1975, and the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), where he majored in training linotype operators to operate TTS machines.
More recently, however, the former GNNL colleague two weekends ago shared with the Pepperpot Magazine that he has authored a book, “They Made Us Proud”. According to the 78-year-old Nelson, “Many Guyanese are not cognisant of the fantastic heights that have been achieved by their brothers and sisters, engendered with the sacrifices they made and the struggles they encountered to attain their objectives. My goal is to ensure that Guyanese who made significant contributions to society and meet the required criteria be recognised.”
Nelson pointed out that “a conscious effort was made to ensure that all information collected and published is authentic. Although many of the individuals mentioned in the book have passed on, it is only fair that their magnificent legacies are accurately and properly achieved, leaving footprints in the sands of time.”
Nelson said that in the first edition, he listed individuals born in Guyana and achieved fame and fortune at home and abroad. “Additional editions will include many more Guyanese, who quietly left indelible impressions in this world.”
Nelson referred to several Guyanese who left their homeland to live overseas and experienced great fame and fortune in different fields, including politics, entertainment, education, sports, art, music, acting and various other disciplines unknown to many of their countrymen because the social networks were not as they are today. “Communication from foreign countries was mainly by mail, which took as long as one month to reach its destina-
tion - if it ever did.”
In a glowing Foreword, Handel Andrews lauded the efforts of Nelson, pointing out that “They Made Us Proud” is a timely book and compiled when most cultures are documenting their past and recognising the persons who made them proud.”
Andrews referred to when Nelson, the only male in the first Commercial Education Class at the Government Technical Institute (GTI), was lauded by the Duke of Edinburgh during his visit to Guyana.
Andrews also touched by the calendar Nelson published for Guyana’s 50th Anniversary of Independence in 2016, which featured famous people and places in Guyana. “He believes that Guyanese should be acquainted with their brothers and sisters at home and abroad, who made great achievements in various areas of human endeavour.”
Andrews opined that “this book is professionally documented. Its prose is clear, economical and precise. One of the qualities of a good book is that it should be understood by every reader. They Made Us Proud demonstrates this quality.
“Another quality of this book is that it focuses on Guyanese achievers that most nationals knew little about.”
Among the politicians featured are Dr Cheddi Jagan, the late LFS Burnham, Eusi Kwayana, the late Peter D’Aguiar, the late Dr Walter Rodney and Baroness Valerie Amos. John Agard, the late Dr E.R Braithwaite, the late Martin Carter, C.C.H Pounder, the late Norman Beaton and the late A. J Seymour are among those in the arts section. Outstanding cricketers Sir Clive Lloyd, Rohan Kanhai, Shivnarine Chander-
Dennis Nelson
paul, Lancelot Gibbs and the late Basil Butcher and Joe Solomon are cricketers showcased in this volume.
Boxers include Joe Wal-
cott, Cliff Anderson (deceased), Dennis Andries, Andew “Six Heads” Lewis (deceased), Terrence Halley (Alli) and Lennox Black -
moore. The lone soccer player is Alex Bunbury. The legal fraternity features Sir Lionel Luckhoo (deceased), J.O.F Haynes (deceased), Justice Stanley Moore (deceased), Justice Desiree Bernard and Sir Shridath Ramphal.
Life before now
Nelson, who hails from New Amsterdam, Berbice, attended St Ambrose Anglican Primary School and the Government Technical Institute (GTI). After graduating from GTI, he worked at the Government Printery in the Typesetting Department. In 1967, he left the printery for the International Telephone Directory Services, which was tasked with the compiling and printing of Guyana’s telephone directory. In 1971, he returned to work at the newly-formed Guyana Printers Limited which combined workers from the Guyana Lithographic, the Chronicle and the Government Printery.
Dennis was employed at Guyana Printers Limited until 1974, when the Government founded the Guyana National Newspapers Limited. He served as Assistant Production Manager until he migrated to the USA in August 1978.
In the USA, his love
for printing continued, and he was employed with R.S Rosenbaum & Company Financial Printers for 21 years, serving as manager for the Typesetting and Proofreading departments. From 2002 to 2008, he owned and published a Caribbean bi-weekly newspaper, Caribbean Impact, and from 2016 to 2017, he was the manager of Guyana’s weekly newspaper in New York: The New York edition of the Guyana Chronicle.
Dennis was very active in community work in New York and was the co-founder of an organisation that sent relief to the less fortunate Guyanese, named Support Guyanese Underprivileged Inc.
In 2021, Dennis and family migrated to Georgia where he is currently a member of the Guyana Association of Georgia (GAOG).
The official launch of Nelson’s book occurred at three locations in Guyana last year. The venues were the Malteenoes Sports Club, the New Amsterdam Town Hall and the Linden Library. According to Nelson, while the first volume is on sale at Austin’s Book Services, Church Street, Georgetown, Sonia Robertson (592-648-6022) and Dennis (917-379-6590). It will also be sold on Amazon shortly. He disclosed that he’s already working on the second volume.
THE fresh country breeze, the bright sun beating down on acres of grasslands are just a few telltale signs that you are entering into the ever-captivating Corentyne. Home to thousands, Corentyne is arguably one of the country’s most peaceful destinations.
This week, the Pepperpot Magazine ventured across rivers to visit a number of the communities that line the Corentyne. Number 66 village is perhaps one of the most popular communities. Apart from being one of the more densely populated villages, Number 66 is well renowned for its buzzing fishing industry and activities.
