arrested in PAGE PAGE 02 Buxton backlands

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 25, 2020 9 Foreign minister addresses XX CELAC confab

–– discusses measures to contain COVID-19 pandemic

FOREIGN AFFAIRS and International Cooperation Minister, Hugh Todd, on Thursday, participated in the XX Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) held within the framework of the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

During the virtual meeting, the foreign ministers discussed measures to contain the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as well as efforts aimed at the revitalisation of the regional body to further benefit Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries.

In a brief intervention, Minister Todd stated that “developing states, such as Guyana, value our engagement in groupings like CELAC, since it is our view that it could play a critical role as a multilateral forum to promote greater partnerships with third world states and groupings”.

The foreign minister also acknowledged the challenges faced by Mexico, the current Pro Tempore President (PTP), whose tenure coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He lauded Mexico’s ability to aggressively execute an agenda that, not only emphasises effective scientific research and development but also pursues innovation, which included a wide range of plans that includes an initiative to produce and distribute a vaccine aimed at benefitting the region.

Further, the attending foreign ministers echoed the sentiments of Foreign Minister Todd and applauded the initiative of Argentina and Mexico in conjunction with Astra Zeneca Company, the University of Oxford, with support from the Carlos Slim Foundation, aimed at producing and distributing a COVID-19 vaccine for the region.

Additionally, the ministers discussed the Regional Clinical Study on Dermatological Conditions associated with COVID-19, and the establishment of the CELAC Network of Specialists in Infectious Agents and Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases, as a useful platform for sharing best practices and the development of new areas.

The foreign ministers

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Hugh Todd

also discussed the importance of regional food security, the need for further developments in technology and innovation, and the improvement of health care within the region.

Launched in 2011, CELAC functions as a regional mechanism for political dialogue and cooperation between 33 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. CELAC has helped to deepen dialogue within the region in areas such as social development, education, nuclear disarmament, farming, culture, finance, energy, and the environment.

Armed bandits pounce on sleeping men

TWO bandits, in the wee hours of Thursday morning, robbed two persons at their Fair’s Rust Extension, McKenzie, Linden residence.

The robbery under arms was committed on a 48-year-old labourer and a 21-year-old male, both unemployed.

Reports indicated that both victims were asleep when the 21-year-old man was awakened by a knocking sound on the door. Upon checking, he was confronted by one of the robbers in front of the door who held him at gunpoint.

The other bandit who was armed with the crowbar turned his attention to the labourer and demanded gold and cash while he ransacked the home.

The robber found a combined total of $114,000 in cash while the victims were also relieved of their cellphones.

The victims were taken outside where the suspect, armed with the gun, discharged a round in the air and they both made good their escape, on foot, in a southern direction.

A report was made, via telephone, and the police visited the scene where one 9mm spent shell and one warhead were recovered.

Subsequently, at 02:05 hours, the said day, a man, fitting the description of one of the suspects, showed up at the Linden Hospital Complex with what appeared to be a gunshot injury to his left upper thigh.

He was seen by a doctor on duty and admitted as a patient, under police guard, as investigations continue.

Lusignan Prison escapee arrested in Buxton backlands

Arrested: Leroy Graham POLICE, on Thursday, arrested a 23-year-old inmate of the Lusignan Prison, who escaped in the wee hours, on Wednesday, from the facility.

The prisoner, Leroy Graham of Middle Walk Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was caught in the backlands of Buxton, after security officials acted on intelligence given pertaining to his whereabouts.

Reports indicated that police ranks proceeded to a shack where the fugitive was the lone occupant at the time.

He was arrested and taken to Vigilance Police Station and was later handed over to the Guyana Prison Service.

Graham is on remand for armed robbery. Graham was ‘admitted’ to the prison on August 20, 2020. His last known address is Middle Walk, Buxton ECD.

“The prisoner broke out of a section of the burnt Lusignan Prison where he was housed for safety reasons. So far, evidence suggests that he jumped the southern fence and headed in the direction of the backlands,” a senior prison officer noted.

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, had announced that government will be building a new, modern detention facility to house inmates of the Lusignan Prison which has been overrun and crowded since the fires at Camp Street Prison.

The situation at Lusignan was worsened earlier this year, following a fire which destroyed one of the facility’s main buildings which housed an administrative office, kitchen and facilities for approximately 185 to 190 prisoners.

