Guyana Chronicle Pepperpot E-paper 03-17-2019

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Entrepreneur, Abbigale Loncke believes that empowerment should start from the time a girl is able to read and write (Photo courtesy of Abbigale Loncke)

‘ Empower yourselves to be bold and brave in society’ Entrepreneur urges women

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Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

Supporting each other in the fight against Breast Cancer

By Vishani Ragobeer HAZEL Chase is a mother of five children and seven grandchildren. When you see her, she always has a smile on her face and is bustling with energy. But Hazel is also a superwoman; her power is that she has survived breast and ovarian cancer.

Chase was diagnosed in 2012. She was in her mid-50s then.

“My doctor was not seeing signs,” she said and explained: “Cancer does not always come in the same way for everybody. I had practically no signs- no skin discolouration, no problem with my nipples, none of that. All I had was a tingling feeling in my right arm.”

Being the jolly, optimistic person that she is, she shared that didn’t worry about that tingling feeling- at least not until she realised that it stayed with her much longer.

“I have a lot of medical people in my family [and] fortunately I discussed it with my sister (who is a medical doctor) and she told me to go to the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) and get a breast examination done,” Hazel recalled.

Heeding this advice, she went to the GRPA and did the examination. It was here that she felt the “unusual lump” and subsequently did an ultrasound and a mammogram.

She also did a biopsy, which is an examination of tissue removed from a living body to discover the presence, cause, or extent of a disease, where the specimen was taken from her breast and she had to wait three months for the results.

“That day when I went and get the results, I can remember clearly it wasn’t a nice day. I can remember clearly it was a Saturday,” Chase said.

“They don’t say cancer on the results but being around my sisters, I kind of know how to read medical reports and it says all about the different deductions and so,” she explained. It was then she realised that she had cancer- it was Stage One Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, or fluid

coming from the nipple.

According to data published in the Ministry of Public Health’s Cancer Surveillance Report in 2015, between 2003 and 2012 breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths in Guyana.

“It’s not a cup of tea but if you get it in [the early stages] it can be treated,” Chase posited.

Receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), she eventually did surgery in 2013 and she was recommended to take six cycles of chemotherapy. “Chemo” involves surgery and radiation therapy to remove, kill, or damage cancer cells in a certain area.

GETTING TREATMENT “[Chemo] was even worse than the diagnosis of breast cancer,” Hazel explained. It took a toll on her body and pushed her mental

fortitude.

Nevertheless, she completed her treatment and was cancer-free. But then, she later discovered that she was developing cancer cells again- this time in her ovaries. However, she was able to detect it early and treat it at soonest as well.

“We, as women, we got to really know our bodies,” Chase said and stressed: “Do not be afraid to do tests. Regardless of what we have, let us deal with it. I’ve made it through and through it all, you have to have ‘support people’ who care,” she affirmed. “It was really nerve-wracking, but I went through it well because I had good people around me.”

The fight against Breast Cancer has intensified owed to the stronger support system that has been created among women. This system not only fosters increased solidarity but it facilitates greater public awareness.

THE NEVER-ENDING FIGHT Cancer Advocate and head of the Guyana Cancer Foundation, Bibi Hassan is just one person who has been involved in the fight against Breast Cancer, at home and abroad.

This month, in fact, marks 14 years since she has been championing the fight against Breast Cancer in Guyana.

“Education and awareness [are] important,” Hassan posited. “Some persons are eager

Nurse Audrey Morris (right) during a Breast Cancer outreach session

Breast Cancer survivor, Hazel Chase

to learn and do the ‘breast’ test, but some are scared.”

She explained that many women would make reservations with the foundation to do the free screening offered, but too many persons do not show up. In fact, in 2018, her target of screening 200 persons fell short by a lot. But that did not deter her, because those who were screened were more knowledgeable of their health status, in this regard, afterwards.

Particularly with the very many persons that are scared or hesitant, she said that support is necessary. And that is why she encourages persons to reach out and support each other.

“I really believe that sometimes I’m a counsellor; I’m not a trained counsellor but I would just sit down and talk to the women and encourage. Sometimes, these grew into long friendships,” Hassan said.

She even created a “Survivors Club”which is a space where persons who have battled cancer can come and find comfort and support in each other. Members of this club would, from time to time, step up to the

mantle to speak up and raise awareness. But Bibi indicated that she only has 17 persons in this club, though.

What would aid her in her cause to raise awareness and encourage more women to get tested would be if more women were more comfortable speaking out against Breast Cancer.

There are challenges to this, however- both personal and interpersonal, according to her.

“I can understand that with the chemotherapy and treatment, some persons would not

Cancer Advocate, Bibi Hasan

feel well or their moods can change,” she said and explained too that persons would just not feel comfortable speaking up.