The agricultural prowess of Guyana is undeniable. All throughout the nation, agricultural endeavours are growing and diversifying. Throughout different sectors, changes are being made in efforts to build the industry and they all face challenges. The fishing industry is no
different. Fishing is one of the oldest jobs known to man and is integral to developing many communities and entire countries. But it may not be as sustainable as it once was.
For decades, the Corentyne has been at the forefront of the region’s fishing activities. For years, generations of men and some women have ventured out to sea, for days and even weeks at a time, traversing familiar fishing grounds in hopes of hauling a big catch. Over time, however, the catches have been smaller, and the fishermen fewer.
Whether there are fewer fish because there are fewer fishermen or if there are fewer fishermen because there are fewer fish is something the people of the Corentyne are still to find answers to.
Pameshwar Jaimarine, known throughout Number 66 and the neighbouring communities as Max, is Chairman of the Upper
Corentyne Fishermen Co-op Society and the Chairman of the Guyana National Fisherfolk Organisation. Likewise, his father was a fisherman, and after finishing school, Max ventured out to the ocean and has done so for more than four decades.
Growing up in Number 66 village, he describes his home as being just as quiet as it is today and just as serene as always. “Initially, I started to work with my father. Then I began going out to the ocean; fishing in the Atlantic Ocean,” he stated. Many people may underestimate the work of a fisherman, the challenges, the risks, and the excitement. Being out at sea is one of the most unique and refreshing experiences, according to Max and his fellow fishermen. “It is an amazing experience to be in the ocean, in the open seas,” Max said in talking about being at sea.
“Being out at sea is quiet, silent, and there is blue water rolling all around you.”
Max describes fishing in an almost poetic manner. He and his fellow sea goers venture out to sea under the Caribbean sun to pull in net
The men setting out to sea must have their boats packed with everything they will need for survival on the water. As Max explains, this means
No industry is without challenges, and the ancient craft of fishing is no different. Throughout the years, Max has seen fishing evolve in many ways. He has seen the improvement of fishing gear and the diversification of techniques. But he has also seen a decline in fishermen’s catch today compared to three or four decades ago. Max cannot be conclusive about the true reason behind this phenomenon. But, he believes that increased fishing in the same waters has led to the catching of younger fish. He encourages his fellow fishermen to venture out and find new waters, to expand their fields and rotate their fishing grounds. Although some may not consider it as such, fishing is most certainly a profession and a skill. The challenges encountered are not often heard of, as storms and the threat of piracy attacks are just a few.
after net of fish. The act of setting out to sea requires great preparation. Although there are some things they cannot prepare for, such as storms at night on the water, things must be put in place. Max explains that he and his fellow fishermen do not go out daily, but rather make the water their home for weeks. Being away from their homes and, more importantly, land for so long means these men must be prepared.
clean water, food, and a means of cooking. “Sometimes, our men go out for 10 to 12 days. They go with flour, rice, and things to cook,” Max explained. The real excitement, however, the real enjoyment of the work comes from the camaraderie shared. As Max stated, “It is never boring when you are out there. We have each other, and we talk, and we laugh, we have fun.”
Changes in marine life
Leaving land behind and making the ocean one’s home is remarkable. As they cast net after net out and work in unison to return safe and saddled with a few hundred pounds of fish, the fishermen of the Corentyne take pride in what they do. “Our motto is we risk our lives to feed the nation with high-quality protein,” says Max. And live that motto they do, risking so much to return home with a fresh catch.
EVERY day, as millions of boats set out around the world, many of those are among the lot that leave and return to Guyana’s shores. Diverse and beautiful as they sit upon the lakes, traversing rivers and oceans, they are truly remarkable. Although a simple concept, boats have been integral to the development of Mankind, revolutionising trade and travel. However, the people behind the large seagoing vessels are not often highlighted, particularly in Guyana, where only a few are left. Authentic boatbuilders have been a rarity in recent times.
With the adoption of newer models and types worldwide, old-fashioned handmade boats are not easy to come by. But a family in the Corentyne is dedicated to the age-old craft.
As the Pepperpot Magazine set out this week, we ventured to Number 66 village along the Corentyne, where Loukumar Rampersaud and his family have been making boats for generations. Anywhere else, the job may not be as significant. But in the Corentyne, a region known for fishing, boats are pivotal for the livelihoods of many. Every day, fishermen turn to them to build a vessel that can withstand the sea and what it throws at them.
Any day, you could find Loukumar at the Number 66 Village fishing wharf. Home to the Corentyne Fishermen’s Cooperative Society, the location has become a hub of activity, and has evolved to become an important landmark in the community. Most days, the location is filled with hundreds of fishermen operating boats and moving along the river. The boathouse is one of the eye-catching and certainly unique aspects of
the site.
Towering several feet, Loukumar and his father have a shed under which they do most of their work. The business has existed for many years, and has been passed down from generation to generation. Twentynine-year-old Loukumar has been a part of the family business for as long as he can remember. He spoke of how his childhood was characterised by spending days after school helping his father make wood, and paint countless boats. “I used to come home from school and help my father. And then, as I got bigger, I helped him more, and so until today.”
Number 66 and its surrounding villages are known to be fishing communities, with the 66 fishermen being said to have the freshest catch. Loukumar and his family are among the largest boat suppliers in the region. Oftentimes, the father-son duo works on multiple vessels, cutting various types of wood, and shaping individual vessels.
Building a boat is far more complex than one would think. As Loukumar stated, “There are a lot of things we have to do. And making one boat takes like a monthand-a- half.” The more than a month that is spent consists of a long, arduous process that was pioneered and perfected throughout the years.
