Guyana Chronicle E-paper pepperpot 8 page 02-10-2018

Sunday, February 10, 2019 Natasha David (Photo by Delano Williams)

A remarkable transformation

How one woman uses banana leaves to make clothing

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BANKS DIH

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

The formula of a Winning Team

By Francis Quamina Farrier THE curtains came down on the five-acts of BANKS DIH Ltd. Annual Shareholders Meetings at New Amsterdam last Sunday, and as usual, there were some “showers of blessings” on the proceedings. It was another successful year for what has been referred to as “The Winning Team”; BANKS DIH Ltd. The five ‘acts’ commenced with the large Shareholders Annual Meeting at Thirst Park in Georgetown on Saturday, January 26, 2019.

Before that meeting commenced, a pleasant mood was set for shareholders as they arrived, with music by the Guyana Police Force Band under the direction of the Bandmaster Superintendent Charmaine Stuart. The music was of standard compositions and included Guyanese folk and patriotic songs such as “Beautiful Guyana” by Hilton Hemerding.

The Thirst Park meeting was followed with Branch

BANKS Shareholders, Clive McDonald and his wife Shelly-Ann McDonald (Photo by F.Q. Farrier)

The Guyanese-designed New Amsterdam Branch of Citizen’s Bank with floral embellishments all around (Photo by F.Q. Farrier)

Meetings at Airy Hall on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two, on January 27; at Bartica on the Essequibo River, Region Seven, on January 30; at Linden on the Upper Demerara River, Region 10, on February 1; and finally at New Amsterdam, Region Six, on February 3.

The main annual Shareholders Meetings have been held at Thirst Park for the

to make such a statement, having spent one year at Christianburg, decades before it became one of the three

past 63 years, with the four Branch Meetings being held for about 20 years. By tradition, all meetings commence with prayers, as well as a moment of silence to the memory of those shareholders who would have passed on since the previous meeting. That moment of silence is also to the memory of the company’s first Chairman, the late Peter Stanislaus D’Aguiar who was BANKS Shareholders Mohammed Hussain and his wife at the New Amsterdam Branch meeting (Photo by F.Q. Farrier)

a member of the Board of Directors and his wife Kathleen D’Aguiar.

“There is no other private company in Guyana with shareholders from the public, which can make any substantiated claim to such democracy and transparency as BANKS DIH,” said one of the long-standing shareholders. The retention of the directors, payments and expenses and other annual financial matters by the company, are approved by the vote of shareholders who attend the meeting at Thirst Park. And while there have been hundreds of employees who have served the company with dedicated loyalty earning for themselves “long service” recognition, there have been a few deviants who have betrayed the responsibility entrusted to them and have had their services terminated.

Having reported on the two Essequibo Branch Meetings at Airy Hall and Bartica last week, I will now share with you some of what transpired at Linden and New Amsterdam as the annual meetings came to a close.

Entering that Bauxite Mining town of Linden at the end of a 40-minute drive along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, one can recognise progress; and I consider myself in a “Fit and Proper” position

wards of the town of Linden.

I have since visited dozens of times over the past 70 years and seen its development including that brought by BANKS DIH Ltd. Of note at Linden, as well as the other locations this year, is the increase of younger shareholders attending the meetings, no doubt those who are second and third generation BANKS DIH shareholders; young people who have had their shares bequeathed to them by parents, grandparents or other family members who have passed on.

The tradition of submitting to questions, criticisms and recommendations, by shareholders, (including a few via mail), to Company Chairman, Clifford B. Reis, CCH, has set a high standard for Leaders, whether in the private or public sector. To stand at a podium facing a large attendance of your company’s shareholders and have a range of questions, criticisms and recommendations directed your way, is not for the faint of heart. At Linden in 2019, as well as in previous Branch Shareholders Meetings in the mining town, some questions and comments even go to the personal; the colour of the hair of the directors being one example. The Chairman seems to know when to “add

a dash of humour”, whenever necessary in responding to questions of a certain kind.

At this 2019 Linden meeting, Clifford Reis was loud in his praise of Branch Manager Shaundell Easton, who continues to perform at a very high standard year after year.

Easton and her sister-Branch Manager at Bartica, Amanda Murray, make even the number of male and female Branch Managers in gender.

There seems to be no ‘Glass Ceiling’ for female management at BANKS DIH Ltd. Worthy of mention is the wonderful performance of a choir of very young students of the St. Aden’s School, who entertained the visiting Management Team and Shareholders with beautifully performed Guyanese Folk Songs.

Finally at New Amsterdam last Sunday, Branch Manager Reginald Matthews reported of another successful year with increased sales.

Later, the chairman told the Berbice Shareholders of the company’s community relations and partnerships and the company’s sponsorship of sports and religious events, also the awarding of scholarships in subjects related to the BANKS DIH products. He also informed them of the special kind of service which is the hallmark of Citizens Bank, which has the motto of “Where you belong”.

The company’s tradition of presenting cheques to schools at all the Annual Meetings, resulted in The Winifred Gaskin Secondary on the Corentyne Coast and the Number Five Primary in West Berbice, being recipients at the New Amsterdam meeting. And so, it’s on to 2020 when the BANKS DIH WINNING TEAM will likely be serenaded by the Guyana Police Force Band with the standard Beatles song, “When I’m 64” at their 64th Annual Shareholders Meeting at Thirst Park.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

III

A remarkable transformation How one woman uses banana leaves to make clothing Natasha creates costumes made from a number of natural materials

By Telesha Ramnarine BEING a housewife in no way diminishes Natasha David’s desire to earn some money on her own to help out the family. It also makes her feel good about being able to use her hands to create items that are beautiful enough to be displayed at an exposition.

And that’s what she’s been doing for years now. In fact, she even has a business called ‘Creative Designs’ where she would use various types of materials to make clothing; especially designing indigenous costumes and clothing.

Natasha, 42, has always been a very shy individual, owing to the manner in which she grew up. Her mom was very strict and raised her not to mix and meddle too much with other neighbour’s kids.

But growing up, Natasha realised that she needed to be a bit more outgoing, especially when entering the world of work.

Fortunate for her, meeting popular designer Sonia Noel had a good effect on her personality, especially after starting to participate in Noel’s ‘Fashion Weekend.’

“I have to thank Sonia who helped me move away from being so shy and becoming more confident,” she reflected during an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine.

After finishing school, Natasha did various courses at Carnegie including catering, floral arrangements, table management, craft, fabric work, cake decoration,

food and nutrition, interior designing and home décor.

“What I especially like is craft and designing; designing indigenous costumes and clothing. Working with these gives you joy and seeing people out there wearing your stuff make you feel happier,” she expressed.

It all began when, at a Columbian fair at the National Gymnasium, Natasha purchased a ribbon stripper.

“I tried dressing a doll and saw it came out far prettier

people wanted it in pairs.”

Natasha continued decorating the little dolls that are used for ornaments. She recalls that at one ‘Guy Expo,’ two persons went up to her after admiring her dolls and told her that she should get into the clothing business.

One of the persons was her neighbour at Guy Expo, who told her that she should show her work to Noel, who was also at the expo. “I was so shy, I didn’t go. Until the next day, my neighbour

today, if you come to me with something, I would just picture it on a doll, and give you something to wear.”

A pair of earrings made of leather

than the one in the little booklet I received with the ribbon stripper.”

When Natasha’s sister saw how well she dressed the doll, she wanted it for herself and was taking it home when others noticed it in her hand and began inquiring who made it. “It was around Christmas time and my sister got five orders for me. The

urged me again to go. After I went, Sonia came over and saw my dolls and said I can indeed get into clothing.”

Without even thinking, Natasha responded yes to Noel. “And that’s where I started. This was in 2008.

When I got home, I thought about it. I just thought about what I would put on my dolls and I figured it out. So

Natasha started her career by designing on dolls used as ornaments

BANANA LEAVES Natasha ended up getting into clothing and even using banana leaves to make clothes. “I took part in Fashion Week and started to do the banana leaf clothing. Everything I did on the dolls, I designed so that someone can wear

it. I thought to myself a lot of people are doing clothing, but I wanted to be different and do something that people don’t normally do.” After the third Fashion Week, Natasha started working with straw. I did my dolls and from there, I started focusing on indigenous clothing.”

And Natasha’s work especially comes in handy

when the various schools would celebrate ‘Culture Day.’ “When the banana leaves get dry, I make clothing with them; picture frames with them and different things,” Natasha said.

During Amerindian Heritage Month, persons would also seek out Natasha’s services. In the past, she designed for the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, and for pageants at Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Mahdia and Baramita.

Natasha works mainly from her home in Turkeyen, based on the orders she receives. She would also par-

ticipate at the various expos held across the country. She is hoping to go to Trinidad soon for the same purpose.

Natasha believes that her service is unique because of the manner in which she carries out her work. “I try to use fewer materials that are selling in the stores and be more natural…using seeds, leaves and these things; things that are most organic so that you can see the beauty of natural things. Most times people throw away or burn these materials, but you can do so much with them.”

Natasha is married to Clairmonte and they have a son, Tafari.

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

IAS welcomes President Trump’s announcement of 10-year plan to end AIDS in the US Leadership on HIV and AIDS is critical to the global response.

THE International AIDS Society (IAS) has said that it welcomes the bold goal set forth in US President Donald Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address to “Eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years.” This response was contained in a press statement coming out of the IAS on Wednesday.

The statement said that the US Department of Health and Human Services has since posted a factsheet detailing a goal

of a 75 per cent reduction in new HIV infections in the US over the next five years, and at least a 90 per cent reduction in the next 10 years.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the IAS, Kevin Osborne has said that reaching this target is doable, with the prevention and treatment tools that exist today, but added that it will require the ‘full muscle and funding’ of the US government.

“This goal can only be achieved by acknowledging and ad-

United States President Donald Trump

dressing the drivers of HIV – including stigma, discrimination and social inequities that limit access to healthcare,” the IAS executive director affirmed.

The statement acknowledges that the US has long been a leader in HIV science and a leader in the global HIV response, particularly through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which was re-authorised for the third time this past December. It further states that these commitments by the US are a reminder that even in the wealthiest nations the epidemic is not over and US leadership on HIV and AIDS is critical to the global response.

“We applaud this commitment. However, we must also acknowledge that this announcement is inconsistent with the policies and rhetoric that directly attack trans people and the larger LGBTQ community, people who inject drugs, people of colour, refugees, sex workers and women’s rights,” the statement said. It said that to end this epidemic domestically and around the world, the US must commit to addressing HIV at the highest level and in a way that will be sustained.

Meanwhile, the statement contends that addressing these disparities will require more than just treatment and prevention programmes. “For the US’s new HIV strategy to succeed, Congress and the US Administration must examine the harmful policies and practices that reinforce stigma and social and gender injustice, including a ban on trans people in the military, and dismantling of public LGBTQ health and protection programmes,” it said.

Further, the statement outlines: “This new target builds on a powerful legacy,” citing that President George Bush first announced PEPFAR during the 2003 State of the Union address, and it remains one of the country’s greatest bipartisan success stories. Prior to that in 1990, President Bush also enacted the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act aimed to improve the quality and availability of care for medically underserved individuals and families affected by HIV and AIDS. With the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama removed barriers to health coverage for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions, it concludes.

The 23rd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2020) will be held in San Francisco and Oakland in July 2020, providing a critical platform to examine both US and global strategies. Holding AIDS 2020 in the Bay Area, a capital of AIDS activism, political leadership, HIV science and community engagement, will be a powerful platform to challenge some of the underlying causes that would hinder us from achieving this goal, the statement concluded.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL AIDS SOCIETY: The mission of the International AIDS Society (IAS) is to lead collective action on every front of the global HIV response through its membership base, scientific authority and convening power. Founded in 1988, the IAS is the world’s largest association of HIV professionals, with members from more than 160 countries working on all fronts of the global response to HIV. Together, we advocate and drive urgent action to reduce the global impact of HIV. The IAS is also the steward of the world’s two most prestigious HIV conferences: The International AIDS Conference and the IAS Conference on HIV Science. For more information, visit www.iasociety.org.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Donna Todd

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The woman at the helm of the GNNL Administrative Manager, but later assumed the position of acting General Manager.

Now as the acting GM, the pressure is really on her. She explained that during her normal working hours (i.e. the usual 08:00hrs to 17:00hrs), she has to do all of the work required of a GM-you know, making all of those big decisions and interfacing with dozens of people to ensure that the daily operations of the company continue efficiently.

That workload can sometimes be so much that she is unable to focus on the administrative duties, and as such, would work most days beyond that time to get her work done.

Naturally, this has been taking a toll on her social and family life but she related that she has a very supportive family, that understands that she is working to develop the company.

But as a devout Christian, she said: “I try

General Manager (ag) and Administrative Manager, Donna Todd, in her office

By Vishani Ragobeer DONNA Todd is the outspoken woman who is at the helm of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL) - the home of the ‘Guyana Chronicle’ newspaper - as the Administrative Manager and acting General Manager.