But she has been very vocal and has the support of just a few women-like Hazel Chase- who are willing to share their stories.

And as she is certain that she will continue championing her cause until ‘the day she dies’, Hasan stressed that she is always looking for ways to extend more assistance to persons.

“Surgery for breast cancer is expensive and I hope that one day I would be able to fund surgeries,” she highlighted.

Until that goal is achieved, she will continue to work with her dedicated partners- like the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) and the U.S. Embassy’s Humanitarian Assistance Programme (HAP)- to ensure that more persons are made aware of the ailment and how to detect it.

Nurse Audrey Morris, who does clinical breast examination and has about 30 years of experience shared however that not very many women would refuse to take the test.

In fact, they are eager to do and take stock of their health.

But in some cases, as in some rural or indigenous communities, Nurse Morris indicated that it is not that women do not want to take the tests, but it is that their husbands or fathers would not want them tested.

She emphasised however that it is pertinent for women to check up on their health.

“We [have to] take our lives our own hands because most times we only think about the household work, the children and grandchildren, our work, husband and so on but we don’t look at our lives,” she said. “If we look at our own selves, then we would be able to venture out and help others.”

And for the persons who might be scared of knowing their health status, Morris said: “Life goes on, there is treatment an early detection helps save lives.”

Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

Young doctor to represent Guyana at international genetics conference

By Gibron Rahim GUYANA is fortunate to have many young people who are willing to contribute toward the development of our country and the wellbeing of its citizens. These young people, through their efforts, give us hope for the future. One of these young people is Dr. Salma Ferouz who will soon represent the Guyana Cancer Foundation and Guyana at the Sixth World Congress on Human Genetics and Genetic Diseases.

The conference will be held on April 8 and 9 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Participants from all over the world have been invited to attend the event which will be composed of keynote presentations,

est will be on cancer and genetics and the way environmental factors affect genetics and the development of cancer.

As a delegate, Dr. Ferouz pointed out that she has no presentation or research to present.

Rather, her focus will be on representing the GCF to the best of her ability and learning as much as she can. She noted that it was Ms. Bibi Hassan, President of the Guyana Cancer Foundation, to whom the invitation to the conference was extended. “She picks someone from her team who she thinks is going to be able to represent her and Guyana as a whole at the conference,” Dr. Ferouz related. “Thankfully, I have some time off now so I’ll be able to go up and represent.”

Dr. Ferouz has previously volunteered with

Dr. Ferouz at a medical outreach with the Guyana Cancer Foundation (Photos courtesy of Dr. Salma Ferouz)

oral talks, poster presentations and exhibitions.

The theme for this year’s Congress is “Know the current generation to save the future generation”. The event aims to provide a global platform for showcasing research in the field of human genetics and genetic diseases. One of the aims is to have recent trending research and its role in cancer treatment be discussed through the conference. Abu Dhabi is home to Eastern Biotech and this is one of the reasons it was selected to host the conference. The company is the first in the Middle East to offer comprehensive genetic testing services.

Dr. Ferouz attended Texila American University in Guyana. “I did my first two years here then I went to Chicago to do my clinical rotations,” she explained to the Pepperpot Magazine. Before those four years of study, she had pursued her premedical studies at Texila. She related that she is currently doing volunteer work while awaiting her residency placement in the United States. Dr. Ferouz is being sponsored by her proud parents Shafeek and Saudia Ferouz of Twins Manufacturing Chemists to attend the conference.

Her focus at the conference will be the correlation between cancer and genetics, environmental factors that cause mutations in genes and how those factor into causing cancer, according to Dr. Ferouz. “Hopefully I will be able to learn and bring back new ideas and new causes to Guyana and educate everyone here on what I learn,” she said. She noted that, as its name suggests, the conference will focus on various genetic diseases. However, as a delegate representing the Guyana Cancer Foundation (GCF), she said her primary inter-

the GCF. Those experiences played a role in her willingness to represent the organisation at the upcoming conference. She related that she on has gone on medical outreaches to locations such as Linden, Garden of Eden and Pomeroon. “The mission of the Guyana Cancer Foundation is to try and educate and spread awareness to patients in populations where they’re medically underinsured and medically underserved,” Dr. Ferouz explained. “As the Guyana Cancer Foundation, we try to do screening for cancers.”

The GCF performs Pap smears (to screen for cervical cancer) and clinical breast examinations. If abnormal findings are made, the individuals are referred to undergo mammograms or ultrasounds. “For men, we’re also offering PSA screening which is the prostate-specific antigen,” Dr. Ferouz said. “That’s what we look for with a person who has prostate cancer.” Persons are referred to Woodlands Hospital where they are able to check their levels of the prostate-specific antigen to detect if they have prostate cancer.