The process begins with wood. Loukumar explains that most of the wood comes from miles away in Linden. Specific species of wood are required: Greenheart and Wallaba are popular options. Loukumar explains that as the wood is brought to the village and assessed, cutting and marking begin. “We check the wood, and we mark and cut the wood,” he shared. Interestingly, there are different types of boats characterised
The fishing wharf at Number 66 village.
by designs. These variations of designs make for more than a different look. However, different boats have different functions, and some are more popular options among fishermen. The cruiser is one of the most often requested and seen on the water.
Building something anywhere between 20 to 70 feet in length requires skill. Loukumar and his team have their work cut out for them, as they must be precise in their measurements. After cutting, building is the next step. Aspects such as the boat bow are put together by skillfully connecting flexible but sturdy pieces of wood together. “After we build, we have to sand and paint them,” Loukumar shared. Building a boat is still just a small part of the work. Great emphasis is placed on the strength of the vessel, and it undergoes rigorous testing and maintenance. Every so often, boats are brought to shore for maintenance, similar
to cars.
Although a modest profession, Loukumar and his father take great pride in their work, from laying each wood by hand to painting unique designs for each vessel. They see their work as vital, and treat it as such. Although
many people see value in more modern vessels, Loukumar sees the importance and quality in their finished product. They certainly play a pivotal role not only in the community, but also in the entire fishing industry of Corentyne. With hun-
dreds of fishermen turning to them, Loukumar says they are as important to the fishermen as they are to the community. As he stated, “We are very important to the fishermen. Without us, they do not have a boat, and without a boat, they cannot fish.”
THE Corentyne forms the entirety of our border with neighbouring Suriname. Home to thousands of people, the Corentyne is one of the most unique places in Guyana. Its people’s hospitable nature and easygoing way of life create a sense of serenity that radiates throughout the region and its many diverse people.
Setting out to explore the peaceful Corentyne coast, The Pepperpot Magazine ventured into Number 66 village. Number 66 is home to approximately four hundred people. The community shares history with most of the surrounding region, coming from the days of colonisation; the village is an agriculture hub. Agriculture is evident when travelling down the easygoing Corentyne coast.
With various vast farmlands, the Corentyne is one of the country’s largest rice producers. Although agriculture is a big aspect of life in the region, entrepreneurship is also a major part of the economy. Amidst development, however, there are still remnants of the region’s old way of life. As much as industrialisation is sweeping the region with the development of businesses, authentic careers still survive, and fishing is one of the most prominent. We spoke to a local fisherman from the area. Mohammed Azem has lived and worked along the Corentyne for most of his life, and a large part of that was spent in Number 66 village.
He began fishing shortly after finishing high school. As he shared, “In the ‘80s, I started fishing. And from the ‘80s to now, I’m still in the work.” He added that although he had made a career
out of it, fishing had initially started as a hobby. “Since I used to go to school, I liked fishing,” he said.
His experiences with fishing and being out in the ocean have been extensive. His decision to become a fisherman was further impacted by the loss of his parents at a young age.
“So eventually, after I left school, my parents died very young and I became a fisherman,” he shared.
Reminiscing on his earlier days, Mohammed explained that simply learning to be comfortable at sea was among the most challenging aspects. He stated that “Well, the most important thing is to go out to the sea. You’ve got to get used to the sea. Because you are going to feel bad.”
Apart from knowing how to swim, Mohammed emphasises the importance of being calm, like the water these men call home. He stated that “You cannot panic when something goes wrong. You always got to keep a level head. So if something goes wrong, you must try to do something right for yourself.”
The drastically unpredictable nature of the water seems to be every fisherman’s biggest contender. For more than four decades on the job, Mohammed has acquired a few skills, one of which is memorising. Men like Mohammed have learned to draw road maps through water in their minds.
As he explained, “You got to memorise. You got to be good to be a good fisherman. You got to memorise your plots. In those days when I started fishing, we didn’t have things like GPS to mark our hunting grounds. And now there is GPS. I got GPS, but I don’t
use it.”
Four decades is a long time. Throughout those years, Mohammed has seen the fishing industry change drastically. One of the biggest changes in the industry is the introduction of GPS. New technology has been vital for the growth fishing has seen. Some fishermen like Mohammed still have an affinity for the old-fashioned way of doing things. “GPS can tell you the depth of the water. It can tell you the destination. But as an old fisherman, any old fisherman, they would measure the water and tell you what kind of ground, if it’s soft, if it’s hard, if it’s sticky, all they are gonna know.”
Mohammed emphasises his love for the trade despite the challenges. “Well, going out at sea is something nice for fishermen who know the sea, who love the water. Water will always feel more happy because that is where your daily bread is,” he said.
One of the primary reasons Mohammed has retained his love for the trade is the uniqueness of the skill. As he shared during his interview, “The main part of it that I love being a fisherman is that not everybody can go out and fish. Some men would go only for the money, but when they come back they do not make it. What I mean is, some men hear about the money, but they do not hear about the work. For instance, for me personally, if I do not go out to sea too long, I feel like I lose something.”
Listening to Mohammed talk about his work is deeply interesting. Everything from where to find the fish and how to find his way back home is
crafted and kept in his mind. Fishing grounds are important to fishermen; different waters give rise to different species of fish. “Different ground, you go too deep, certain places you start to catch sharks. You will not find shark and snapper in the same grounds. As time changed, people have different kinds of nets. You can catch small fish, some of them can catch big fish. Everything has changed grad-
ually.”