The story of Donna Todd begins in Charity on the Essequibo Coast, where she was born and spent most of her younger years. Her parents were Bridget and Ralph Vansluytman and she was the eldest of six children.

Her father was a simple man who worked his way up- he was a bookkeeper, then a manager and eventually became the Junior Minister of Agriculture. Like her father, Todd evolved from humble beginnings to her current position- and thirsts for more.

Her pursuits began at the Charity Primary School and her secondary education was completed at the Charlestown High School.

But it wasn’t until she did a post-secondary education course at the Kuru Kuru College did she realise who she was, and the journey life would take her on. There, she completed a Certificate in Cooperative Management.

“That has played a major role for me and cooperative movement in Guyana,” she said.

Todd has been serving on the board of the Clerical and Commercial Workers’ (CCW) Credit Union for about 20 years, she has been the secretary of the Guyana Co-operative Credit Union League since 2013, and she is also a member of the Interim Management Committee of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Credit Union.

In 1975, she was working at the Linden Cooperative Consumers complex and it was suggested to her that she join the union.

“When I was approached to be a member of the union, at the first meeting I was advised to become the shop steward [of the union].

Since then, there was no turning back,” Todd said.

Her positions in the various unions have

afforded her the opportunity to travel around the world, to represent the country and to bring back information that would develop the country’s trade and credit unions.

She also did a few programmes at the Critchlow Labour College and an ordinary Diploma in Commerce at the Government Technical Institute (GTI). Todd then got involved in auditing, at which time she also decided to pursue her first degree- a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and then a Postgraduate Degree in Development Studies.

You could say that during her formative years she deeply invested in her education, but to this day she continues her academic pursuits. In fact, a few months ago she acquired her Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA). And soon enough, she will either venture off to pursue her Doctorate in Business Studies or a Degree in Law. This woman bears a wealth of knowledge and experience and affirmed, “I’m a competent leader and a competent communicator.”

She explained that her leadership qualities stem from her “people skills”. Through the positions she has held over the years, it was only natural that she developed good interpersonal skills.

But that doesn’t mean that she is without fault. “I try to ensure that everyone is treated equally on the job,” the manager highlighted, but also noted that in so doing, her strong personality might get the best of her. “Sometimes I may be outspoken and that may be one of my downfalls,” Todd related. “I’m not rude, but I can be outspoken.”

She also sees herself as a ‘fixer’. “In any issue, if I see a worker is being discriminated against I will voice my opinion, even though the worker might not be a part of my department and that could be a downfall for me,” Donna shared.

Nevertheless, she has a goal-oriented mindset that comes in handy especially in her current position.

Todd joined the GNNL last June, as the

not to get too overwhelmed with one aspect of the [job], so I pray and I offer the organisation up in prayers every morning.”

Just before arriving at the doorstep of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), she had worked as a Programme Officer at the Ministry of Public Security.

During her time there, she especially learnt the value of maintaining that goal-oriented mindset.

And as such, she shared that: “In order for you to be a manager you need to ensure that you have those attributes, so that you would be able to guide the organisation towards achieving its goal…In everything, you might find challenges, but the objective [of the organisation] must always be achieved and as long as you realise that you’re achieving the objective, you will always keep focused.”

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

A big man with a big vision Willing to work hard and make the necessary sacrifice

By M Margaret Burke GROWING up in a family of farmers who reared cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and other animals, Odiri Pollard said that he always saw his family as being very successful with what they do. It is for this reason he said that he has chosen to be a farmer, even though he is also involved in other forms of self-employment.

He added that other than the rearing of animals he also had the fortunate experience of cash crops and other agricultural produce being planted in the yard, as well as in the backlands by his family.

“So I feel encouraged to do this kind of thing… I grew among stocks and I am determined to make the sacrifice; to work hard just like my brothers and sisters out here. I also love the land and farming as a whole and so I want to make a success of my life with the things that I am doing,” he said.

Pollard, 37, told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is originally from the village of Buxton, where most of his relatives still reside, but now lives in the village of Belfield on the East Coast of Demerara.

ANIMALS ARE PRECIOUS “I have a lot of sheep, a lot more than I have here with me, and even among these I have some of the females here who are pregnant and so this stock would grow to be much more very soon,” he said. “Animals are dear to me – they are precious, I do not ever want to see them hurt or anything, and so I take good care of them and try to ensure that they are always well fed.”

Pollard said that he started out grazing his sheep in the village he currently resides, which is Belfield, but because of the changing weather conditions and the grass drying up he had to move his sheep to graze in the back dam of the neighbouring village, Nooten Zuil. “We live like family and so there is never any problem with me taking my sheep to get grass in the backlands of this village,” he stated.

He explained that he would usually have with him an assistant, who would help him steer his sheep since they were over 150 moving with him to the pastures at any one time.

“Animals are like people, they need our help. Sometimes they are in need of our guidance since they can fall in the trench and drown because it is deep; then many times we need to lead them to a place where they can get better feed so that they can strive better. This is why I am out here with them, along with my assistant. I want to make sure that they are happy,” he said.

He said that he has other business that he is involved in such as planting, selling and other activities. He, however, makes the rearing of his sheep a priority.

RESPECT FOR OTHERS Pollard said that that outside of successful farming in his family he learnt a very important thing, which is that people must respect each other at all times. “So I start off on the premise of love and respect for all people, including the people in the village where I graze my sheep. This means that I would not go and do things that will offend or hurt them or their crops in the backlands in any manner. After all, we all have to live and it must be in love and unity,” he posited.

This situation, he said, is a norm in the villages and in his community for a number of years, where there is always that unity; where people from nearby villages visit each other freely, whether it is for the purpose of grazing sheep or cows, or to transact some sort of business.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Honouring a champion Minister Simona Broomes honoured in surprise thanksgiving presentation

Minister Simona Broomes greeting one of the attendees

By M Margaret Burke A TRIUMPHANT entry is how it was described as the Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes walked into the Herdmanston Lodge.

The occasion was a ‘surprise’ presentation ceremony held in her honour by members of the Mining Syndicate of Guyana.

Minister Broomes was received by a standing ovation as the Stevie Wonder song, ‘Isn’t she lovely’ played. Chairman of the proceedings, Pastor Cleveland Davidson said that he was happy to welcome all those present to the presentation ceremony on behalf of the syndicate body – the small miners association, whose President is Cherryl Williams.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE Pastor Whalen King in his opening prayer quoted of the last verse of Proverbs 31, “Let her works be known; and let her receive public praise because of her actions,” stating that he has found that scripture to be most fitting on this occasion, as she is being publicly praised and celebrated. He noted that the minister has not only been outstanding in her activities within the gold field, but in many other spheres of life in Guyana; even within the church.

Secretary of the Mining Syndicate, Nadezhda Stephens in very emotional opening remarks stated, “…we are here to honour you; we are here to thank you for all the things you have done, not only for the mining community but for your country as a whole.”

She noted that the industry is now opening up to young people; recognition has been brought to the smaller miners and miners have been challenged to raise their standards of operation. Stephens said that she, as well as all the other young miners in Guyana, salute the minister for her courage, persistence, dedication and her humility.

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Facebook was clobbered by a landmark EU ruling that could mean major changes to the way it does business Germany’s antitrust regulator, the Bundeskartellamt, or Federal Cartel Office, on Thursday issued Facebook with an ultimatum: Stop hoarding people’s data.

Following an unprecedented three-year investigation involving extensive conversations with Facebook, the Bundeskartellamt issued a press statement declaring that it had “imposed on Facebook far-reaching restrictions in the processing of user data.”

It demands that Facebook — which has 32 million monthly users in Germany — change its terms and conditions so that people can explicitly stop it from hoarding data from different sources, including Facebook-owned apps like WhatsApp and Instagram as well as third-party websites with embedded Facebook tools such as “like” or “share” buttons.

The regulator says bundling users’ data together from different sources without explicit consent results in a lack of control. It also said the extent to which the social network amassed data from elsewhere was an abuse of its dominant market position.

“The only choice the user has is either to accept the comprehensive combination of data or to refrain from using the social network,” the Bundeskartellamt’s president, Andreas Mundt, said in a press release. “In such a difficult situation the user’s choice cannot be referred to as voluntary consent.”

Facebook uses its giant wells of user data to target advertising with ruthless efficiency. Some 99% of its revenue of $55.8 billion last year came from advertising on its platforms.

Mundt told journalists in Bonn, Germany, that the decision was a step in the direction of breaking up dominant tech companies, Bloomberg reports. “People always ask to break up huge internet companies,” he said, adding: “Well what we do here today is really something like internally breaking them up.”

In an FAQ about the ruling, the Bundeskartellamt said that if Facebook planned to continue combining users’ data from various sources, the type of data processing it could use would be “substantially restricted.” If it takes this course, Facebook would have four months to draw up proposals to present to the Bundeskartellamt.

If the Bundeskartellamt ruling proves to be effective in Germany, it could snag the attention of other regulators around the world. Germany has been among numerous countries leading the regulatory charge against Silicon Valley giants. Last year, it introduced fines of up to €50 million ($57 million) for companies, including Facebook and Twitter, for failing to remove hate speech.

This news comes less than a month after it was revealed that Facebook was planning to merge the back ends of Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp, a move that CEO Mark Zuckerberg said wouldn’t happen until 2020 at the earliest.

FACEBOOK TO APPEAL In a blog post published soon after the ruling, Facebook said it disagreed with the Bundeskartellamt and intended to appeal the decision. It must lodge its formal appeal with the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court in the next month.

Yvonne Cunnane, Facebook’s head of data protection in Ireland, and the company’s associate general counsel, Nikhil Shanbhag, wrote the blog post.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Iconic guyanese working to promote caribbean heritage in britain

By Shirley Thomas

GUYANESE- born Arthur Torrington CBE, a former pupil of St Ambrose Primary School and then a student of Tutorial High School, is among the leading community advocates in the United Kingdom working assiduously to keep alive the history and heritage of Caribbean people who settled there after 1945. They contributed to the rebuilding of the country following the devastation during the war against Germany.

He arrived in Britain as a teenager during the 1960s, and was the first of three black radio broadcasters on a local London station called ‘LBC’ in the 1970s, a time when there

was a paucity of black voices on radio. In 1984, he founded the Black Gospel Association (BGA) and helped popularise the genre. The BGA supported local gospel artistes and soon the likes of Mica Paris, a popular singer, were making the successful transition to the world of soul music.

Arthur is a Director and Co-founder of ‘Windrush Foundation’, a registered charity that delivers heritage projects, community programmes and initiatives.

In 1995, Arthur received a phone call from Royal Air Force veteran Sam King to arouse an interest in him in organising the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the ship `Empire Windrush’ at Tilbury Docks, Essex, England. Sam had led the 40th anniversary in Brixton, South London, in 1988 and

Arthur Torrington, Director and Co-founder of ‘Windrush Foundation’

had wanted the next one to be much bigger. The two set up a charity and then spent the following 18 months seeking to stir the interest of others in their idea, and obtained as much publicity for it as possible. Using their own resources, Arthur and Sam went around the country, gathering together as many people as possible, with stories of the Empire Windrush and what would come to be known as the ‘Windrush Generation’.

Arthur handled the publicity while Sam was the one who gave interviews to the British media.

Their goal was to turn the `Empire Windrush’ into an iconic symbol, representing early Caribbean migrants and their contribution to the rebuilding of Britain after WWII. It worked and the 50th anniversary turned out to be a huge success, spawning books and TV and radio documentaries. Sam, who had sailed on the `Empire Windrush’, was among those who met Prince Charles at St James’s Palace for an official ceremony to mark the occasion.

The 70th anniversary celebrations in June 2018 were even more extensive, and included a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey attended by Prime Minister Theresa May. A national ‘Windrush Day’, supported by government funding, is to take place on 22 June every year, encouraging communities across the country to celebrate the arrival of the ship `Empire Windrush’ and the contribution made by Caribbean people to Britain’s prosperity and modernity.

After receiving an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) from the Queen in 2002, Arthur was made a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2011 for his services to the community, in particular his work for the Windrush Foundation and The Equiano Society.

The Equiano Society, which he co-founded in 1996, is a community organisation that shares research and provides information to the public, especially to those on its database. It was established in London, England to celebrate and publicise the achievements of Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa, and his 18th century African contemporaries including: Ignatius Sancho and Ottobah Cugoano, who made outstanding contributions to African and European literature. In 1789 Equiano published a best-selling book, ‘The Interesting Narrative’, which is now listed among the 100 best non-fiction books of all times. www.windrushfoundation.com www.makingfreedom.co.uk

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Instagram is going to ban all graphic images of self-harm after it was blamed for the suicide of a British teenager

INSTAGRAM boss Adam Mosseri said “we are not where we need to be on self-harm and suicide.”