Top NGSA performers made sacrifices, rose above challenges

By Alisa Lashley

IN wake of Guyana’s first recorded novel coronavirus (COVID-19) case in March, schools were abruptly closed in an effort to protect the nation’s educators and learners. This situation was particularly difficult for pupils who were preparing for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

Pupils were able to adjust to the “new normal”, becoming conversant with online classes and lessons to prepare themselves for the upcoming examination.

Despite the challenges, a few of this year’s top performers disclosed that the pandemic was not a hindrance for them and so they were able to focus on their studies.

Syesha Yahya, who attended the ISA Islamic School, was among the country’s top performers. She secured the 85th spot with 513 marks and was awarded a place at Queen’s College. Yahya described her achievement as a blessing which required hard work.

“I wasn’t able to go to school with my teachers and have face-to-face teaching sessions. The virtual teaching

was helpful, but it was not the same. I had to practice and do lots of late night revision. It took a lot of hard work and dedication, but in the end it was all worth it,” she expressed.

She further related that every day leading up to her exam, she would make sure that reverence was given to the Almighty. “My teachers helped me all the way through, they gave me hope and the courage to aim for the skies and most importantly, my family played a major role in my success, especially my mother. They were my biggest supporters and they never doubted me,” Yahya said.

With a knack for the written Arts, Yahya disclosed that in the near future, she intends to pursue a career in journalism since she enjoys writing stories. In advising the NGSA Class of 2020, she noted, “I would tell them to work hard and study. It takes a lot of dedication if you want to succeed and most importantly don’t pressure yourself. I would recommend setting the bar high because the sky's the limit and don’t be nervous just do your best.”

Shivram Samuel Persaud, another student who excelled at this year’s sitting of the

Shivram Samuel Persaud

exam, said he was able to rise above his challenges and succeed. Persaud, who attended the Eden Garden Primary gained a spot at the St. Stanislaus College with 505 marks. Not being a native to Guyana and English being his second language, he said it was challenging for him to understand and perceive certain expressions that were sometimes used by his teachers. While it was not easy, he managed and gave his best at the exams.

“The moment I heard results were out, I felt ecstatic. My adrenaline was pumping as though I was being chased by dogs. For a moment I felt so much excitement that I didn’t want to stop moving. I felt so proud of myself.

Syesha Yahya

The hard work I had put into studying had paid off and I was very happy to know that I gained a spot at one of my dream schools which is also my Dad’s former school,” he articulated. He is uncertain about his career choice.

However, it is fascinating to note that he is fluent in Spanish, Japanese, English, Italian and French.

In his final remarks, he noted that his success could not have been possible without the aid of his teachers,

CANADA, in partnership with the Equality Fund and the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, launched the Women’s Voice and

Leadership Project in eight countries in the Caribbean, including Guyana and Suriname on Thursday.

According to a release, the Women’s Voice and

Leadership Caribbean Project is a part of a global programme funded by the Government of Canada and designed to provide support for local women’s organisations and movements that advance women’s rights.

The programme will strive to improve the performance, management and sustainability of regional Women`s Rights Organisations (WROs), particularly those representing the vulnerable and marginalised women and girls.

It will also work to increase effectiveness of regional networks and alliances to affect policy, legal and social change in the Caribbean Region. Following a competitive process, Red

Thread, Makushi Research

Unit (MRU), Wapichan Wiizi

Women’s Movement, Guyana RainBow Foundation (GuyBow), Guyana Trans

United (GTU) and Women’s

Wednesdays Guyana were chosen for the implementation of the project in Guyana and Women`s Way Founda

Caralee Hunte

parents and sisters who he praised highly given the vital roles they played.

Aspiring pediatrician and former student of Green Acres Primary School, Caralee Hunte said she made sacrifices ahead of the exam. Hunte attained 510 which has secured her a place the Bishops’ High.

She disclosed to this publication, that she sacrificed her gadgets and leisure time as studying was a crucial part in preparing for the exams. tion, Suriname Coalition of Sex Workers and Stichting Projekta were selected for Suriname.

Funding for these organisations will be provided for social change programmes and advocacy initiatives, capacity-building for women’s and LGBTQ organisations and building networks and alliances for policy and social change. The virtual launch included a panel discussion about the role of the Women’s Voice and Leadership project and featured Janine Cocker – Counsellor for Development Cooperation at the High Commission of Canada to Guyana and Suriname; Amina Doherty - Programme Director, Women’s Voice and Leadership Caribbean and Kerry Jo Ford Lyn - Director, Global Development Partnership, Director, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.