Most fishermen have mastered the skill through years of work and dedication. According to Mohammed, the industry needs workers as the older generation continues to leave. For Mohammed, fishing has to be ingrained as a way of life. He stated that, “You see, to me, fishing work comes from the people you grow up with.
When I left school, eventually, one of my brothers was a fisherman. And by going out with them in the boat, I learned the work. But normally, for a man who left school and wants to get a new experience over fishing work, he might not see the work as how we see it. We see this work here that it must be for the future. Some people don’t see it like that.”
MOST people are often fascinated by the beauty of the exotic and diverse plants and animals in forests. However, the forest is far more than what we see; there are numerous not-so-visible benefits of forests, and without those benefits, our existence would be threatened. To focus on the benefits of forests, the UN, in 2013, designated the 21st March as the International Day of Forests (IDF).
IDF is an annual observance and this year, it is being celebrated under the theme, “Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World.” As such, activities planned to mark the IDF observance will promote effective solutions to reduce (mitigate) climate change and prepare (adapt) to its effects. Importantly, the day will also highlight the need to use forests sustainably to find new solutions for a better world.
Innovation and technology have transformed forest monitoring, enabling countries to track, monitor and report on their forests more effectively and efficiently. “A total of 13.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide forest emission reductions or enhancements have been reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change through transparent and inno-
• Providing habitat for more than half of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.
• Contributing to the balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity in the atmosphere.
• Protecting watersheds, which supply fresh water to rivers, lakes etc.
• Providing homes, jobs, clothing, shelter, food, medicine, research, cosmetics and security for millions of people around the world.
• Forests also play a key role in our battle to adapt to and mitigate climate change.
vative forest monitoring,” as reported by the United Nations. Importance of the Forests
Forests cover about one-third of the world’s land mass. We all depend on the forest in one way or the other for our survival and livelihood. Some important functions of forests include but are not limited to:
Over the years, the world has been changing. Most of the increase in global temperature is due to the increase of certain greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Forests play a very important role in maintaining natural processes and storing
large amounts of carbon; hence, through the carbon cycle and other natural processes, forests help to combat climate change. Nevertheless, deforestation makes forests a large source of carbon dioxide emissions.
To tackle these challenges, FAO and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have jointly launched Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests (AIM4Forests), a five-year programme that aims to enhance forest monitoring through modern technologies, technical innovation, and the utilisation of space data and remote sensing.
Reducing deforestation and forest degradation and restoring and sustainably managing forests are critical pathways to meet the 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The battle against deforestation requires new technological advancements. These innovations are essential
TODAY, there are not too many characters and books for children that revolve around the theme that distinguishes good from bad, or even ‘evil’. Not that they are not written, but, by choice, such stories today cannot be told in isolation, and many prefer them not to be told, because, for many isolated global systems, a thinking population is not an asset to their agendas. This is also because the information technology that is now common eliminates and tests negative mythic interpretations with archaeological, anthropological logic, and scientific clarifications.
However, to quote the South African Nobel Prize for Literature Laureate, Nadine Gordimer, “It seems that materialism has conquered all.” This notion concludes that the conflict between mental liberation and control propaganda endures. Nevertheless, the reality that the human mind was ‘created or evolved’ with a capacity to explore, challenge and interpret every iota conceptualised in literature, philosophy, religious, or political ideology with a challenge enables us to not just comply with previously imposed ‘comfort zones.’
Thus, the most effective inborn tool rests with the imagination. Therein lies the realm of ideas and counter-ideas. What is proven effective is the interpretive capacity of the mind. Today, we have Sophia Stewart, the alleged creator of two incredible works that have impacted today’s world: The Matrix and the Terminator. I use ‘the alleged’ because her IPR Issues are not yet over, but the impact of those two works has nurtured deep conversations on our global interpretations of currently debated tech-social influences that include AI.
The problem is that many systems realised the value of folktales and cunning belief systems that could work in their favour if they remould the idea and inserted themselves in adjusted versions as an ordained hierarchy. Some of these evolve to become religion. This is because with the pressures of life, the original will be forgotten, and only the current will be accepted. But because the folk or fairytale is such a creature that, with simple character engagements, interprets natural human behavioural conduct, demonstrating ‘innocence and callousness’, it activates judgement to the most innocent mind, which quickly relates the fable to the reality engaged in the normal realms of life.
This is the social confident trickster’s nightmare. Thus, what is learned will revive itself even with efforts to erase its original existence. The Anancy story will remake itself, say… “Was Anancy a proverbial conman, or was he an unreasonable survivor in some cases, and on other occasions, was he smarter than those who tried to outsmart him?” Only the tale can tell. The fairytale of the Three Pigs revolves around making cheap choices against costly but safer alternatives, and suffering the consequences. Remember, the wolf blew the cheap houses down, and in some telling of this fable, he ate the two pigs. In other interpretations, they took refuge with their brother, who had built a stronger house. It is told differently to suit the audience, with the same intention as the English proverb: Penny wise, pound foolish.
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Telling Anancy stories is a term used for general folktales that include even Euro-fairy tales. Except in the Grimm tales, very violent acts at times occur. For that reason, many are edited but carry the same actions against witches, werewolves, etc. However, the instructive children’s stories highlighted in this column apply more to ideas that can relate to metaphors, using original landscapes, but with scenarios that relate to current challenges that also apply redeeming factors.
One thing about the original worlds that folk and fairytales emerged from is that these were realms that were unforgiving and cruel to violators because what we call folktales were instructive teachings, and as the Queen in one popular English
children’s tale would command, “Off with their head!” That’s not what we can teach our children. Humiliation and regret would be indeed enough.