Banning graphic content is one of four steps he laid out to make the platform safer.

Instagram’s new boss has promised to ban all graphic images of self-harm after the social network was blamed for the suicide of a British teenager.

Adam Mosseri has been in London this week as reports about the death of Molly Russell have dominated the headlines after her father, Ian, said Instagram “helped kill my daughter.”

Molly Russell was 14 when she took her own life in 2017.

Following her death, her family found she’d been following numerous Instagram accounts featuring images of self-harm and suicide. The story was uncovered by the BBC. In a blog post, Mosseri said “we are not where we need to be on self-harm and suicide” and made four pledges to help make Instagram a safer place for users. They are: Ban all graphic images of self-harm, such as cutting.

Non-graphic images, such as healed scars, will be removed from search, hashtags, and the explore tab. They won’t be removed altogether because Instagram does not want to “stigmatize or isolate people who may be in distress and posting self-harm related content as a cry for help.”

More resources will be dedicated to getting help for people posting and searching for self-harm related content.

Instagram will consult experts on further steps, such as potentially blurring any non-graphic self-harm related content with a sensitivity screen.

“During the comprehensive reviews, the experts, including the Centre for Mental Health and Save.org reaffirmed that creating safe spaces for young people to talk about their experiences — including self-harm — online, is essential.

They advised that sharing this type of content often helps people connect with support and resources that can save lives,” Mosseri said.

“However, collectively it was advised that graphic images of self-harm — even when it is someone admitting their struggles — has the potential to unintentionally promote self-harm. Which is why we are no longer allowing graphic images of self-harm.”

During his time in London, Mosseri met key members of the British government: Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright and Matt Hancock, the health secretary. Both have promised to get tougher on social media giants, with Hancock suggesting that companies could be banned for not removing harmful content. The UK government will set out its position on internet regulation in an internet safety white paper next month.

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Do you have a valid Environmental Authorisation?

ONE don’t have to look very far to notice, an increase in the number of economic, construction and other developmental activities taking place in Guyana. Developmental activities are necessary to improve the quality of our lives; however, they need to be conducted in a manner which will not compromise the quality of the environment and human health.

Further, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established to manage, conserve, protect and improve our environment. Therefore, certain types of activities need to be authorised by the EPA. These include: ? Construction of roads; ? Hotels, inns, resorts, guest houses; ? Port and harbour development; ? Development of industrial complexes/estates; ? Development of water distribution facilities; ? Power generation plants; ? Water treatment facilities; ? Vulcanising shops; ? Auto electrical/mechanical workshops; ? Facilities which store, treat or dispose of waste; ? Bodywork/spray painting operation; ? Rice processing plant; ? Mining activities (sand, bauxite, gold, diamond, rock etc.); ? Pulp and paper processing ? Cement Production & bagging plants; ? Asphalt/bitumen plants; ? Paint and ink manufacturing; ? Extraction of forest resources; ? Petroleum exploration; ? Pharmaceuticals manufacturing etc.

NB. This list is not exhaustive!

WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION? Environmental Authorisation is an Environmental Permit, a prescribed process licence, a construction permit or an operating permit granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

WHY IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION NECESSARY? Having a valid Environmental Authorisation for certain types of activity is required by law; the Environmental Protection Act Cap. 20:05, Laws of Guyana. It also provides major benefits to the environment, human health and secures your investment. The process ensures that development is conducted in the most sustainable way possible by mandating investors to identify the major impacts of an investment project and determine the best measures or alternatives that can be put in place to prevent or mitigate negative impacts.

Additionally, through the environmental authorisation process, it is determined whether or not an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is needed before granting the Environmental Permit. This is another important process which is required to be completed by investors who are planning projects that will have significant adverse effects on environmental, social and economic well-being.

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

XIII

Women Across Borders Rising from the Ashes

Beyond the Runway with Dr. Sonia Noel ... Inspiring lives through fashion I COMPLETED my fifth book and third anthology a few days ago and thought it would nice to share it with you.

Receiving that email from Amazon indicating my content has been accepted is still like a dream.

We all deal with self-doubt sometimes but you develop that growth mindset and faith you are reminded it is possible.

This anthology is dedicated to women around the world who are overcoming their valley moments.

There are no mountains without valleys and we have to learn to celebrate those valley experiences because there are no valleys without two mountains. Never forget that you are enough and no matter what, we all can rise from the ashes and get to the other mountain.

I am elated to mention where I got the name for this anthology from.

One day I was having a conversation with my mom and she mentioned something about “rising from the ashes” and right away I knew that was the title of the third anthology.

Claudia John, my mother, has deposited so much and I thank God every day for moms like her.

My mom had to overcome many hurdles to provide for us but she did it.

Reading these stories gave me chills and goosebumps and I must commend all the women for recognising the importance of their journeys to inspire others. To my co-authors Phillipa Morrish, Walterine Mc Cleod ,Nateica Garraway, Shanon Paar,Sylvia Doane Ward, Hilda Bournes ,Renneann Hodge, Dr Colleen Bovell, Jaymie Bowles, Dr. Safeeya Mohammed and Lynette Lavue Saxe, you all are incredible and I appreciate and admire each of you.

“The stories of these women are full of obstacles! Like an obstacle course with many twists and turns but yet a defined ending, these women are defining their destinies by overcoming one obstacle after another, toward one defined end: an extraordinary life.

As women, we want to be brave but often experience trepidation about doing what we must in order to thrive and not just survive…” Dr. Anna Mc Coy Much Appreciation to Richard Young, the best creative director I know. Thank you to my sister, Dr. Anna Mc Coy, for contributing the Foreword,#; to Compton Bobb for the artwork on the cover and Shiv Dindyal for designing , layout and his patience. Thank you Walterine Mc Leod and Desiree DeFlorimonte for editing this book; LaToya Barton for reviewing the chapters and my baby sister, Denielle John, for being my assistant again.

I must acknowledge God on this project, because his guidance and grace made it a reality. I acknowledge all of you who sent me words of encouragement, prayers or in any way contributed to the success of Women Across Borders-Rising from the Ashes .

Some of the co-authors will also be at the EXPO and at the INSPIRE YOU event and you will have a chance to interact them.

The book will be launched on March 1 on Amazon and in Guyana, and will be available at the Women in Business Expo on March 2 and 3.

Join me on 96.1 FM for another session of LIVING WITH INTENTION as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

The Sundried NAREI increasing tomato Tomato Project seedlings production

FARMERS producing tomatoes for the Pakaraima Flavours Sundried Tomato Project of Region Eight were able to surpass the project’s initial target for 2018, owing to the availability of planting materials. As such, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) will be producing 30,000 tomato seedlings this year.

This is according to Dr. Oudho Homenauth, Chief Executive Officer of NAREI, the agency responsible for ensuring that farmers access quality tomato seedlings and training. He noted that last year NAREI produced 29,000 tomato seedlings- 4,000 more than initially planned.

The project was launched in 2017 collaboratively with the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST), the Ministries of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, and Social Protection and NAREI. The primary purpose of the initiative is to help transform the economies of the hinterland communities involved.

With processing adding significant value to the seedlings, the project adds value to the crop being produced, resulting in farmers realising a high return on their investment.

Dr. Homenauth related that in 2018, 18,000lbs of fresh tomatoes were produced by over 50 farmers compared to 7,000lbs produced by 25 farmers in 2017. In addition, to the financial benefits for farmers, the increase in fresh produce means that there is adequate supply for the production of the Pakaraima Flavoured Ketchup and Pakaraima Flavoured Salad Dressing.

The products are processed by IAST and are available on shelves in the Guyana Marketing Corporation’s Guyana Shop and several leading local supermarkets including Bounty Supermarket.

Since the commencement of the project NAREI has been donating the seedlings to farmers. The institute plans to forego any financial gains from the project this year too. Dr. Homenauth, believes that the financial gains would help to improve the livelihoods of farmers and their families.

The communities that are benefitting directly from the project are Bamboo Creek, Bashville, and Paramakatoi.

NAREI has been working with farmers to ensure they use green agricultural practices to maintain organic conditions for plants. For instance, farmers are using neam and neam products for pest management.

ocus F Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

XV

on the Village

A weekend in Bartica

By Vishani Ragobeer

This week, the Pepperpot Magazine took a boat across the mighty Essequibo River to bring you stories from Bartica. Stories and photos by Vishani Ragobeer and Telesha Ramnarine.

BARTICA could easily be one of the best places in Guyana to visit. The town, dubbed “The gateway to the interior” of Guyana, offers a space that combines Guyana’s natural beauty with an authentic feel of country’s cultural plurality.

To get to the town located in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region, a boat ride on the Essequibo River is necessary. It is much quicker to take a speedboat, but the option to take the larger (and much slower) ferry boat exists.

Some persons would take the ferry because it allows you to transport your vehicle with you. If you intend on travelling extensively around Bartica, this might seem like a good idea, but fair warning- five hours (beginning before the crack of dawn) on that boat is not conducive for comfortable sleeping.

Whichever mode of transportation you choose, the Bartica experience begins as soon as you step off the stelling. You’re greeted immediately by the ‘Welcome to Bartica’ sign suspended above and the monument that was erected a few years ago when Bartica became a town. These are found on what’s called ‘First Avenue’.

Getting around Bartica is easy because the town is divided into numbered avenues and streets (like First Avenue and Second Street). The long Potaro Road is an exception to this, but even that doesn’t take too much to remember.

Now while you’re in Bartica, you cannot escape the sweet cuisine they have. The menu is something like dhal and rice, with ochro and fried butterfish. A fresh pine juice is a perfect beverage to accompany the tantalising meal.

A view of part of the town of Bartica from atop a hill

By the time you’ve visited the boardwalk, more than likely, you’ll want to head to bed right after. But it is Bartica, and for a quiet and calming town, it can also be bustling with nighttime activities- like the Junior Soca and Calypso Mashramani finals held there last weekend.

It wasn’t strange that the entire community packed the Community Centre Ground for this event. As the calypso and soca performances Newly crowned Junior Soca Monarch, Jovinski performing at the recently held competition in Bartica

took to the stage, you would believe that the polite ‘Barticians’ were replaced with a rowdy and indefatigable bunch.

And even at 02:00hrs, when the finals were over and the winners had the opportunity to delight the crowd again, it seemed as though not a single ‘Bartician’ intended on going The famous Bartica boardwalk at night

If that’s not what you’re looking for, there’s an abundance of cook-up rice- whether with black eye, split peas or channawaiting at almost any food shop along the avenues for you to devour.

Naturally, the cool Essequibo River breeze and the ‘loud’ cook-up or dhal and rice call for a ‘knockout’ sleep. But if you’re able to defy the laws of good food and sleep, you might as well head over to the boardwalk.

The boardwalk is a cozy stretch of land that overlooks the Essequibo River. It is the perfect place to sit and align your chakras while enjoying the chilly river breeze or, stare at the undisturbed night sky while letting your body digest Bartica’s finest. It would be wise to walk with a jacket or anything to cover up with unless of course, the chilly temperature is your thing.

Fun fact: During the Easter weekend, that boardwalk is transformed into vibes central as the Regatta consumes Bartica.

In fact, the boardwalk overlooks the area on the river where the Regatta takes place each year.

home until dayclean.

First Avenue definitely came alive from 02:00hrs. If it wasn’t for the absence of daylight, it would be hard to doubt that the scene wasn’t an average afternoon lime.

It was a cacophony of soca, dancehall and loud voices that had no intention of sleeping soon as various parties began.

Added to that, the avenue was filled with the smell of plantain and eggs being fried. At this point, the ‘Nurse to Burst’ special (plantain, sausages, eggs and

cheese) seemed to be the fuel that kept the hype train running.

For the non-Barticians that visited the town for the Mashramani competitions, unfortunately the rapidly approaching sunrise meant that it was time to head back to Georgetown.

That left just enough time to grab a second helping of the plantain special (which continued once the parties were still going) and get ready to leave.

That was perhaps the most daunting part of the trip-that it had to come to an end. And considering the long boat ride on the ferry starting from about 06:00hrs, the idea to stay did sound very appealing.

Even though there are the glamorous places across Guyana like the Kaieteur Falls, Lethem or good ole Georgetown, visiting Bartica is a must.

Plantain and eggs being prepared at 02:00hrs in Bartica following the Junior Soca and Calypso Monarch Competitions

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Bartica regatta to be nothing short of fantastic

showcase a clean, green and pristine town of Bartica with a face that is going to pop,” Persaud expressed during an interview with this publication recently.

Almost the entire population in Bartica turns up for the regatta. “This is something that you can’t miss,” Persaud said.

BEAUTY PAGEANT The Bartica Regatta pageant is rumoured to be the oldest functioning beauty pageant in Guyana. “We’re talking and dating back to the 50’s or even 40’s, and we hope to keep it alive,” Pageant Trainer Sonjie Marslowe told this publication.