It is significant for the GCF to be part of the Sixth World Congress on Human Genetics and Genetic Diseases. Dr. Ferouz noted that the GCF is still a new organisation, having been founded in 2016. “We’re still on a very small scale so I think for us to make a name for ourselves we have to go out and represent wherever we get the opportunity to do so,” she said. These conferences, she added, give the GCF an opportunity to network with persons who may be able to help the organisation in terms of donations or coming to Guyana to help out through the GCF. Dr. Ferouz is hope-

ful that the networking opportunities at the conference will make future help in the cancer fight in Guyana possible.

Hassan told the Pepperpot Magazine that the GCF tries to reach out to low income and medically underserved communities. She noted the difficulty residents in these communities encounter in accessing proper medical facilities. In the case of cancer screening, it is very expensive for these residents to travel to access testing. “I can only cover, because of funding, a certain amount [of people] because of the budget,” Hassan related. “If I get more funding I can actually pay their passage for them to come.” She pointed out that getting to the areas to conduct screenings is costly as well.

Dr. Ferouz’s work with the Guyana Cancer Foundation has influenced her choice of medical speciality. “I’m going to do internal medicine and after that, I can subspecialise,” she said. She related, “I was never really sure what I wanted to subspecialise in but being in Guyana, doing these outreaches, I see the need for an oncologist.” She noted as well that cancer education in Guyana could be stronger.

III Dr. Salma Ferouz

“Seeing all of this, I think that I’m going to set my mind to maybe study oncology, come back and help strengthen the Cancer Foundation in Guyana,” stated Dr. Ferouz.

Dr. Ferouz noted that, in Chicago where she did her rotations, there are protocols in place for screening for cancers. As an example, she noted that they start screening for cervical cancer from ages 21 to 65. “Guyana has no such protocol and it’s hard because you don’t know who’s getting these cancers and these screenings are necessary [as] they help save so many lives,” she remarked. “I hope when I get my education and further my studies I’ll be able to come back and help out Guyana and be able to put some protocols in place like this so that we could help make Guyana better and help prolong the lives of our citizens.”

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Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

‘Edutainment’ with Poetry and Storytelling

By Francis Quamina Farrier ON Wednesday, poetry lovers around the world will be observing World Poetry Day with various programmes of poetry readings and performances. Here in Guyana, there are many such programmes already planned for the occasion. During Guyana’s Jubilee Year, 2016, I was invited by the National Library to be a member of a team to go to schools and do sessions of poetry and storytelling. Our work was over a very short period at schools on the West Bank and West Coast Demerara, as well as the East Bank Essequibo in Region Three.

It all went so well, that I decided to continue doing free poetry and storytelling sessions at schools all around Guyana, commencing at the St. Ann’s Primary School at Agricola, which is my premier Alma Mater. That project of mine was even extended east across the Atlantic to Ghana, which was done while I was on a visit to that West African country during September and October 2018.

The sessions are for half an hour; 20 minutes of actual poetry and storytelling, and ten minutes for questions, comments and criticisms by the students. At most sessions, I commence with the Martin Carter poem, “You are Involved” and explain to the students that no matter how young they are, or simple they think they may be, they are involved in their home, school and community, one way or another. Poems are usually of a wide range; serious, funny, inspirational; even about the elderly. With the latter, I get the students to think about the elders in their lives - their parents and grandparents, teachers and other elders who they have to interact with regularly. The short stories are the types which have some ‘edutainment’ to them, and in most cases, are performed with audience participation.

On October 1, 2018, while with a Touring Group at Ada on the eastern coast of Ghana in Africa, I took the opportunity to perform a poem for some of the students who were on recreation in their school compound. The headmaster was with them, and so I went and introduced myself to him, and told him what I do, requesting to say one short poem for the students. His immediate response was to call out to the students in a loud voice, “ASSEMBLY!”. His command was immediately carried out. He then introduced me to the students; “This gentleman is from Guyana.

He will say a poem for you,” he said. It was

Farrier at left with teachers and students of the Hackney Primary School in the Pomeroon, Region Two, after a free poetry and storytelling session on November 9, 2018.

Farrier with a student who delivered the Voteof-Thanks after the Poetry Session at the St. Ann’s Primary School at Agricola, post-Jubilee 2016.

A photo just before a Poetry and Storytelling Session at the Holy Spirit Primary School in Sunyani, Ghana, on October 4, 2018. At left in white is Headmistress Sr. Perpetual. Farrier is at right in T-shirt.

a magical moment for me as those young Ghanaian students gave me their full attention as I performed the following poem for them; ‘Your tasks may be often and many, more than you think you can do.

The road may also be rugged, and hills unsurmountable too.

But faith is a mover of mountains, and there’s nothing that God cannot do.

So start out today, with faith in your heart and climb till your dreams come true.’

The students clapped with glee. A few minutes previously, I had no idea that I would have been giving “Edutainment” by poetry, to those Ghanaian students at that school at Dangme in Ghana. It is something I will always remember.