In closing, we must admit that we also live in unreasonable and violent times, but the intention is to develop better judgement in people through a folk medium, not to pass final judgment without invoking redemption. Okay, I’m not saying that anger and its rage, if justified, are easy to contain. But it’s wise not to venture into the rage of the unknown, for as a late ‘bad man’ once told this writer, “Day time yuh can find thing fuh do, but wid night, yuh nawh responsible fuh wuh vision manifest.”
MORE often than not, I find that it is tough to find a very good and affordable food vendor, a place to eat without having to spend a lot of money in one of those fancy restaurants
you cannot always afford. But this is not the case with the black pudding vendors from Ogle Street, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara.
Black pudding is a Guyanese favourite. It is a staple at many public gatherings as a finger food or sometimes sold on the corner for a quick bite. Black and white pudding are staples of the Guyanese culinary experience. I have had black
pudding, which was overwhelmed by the fine leaf thyme and other green seasonings, but the pudding from Ogle Street is, by far, the tastiest I have ever had and I could not get enough of it. It is delicious with the right amount of everything (ingredients) and when it hits the palette it is an explosion of flavours. This black pudding is made by a group of two women and a man, who spend a lot of time in the preparation process from their home in Beterverwagting.
Black pudding making is a time-consuming pro-
cess where the green seasonings have to be blended to perfection. The intestines (runners) of cows are also used in black pudding making, and they are cleaned and stuffed with the seasoned rice, then boiled with the cow’s blood after cooking and then boiled again until it is tender. The same process goes for white pudding, minus the blood, of course.
The black pudding from Ogle Street goes well with mango sour and the perfect amount of pepper, which is not too overpowering to give unusual bowel movements. The group makes pudding based on orders on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays in large quantities and there is no delivery service. All orders have to be picked up at the location where they are made. The black pudding people are well-known, and the delicacy is in demand because it is so good that you cannot help yourself.
I became aware that such a black pudding existed when I was invited to a friend’s birth anniversary party at his residence in Atlantic Gardens. The event was catered and laid out buffet-style.
Among the well-prepared tasty foods was the black pudding from Beterverwagting. I had some and went back for more. And even though there was
enough of it at the event, I was too ashamed to go a third time. It was weeks after I enquired from my friend where he sourced this particular delicacy and I had to try it for myself.
The presentation was good and the service for pickup was efficient and organised, and when it was time to have the black pudding, once again, I couldn’t stop eating it since it was that good.
However, I had to restrain myself and put away some in the refrigerator for the next day and still it wasn’t enough, I continue to have a craving for it.
Garvin Jackman and his generational black pudding
Garvin Jackman, his elderly mother, Fay Jackman, and an employee, Angela Curry, are the unbeatable trio who know the recipe for the black pudding. The process is a team effort and it takes many hours to produce the final product.
Jackman told Diverse Chronicles that black pudding making has been in the family for three generations. It started with his great-grandmother and his grandmother, who then passed it down to his own mother.
He reported that the recipe is highly guarded and will remain within the family, and there is an aunt who makes black pudding, too, but he admitted that it is not quite as good as theirs.
Jackman related that people from all walks of life and all across the country would call to place orders because it is that good.
He disclosed that he would visit the Municipal Abattoir on Water Street, Georgetown, to place orders for the products needed to make the black pudding in huge portions. Jackman added that he would purchase bags of rice and a lot of green seasonings and spices to add to the flavour of this special Guyanese dish as well. The effort and pride in Jackman and his team’s black pudding can both be seen and tasted after just one bite. I will definitely be returning to this location!
need to understand aspects of the law to enforce it effectively. However, Timothy wanted more, so privately, with support from his family, he opted to pursue a diploma in law.
Successful at this, he then went on to do the degree programme at Nations University, which he is doing through the University of London. Now, in his first year, Timothy anticipates completing it within the next two years.
He shared that the degree programme gives him the indepth training he needs related to statutes and other things that add to the foundation training from the GPF.
Timothy benefited from further training when the GPF sent him to do a prosecutors course, for which he was the top graduating student. He graduated recently, having also done extensive training in other fields.
“I have accomplished quite a lot at this age and have a far way more to go. I would love to complete my studies in the law programme. I have a passion for law,” he expressed.
Now working in the Court Superintendent’s office where he performs duties at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, Timothy is able to be further exposed to the law, being able to observe firsthand the trial process and other relevant matters within his current areas of study.
Timothy’s advice to others who may have similar circumstances: “Be patient, disciplined. Pick up the mantle in educating yourselves. Do not limit yourselves to a secondary education; don’t stop there. Every available time that you have, make use of it to educate yourselves. Failure is not the end of it; you can pick yourself up and go again.”
the country is going to be like in all the movies you’ve seen. But really, it was quite isolating because I left my friends, my school mates; we had a great time as teenagers growing up together and doing things,” she recalled.
But the entire family had to start their lives all over again. “My mom had to go to work which she had never really done before because she was a house wife, so it was a very different life; some of the girls were young and had to go to school here.”
Maggie had always enjoyed art and writing but she couldn’t pursue becoming an artist due to college and high fees, so she ended up working in other fields for some time. She hadn’t any qualifications, but she was always good at English and Art.
When she got married around 22, she started going to part-time classes in art and writing and did exhibitions of her pictures. Even when her children were still young, she’d still do exhibitions in the library and different places, and would also perform at and host poetry events, something that she said is very big in the UK.