Marslowe, who is also helping to coordinate the regatta, is hoping that someone else will come on board to handle the choreography, styling, etc.

One of the main aims of the organisers is to be able to produce a queen that can represent Guyana at one of the most prominent international pageants. “Back in the day, the pageant was somewhat insignificant, in the sense that it stopped right here in Bartica, but what we’ve been striving to do over the past 10 years or so, is to cut that limitation,”

Last year’s regatta pageant

THIS year’s Bartica Regatta is going to be nothing short of fantastic, with organisers promising an event that will be “immaculately planned and organised.”

Secretary for the ‘Regatta Committee’ Cianna Persaud has already started putting together proposals, getting plans ready, and ensuring that the sponsorship list is in place.

With more emphasis being added to the entertainment aspect of the event, international reggae artiste Glen Washington is billed to perform at this year’s regatta.

It has been confirmed that this year’s winner of the regatta pageant will receive $500,000 in cash; with the second place winner receiving $300,000, and third place receiving $100,000. The cash prizes are separate from any other prizes that would be given out; depending on how much more funds are received through sponsorships.

The activities include basketball, domi-

A boat race

International Reggae artiste Glen Washington is billed to perform at this year’s regatta

noes, cricket, volleyball, football, gymkhana motorsport, a comedy show, gospel fest, dirt bike racing, the pageant and road jam. Spread throughout the month of April, all of the events are fixed for the Community Centre Ground.

“This year’s regatta is going to be immaculately planned and organised and patrons will be fully informed about what’s going on. We would not have an event where patrons will not be wowed when they walk through the door, because you’re going to see branding and ads; you’re going to see us

Marslowe said.

“We want the pageant to stretch outside of Bartica and one of our main aims at the pageant is, to produce the first Bartican Miss Guyana; be it Miss Guyana World, Miss Guyana Earth, Miss Guyana Universe, and ultimately, we want to be represented on the international scene at one of those big five pageants,” she added.

Marslowe said the intention is for the contestants to be involved in youth-oriented activities in Bartica and around the country. “We’re talking about fashion, social activism, etc.

The type of contestants we’re aiming for, are those who can accept and manage certain responsibilities regarding our main aims. We work closely with the standards that are set for the international pageants so as to possibly qualify.”

The contestants have not yet been confirmed for this year, but the ideal figure for the organisers would be 10 women, between the ages of 18 and 25.

Marslowe had dreamt of being crowned queen of the regatta ever since she was a child attending the pageant. In 2004, though, when she was 20 years old, she was able to realise her dream.

She noted that Bartica has been putting on some of the best pageant shows in Guyana in terms of stage décor, costumes, gowns, and the works. “This year, we’re hoping for nothing short of fantastic. We’re always striving to have the best ‘Miss Regatta’ pageant ever. We’re always looking to build and develop the pageant because it’s dear to us. It’s one of the things in Bartica that we hold dear. It’s almost like a sacred commodity,” Marslowe expressed.

The contestants, will have to do an official photo shoot and will visit President David Granger and Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin. Approximately 3,000 persons attend the pageant each year.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

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Bartica is beautiful and safe!

Over $1B in government projects injected there is almost at zero,” Mayor Gifford Marshall proudly stated during an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine.

He said that while there may be some petty crimes, the police often put their hands on them quickly. Furthermore,the ‘F’ Division Headquarters is now in Bartica, and hence the divisional commander is based there.

This means that there was also an increase in police members posted in Bartica. “The police are doing an excellent job; they have more vehicles and more access to resources,” Marshall observed.

Meanwhile, come February 17, Bartica will observe another anniversary marking the horrendous Bartica massacre. “It is always a sad day as we reflect on that traumatic night, where persons were really traumatised. We will be having a simple but meaningful ceremony on that day, just to reflect on how important it is to stay vigilant and remain conscious of our security,” Marshall expressed.

The Bartica Police Station

BARTICANS feel especially privileged to live in this part of the country. Perhaps it is because they are shielded from many of the challenges that other locations across Guyana have to endure.

For one thing, because of its geographic location, the town doesn’t experience any major dry season or an extensive rainfall period.

Furthermore, the landscape is of such that flooding is hardly ever a concern to residents.

Home to approximately 15,000 persons, Bartica has been described as a little gateway to many interior locations of Guyana. Hence, thousands of people pass through the town every month for one reason or the other.

A number of resorts and waterfalls are featured in Bartica where many people go for mining purposes. The location is so scenic that many more are attracted there for tourism.

To get to Bartica from Georgetown, one would need to board a speedboat from Parika,

Two Miles Primary School

Since Bartica is reckoned to be one of the most beautiful towns, authorities have indicated that they will be investing resources into preserving the pristine its nature.

However, there is still a serious issue with solid waste management in Bartica. “We will continue to invest heavily in that because that is a major turn off when you come to a place like Bartica and you see plastic bottles on the beach, despite we have bins,” Marshall expressed, adding, “That pains our hearts, so we’re investing in those areas.”

Meanwhile, the Golden Beach De-

velopment Project, which seeks to develop Bartica’s beachfront, was started early in 2017, and works are continuing there this year. There is also a section of First Avenue that will be developed this year.

“By April of this year, you will see another extension, and then we hope it will be a continuous project. That is one of the best gifts we have as a town. Tourism has a lot to offer to Bartica,” Marshall said.

The Five Miles Sandpit project is another major one by the municipality which had to deal with a number of challenges. “We had some challenges managing the pit as the municipality did not have the machinery and finances to properly execute its duties, but I am happy with the assistance of Ministry of Communities because we’re now in a position to manage the sandpit,” Marshall said, adding that all systems are in place to ensure all rules and regulations are complied with.

“Presently, we have in excess of $1B of government projects in Bartica; and, being at an affordable rate, is very important to the municipality and affects contracts somewhere or the other. So it’s a process that we embrace and something that we very appreciative of,” Marshall said.

One of the main causes for concern in Bartica, though, is the state of the roads, which at the moment, are deteriorating quickly. One reason for this could be that a number of large trucks traverse the roads each day. “When the fuel from these trucks is leaking, the gasoline causes more damage. So it’s something that the council has started to look at,” Marshall said. “Because it’s a mining town, you would see a lot of excavators and bulldozers; a lot of heavy machinery that would traverse our streets. We will proceed this year to have the roads rehabilitated and will have to find a way to deal with these trucks and other machinery,” he added.

‘WE ENJOY FARMING’ Fifty-two-year-old Bernice Lewis of Mora Camp, is originally from Phillipi Village, Upper Mazaruni and is now the head teacher of a school in Itaballi.

A mother of nine children, Lewis manages her large indigenous family with her retired headteacher husband, Clifton Lewis.

“We enjoy farming, and we hardly depend on items from shops,” Lewis said, and the family makes do with whatever it can get from their farm. “If we’re short of sugar, we cut canes. We plant our cassava, so we don’t really depend on rice or flour.

We eat organic foods and that’s why we look so strong and healthy and hardly have grey hairs.”

The Bartica Airstrip at Five Miles The Bartica Municipal Market

on the East Bank of Essequibo, which seats roughly 25-27 passengers. It takes just over an hour to arrive at the town.

The steamer, though, takes five hours on any day in the week, other than on Wednesday, when there is no boat. Leaving Parika at 05:00hrs, the boat upon reaching Bartica would leave to return to Parika at 12 noon. On Saturdays, though, the steamer leaves Parika

at 09:00hrs and does not return there until the following day, when it leaves Bartica at 6 am.

Bartica can also be reached by road via the Lethem Road. A crossing on the Essequibo River, via pontoon, would be necessary.

ALMOST AT ZERO Added to the good life in Bartica is the fact that the town is relatively safe, in terms of criminal activities there. “Crime in Bartica

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

New $700M GPL plant for Bartica by April scribed this project as the “single most important” one that Bartica would have seen in the last 10 years.

Over the last decade or two, Bartica has experienced severe load-shedding, thus affecting the town’s business community, health and education sectors. “Almost on a daily basis, we had poor power supply. Now, with this, we have reliable power and will see expansion and greater efficiency in all of these affected sectors. We will also see more persons coming to invest,” Marshall expressed.

The current GPL site is said to be heavily polluted. “We’re talking about land, air and water because a lot of waste oil comes from

THE brand new 3.3 megawatt power plant being built in Bartica by the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), at a whopping $700M cost, should be up and running before the end of this year’s first quarter.

Over the years, GPL saw that the current plant in central Bartica was constantly plagued with maintenance issues, and hence decided it was time to replace the old generators with new ones.

“We’re looking to commission the plant in the first quarter of this year, by April,” Project Engineer Julian Reddy told this publication on site a few days ago, adding,

that old generator that is there and it pollutes the drains, and by extension, the river,” Marshall explained.

He pointed out how the new plant will also positively affect the housing sector. “We know that this new power plant will have the capacity to meet those demands. So it’s an excellent project; one that we are eagerly await the commissioning of, and we know that it will transform the economic landscape of Bartica.”

Marshall said the funding is not coming from a direct loan but through taxpayers money. “We are very grateful to central government for the investment in the power company,” he said.

“We will now have better reliability and low maintenance.”

He explained that the new engines will bring better customer service to residents.

“It’s a new plant equipped with three 1.1 megawatt engines. We also have new switch gears, and did some upgrades to the transmission and distribution network.”

The new location, at Dagg Point, Agatash, has enough space for further expansion and hence, GPL has also decided to build a wharf so as to better facilitate the logistics of trucking fuel to the plant.

Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall de-

The secret to a long life is Love - Take it from 100-year-old Ethal Moseley ETHAL Moseley is now 100 years old.

She is well-known as Lucille or ‘Aunty Lu’ and was born on January 19, 1919, at Saxacalli, down in the Essequibo River.

She was taken to Bartica when she was just five years old by her mother, who had gone there to see what jobs she could have picked up to look after ‘Aunty Lu’ and her sibling.

She attended school in Bartica and finished in the fourth standard, after which she took up learning dressmaking; this she continued with all her life. Also, she taught a number of young girls the trade.

Mrs. Moseley feels that young people today are not reading as much as they ought to. She also feels that the cinema in Bartica, which was torn down to become a shop, had helped to provide wholesome entertainment for young people back in the days. “We used to dress up, all the kids, and go to the cinema in our fancy clothes. Now, someone bought the cinema land and made a shop.

You ever hear a place without a cinema?”

Mrs. Moseley married Albert Moseley who originated from Berbice. She said she tried to stay away from men, but something about Mr. Moseley (now deceased) stole her heart, and she decided to give marriage a shot although she was already up in years.

“They ain’t come yet; they all gone

Mrs. Moseley turned 100 years old last month

out,” Mrs. Moseley joked when asked if she had any children. “One time, I was getting

twins and I had complications, so that was the beginning and the ending,” she said.

Her sister, who is 104 years old in Canada, had 11 children and Mrs. Moseley said watching her sister’s experiences also drove fear into her.

At the moment, she lives alone in a small wooden house, although many visitors would pop in to see how she’s doing and to offer whatever assistance they could. “I burst my head last week when I fell down, so I have to hold on and hold on until I meet my bed.”

Mrs. Moseley especially gets visitors from the church she has been attending for some 61 years. In fact, she was one of its founders, and the last one remaining to date.

The secret to living long, Mrs. Moseley said, is simply love. “The secret to living long is a tonic; a wonderful tonic called Love. I had a really good husband,” she expressed.

Mrs. Moseley, in offering some advice to younger women, said: “When you marry your husband, no matter what happens in the house, remember, it’s until death do us part.”

Although receiving lots of visitors, she said she is still very lonely. “To be lonely is a crime. Many nights I sit down here and it’s only the radio I listen to,” she said.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Authorities pushing education, agriculture in Bartica

WITH about 90 per cent of Bartica’s population depending on the mining sector, Mayor Gifford Marshall feels that some residents have lost sight of the importance of education, as well as pursuing other forms of employment.

As such, he told the Pepperpot Magazine that authorities are not very happy with the students’ performance in school.

“The gold mining community would have brought the resources needed. As a result, it served as a distraction to other things like education, and agriculture. But now I believe, more and more persons are realising the need for education,” Marshall observed.

He said the students’ performance in school is an issue on the front burner and that in 2019 and 2020, more investments will be made in the education sector.

“And we will target parents, especially, on the impor-

tance of keeping their children in school and helping them to understand the importance of performance.”

He added: “When you go after gold mining; if that industry collapses, you don’t have another choice. But when you invest in education, you create opportunities for yourself and choices.”

Marshall said that although persons have drifted away, agriculture will be pursued again because the authorities want residents to go back to farming.

Another challenge in the education sector is that Bartica doesn’t have a tertiary level institution. “To this end, we are working with a number of agencies nationally to have that matter addressed.”

In the meantime, the Bartica Town Council, along with the private sector, has been sponsoring persons to go off and study. “And this is something we want to actively pursue.”