A few days later, on October 4, 2018, hundreds of miles to the north, at the hinterland city of Sunyani, Ghana, I did another free poetry and storytelling session for the students of the Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School. That session was prearranged. In the end, every one of the students came up and either shook my hand and/or gave me a hug. Back in Guyana, I had a similar experience after a Session at the St. John’s Primary School at Bartica, in Region seven, on January 30, 2019.

Here in Guyana, Poetry sessions are held fairly regularly, including at the National Library and the Moray House Trust in Georgetown. One of the memorable ones at The Moray House Trust which is located at the corner of Camp and Quamina Streets, was “Two Gentlemen Doing Poetry”, in which I teamed up with Capt. Lloyd Marshall, who is one of Guyana’s best poetry performers. The Moray House Trust has already presented poetry sessions honouring renowned Guyanese poets Martin Carter, A.J. Seymour and Ivan Forrester. What is of note is that there are quite a number of young Guyanese who are writing and performing poetry. They sometimes perform their poems at family functions such as birthdays, weddings and funerals.

As I continue to do my free poetry and storytelling sessions at schools around the country, I recognise that they bring much joy to the students and the teachers, as well as myself. I also recognise that they help to bring to students, not only a greater love for literature and the performing arts, but a bridge between the young and the elderly.

As such, I plan to continue with this form of ‘edutainment’ for the foreseeable future.

Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

‘Empower yourselves to be bold and brave in society’

By Navendra Seoraj WHEN a woman is empowered something emotional and physical changes about her, she operates on a different level of awareness and power.

This is the belief of 33-year-old entrepreneur Abbigale Loncke. She believes that empowerment should start from the time a girl is able to read and write. “In this way we can raise bold and brave women who are going to equally contribute to the building of our society,” she said in an invited comment.

Although she is wiser today, Loncke said while growing up she did not believe that she could achieve much because she was not the smartest person in her class.

“I have literally had to go through some tragedies and lose a few things to get me to a point in my life where I had to make some tough decisions,” she said.

In order to achieve her goals, she had to surround herself with the right people, mentors who could support her in becoming a better version of herself, she said.

Loncke had to create a vision and clearly identify what she wanted for her life. The

Abbigale Loncke

most important part of her journey was being able to take time off and regroup and return as a better Abbigale. “Abbi 2.0.” as she calls it.

She is now a mother of a one-year-old son and successful businesswoman who is charting a course to success.

The businesswoman started her career as a counselor in the UK and returned to Guyana in 2012. A few years after she ventured into

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Entrepreneur urges women

entrepreneurship by founding a Home Care Agency, which was recognised by former US President Barack Obama.

“Today my company has evolved to become Abbi Home Care - we focus on personalised individual care for seniors living at home; those with disabilities or living alone.

We also provide babysitting and maid services,” she said.

She has been empowering women by recruiting and training the best women to support her clients on a day to day basis, whether it’s in their homes or offices.

Loncke has also created a platform called WeLeader Caribbean to support women in business in Guyana and throughout the Caribbean.

This platform is coming into its third year, with two successful conferences (Empowered Leadership Conference) and they are already planning the third conference for October 2019. “Recently I’ve also embarked on hosting my own Tv Show called Abbi’s Power Lunch - this show sees me interviewing women in business throughout the Caribbean,” she said. Her focus is on highlighting the achievements of women and what it takes

for them to succeed. The show takes a very unique look at women in business with both small and large companies.

Right now the show airs throughout the Caribbean and some television stations in the USA and Canada. It is also aired in Guyana on E-networks E-1 Sunday evenings at 18:30hrs.

Despite her accomplishments, she is still aspiring to support and empower women and young girls through the initiatives that she already started and hopefully create more.

“I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given to succeed and I want to be able to give those same opportunities to women who need it,” she said.

Loncke believes that the toughest steel is forged in the hottest fire and she is always reminded of that when she goes through battles in her own personal life.

The businesswoman told persons that in the process of trying to achieve your goals you might go through things, tough things, things that you might think would break you. But if you just hold on and focus on the end result instead of the now - beautiful things can happen in your life.

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Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

Hand-made with pride

Owner of Creative hands, Michel Howell

By Naomi Marshall “INSTEAD of just being on the internet and just being caught up and getting into trouble, go and Google, see and learn. You could learn so much things on YouTube,” said owner of Creative Hands, Michel Howell, the woman with a love for craft.

Howell grew up in Mabura, Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice with her single-parent mother and sisters. The third of four siblings, she was always the creative one. Howell found herself interested in craft and doing decorations at an early age.

The 33-year-old attended Annandale Secondary School, but due to accommodation issues, she migrated to Linden and resumed schooling at the Christianburg Secondary School. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned so Howell dropped out of school in the Fifth Form and entered the world of work.