Cocker noted, “For many years Women’s Rights Organisations have been chronically underfunded which has been a key obstacle in the delivery of effective programming to advance gender equality.” She added that the project will “strengthen capacity, leadership and the agendas of women’s rights and LBTIQ groups across the world and specifically those in the Caribbean”.

Representatives of the chosen Women’s Rights Organisations also talked about “I was very anxious for the day of the exam to arrive, because due to the coronavirus the exam was postponed. And ever since quarantine began, I have been receiving school work via WhatsApp from my teacher Miss Revon Charles-Boyle which would then later be marked. This process continued on a daily basis.”

Hunte, further noted that her success could not have been possible without help from the Almighty, her teacher and her family. She expressed, “I want to thank my mom who would wake me up early in the morning to study and to prepare for school. My two brothers, who would assist me with my school work, and finally my church family who would always keep me in their prayers.”

She told this publication that she experienced uncontainable joy after hearing her results because it was her wish to attend the Bish

Canada launches Women`s Voice and Leadership Project

ops’ High School.

the work they are doing in their various communities. Cocker stated, “These organisations will add and deepen our knowledge of some of the gender barriers in both countries so that we can overcome them.”

Canada shares the Caribbean’s vision of becoming an economic and climate resilient region by 2030, and firmly believes that promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls is the most effective approach to achieve this vision.

Achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment is at the heart of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and in the delivery of all of its international assistance. As such, CAD$4.5M beneficiary funding was allocated for the Women`s Voice and Leadership Project which is a five-year long project (2019-2024), working with 27 Women`s Rights Organisations (WROs) in eight Caribbean countries. Immediately, following the launch in Guyana and Suriname, the Women’s Voice and Leadership Project was also launched in Jamaica, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada and St. Lucia.

Seven new aircraft, two new airstrips in the works

MINISTER of Public Works Juan Edghill on Thursday announced that the government is in the process of “importing” seven spanking new aircrafts and constructing two new airstrips, all in the interest of raising the standards of the local airline industry.

He made the foregoing announcement while delivering the feature address at the Ogle Airport Inc. (OAI)’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), saying that he’s already taken the proposal for both projects to Cabinet, and has every confidence that they will be approved.

He was also keen to note that not only will the new airstrips be established, but that the necessary funding will also be directed towards the maintenance and development of all the country’s airstrips.

And, still on the subject of airstrips, Minister Edghill seized the opportunity to report that in keeping with a promise made by the government to create and provide more jobs for Guyanese, his ministry will be seeking to hire persons living in the hinterland to be a part of the teams that will be tasked with developing and maintaining the airstrips within their respective communities.

Also on the cards, he said, are plans for the expansion and development of at least seven sectors, these being agriculture, mining, forestry, manufacturing, tourism, petroleum and ICT.

During a break of sorts in the meeting, which was held in the OAI’s Departure Lounge, Minister Edghill made the point that given the trajectory Guyana is on, it is imperative that the airline industry adjust and be prepared to serve the people of Guyana.

“We are moving to an area where Guyanese must travel their country, while travelling the world,” he said, and seeing that practically all the industry’s stakeholders were under the same roof that day, he used the opportunity to encourage airline operators in particular to engage with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), in the interest of forming a strategic alliance in the furtherance of facilitating international travel

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill

arrangements.

He also reminded those members of the Aircraft Owners’ Association of Guyana Inc. (AOAG) present that while they continue to develop niches in the airline industry, that they must also stand ready to promote cooperation among themselves, by seeking to ensure that all operators within the industry are on the same page.

“Under my tenure as minister,” he said, “one of the things I will be seeking to do is to coordinate and ensure an upward thrust of Guyana’s Airline Industry,” Minister Edghill said.

OAI Chairman Mr. Michael Correia congratulated Minister Edghill on being elected to serve as Minister of Public Works, and said he looks forward to collaborating with him on the development of the aviation sector.

Also present at the meeting were GCAA Director-General, Colonel (ret’d) Egbert Field, and Air Transport Management Director, Mr. Saheed Sulaman among other GCAA staffers.