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Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall

Bartica community centre ground being upgraded A double-sided stand is to be constructed and named after Neil Hernandez, a former national footballer

A NUMBER of developmental works are ongoing on the Bartica Community Centre Ground, a facility that “tremendously” affects the lives of young people in the town.

Works were started last year on the ground, but due to some issues encountered with the contractor, the project had to be handed to a second contractor.

“The challenge is that the ground depends heavily on an extensive period of sunshine which we don’t often get in Bartica,” Mayor Gifford Marshall told Pepperpot Magazine.

The Volleyball Court was completed, along with the stand for the Basketball Court and the main pavilion. “The only works left to be done is on the actual playfield. This can be considered 80 per cent completed, and we’re looking forward by the end of February, to have an excellent playing surface,” Marshall expressed.

A contract has been awarded last year to Courtney Benn Construction for a double-sided stand and in a few days, works are expected to commence. It will be named after Neil Hernandez, a former national footballer. “It’s a project that is close to our hearts because it will tremendously impact the lives of our young people and bring about the difference we want to see in our community,” Marshall said.

New $700M Bartica Stelling before end of 2019

Supervisor of Works Derrick Quintyn

BY the end of 2019, a spanking new Bartica Stelling, to be expanded more than 120 feet in length, will be in place to serve residents there and the thousands of visitors who pass through the town each month.

The plan is to dismantle the old stelling and replace it with a new one to the tune of over $700M. The estimated time of completion is one year.

Supervisor of Works Derrick Quintyn, told this publication a few days ago, that the old stelling is just 150 feet in length. “We’re taking out the

timbers and everything is going back in concrete.

We brought in the piles last week consisting of 300 14 X 14 concrete piles, 60 feet long. Timber piles will be going on the outside for the fender system,” he explained.

According to Quintyn, the fixed ramp is being removed so that two floating ones can be put in. This means that when the ferry arrives, vehicles can be on-loaded and offloaded with any of the tides.

Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall told this publication that the town has seen an increase in vehicular traffic to Bartica over the years. As a result, there is definitely a need for expansion.

“We needed a modern facility where persons can sit and relax as they wait on the ferry. It’s all in the package of improving the image of Bartica and we’re also working on our tourism package. If we’re going to work on tourism, then we must be able to have the right facilities for tourists,” Marshall said.

Over the years, he said the town would have seen a significant increase in tourists visiting Bartica. “We welcome the heavy investment by central government. This is the main entry point to the township, so the development of it is critical.”

The new stelling is to feature a waiting-area for passengers, along with several mini-marts.

Early morning activity on the Bartica Stelling

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Government’s role in dental health ANY population should be aware that the recognition of the importance of the environment and structural issues to health has led to the development of health promotion programmes. Health promotion has been defined as the process of seeking to improve or protect health through a range of activities, including behavioural, socioeconomic and environmental policy change. More specifically, the

range of health promotion activities includes the following: 1. Health education. This includes giving information about health, offering advice and trying to encourage the development of personal self-confidence. Opportunities for this exist in group situations, such as schools, and dentist-patient contact. Radio, television or newspapers may also provide information and advice. The latter group is non-personal, how-

ever, and cannot be focused on an individual’s specific needs.

2. Personal preventative health services, such as immunisation or oral cancer screening, and positive health services, such as smoking cessation programmes. Special initiatives might be planned for those patients who are unable to access professional dental care, whether for reasons of anxiety or distance.

3. Environmental measures, such as making the physical environment more conducive to health. This might include designing buildings better to reduce the chance of dental trauma in children or optimal adjustments of the fluoride content of water to prevent dental caries. The adjustment of fluoride in public water supplies to the optimal level of one part per million has been shown to be an effective method of reducing dental decay.

4. Involving the community, either to develop local services or to form self-help or pressure groups.

5. Organisational development, involving the implementation of policies that promote the health of staff and their clients, such as providing no-smoking areas or healthy catering services.

6. Economic and regulatory activity. This might involve changing the taxation to make products intended for oral health less expensive or the development of a code of practice that may, for instance, control the advertising of health-compromising products.

The fundamental issue is to make healthy choices easier. Health education is an important part of overall health promotion activity. Interventions may not have long-term acceptability without public understanding of the reasoning behind them. On the other hand, knowing what a healthy diet should contain will not be very helpful to those people without the resources to purchase the diet, and will not affect the availability in shops of the products that constitute it.

Health promotion activity provides several difficult challenges for the dentist, whose training has usually been limited to the teaching of small groups or individuals in the dental surgery. Communication skills are an important asset to build upon, but they would need to be developed for use in activities such as lobbying for regulatory change or promoting water fluoridation. Additional skills would also be required, for example, in planning and implementing strategies and identifying organisations and groups with whom these strategies can be implemented.

There are several recent examples of the development of this range of activity. Governments of countries such as Guyana have begun to realise that it costs a whole lot more to promote preventative measures rather than bear the onerous economic burden of treatment for their population, especially as it relates to oral health which previously was considered as relatively non-essential.

Doctors and pharmacists have been successfully encouraged to prescribe and dispense sugar-free paediatric medicine, whilst health visitors have been involved in campaigns to improve dental registration for preschool children. In Canada, for example, to enter an elementary school, a Dental Health History card is a requirement. The government provides it free.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Movies and Mental Health I’VE been helping a number of readers develop healthier coping skills for the New Year and a few days ago, one reader wrote in explaining the positive effect movies have had on his mental health. I wanted to share this concept with you all as movies are accessible to the majority and I don’t think it would take much convincing to attempt this one.

We already know the power of movies as we have all felt happy, sad, scared, or frustrated at the end of one. They are a great source of information and motivation which can change the way we look at things, the way we feel about them and even how we may deal with them. I can’t speak for everyone but I want to add a new profession every time I watch a show I enjoy. I want to specialise in psychology and law every time I watch Law and Order or specialise in grief therapy every time I watch a movie with tremendous trauma. During a movie, you can temporarily slide into a new profession, country or a whole new life. The right movie is almost like a cheap and instant vacation where our brains are given the opportunity to reboot.

For mental health treatment, many therapists use Cinema Therapy which basically just means using movies for therapeutic/ healing purposes. The therapist typically suggests movies based on the client’s specific situation. For example, if the client has anger issues, they may be asked to watch a movie about someone dealing with anger issues. This gives the clients both people and situations to relate to while learning the commonalities of disorders and potential treatment options.

On top of that, the right type of movies enhances education, understanding, empathy and communication. Most importantly, it allows for awareness and personal reflection.

Movies can provide a safe method for people to discuss their thoughts and feelings.

Many people have issues with directly speaking about their circumstance and therefore it’s easier to talk about what a fictional character might be feeling. This way, you are still directly identifying and addressing the issue, feelings that arise and potential solutions without feeling directly vulnerable. Furthermore, there are many who don’t realise the extent of their situation until it is displayed on film. This is especially true for those in abusive relationships or experiencing multiple forms of addiction.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE TYPES OF CINEMA THERAPY. “Popcorn cinema therapy” involves individuals watching certain movies- mostly for entertainment- which strongly opens a platform for emotional release.

Evocative cinema therapy occurs when certain movies are chosen based on the client’s circumstance and so they are strongly able to relate to both the character and situation. Cathartic cinema therapy happens when a movie helps the client to access emotions or feelings that may be buried under the surface and has been difficult to express.

There is good news and bad news about this. The bad news is I don’t think any therapist practises this in Guyana but the good news is that it can be self-administered as a form of self -help.

This means you can choose the movies and watch it yourself once the correct method and protocol is followed.

I want to make it clear that if you are currently doing therapy or would like to start, cinema therapy alone is not an adequate replacement. It can be added on to your current therapy or used before going into therapy to get the best possible treatment.

If you would like to begin, here are some tips on self-help cinema therapy Choose a movie that is helpfully addressing your situation. Some recommended options are at the end of this article. Identify the character you most relate to and ask yourself why. Identity things that you and/ or the character does that you would like to change Identity the things the characters tried or didn’t try- things that you think would be most successful in the situation. Personal reflection requires you to wonder what you would so in similar situations.

You can do the above with a therapist, your friend or by yourself. Remember that movies can also fight stigma so if you feel as though your loved ones are having a difficult time understanding what you are going through, invite them and make it a movie night.

Here is a list of movies (based on specific categories) that

mental health professionals have recommended.

There is a website - http://www.cinematherapy.com/filmindex.html - that has a list of many instances but I have pulled a few based on common situations in Guyana.

ADDICTION

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FOR ALCOHOL The Lost Weekend (1945) Flight (2012) Frances (1982) Frida (2002) Henry Fool (1997) FOR OTHER SUBSTANCES Darkness Before Dawn (1993) Turn to page XXXII►►►

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

CANCER CAN BE CONTAINED ON February 4, World Cancer Day was commemorated worldwide. This anniversary was observed under the auspices of the Union for International Cancer Control. The objective of World Cancer Day is to save millions from preventable deaths by raising awareness and education, about cancer and pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action against the disease. In Guyana, the government is aware of its responsibilities towards cancer sufferers. The Guyana Cancer Foundation led by Ms Bibi Hassan has been doing much educa-

tional work about the disease, and acting as a pressure group and dovetailing its efforts with the Ministry of Public Health. The Guyana Cancer Foundation is partnered by the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), the Guyana Medical Relief and the Humanitarian Assistance Programme of the United States Embassy.

Cancer was a disease more feared than even leprosy since it was long felt, with good reason, that if one was infected with it, then it was terminal. Cancer patients and their families were inevitably sunk in resigned hopelessness.

Modern Science has discovered the basic cause of the disease which is an uncontrolled cell proliferation. The normal cells are the building blocks of the body and its organs and they help the body to grow, heal and repair itself and fight off diseases. When the normal working of the cell goes wrong the resultant abnormal cell keeps multiplying. These abnormal cells (the cancer cells) come together and form a lump or tumour and that is the beginning of cancer. Then the tumour spreads attacking the healthy parts of the body.

Cancer treatment is to try to stop the proliferation of these abnormal cells and eliminate them. All treatments used so far have after effects and no treatment is invariably successful. The treatments used are surgery where the cancer is removed by an operation; radiotherapy where high energy x-rays are used to destroy the cancer cells; chemotherapy where anti-cancer drugs are used to destroy the cancer cells; hormonal therapies where the hormones in the body are changed so as to slow down or stop the cancer from growing; and biological therapies which interferes with the way cancer cells grow. The most common treatments used in Guyana are surgery when the disease is in its early stages and before it would have spread to other parts of the body; radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Patients have to go abroad to receive more advanced radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments.

There are many types of cancer and each type has to be treated in its own appropriate way. In Guyana, the eight most known and prevalent cancers are Breast; Cervix uteri and ovary and corpus uteri; Prostate; Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma; Lung; Stomach; Pancreas and Liver. Breast, Cervix and Prostate account for more than half of the cancer sufferers in Guyana and much progress has been made in treating Breast and Cervix. Women’s organisations have proved themselves an effective pressure group, in pressing for the extension and improvement in the quality of care for these cancers.

Today, the hopelessness of cancer patients and their families has diminished and there is the general understanding that though treatment for cancers could be lengthy, the disease could be cured.

In most cases, sufferers tend to recognise that they are infected with the disease only after some years, and this makes treatment more difficult since if cancer is treated in its early stages, the chances of curing it are higher. It is, therefore, useful to be aware of the signs and symptoms of cancer. Such would include unusual lumps or swellings in parts of the body; coughing, breathlessness or difficulty in swallowing; changes in bowel habit; unexpected bleeding; unusual breast changes among women; complications when urinating; fatigue; appetite loss; unexplained weight loss.

There are a few other observations we will make which may be of interest or useful to readers. Smoking and the use of tobacco products is one of the major causes of cancer. Smoking, even secondary smoking when one inhales the tobacco smoke exhaled by someone else, takes into the body many dangerous poisons. Such toxicity intake into the body is one of the major causes of cancer, and in the case of tobacco smoke, six million people die from it worldwide each year.

Another cause of cancer is traced to what one eats. A diet which consists of much red meat or meat as a whole, assists in the growth of cancers and many reputable studies have affirmed this conclusion. On the other hand, a diet which is largely vegetarian never results in cancer infection. In other words, animal-based protein is cancer inducing while vegetable protein is not. Menus and lists of cancer and non-cancer inducing foods are found on many sites on the Internet.

It was often believed that cancer was genetic or hereditary but most of the reputable research has rejected this theory. One of the main reasons why a number of cancer sufferers may be found in a particular family is, simply that family lived in the same lifestyle, for example, eating the same food which may be cancer-inducing.