At 39, Maggie, mother of three daughters, went to university as a mature student and went through the process of going to college. She attended the University of Kent in Canterbury and earned a Bachelor of Arts with honours in African and Caribbean Studies and then a Master’s in post-colonial studies because she was very interested in writing about Guyanese, the Caribbean and diaspora.
Completing her memoir of growing up in Guyana titled “Kiskadee Girl”, Maggie won the Guyana Prize for Literature two times, in 2000 and then in 2015. She also won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for the Caribbean in 2004 and the Wales Poetry Award some years ago.
Maggie has taught adult education at the University of Kent and was an international teaching fellow at South Hampton University. With all of the experience garnered over the years in the literary field, she is looking forward to meeting Guyanese writers who have an interest in furthering their career.
She wants to visit places in Guyana that she did not have an opportunity to do when she was younger and hopes for a positive turnout at her Moray House poetry reading on April 2.
THOUGH the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MHSSS)’s role and activities have far-reaching and salutary effects on individual citizens, and society as a whole, there is very little direct coverage of it in the media.
It is treated somewhat like the sun, whose beneficent rays are necessary for human survival but are rarely remembered and are often taken for granted by institutions and society alike.
The help and intervention of this MHSSS are invoked in all kinds of human situations, and the officers of the ministry quietly lend their help.
This is not surprising, since the personality of the leader of that Ministry, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, seemes to have imbued the activities of the MHSSS. Dr. Persaud comes
from a background of selfless service. Her father was the late Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, a man of great courage who stood up against State authoritarianism at great risk to his life and limb, and who, over the years, when the country was enveloped in want and hardship and Guyanese people were fleeing, would try to help people’s needs by gathering whatever could be had from friends and chelas. The MHSSS recently displayed an example of that spirit.
A prominent member of society quietly informed the ministry that he knew of a retired Permanent Secretary who lived alone, was in his 90s and barely mobile, and whose pensions were comparatively very small. For example, though he had contributed at the highest level for his National Insurance, his NIS pension was at the lowest level because actual contributions based on the “low” salaries at the time did not warrant him having more than the lowest pension. (At the time the former PS was in service, the Guyana currency was heavy; for example, a new, not second-hand, motorcar could be purchased for four to five thousand Guyana dollars).
The MHSSS contacted the retiree by telephone and offered
FROM PAGE XX help he may have required. The retiree, coming from that culture where one tried to live within his means and never felt that one’s problems should be projected to anyone else, even the State, thanked MHSSS, and assured them that he was managing, and did not require any assistance at the moment. From its experience and sensitivity, the ministry presented the retiree with a hamper of foodstuff when delivering his Old Age Pension book as a shut-in. The retiree welcomed the unexpected and useful gift, and was very grateful.
The ministry’s work and involvement are in such areas as digital transformation, Old Age Pensions, gender-based violence, persons living with disabilities, trafficking in persons, shelter for the homeless, supplying meals for pavement dwellers and those who could not or would not be accommodated in shelters, helping in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and distributing grants from time to time to certain vulnerable categories of persons.
In other words, the mandate of the ministry is to protect and help the most vulnerable groups of the Guyanese population. Each area of the ministry’s work entails a plethora of activities, and determining the details would require much space and time.
Foreign agencies often seem to be more cognisant of the social and humanitarian work of the MHSSS than many of our local institutions. The Central Government, however, always complimented the work of the MHSSS as, for example, when Dr. Ashni Singh was recently signing the Can$120 million sovereign loan to further boost support for vulnerable groups: “We have retained,” said Dr. Singh, “at the highest level of our priorities, the objective of ensuring the most vulnerable in our society experience the physical and tangible benefits, including and in particular in relation to the delivery of social services.”
WHEN you look into the mirror, do you like what you see? How do you perceive your body? Do you have kind thoughts about it? I can only hope so. Many young and old people have a hard time balancing their dislikes and likes about their bodies. In fact, some people simply do not like the way they look.
SEE PAGE XXIII
Do you feel that way? I am here to tell you that you don’t have to dislike your body because we are all different and beautiful in our own ways. In fact, beauty is subjective. As they say, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”. The concept of body image refers to how we view our bodies. It can be negative or positive. I am here to remind you that you should always have a positive mindset towards your body image. It is important for your health and self-love.
Maybe it is true when they say we are our harshest critics. We beat ourselves up simply for how we look, which can be a disadvantage to our ability to grow and thrive. Popular beauty standards dominate mainstream media. These standards can have a significant impact on how people view themselves. You’d find that many people compare their bodies to the “perfect” idea of what people should look like on social media. This is not good. I want you to remember one thing: social media is virtual reality. It is not the physical reality or experience you live in. Photoshopping, editing and even AI can create entirely different faces and bodies from what people actually look like. There should be no shame in your hair texture, skin colour or body size. Aside from social media, you should learn to accept and love your body both online and offline. I always remind myself that no two persons were made physically alike, not even identical twins. I am unique in my body and ways and will always celebrate my differences because they make me how I am.
If you’re struggling to have a positive body image, I advise you to practise affirmations. You can start by reminding yourself that you’re beautiful every morning in front of a mirror. Whole body image relies on one’s self-impression and awareness, and our surroundings also play a vital part in it. You can also try to understand a bit more about why you dislike the characteristics of your body. Was it because of something someone once said about you when you were younger? Or is it deeper than that? Understand where these negative feelings come from so you can best confront them. I would strongly advise against projecting your “preference” for beauty onto others. Whether it be in your dating life or in general, you should not do that. You should also always strive to be kind to people. Avoid commenting about people’s bodies because it is not your place to do so. Instead, aim to be kind and supportive. You have no idea about the struggles people face internally daily, and the least we can do is try to make them feel a bit better, even if it’s by complimenting them or being compassionate.