In 2008, Howell’s mother got a stroke which made Howell stop working so that she could take care of her mother.

Speaking with the Pepperpot Magazine recently, Howell stated that she began her own business of selling clothes which did not quite work out for her.

“I start into business of my own, always selling stuff and then I tell God, ‘All these businesses I’m trying and it’s not working out. You bless me with something that will work out,’” she recalled.

One day, Howell was scrolling down her favourite social media site, YouTube and came across a video which taught her how to make flowerpots out of cement, sand and a towel. She described that day as a miracle.

“I always on YouTube, that’s the only thing I have on my phone. I’m always looking into things that I can do because I even use to be spraying bottles and making vase out of that and I end up running into the one

Michel Howell’s creation

with making the plant pots and I start with the plant pots and then I continue and then I see the vase and I fell for these vase,” said the mother of one.

This would have been the start of something new for Howell, who began making vases for herself, but with the encouragement of her mother, she started making vases for a living.

She said, “When I started, I started with a couple for myself and my mom loved how it was done and so she encouraged me to do it as a business, my mother encouraged me to go

my customers because I does want them to be happy. When you collect your stuff you must be happy. To me you have to please your customers for your business to keep growing,” she enlightened. “I explain to people if your children push them down they won’t fall and break because I make my stuff with good quality. I make sure that it is very cure, have good quality so that when they come to purchase and you feel, it’s not bending.”

Howell is encouraging youths to make use of their talents and keep striving for higher heights. She stated, “Everybody is blessed

One of Howell’s hand-made vases

into business because I’m so creative with it.”

Howell added, “When I first made a vase, it came out so good. It’s like God just show me that way and say ‘You know what? You don’t work, this could be it for you’ because I’m always praying to be self-employed.”

The young entrepreneur explained that creating the patterns of the vases and decorating them are her favourite parts of the vase making process. Howell also expressed her love for providing excellent customer service and boasted about the quality of her products.

“I’m the cheapest on the market, I got to work with people’s pocket. I love to please

with a talent, it may not be that you can make vase, but it could be different things that you can do, just don’t give up. Not because you didn’t get to write CXC that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. Youths out there don’t give up, keep striving for higher, just keep motivating yourself and keep saying that you could do it, always put God first, always pray because with God all things are possible.”

Howell stated that in the next 10 years she sees herself having her own company which can create jobs for people.

Howell can be contacted on telephone number 592-672-8652.

Mariska

Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

By Elvin Carl Croker

TWO years ago, at the tender age of 25, Mariska Jordan took on the herculean task of Business Development Manager for Ramps Logistics.

When she took up the offer she did so in the midst of a bitter separation from her husband and the challenge of taking care of her fiveyear-old son.

Today, after just two years of exceptional performance, this young bright Guyanese woman has performed her duties in such magnanimous proportions that her seniors have imposed much confidence in her and have entrusted in her the responsibilities of the organisation’s sister company, Eldorado Offshore; which therefore sees her managing both companies.

This 27-year-old young lady is not intimidated by her fellow professional men and women in the industry, who tower way above her in age, but uses their experiences as learning tools.

Addressing a room of women at the Business Expo recently, Mariska told the audience that she appreciates the fact that women can stand and speak openly and freely because around the world it is not possible for a lot of women.

“We as women hold ourselves down a lot. If we don’t take account and responsibility for the things that we can change, we will never move farther than where we are,” the young executive said.

Mariska attributes her success to here critical factors. The first is confidence; the second is being able to balance work and family; and finally, the need to overcome peer inequality.

Explaining what she meant by these, she said that for confidence, she had to learn it and believe in herself that she deserved to sit at the table. “I hold this very close to me because while my mom or everybody could tell me how good I am at my job if I don’t believe it within myself, it’s not going to make a difference,” she said.

She said that being given the task of managing the Ramps Logistics shipping company in 2017, which caters mostly to the oil and gas industry, was a challenge but took the opportunity.

“In that moment I knew I needed to learn and learn fast, because this was a fast-moving industry and if I don’t learn fast, then I’m going to get left behind and I already have an opportunity to sit at the table and I’m already in these meetings now I need to prove that I deserve to be there,” she said.

She said she started researching more on the industry itself and the logistics.

“If I knew I had a meeting with a particular client, I would research what the company did so that at least I can put in a few words until I can actually speak the language,” she said with a smile.

This she said helped her and gave her the confidence she needed.

GETTING SETTLED After starting to understand more about the industry, Mariska said she found a love for interacting with different peoples on different levels and it gave her an appreciation of being a part of something that’s new.

“While I knew nothing about oil and gas or logistics, nothing on customs brokerage, I had joined the company at that point in my life when I had a five-year-old son. I was now separated from my husband and I felt low, but I used this as an opportunity to rise from the ashes, to rewrite my story,” she said.