In Guyana, we have a fairly good basic infrastructure for cancer treatment with the Cancer Institute at the Georgetown Public Hospital and in the educational and outreach work of the Guyana Cancer Foundation, but they need much upgrading to be able to reach minimum acceptable international standards.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

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FILES E S A C T R U O C

Murder accused with alibi found guilty of manslaughter Lost appeal – manslaughter verdict accepted

ON Boxing Day 1966, John Francisco De Freitas, in an apparent drunken condition strolled into the “Pinky Galaxy” City night spot in Regent Street, where he shot Cleo Samuels, three times.

Samuels later died in hospital.

De Freitas, identified as the killer was later charged with murder. At his trial he led an alibi defence – alleging that he was somewhere else at the time of the crime.

But the jury rejected his story and convicted him of the lesser count of manslaughter.

Dissatisfied with the jury’s verdict, the accused represented by Mr. J. O. F. Haynes, Q.C. appealed, but the Appellate Court headed by Chancellor Edward Luckhoo and included Justice of Appeal Guya Persaud and Victor Crane, dismissed the appeal and affirmed the jury’s verdict of manslaughter.

The Appellate Court had agreed with the trial judge telling the jury that there was no provocation in the case to warrant manslaughter, but after taking the other circumstances in which the accused, in spite of his alibi defence, was properly identified and that there was only a scintilla of evidence in relation to drunkenness, dismissed the appeal and affirmed the jury’s verdict.

The main judgment was delivered by Justice of Appeal Crane.

According to him, at about 8 p.m. on the evening of December 26, 1966, at the “Pinky Galaxy”, a city night spot in Regent Street, Cleo Samuels was wounded several times. He was shot at point blank range by a gunman with whom he had an altercation. Samuels was rushed to the public hospital where an emergency operation was performed, but he succumbed from bullet wounds on December 30, 1966.

The accused John Francisco De Freitas, was later identified as the assailant, and his apprehension some three months following the incident led to his being charged with Samuels’ murder.

The principal witnesses for the prosecution were three female employees of the “Pinky Galaxy” – Theresa Balkarran, Sylvia Austin and Doreen Persaud. They were present at the incident and, at the trial, gave eye witness accounts of it.

Each identified the accused as the person who was engaged in a quarrel with the deceased and who discharged a loaded revolver at, and a few feet away from him.

Through them it was established that the accused was a frequent visitor to the “pinky Galaxy”, where he was in the habit of resorting for entertainment; that on the evening of the fatality he visited the hotel, danced once with Sylvia Austin and slapped her on the face when she refused his request for a repeat dance.

This was the beginning of the trouble, for when Doreen Persaud interceded on Austin’s behalf, she too was slapped.

This incident brought about the intervention of the deceased, Cleo Samuels, and the altercation between him and the accused.

The three women also related how both the deceased and the accused were ordered out of the hotel by the caretaker, how the deceased returned some minutes later, followed by the accused, who pulled a revolver from his waist and shot the deceased at least three times at very close range.

At his trial, the accused raised an alibi supported by one witness, viz., that at the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed he was at his father’s home, where he passed the entire night, and that his identification by Doreen Persaud at a parade was a case of mistaken identity.

The jury, however, rejected both the alibi and his claim to have been mistakenly identified when they convicted him of the lesser offence of manslaughter.

Continuing, Justice Crane said that foremost among the amended grounds of appeal is a complaint that the trial judge failed to direct the jury adequately on the effect of drunkenness on the question of mens rea in relation to manslaughter.

It is contended that the jury ought to have been directed that the offence of manslaughter involved some mens rea, that

drunkenness could negative it and thus be a complete defence thereto, and that if they were in any doubt about what ever the degree of drunkenness exhibited by the accused in fact negatived his mens rea, they

ought to have been told to acquit him altogether of the charge.

Turn to page XXXIII►►►

By George Barclay

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

XXV

#SupportCreativity

By Subraj Singh

Providing avenues for cultural participation AT this point, Mash activities have been picking up the pace and it is no doubt that cultural participation is at a high level.

But what I personally want to see is the development of avenues for cultural participation throughout the year.

Minister of Social Cohesion, with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr George Norton has stressed that persons should use the myriad of activities being organised for Mashramani to develop their skills and talents.

According to him, the government has been investing heavily in these activities, not only in the celebration of Guyana’s Republic status but also as part of concerted efforts to bolster cultural participation.

I have mixed feelings about this. This year, every region is expected to receive support from Central Government to organise Mash programmes and activities. In my opinion, yes that does provide an avenue from persons from within each region to showcase their skills. Further, within each region, those who illustrate a greater degree of skill would then move on to the national competitions.

So that’s a plus.

But on the downside, it bugs me that there is no clear or definite sense of what happens after Mashramani, vis a vis developing these skills and talents in the arts. Alright, so there’s grand support at Mash time, and then what?

To be fair, I don’t think this is ultimately a central govern- ment issue to always

Dr George Norton

provide the avenues for the development to the arts. But there must be some alacrity in developing this field since it is touted as an inseparable component of the focus being placed on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Now here’s where Bartica again shows why it is poised to become Guyana’s first model town.

Mayor of Bartica Gilford Marshall highlighted that after Mashramani, the town, through its own volition, would endeavour to create spaces that would ultimately provide its people (youth in particular) with the opportunity to develop their skills and talents in the arts and sports year-round. In addition to providing those spaces, this would also provide some leeway for the town to craft programmes that would allow the young people to showcase what they’ve got.

So, it is not just the green infrastructural development that would speak to Bartica’s model town status but also its evident intention to focus on social development.

Bartica and its local government has shown one instance of how other stakeholders can step up and take some responsibility, but of course, there is also the private sector component to factor in.

Take Ansa McAl for example. The company restarted their contributions to the Children’s Mashramani activities last year and continued this year with $1.3M in cash and kind.

For many young people in the school system, these children’s Mash activities give them a unique opportunity to explore things beyond their academics, and for many, this time might be one of the few times when they have the opportunity to do so. The first (and last) I ever danced for an audience was at my school’s Mashramani dance competition.

Aside from companies having a Corpo-

rate Social Responsibility (CSR), it augurs well for them and their marketing when they can tap into these events and establish their presence.

Another recent example of this good show of CSR in promoting cultural participation was Caribbean Airlines and their launch of their new corporate campaign-the Caribbean Identity. The wider known aspect is that the launch featured Machel Montano- Mr. Fete/ Dr. Mashup himself, but perhaps a lesser known fact was the airline’s sponsorship of the Parkside Steel Orchestra.

The Parkside Steel Orchestra has been around for years, and it’s impossible to enjoy the yearly panorama activities without hearing about this band. Now, Caribbean Airlines has stepped up to sponsor this band in an effort to promote the continuation and growth of the band throughout the year, and by extension the people involved in the art form. This isn’t unlike GBTI, which sponsored the Buxton Pride Steel Orchestra years ago.

I say all of this to underscore that cultural participation extends beyond the scope of Mashramani. The government and the private entities must work in conjunction to provide avenues for cultural participation-beyond just facilitating participation when Mash time comes around.

And most importantly, it goes without saying that persons have a critical responsibility towards pursuing these avenues, and as well, participating.

Junior Calypso Monarch aims to be music professor RECO G NISING the dire need for music professionals in Guyana, to properly develop our music industry and develop the skills of young people with potential, 20-year-old Jamal Stuart says his ultimate goal is to become a professor, teaching music at a university.

Just last week, Stuart was declared the Junior Calypso Champion, when he outshone five other contestants in the competition held in Bartica.

The young man, who is a member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), said that music has always been his

passion. Growing up as the youngest of his parents’ four sons, Stuart said he would always find himself in singing activities, playing steel pan and dancing.

“I started singing when I was four years old, taking part in concerts, school events, and church events also. And right now I’m a police playing the in Guyana Police Force Steel Orchestra preparing for the panorama on Sunday, February 17,” Stuart said.

Knowing his talent and ability, the young calypsonian said he always wanted to showcase his talent on a larger stage and bless the hearts of others. “ I did not know about the competition until I was home one day and I saw it

on the television, and I said to myself, ‘you know what?

I can make that’ because I knew I would have brought competition to the table,” he shared.

And competition is exactly what he brought, as the policeman emerged the 2019 Junior Calypso Monarch.

“I wished the contestants good luck, they were all friendly and kind to each other, and I didn’t compare my song with the other songs.

I just had confidence in my song, went up did what I had to do, and I came out successful,” Stuart said.

The song was written by Guyanese artiste Mark Batson, who hails from Buxton, the same village as Stuart.

Stuart’s plans now that he is the champion, is to dream big and aim high, so as to keep moving forward in the

music industry.

“To be a professional singer and to master the art of playing all instruments, are what I aspire to accomplish so that one day, of course, I can be a professor, teaching music at a university.

Guyanese possess a lot of musical talent, but we just need the right exposure and the right persons to help us develop our talent to make ourselves marketable. I will work towards making myself equipped with the knowledge to help in that regard,” Stuart said.

His advises young people to keep pushing themselves until they have achieved what they want to achieve. “If you want something, do not just sit and ask for a sign, make a start keep going until the end,” he said.

Jamal Stuart

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Youth and Oil

Director of Youth, Ms. Melissa Carmichael

IT is said that the foundation of any State is the education of its youth. As Guyana lays the groundwork for the emerging Oil and Gas Sector, this truth has not been forgotten. Young people across Guyana will not settle for being mere beneficiaries of oil and gas developments but insist on being active contributors within the sector. In this edition of Government in Action, we hear from the young Guyanese assuming their rightful seat at the decision-making table.

THE MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE Eager to prove themselves, several students from the University of Guyana (UG) have highlighted the importance of targeting youth for national development.

Biology student, Ms. Aliyyah Anderson said that young people are worth the investment. “Now would be an ideal time because we’re… starting [now] and we can combine fresh ideas with old ideas to combine and get something different… a different perspective on the sector… We’re the next generation.

You need to invest in us because I think we bring a different perspective, fresher, newer ideas to different topics that have been… there for a long time. I think they need to

invest in us,” she said.

Pharmacy student Ms. Chantelle Sinclair agrees. She believes that the youth may surprise the older generation if given the chance. “Give us a chance. There are a lot of brilliant, innovative young people out there.

They have a lot of good ideas and if they can just give us a chance to speak, give us a listening ear, we can bring so much to the table and they themselves might be surprised at what we have to offer,” she said.

Highlighting the plethora of skills and talents young people have, the students all expressed the view that that young people like themselves can be assets within the oil and gas sector. Biology student, Ms. Ivana Foster asserted that young people are innovative and can augment current developments that advance Guyana’s economy and help it to play a leading role in the Caribbean. “Ten years from, I’d like to see Guyana at the forefront of the Caribbean in healthcare, in tourism, in education. We can do it. We can definitely do it,” she said.

Another Biology student who is eagerly anticipating the emergence of a diverse and resilient economy is Mr. Akeem Cave.

“What we want is not just somebody who will come and manage the oil and gas sec-

tor, but somebody who will know what to do with oil… Can we refine it? Can we get other industries that can be sparked from the sale of oil and gas? I think we need to look at stuff like that because our youth need to be prepared. We [are] the first generation of oil… I think Guyana has a lot of untapped potential, not just in terms of our natural resources, but our human resources as well.

I think we have a lot of talented youth… We have a budding scientific community in Guyana and I think… a lot of youth could benefit [from] seeing that. [Through] oil [revenue], there will be diversification in the industries in Guyana,” he said.

Pharmacy student, Ms. Shekinah Stuart is also hoping for a rapid pace of development as the oil revenue accrues and envisions Guyana becoming “the next Dubai”. She expects that “We’re going to have a large gross national product and gross domestic product because the youth are given opportunities to work so we will be able to develop Guyana more.”

ARMED WITH KNOWLEDGE Director of Youth within the Ministry of the Presidency’s Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport, Ms. Melissa

Carmichael, said her department applauds young people’s interest in this field and will continue to implement programmes that can both nurture it and foster growth. She noted that her department has made good on its mandate to ensure that the youth are empowered through opportunities that encourage their active participation in the nation’s development. Most recently, the department has embarked on a nationwide Youth and Oil Symposium tour, ensuring that young people across Guyana are well-informed of advancements within the sector and can engage with policy makers.

“All of these developing issues are things that young people need to be empowered on.

They need knowledge…so we thought it necessary to include them in the discussions…

We want them to share with us and we will share with them… More so, we want them to participate in these developing sectors. We don’t want young people to be left behind.

We want them to receive information and we want them to also make recommendations to the policy persons,” she said.

Boasting an attendance of over 600 youth in Georgetown, and over 100 in Linden, Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10), Ms. Carmichael said that the symposium gives

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019 young people the tools that they need to thrive within the sector.

“Young people have shown up in their numbers and that speaks to their interest in Guyana’s development. [They] want to be a part of the discussion and to be included in national development and national decisions…

“If you want to be taken seriously and if you want to be a young person sitting at the decision-making table and making meaningful contributions, it is necessary that you are… armed with the facts, that you are armed with the information with regards to this country and where it is going. Nothing else should be more important to the youth…They are the future. They are now. Nothing should be more important than them accessing information that will seek to develop both of their families, themselves as well as their communities,” she said.