IN a little secluded place between the mangrove trees by the river’s bank, she sat, her eyes closed, a book of poems lying open on her lap. The soft swishing sound of the water as it washed up the muddy flat was soothing music to her mind as she relaxed in this tranquil place. She was in her own little world, lost in the sweet intimacy of the poet and words.
She opened her eyes as the sun set in the West, its reddish-orange glow shimmering across the water of the affluent river, a timeless spectacle. She closed her book and walked to the water’s edge, the wind tussling her long hair and her dress swirling around her ankles. As she stood there marvelling at the sunset, a flock of cranes flew low over the water to their habitat. She watched as they flew in a smooth rhythm and she said quietly, “The wonders of nature in this world we live.”
It began to dusk, and when she picked up her book, she left the riverside for home.
Tomorrow was the beginning of a new week, a full daily schedule for her as a kindergarten school teacher, evening classes at the university and social work for church and charities. It was quite tasking for her to find time for everything, but with God’s blessings, she did.
She was a Christian girl. Her name was Sarah, and she was simple, with gentle ways and a warm personality as she fashioned her life and worked in God’s name.
to someone, it changed the smooth flow of her life.
“Sarah, I want you to meet someone special.”
She turned around and saw it was the young cricketer her father had moulded, Jared. She had never seen him in person before and was pleased to meet him since her family so loved him.
“Happy Birthday, Sarah,” he said, handing her a small, beautifully wrapped gift.
“Thank you,” she said with a warm smile, a happy glow on her face, for it was her special night.
She was dressed in a simple, sky-blue gown that accentuated her slim figure, her hair falling softly down her shoulders, and Jared looked at her with an admiring smile.
“You’re very beautiful,” he said.
Her ideals were somewhat old-fashioned and, often, she would be teased by her colleagues with modern lifestyles. They told her she needed a little adventure in her life with someone with rugged good looks and a fun personality.
“Really?” Sarah asked, “You know I’ll probably never meet someone like that.”
“You never know,” was the positive response, “He’ll probably find you.”
Sarah shook her head with a patient smile.
She knew what she loved in someone, and as she lay in bed that night, she said softly as her eyes closed in sleep, “You know that too, dear Lord, don’t you?”
She often spoke to the Lord in quiet moments, seeking guidance and blessings for herself and those she touched.
She was the only daughter in her family, the apple of her father’s eyes and from his strong shoulders, she could see the world, but at a crucial period in her life, he erred in his judgement that almost cost her the happiness he wanted for her. Her father was a successful businessman and a cricket enthusiast who was a big sponsor of the game. He had a gift, it seemed, in recognising good talent, and eleven years ago, he had taken a personal interest in a stylish young batsman and funded his training. He followed his exploits in the game, and the young cricketer soon became a household name. That name was often spoken of in their home because her two brothers were also cricket lovers. Sarah had always listened patiently over the years, being not much of a cricket fan, more into drama and theatre.
In May, she celebrated her twentieth birthday with a beautiful Thanksgiving Service and then had a special dinner the next night at an exclusive restaurant. Her father always wanted the best for her but that night when he introduced her
She smiled, and as he met other guests, one of her friends whispered to her, “I think he might be the one.”
“What? No!”
Sarah expressed. He was indeed tall and handsome, but there was no feeling of exhilaration in her heart when she saw him for the first time. Her father was honoured and happy that Jared came to her birthday dinner and the next morning at breakfast, he said to her, “You finally got to meet the cricketing star.”
“Yes,” she responded with a smile.
“What do you think of him?”
“He seems like a nice person.”
“He is indeed,” her father voiced.
Sarah left for school, not thinking more of it, and stopped by the church in the afternoon to talk to a few members about an upcoming charity event and then classes at the university. She was, as usual, tired when she got home and was not thrilled when her mother told her, “Jared called to speak to you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” there was a pause, then her mother said, “I think he likes you.”
“And how would you know that?” Sarah asked her a little jokingly.
“Well, the way he was looking at you last night.”
Sarah shook her head with a wry smile and said nothing to that.
She was relaxing a little after dinner, watching a T.V. show when Jared called again. She felt somewhat reluctant to talk to him but her mother said to her, “Just say hi, he has called twice now.”
Sarah sighed wearily and took
the phone, “Hi,” she said.
“Hey, you seem to be very busy today.”
“Yes, I was.”
“I just called to tell you, you have a warm personality that I like and I was wondering if I could see you sometime.”
That took her a little by surprise and after a short moment, she told him, “I am quite busy with school, church and studies at the moment and I won’t have the time.”
“Okay, I guess I’ll wait until you have the time.”
He said ‘good night’ and Sarah inhaled slowly, “Oh, wow.”
That night, she lost a little focus on her studies, hoping he wouldn’t pursue his desire to see her again, but he called two days later, and again, she told him she was busy.
“I would really like us to be friends,” he told her after two more calls.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said frankly.
“Why?”
“I’m just a simple girl who lives a quiet life.”
“That’s what I like about you,” he expressed, “Your simplicity.”
“I’m sorry,” she said in a polite tone, “I really need to focus on my studies, exams are coming up.”
In her heart, she didn’t want to be friends with him, even though he was a nice guy and close to her family. It would bring too much change in her life that she most likely would not be comfortable with.
But Jared did not give up, making short, unexpected visits to her home to meet her father and soon her family knew of his interest in her. It pleased everyone, but her father noticed her reluctance to talk to him and asked her, “Why don’t you want to talk to him?”