The brave and always smiling young lady said that the first few weeks in the company she grooved into the company events, sitting in meetings with CEOs of multinational companies.

She said that the Oil and gas industry has the lowest percentage of women employed which is about 25% percent but as of 2017 it went down to 17 percent of women in different positions.

The statistic of women CEOs in fortune 500 companies is 4.8 percent (25 total) as of 2018.

“Only in 2016, the first female CEO was appointed, so I am in an industry that’s predominantly men but I’m not intimidated by it. If anything, it makes me want to work harder, want to be more focused to show I can do this; to show I can break barriers, breaking down walls. I deserve to be here,” Mariska said.

She said she started studying the women in the industry noting that if she already had women showing her how they

makes her mark as a young manager did it, she needed to know about them; how they did it and what they did because she knows they’ve had a few trial and errors and if she knows that, it can help her in giving perspective and the path she needs to take.

STRIKING A BALANCE Speaking to her second point of balancing work and family, she said that being a professional woman and being a single mother is difficult because she feels like she needs to overcompensate and to be at everything.

“I have missed a few swimming lessons, I have missed cricket, I have even forgotten to give my son lunch a few times but all in all I learnt and I had to find a balance. Now I am learning to find that balance between Mariska Jordan work and family and one of the most important lessons I learned is that I am important,” she said.

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Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

Young introvert becomes talented photographer

By Marissa V. Foster KEON Kevin Hector was born and raised in the ancient town of New Amsterdam.

He is the fourth of six children. A past student of the Berbice High School, Hector

recalls that his mother made the decisions to send him into the business stream as she had a plan for him to work at a bank. “I never really liked accounts and I was an average student who graduated with nine subjects,’’ said Hector. He describes his

younger self as a very quiet and reticent boy growing up. He was not very outgoing, had few friends and enjoyed the company of his own self in the comfort of his home.

Although showcasing introverted behaviour, Hector, who now attends the University of Guyana, constantly thought about his future. Those thoughts were the indecisiveness of his future career and path, like many other young people of today. Hector explained being a victim of bullying in both primary and secondary schools. The effects of bullying had a great impact on him. He explained, “I have always felt like I was going to be a nobody in life. My self-confidence was at an all-time low.” All his life he was unsure as to what and who to become; he was just ‘going with the flow’ until, of course, he discovered the realm photography.

His journey in photography started in 2014 at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute when he first developed a love for technology, mainly videography and cinematography. While he was on summer break in the year of 2015 he started to make short videos.

He expressed that he didn’t even have his own computer. Instead, he would use the school’s computers to edit on. His teachers were very annoyed because he would always stay back some extra hours to use the computers there.

Tiseena Harry (model).

Photo by Keon Hector

As time progressed and school reopened in 2015, he was determined to purchase his own computer but did not have enough money. As such, Hector used his knowledge in technology and would fix broken computers/ phones for students and teachers at school and they in return would pay him. With this money he made, he purchased his first laptop for $35,000 at a sale.

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Photo taken by Keon Hector for a Muslim wedding.

Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019 ◄◄◄ From page VII

She said that spending time with family is different and that she needs to spend time with herself.

The young professional said that she started waking up an hour earlier, making her coffee, reading the news and mentally preparing herself for the day ahead before her son got up or before anything else.

“I started yoga which was exceptional because, within that hour, I stopped answering my phone, that time was my time, I stayed dedicated to it and I found that I was better at my job, I was better at prioritising what I needed because I now knew what was important to me. I know the functions I needed to say no to and I know the things I had to say yes to and I made it my priority,” she said.

She drove home the point that the key is not to prioritise your schedule but to schedule your priorities and she pointed out that she saw her priorities as herself, her family and her job.

Overcoming And in explaining her final point of the need to overcome pain and inequality, she said that women should desist from undervaluing themselves.

She said when a woman gets a job she would grab at the first offer because it sounds good, but she cautioned that a woman should do the homework to know the people in the industry in the same position and make comparisons to what they’re offering you.

Sharing her experience she said that on one occasion her CEO informed her that they wanted here to be one of the directors of a new company they are opening. While in

the discussion, she said that he told her that she will get an assistant since she will need extra help, but it was only when he began talking about salaries and spoke about what salary her assistant would receive, that her manager realised that she would be making only US$50 more than her assistant.

“Haven been at the company for over a year I never revisited the conversation on salaries,” she said. “Even though I got the responsibilities I never revisited the fact that I need some more money because I’m bringing more to the table,” she contended, driving home the point that a lot of times women are in a position where they feel what they get is good, sounds good, but they need to know what their value is.

She called on women to have that confidence not to be scared to go back and address salaries. Mariska said she is thankful to the

IX men in her company and applaud them for supporting her. Men like her CEO and the Rams family, among others.