DIVERSITY WITHIN OIL AND GAS Meanwhile, at the symposium hosted in Linden, Director of Energy, Mr. Mark Bynoe commended the young people for demonstrating their interests in this field; however, he discourages a ‘sector-specific’ mindset. He said that young people need not deviate from their dreams, but prepare themselves to be beneficiaries of the resources afforded by oil and gas.

“We also want you to understand that even without oil and gas you still have the opportunity to benefit from the resources coming from oil and gas. So, you don’t have to be directly employed with Exxon. You don’t have to be directly employed with the Department of Energy to benefit from the resources that are coming from oil and gas… whatever you are pursuing, remember, you are aiming to be the best at it. The resources that will come from oil and gas will still facilitate whatever dreams and aspirations you may have,” he said.

The Energy Director reiterated to the youth that their dream

XXVII

Director of Energy, careers are within reach right here on Guyana’s soil. “When you benefit, the country should also benefit. When you excel, Dr. Mark Bynoe

the country should also excel. When you are successful, the country should also be able to succeed… Your future doesn’t rest outside of Guyana. I am a product of Guyana and your future resides right here if you’re willing to make the investment, make the plan, and make the right decisions,” he said.

Biology student, Ms. Aliyyah Anderson said that young people bring fresh, new ideas and perspectives to the table.

Pharmacy student, Ms. Shekinah Stuart said that knowledgeable and innovative youth can only be assets to the oil and gas sector.

The tapped potential of Guyana’s youth is the fuel that drives progress within our nation. The Government invites youth to be active contributors in its development by providing the forums necessary for young people to engage policy makers, thus securing a bright future for all Guyanese.

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

#SupportCreativity

By Subraj Singh

A Review of ‘Musings of a Poet’

A WRITER once differentiated between the two types of poetry as being “sit-down” poetry and “stand-up” poetry.

My impression was that the former type was of the kind of work that was meant to be savoured, in silence, as the reader leisurely takes his/her time poring over and interpreting each word in the piece. The latter type seemed to me to be of the spoken word kind, with rapid-fire rhymes, deliberate enunciation, and some Hip-Hop thrown in.

2221e“Musings of a Poet” which was staged by the National Drama Company of Guyana (NDC) last Saturday, 2nd Febru-

ary, at the National Cultural Centre did not play to either type, but rather, delivered an interesting and intimate blending of the two – in the sense that the poems were filled with the beauty, the sublime sort of artistic resonance that comes with the quiet poems that are meant to be read in the silence at night, while also being as uproarious and entertaining as the social commentary/ activism-laced poems that are shouted from a microphone in front of a crowd of people. Furthermore, the production also displayed how a poetry reading can be a theatrical experience, involving all of the art forms, if the right amount of creativity,

passion, and artistic vision are brought together.

The night began with people gathering in the foyer of the National Cultural Centre where a small, intimate, relaxed auditorium was set up in front of a well-lit space. Nicholas Singh began the recitations by sharing his poem, “Feel Good,” which was an appropriate opener as it was a paean to writing – its purpose and its difficulty, it joys and all the heartache that comes with it. The image of Singh, sitting on a stool, bandana tied around his head, arms tense with passion turned out to be an suitable image to represent the entire proceedings, as pretty much every performer carried themselves with confidence, energy, and obvious enthusiasm for the craft.

Mark Luke Edwards is another company member who is always at the top of his game. Because he is such a well-known actor in plays, I think some people might forget that he is also an accomplished poet, having established a presence in the local spoken-word community and having won and been nominated for his poetry through the years. His performances of “Motherland,” an ode to Guyana, and “Useless Hands,” which was a social commentary on the plague of domestic violence were both very well-executed, particularly the latter, where he was paired with an outstanding Tashandra Inniss who played a woman in an abusive relationship.

Another actor who is known mainly for her work on the stage, but is also a very talented poet is Le Tisha Da Silva. She performed “My Silence” and “Vote of Thanks,” both of which were well-received. However, there is no doubt that her performance of “Vote of Thanks” is the one that we will remember for weeks, months, and maybe even years to come – long after “Musings of a Poet,” and all of the poets and actors, and maybe even the company itself has ceased to exist. This particular poem was an ode to self-love, which is such an important concept, especially for young, full-figured, kinky-haired, women of colour, in a society that seems to prioritise everything that they are not.

Da Silva, taking off her robe before the audience and revealing all of her beauty, armed with a simple prop in her hand-held mirror, is one of the most artistic and poignant deliveries in spoken-word poetry that I have ever seen. It was spectacular.

Da Silva, perhaps, is only rivalled, in terms of the performance of the night that will be longest remembered, by Ackeem Joseph who delivered Akbar Singh’s poem, “Prostitute’s Song,” which is based on the working girls of Guyana, the local cross-dressing prostitutes about whom many legends and stories have arisen, particularly about their exploits around the St. George’s Cathedral and on Sheriff Street. Joseph appears in full-drag, which, I believe (as far as I know) makes him one of the few people, if not the very first person, in Guyana to deliver a spoken word performance in drag. Wearing his fishnet stockings, a skin-tight dress, and a brightly-coloured wig, he made sure that he was a force to be reckoned with, swinging as wildly as all of the women and men in the LGBTQ community who have long been relegated to, or chosen to partake in, prostitution as a career due to, in part, being shunned to the fringes of society and being excluded from the mainstream because of homophobia. Well, I think it can be said that at “Musings of a Poet,” Joseph managed to do his part to bring this downtrodden community back into the mainstream where they belong, even if it was for only one night.

Overall, the poetry at “Musings of a Poet” was generally of a top-notch quality. However, what elevated the event and made it more than just a typical poetry reading was undoubtedly the use of artistry that was taken from a variety of fields, including dance, music, costuming, and design.

Truly, it was seen that everyone in the production played a vital role and that the cast was stacked with immensely talented individuals. Aside from the performers mentioned here, there were also recitations, dance, and direction by Onix Duncan, Deandra Daniels, O’Neilka Bacchus, Nirmala Narine, Sonia Yarde, Keon Heywood, Ayanna Waddell, Esther Hamer, Jonathan Hamer, Jamal Omawali, and more. Kimberly Samuels was fantastic with her use of vocals, music, and constant costume and wig changes. Lisa Adams and Al Creighton Jr. provided some of the music that accompanied the poems. Kudos to the NDC on a great production, and here’s to hoping that the Guyanese public gets to see a “Musings of a Poet II” next year.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Glow through your flow Periods and the female body

Diagram showing the stages of a female menstrual cycle

IF IT’S one thing that bothers me, it’s the way we glorify the female body only on certain days of the month and for eight days or less, we’re horrified by it. If you didn’t know this by now, menstrual cycles are natural. Maybe the sight or sound of blood is not as pleasant to our senses but it is completely natural and normal. Who had the brilliant idea to alienate women for a natural phenomenon?

For starters, the menstrual cycle is a monthly occurrence that prepares a woman’s body for the possibility of pregnancy.

The stages of the menstrual cycle are menstruation, follicular, ovulation and luteal phases. The menstrual phase is also what we call ‘periods’. Most people confuse this stage for the entire cycle. In fact, an average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. This is the phase which a woman may pass less than 80 ml of blood for six to eight days. A thick lining of a female’s uterus is shed. So, the blood a woman passes includes also tissue from her uterus and mucus. There are many symptoms including mood swings, bloating, cramps, tiredness and tender breasts.

The follicular phase starts on the first day of your period and then ends on the first day of ovulation (stick with me).

Follicles are tiny cysts and only one of them will grow into an egg while the others die. The growth of these tiny cysts will eventually trigger the growth of the lining around the uterus.

The third phase is the ovulation of eggs. This is self-explanatory: it suggests that two weeks or less before the next menstrual phase the ovary will release an egg. It is in this phase where we have the ‘fertility window’. The fertility window comprises of a woman’s most fertile days and it is during those days she is most likely to become pregnant.

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EMOTIONAL SENTIMENTS President of the Ekereku Mining Syndicate, Dana Jones joined with the previous speaker in showering praises on Minister Broomes for the work she is doing for miners, as well as others she is able to touch in Guyana.

Jones described the minister as a sister, a friend, a mother – a true champion and a woman of love, who is a ‘heart

person’.

Adding to the flourishing sentiments was the President of the Fork and ‘K’ Mining Syndicate, Garfield Wint.

He said that even as he joined with the rest of the mining community to celebrate Minister Broomes, whom he described as “champion of the earth”, he also extended thanks to Minister Raphael Trotman, Minister of Natural Resources and the members of the Geology and Mines, who have all helped to make mining easier for miners at this time.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019 Wint also made note of the achievement of the National Mining Syndicate of the GGMC Board, which he said is something that has never happened before. He also made mention of the duty-free concessions for small miners.

These miners had to first be tax-compliant. Additionally, the mining syndicate was also able to achieve their own office in Georgetown. He noted that these were all initiatives of Minister Broomes which have resulted in improved lives for the miners.

Aubrey Francis, Vice-President of the Gold Search Investment Mining Syndicate also joined with the others to say thanks and echoed much of what they stated.

Presentations of a plaque and a bouquet of flowers were handed to Minister Broomes by the President of the National Mining Syndicate, Cherryl Williams, while a dance to the song, ‘You are my hero’ was done by Pastor Deborah King.

The chairman in introducing Minister Broomes noted, that she was first appointed Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, “During which she established herself as a highly effective advocate for workers’ rights, safety and health at the workplace, and best practices in the industry.” He said that as a result of her activities a number of wrongs were corrected.

She was later reassigned as Minister in the Ministry of Natural Resources, with effect from January 2016, where her primary responsibility, includes providing oversight for the maintenance of best practices in the mining sector.

Pastor Davidson noted that she was also instrumental in the establishment of the Guyana Women’s Miners’ Association (GWMA) in 2012, and one of the primary purposes was to expose the problems of trafficking in persons (TIP), which was prevalent in the industry.

Minister Broomes, after recognising the special invitees, including residents of Sophia and Anns Grove, said that she was `taken back’ and humbled by the surprise that was held on her behalf. During her remarks, Minister Broomes said that the road for miners, especially women miners was never easy; some women she stated had to literally fight to keep what they owned and some lost millions of dollars’ worth of machinery and other valuables in the process.

She noted that life as a gold miner is never easy but promised to continue to do her best, with the help of the government to assist miners in an effort to make life easier to them all. ◄◄◄ From page XII

REDUCE CONFLICTS An Environmental Authorisation has many long-term advantages, even for the investor; you will be guided on addressing impacts before they even occur. This helps to save time and money, as it prevents conflicts that may arise not only between investors and authorities but also between the investors and residents. An EA also legally protects your investment.

IT’S ILLEGAL TO BE OPERATING WITHOUT A VALID ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION In order to continue to enjoy the benefits of sound environmental management and economic growth, investors need to have their permits renewed. This allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry on monitoring project activities to ensure that they are conducted sustainably. You should apply for renewal of your permit at least six months prior to its expiration date. The agency is currently requesting all persons who have expired Environmental Authorisations (EAs) to have their permits renewed. You have until February 28, 2019, to come into compliance, after which the agency will be enforcing against defaulters.

If you are renewing your application and have made any adjustments to your operations, the agency needs to be notified of same.

Environmental Authorisation protects the Environment…

AND YOUR BUSINESS! MAIN DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR A NEW APPLICATION • Completed application form; • Proof of identification (ID or passport); • Proof of land ownership; • Business License; • Any permit or license received from other government authorities; • Project summary/description including a map of the surrounding area; • Site layout; and • Application fee.

You can make contact with the Agency on 225-5471-2; www.epaguyana.org or epaguyana on Facebook, Ganges Street, Sophia, Georgetown should you have questions regarding Environmental Authorisation

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Woody Allen filed a $68 million lawsuit against Amazon Studios alleging it unfairly killed his movie deal On Thursday, the writer-director Woody Allen sued Amazon Studios alleging breach of contract when the tech giant’s movie arm refused to distribute his latest movie, “A Rainy Day in New York,” and ended its four-picture production-and-distribution deal with him.

The suit, obtained by Business Insider, says Allen is seeking more than $68 million in damages.

The suit says Amazon backed out of its deal with Allen in June after allegations that years ago he molested Dylan Farrow, his adopted daughter, resurfaced amid the #MeToo movement.

In an interview with “CBS This Morning” in early 2018, Farrow again accused Allen of molesting her in 1992, when she was 7 years old. Allen has denied the allegation.

The suit says the relationship between Allen and Amazon began to get shaky in late 2017 when Roy Price resigned as president of Amazon Studios following sexual-harassment allegations against him.

It says that in December 2017, Amazon executives met with Allen’s representatives to discuss the negative publicity following the allegations against Price and that the next month Allen and Amazon agreed to push the release of “A Rainy Day in New York” to 2019.