She sighed, a little exasperated, “I don’t think it’s a good idea to be friends with him because our lifestyles are so different.”
“I understand, and it’s all up to you, but I can assure you he’s a nice guy.”
He kissed her on her forehead and said, “You know how much I love you and I want the best for you.”
She did not miss the tinge of disappointment in his voice, which gave her a sense of regret, knowing he and Jared had come a long way.
She sighed deeply, “But my heart does not speak for him. What do I do?” she said to herself.
To be continued.
for early warning systems, sustainable commodity production, and empowering Indigenous Peoples through land mapping and climate finance access.
Additionally, ecosystem restoration, including reforestation efforts, can significantly contribute to climate mitigation and enhance food security while pushing the boundaries of and promoting sustainable wood products.
How can we help in the fight against climate change?
• Plant a trew
• Preserve our forest
• Use resources wisely
• Dispose of waste properly and do not litter
• Reduce the use of artificial items and practice the three r’s of waste management – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
• Make conscious efforts to learn more about forests and their benefits and share the information with others
The forests are an integral part of survival on earth. Protect it, for it protects us!
I have neither eye to see, nor tongue to speak here, but as the House is pleased to direct me.
SPEAKER WILLIAM LEN- THALL (1591-1662) Said to Charles 1.
Dear student,
Welcome dear friend. If you can read one passage to understand and evaluate its information, it then becomes easier to relate that information to other texts on the same subject. In such an exercise, note-taking, and filling comparison tables (self-structured) are of crucial help. As you read, mentally compare what you already know and what information the new texts bring. See their similarities, differences, and contradictions. Always systematise
information in your mind and on suitably structured grids. Be wise.
Love you.
The passage
Recognising the written topic sentence
Notes: a) When the main idea in a paragraph is not actually stated, when there is no such thing in it to be called a topic sentence, it becomes more difficult for you to decide what the general meaning of that paragraph is. It is therefore necessary for you to learn to find out the main ideas in passages of that type.
b) Sentences that support or expand a topic sentence, have words or markers that announce that they are supporting sentences. They either announce an example, a limitation, a consequence, etc.
Read the following passages and then answer the items below each.
First passage
The first agent Leamas lost was a girl. She was only a small link in the network; she was used for courier jobs. They shot her dead in the street as she left a West Berlin cinema. The police never found the murderer and Leamas was at first inclined to write the incident off as unconnected with her work. A month later a railway porter in Dresden, a discarded agent from Peter Guillam’s network, was found dead and mutilated beside a railway track. Leamas knew it wasn’t coincidence any longer. Soon after that two members of another network under Leamas’ control were arrested and summarily sentence to death. So it went on: remorseless and unnerving.
(J. Le Carré: “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold”)
The main idea of the passage is that
a) the police couldn’t stop the murders of Leamas’ men b) Leamas couldn’t understand why so many people were killed c) Leamas knew someone was killing his agents. d) the murders of Leamas’ agents were savage and cruel.
Second passage
The Hotel Taft was on a hill in one of the many sections of town. A wide street curved up past expensive homes until it neared the top of the hill, then there was an archway over the street with a sign on the archway reading Taft Hotel and as it passed under the archway the street turned into the entrance of the hotel. Benjamin drove slowly under the archway until he came to the building itself. He had to slow his car and wait in a line with other cars, most of them driven by
chauffeurs, stopped by the entrance for a doorman to open the door for their passengers. When Benjamin was beside the entrance an attendant appeared at his car and pulled open the door.
(C. Webb: “The Graduate”)
The main idea of this passage is that
a) Benjamin was going to stay at the Taft Hotel. b) The hotel Bengamin went to was a luxurious one. c) There was an attendant waiting for Benjamin in the hotel. d) Benjamin was impressed by the quality of the hotel.
The poem
Poems have sounds
Notes: a) Poets are like musicians; they are sensitive to the effects of sound. They use varied rhythms to excite the emotions of whoever reads their works of art.
b) Poets may indulge in harsh or melodious sounds to convey moods that run through man’s emotions and heartbeat. Rhyme and other devices of repetition are used by them to help produce pleasant and forever remembered messages.
c) Poets also use divisions like stanza, couplet, and quatrain to achieve a shapely appearance. All together poets aim for a rich texture of sound and shape, most pleasurable and meaningful.
Read the following three stanzas of George Gordon, Lord Byron’s poem and respond to the items that follow.
The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold; And the sheen of their spears like stars on the sea, When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.
Like the leaves of forest when summer is green,
5
That hosts with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
The host on the morrow lay withered and strown.
For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
10
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still!
1. Give the meanings of the following phrases: come down like the wolf; his cohorts; their banners; on the morrow; withered and strown; breathed in the efface of the foe.
2a) What similes in the first stanza help you picture the power of the Assyrians? b) What two nations are involved? c) Which seems to be the wolf, and which, the sheep? c) Give a name for the poem.
3a) Three verses of the poem are used. In which lines does the poet relate in detail the destruction of the Assyrians? b) What does each stanza describe? c) Do the stanzas build upon each other? What does each stanza build toward?
4a) Do you agree that the stanzas are racy in their beat? What do you think swift movement do to the subject of Byron’s poem?
You passed by an office and overheard two Doctors of Psychology arguing about giving you a chance to do an experiment. You knew your smart Form teacher, had faith that the experiment would get you smart. She said, “Don’t be scared Dennis, you have done so much with so little, I think you deserve it most of all.” Turn this idea into a good and exciting short story.