She boasted of now representing the company on boards like the American Chamber of Commerce and sitting as one of the few female directors on that board. She also represents the company at Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), at the shipping association and many others.

She did not fail to shower praise and thanks to what she describes as the ‘phenomenal woman’ that raised her, her mother Sonia Noel, and also her sister who she says believed in her and always keeps her going.

Mariska says she is driven by a Michal Angelou quote which says “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your gold; instead, pursue the things you love doing.”

X ◄◄◄ From page VIII

He still continued to edit his short videos at school as there was no internet at his home.

This happened until one day when a teacher stopped him from doing so. All hope was lost until he attended the GuyExpo and took his phone along with him to shoot videos. While videoing, he met Ziggy Denhart who is a Guyanese videographer and photographer and owner of Infinity Photography.

Ziggy gave Hector an inspirational talk on his own journey thus far. He was more inspired after viewing some of Denhart’s work. He noted, “I couldn’t believe that a Guyanese could’ve taken and displayed such beautiful videos and photos.” Hector later went on to buy his first camera the next year after pooling money with a friend to do so. He and his friends started to make funny videos for social media under the name “Renaissance Entertainment” and it was here that he later improved on his videography skills.

In December 2016, he started to take pictures along with another Berbice photographer, Andy Eastwise Henry. Keon was not confident enough to work on his own or to even charge money for his work until one day someone offered to pay him to do a photoshoot. He later realised that he could actually make a living off of photography.

By the end of 2017, Hector shot 12 weddings and countless photo shoots. Currently, he is amongst the top photographers in not only Berbice but Guyana at large. He has a large social media following and his name is a household one when it comes to creative birthdays, weddings, even prom photographs and videos, nationwide.

“Leadership usually gravitates to the man who can get up and say what he thinks. I was never a leader until I got into trouble for following bad company in NATI and my teacher told me I needed to be a leader. I had poor communication skills until I started to do what

Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

Keon Hector

I was afraid of; I presented in front of school, talked to random people every day and stood up for what I believed in and it wiped out my timidity and lack of self-confidence,” he said.

“Never compare yourself with others; there is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.”

Hector’s ultimate goal is to create the strongest filmmaking team in the country.

He wants to be an inspiration for every person with a dream. He wants people to say ‘Because of Keon I didn’t give up.’

“No dream is too big. We are our greatest enemy and we also are our own hero. If there is no enemy within then the enemy outside can do us no harm. That’s an African proverb so we need to be confident in ourselves and compliment ourselves.”

This is his advice to all young dreamers.

“When life gives you lemonade, simply make lemonade.”

F

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Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

XI

on the Village

Beterverwagting

A village on the move

Mr. Bruce Granville Adams, former Chairman of the BV/Triumph NDC

Adams said that it was important for the younger generation to understand the role their ancestors played, not only in owning the villages of Beterverwagting and Triumph but of all the other villages that were systematically bought by the ex-slaves.

“In those days when the sum of $52 000 would have been a whole lot of money – equivalent to millions now. Sixty-two slaves did just as the villages of Victoria and others- pooled their money and did a trusted transaction, by giving it over to Mr. Baron Von Gronigen as a purchase price for cotton plantation Beterverwagting. This was on the 8th day of May in the year 1839,” he said.

Most of the earnings of the ex-slaves were sacrificially saved; pooled together and placed in the hands of one man, who hid the money in a hole under the tamarind tree.

TRANSFORMING THE VILLAGE Since the village became a ‘free’ place, being able to apply independent and resourceful initiatives to what is offered as services and produce; The Emancipation Monument located in the BV playground was donated by the BV Development Association. It was officially there has been no stopping what can be achieved unveiled by the late former President Mr. Hugh Desmond Hoyte in memory of the 62 freed Africans who purchased the village in the villages of Beterverwagting and Triumph.

Adams has said that while there has been deThis week on Focus on the Village, we look at the budding Executive Officer he applied and was accepted back. This community of Beterverwagting (called ‘BV’ for short) move saw him returning back to his home village, something velopment at every sphere of life in the villages, farming has stood out throughout the ages as one of the constant economic located on the East Coast of Demerara. Stories by M he was very happy about.

Margaret Burke.

Adams said that he worked in the position for about 12 activities that have not failed.

Additionally, men and women continue to work in the POSSIBLY still having that ancestral connectedness of years, after which the system of local government changed camaraderie, plus the grit needed to move the village on, the in 1969, at which time the entire council was dissolved. The fields in and out of the village; doing work such as carpentry, village of Beterverwagting has moved in many directions, change, he said, caused him to seek employment elsewhere masonry, plumbing, engineering and, where necessary, availbut certainly not downward. This village is located on the and so he went to insurance as an Underwriter for about 23 ing themselves to learn new skills that can improve their lives.