But in June, Amazon Studios sent Allen’s production company, Gravier, a termination notice, the suit says.

“Amazon does not intend to distribute or otherwise exploit the Pictures in any domestic or international territories,” said the email, which was sent by Amazon Studios Associate General Counsel Ajay Patel and included in the suit. “And Gravier must therefore undertake immediately to make alternative distribution arrangements and otherwise mitigate any damages it may claim on account of Amazon’s termination.”

The suit says that Amazon said it terminated its contract with Allen because, along with the molestation allegation against him, it became “impracticable” to work with him amid “the increasing refusal of top talent to work with or be associated with him in any way.”

The Oscar winner has released his two latest movies, “Café Society” and “Wonder Wheel,” as well as the series “Crisis in Six Scenes,” with Amazon.

“A Rainy Day in New York” stars Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Diego Luna, Rebecca Hall, and Jude Law. Chalamet, Hall, and the actor Griffin Newman have since said they will donate their “Rainy Day” salary to charity.

Several other Hollywood stars who have worked with Allen, including Greta Gerwig, Mira Sorvino, and Colin Firth, have also publicly denounced him.

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Days of Wine and Roses (1962) Down to the Bone (2004) Fighter, The (2010) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL Accused (1988) All That Jazz Boost (1979) Black Snake Moan (2006, sexual abuse) Burning Bed (1984) Changing Lanes (2002) CHILD ABUSE Cider House Rules, The (1999) Closet Land (1991) Crazy Heart (2009) Antwone Fisher (2002) ANGER AND FORGIVENESS Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) Amish Grace (2010) Descendants, The (2011) In a Better World (2010, Danish, Swedish, English, Arabic) BEREAVEMENT/LOSS AND GRIEF Brian’s Song (1971) City of Angels (1998) Corrina, Corrina (1994) Dr. Zhivago (1965) DEATH AND DYING It’s a Wonderful Life (1946 - suicide) Jacob’s Ladder (1990) Jason’s Lyric (1994 - suicide) Jungle Fever (1991 - murder) Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1988) GAMBLING Croupier (1998) Gambler, The (1974 and 2014) Great Sinner, The (1949) Hard Eight (1996) Owning Mahowny (2003) MALE HOMOSEXUALITY Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (1994) Beginners (2011) Boogie Nights (1997) Boys In The Band, The (1970) Call Me By Your Name (2017) Female Homosexuality Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013) Bound (1996) Boys On The Side (1995) Chasing Amy (1997) Children’s Hour, The (1961) SELF-ESTEEM: QUESTIONING NEGATIVE BELIEFS ABOUT YOURSELF AND REDISCOVERING YOUR STRENGTHS The Full Monty (1997) Gattaca (1997) Forrest Gump (1994) It’s a Wonderful Life Little Women (1994) Affairs Afterglow (1997) Age of Innocence, The (1993) Bridges of Madison County, The (1995) Brothers McMullen, The (1995) DEPRESSION Alone In The T-Shirt Zone (1986) Death In Small Doses (1995) Eraserhead (1977) Harold And Maude (1971) Please keep in mind that some of these movies may have triggering effects and must be turned off if you do not feel it is helping. However, many studies have shown that the right movies have been able to improve relationships and reduce levels of stress, anxiety and depression. It doesn’t matter if you’re watching at home or at the cinema, the results are the same. So why not try it?

If movies aren’t accessible to you, why not form groups (adult or children) and write and act out skits for your community members. This has so many physical and mental health benefits.

Thanking you for reading. Please keep sending any topics you’d like to talk about to caitlinvieira@gmail.com Suicide Prevention Helpline Numbers: 223-0001, 2230009, 623-4444, 600-7896 Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs!

Always!

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019 ◄◄◄ From page XXIII

According to Judge Crane, the law remains that a condition of drunkenness at the time of the commission of the offence which causes death may only reduce the crime, if it reduces it at all, from murder to manslaughter.

This is still good law today just as it was restated in 1920; there is therefore no room for a verdict of total acquittal from a capital charge when death is occasioned by the influence of alcoholic excess.

The contrary was, however, the suggestion of learned counsel who argued for the application of the principle in church’s case (8); but a verdict of manslaughter arising from inability of an accused to form the specific intent to constitute murder stands on a different footing from any other verdict of the like kind and a specific direction on mens rea (guilty knowledge), as suggested, is unnecessary to sustain the verdict.

Contrary to counsel’s suggestion, the accused indeed lost no chance of an acquittal by the absence of the direction because there can be no complete acquittal, the Appellate Court said.

Justice Crane noted that the only other ground of appeal which it is thought worthy of consideration, deals with the complaints on the question of the identification of the accused.

Complaint is made that the judge failed to give a full and sufficient direction on the point as to whether the identity of the accused as the assailant had been properly established.

It will be recalled that the accused was not arrested until the expiration of three months from the date of the incident.

He was arrested by Reginald Rogers, the proprietor of the “Pinky Galaxy” at the Atkinson Field motor race circuit where he attended a meeting. He handed over to a police constable, as the “gentleman wanted by the police to assist in the investigation of a murder which was committed at my premises on December 26, 1966.”

Evidence of the identity of the accused, in which the prosecution was no doubt saying, was provided by the three female employees the Justice of Appeal observed, as he dismissed the appeal and affirmed the jury’s conviction of manslaughter.

Solicitor General, J. Gonsalves-Sabola had appeared for the Crown. ◄◄◄ From page XXIX

The fourth stage, the luteal phase, is when the egg comes out of its follicle. The follicle then transforms into a structure called the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum produces progesterone and some Oestrogen. These hormones make sure that the wall around the uterus remains thick to stick the implanted egg. When a fertilised egg is implanted it will release hormones (HCG) that is usually detected on a pregnancy test. However, if there is no pregnancy the corpus luteum dies 22-28 days into the cycle.

In my personal experience, I must say I am privileged enough to have my mother and female teachers in high school who conducted special classes for this topic to educate me.

There are many girls who are forced to feel uncomfortable because of their environment/society’s understanding of the menstrual cycle. We, as females, have at least one period mishap in our lifetime and we were forced to be embarrassed or uncomfortable because of it, especially if male friends or colleagues are around. This topic is very important especially for women with little access to information. Hence, I decided to make it into a series. Stay tuned for part two next week but, before I finish, I’ll leave a poem with you all to ponder on.

‘Apparently, it is ungraceful of me to mention my period in public ‘cause the actual biology of my body is too real it is okay to sell what’s between a woman’s legs more than it is okay to mention its inner workings the recreational use of this body is seen as beautiful while its nature is seen as ugly.’

-Rupi Kaur

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English

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STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, Skills are relatively straightforward actions, physical or mental, that can be practised in isolation. You practise skills to master them. Strategy, the ability to use facts or skills, or their combinations, and to select appropriate ones, is very necessary in story writing. How practised are you in combining a range of facts and skills in context to

tell a marvelous story? This mastery also helps you appreciate choice in another writer’s story. Be wise.

Love you PERSONAL WRITING Mental Jogging Jogging is a great way to engage the mental faculty. Write ideas down. Some might come orderly; others quite randomly. From where do items come? Some come from your mind,

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

or from research, observation, or conversation. Jogging is thinking.

Mr Turnbull had predicted evil conseThinkers invent; they move menquences … and was now doing the best in tally from this to that with little his power to bring about the verification effort in a time frame. Look at of his own prophecies. this writer’s handiwork. See what ANTHONY TROLLOPE (1815-1882) makes up his list of ideas, and how Phineas Finn (1869), ch. 25 he associates them.

Goblins I never had clean beach sand to play on about life in the future when I was a kid. In fact, I never saw the sea PROOFREADING before I was nine, so I used to build things out Correcting Errors of mud. I can see myself now squatting in a Reminder: Remember not to separate a corner of the big paddock, small and thin and brown in my patched khaki pants and shirt, lost subject from its predicate by a single comma. in the creation of a remembered town. I always Use either two commas or no commas (unless built in the same place, shaping walls of mud, the interrupting element comes at the begindoors and roofs of bark, and all around among ning or at the end of the sentence).

Examples: untidy lumps of mud I made tower things from Enid Stapleton is, I believe, the person sticks above holes in the ground. In my mind’s who is most in favour of the street fair. (Two eye the houses were all painted dazzling white, commas.) and the big hotel on the corner was red brick Enid Stapleton is the person who is most with a cast iron balcony and corrugated iron roof. The other things were mines and slag in favour of the street fair, I believe. (One heaps and pitheads, and stretching away from comma because interrupter is at the end of the them I would see the spare desert scrub shim- sentence.)

Something to Do mering to a flat horizon and the whole land Use commas to separate words, phrases, panting with heat under a bleached blue sky. and clauses as necessary in the following When the other kids found me, they used sentences.

Correct any error in comma usage, to laugh and break up my mining town. Then and then write OK for each sentence that has I began building towns full of white goblins no error. and I stamped them into the ground in a rage.

1. One of the companies from which we (Colin Johnson, Wild Cat Falling, Angus recently purchased Pammy Foods has its headand Roberson 1965) Something to Do: Write a story based on quarters in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

2. Nathalie who has been in charge of our personal memories. If the structure of ‘Gobdata processing operation since November lins” suits you, use it. If not, use one with 2017 is an alumnus of the Guyana Business which you are comfortable. Share your effort Institute. within your study partners’ group.

3. Gertrude’s thorough report which was formally submitted to the legal staff last month THE PASSAGE has finally been accepted by the court.

Human beings will become so used to 4.

Among Beatrice’s best sales territories being crushed together tat when they are on their own, they will suffer withdrawal symp- are Linden, Tumatumari and Bush Lot. 5. Mrs Williams indicated that she was toms. ‘doctor – I’ve got to get into a crowded favourably impressed after she interviewed my train soon or I’ll go mad.’ So, special N.H.S. cousin Sampson Fields. assimilated rush hour trains will be run every 6.

D’Aguiar is confident, that we will meet other Sunday for patients. At 9 o’clock on the April deadline for submitting our proposals. that morning, thousands of victims will crowd platforms throughout England, where great electrically powered Crowd Compressors will crush hundreds of writhing humans into trains, until their eyes stand out under the strain, then, even more wretches are forced in by smearing them with Vaseline and sliding them in sideways between legs of standing passengers.

The doors close – any bits of clothing, ears or fingers are snipped off. To add to the sufferers’ relief great clouds of stale cigarette smoke are pumped into the carriages. The patients start to cough, laugh and talk. They’re feeling better already. But more happiness is on its way.

The train reaches 80 m.p.h.; at the next station the driver slams the brakes on shooting all the victims up to one end of the carriages ….

(From Spike Milligan: The Bedside Milligan (Star, 1979)) 1. Recognising type of text: After reading this paragraph, can you tell whether it is a passage from: a novel; a science fiction story; a textbook on sociology; a satire on modern society; a horror story.

2. The author’s intention: What is the author’s intention in this passage? (There may be more than one answer.) It is to: amuse the reader; predict what the future will be like; shock the reader; reassure the reader about the future; criticise society; teach us something

LAST WEEK’S GRAMMAR SOLUTIONS Getting It Right: 1. George Gordon (did not say) whether he would definitely be able to attend the Easter festival. 2. Fernando can’t (help worrying) about the rising interest rates. 3. Alisa (has) hardly any customer calls arranged for next week. 4. The shipping department (has) scarcely any orders backlogged.

5. Ms. London (did not say) that she was cancelling her service contract. The Comma: 1.

Each singer, musician, and leader in the group was asked to contribute a song. 2. They spoke of a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” 3. These messages, by the way, arrived late last evening did it not?

4. The temperature was below freezing, but she went out without gloves. 5. The outdoor stage lighting was brilliant, and the costume colours were vivid. Effective Sentences: 1.

Once she “gets set,” Danna has a deadly eye for perfection. [sentence] 2. Labours by the hour at a huge hammock basket in her dad’s tool shed. [fragment] 3. Underhand passes less easily guarded than others. [fragment] 4. The coach likes each player to have her own style, but he doesn’t encourage underhand passing. [sentence] 5. Coach Simon insists upon the ability to pass left-handed. [sentence]

Chronicle Pepperpot February 10, 2019

Banana Fritters

INGREDIENTS 2 large bananas, barely ripe lemon or lime juice fat for deep frying sugar Batter 2 oz flour 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 egg 1/4 pt milk METHOD To make batter 1 Sieve flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.

2 Make a well in center, break egg and add to flour.

3 Add small quantity of milk and stir.

4 Continue adding milk gradually, stirring all the time until all the milk is added and batter is smooth.

5 Beat for about 5 minutes, cover and set aside.

To make fritters 1 Peel and slice bananas into 1/4 inch pieces.

2 Coat thoroughly with batter.

3 Heat fat, and fry until golden brown.

4 Drain and sprinkle with lemon juice.

5 Toss in sugar and serve hot.

Serves 8

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