“I believe in education and I myself made every effort to East Coast of Demerara, just about 10 miles away from years at the North American Life Insurance Company (NAGeorgetown and there are two roads by which people may LICO), moving up to the position of Unit Manager and later improve my life. Now I am seeing what a lot of our young access the village.

Agency Manager when NALICO was sold over to Beharry, people are doing with the opportunities that are available to them…schools, university, skills-training places and a host Bruce Granville Adams, born and bred in the village of serving an additional four years. of other facilities are becoming available to the younger genBeterverwagting is now 80 years old with a wealth of knowleration to assist them in becoming better people,” he stated. edge about the village and its people. He told the Pepperpot GRANVILLE PARK He added that with the dawn of the oil and gas sector that Magazine that he has never really lived outside of the village, He said that during that time (in 2004) local government except when he had a job to perform for whatever time it elections were held at the village council in BV, which he is almost on stream there is much more scope for developwould have lasted. contested as Chairman of the BV Development Association. ment, not just of the country but for each and every Guyanese, “I went to nursery, primary and secondary schools right I won that election, formed a council and served there from and urged the people in his community to make the best of it.

“Recognising that I am getting down in age, I have here in the village, so I was educated right here. Then the first 2004 to 2015. job I did was in local government, where I was an office clerk Adams said that one of his greatest achievements was the already stepped aside, even with the local government at the BV/Triumph village office, which was in the days of creation of the Granville Park, which was named after him. and NDC, giving the younger ones such as the current Mr. Paul Slowe Sr. and Mr. Cyril Duncan – those stalwarts He explained that a team formed a trusteeship and bought the chairman, Mr. Bagot a charge to do well. Therefore, I am that have gone to the great beyond,” he said. land from the village. This was because when the old men encouraging all my fellow countrymen, especially from He subsequently went to Linden and then returned and were leaving they gave us the mandate to develop the area, BV, where I was born and bred to take up the mantle and do your best. Beterverwagting is a Dutch name which can worked for 10 years as a Village Overseer in Central Mahai- which he said was originally bought by slaves. be interpreted as, ‘better for walk in’ and so walk in and cony – a job he had previously applied for. He said he learnt do your best for your village,” he said. a lot on the job and so when BV wanted an Overseer or Chief MAY 8, 1839

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Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

Community welfare an overriding factor in BV “GENERALLY, at the end of the year, I would go about to all those people at ANSA McAL Trading (Guyana) and other agencies to seek assistance for our older people and many of our children.

This is so because we want to make them happy, to make them feel comfortable and wanted. We appreciate them and want them to understand that,” said Leyland Harcourt one of the more vivacious community workers, who is known by all in the village of Beterverwagting. He is also a former Chairman of the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC).

Harcourt disclosed that at Christmastime, hampers are solicited from the Fiber Tech Industries to the elderly. He said that for the past four months Fiber Tech Industries has also been supplying hampers on a monthly basis to at least 20 ‘shut-ins’ in the village. The ‘shut-ins are elderly men and women who are not able to leave their homes; for example, persons who are amputees, bed-ridden, blind or otherwise.

OLD AGE PENSION He said that through the assistance of the Regional Chairman, Genevive Allen, who contributes to the programme, along with the Bakewell Industries within the neighbourhood, every pension day they share breakfast to the pensioners.

In addition, proper toilet facilities for both men and women; seating accommodation, and other facilities to make the pensioners comfortable are constantly provided and these are done on behalf of the NDC, compliments of Gafoor Industries.

LOVING OUR CHILDREN Harcourt informed that toys are shared, through the NDC, to the children in the village at Christmas time. They meet around a lighted Christmas tree, which is usually located where the old cinema used to be and companies such as ANSAL McAL Trading, Gafoor Industries and Fiber Tech Industries would willingly give toys to the children.

8TH MAY MOVEMENT Harcourt is also the founder of the “8th of May Village Movement”.

“Beterverwagting was bought on May 8, 1839, by 62 ex-slaves…, who pooled their money together ($52,000) and gave it to one man who hid it under a tamarind tree…this one man – sometimes when I talk about it, it brings some emotion because from then it has proven something that we do not have today and that we are divided.

“Because for you to give your money to one man calls for tremendous trust – supposed he had died; suppose the man tried to play smart, but they did not think those

things, but he [Mr. Baron Von Gronigen – the last Dutch planter who remained in the colony] hid that money and the morning of the sale took out that money [Dutch Guilders], rolled it in a wheelbarrow and took it to the place of purchase – that was strength,” Harcourt declared.

NO ORDINARY WOMAN According to Harcourt, BV has a very unique history; a very special history. He said that on August 31, 1857, 40 proprietors or former slaves (39 men and one woman) met at what was then the village train station, which is now a taxi service, and they elected what was the first district council in the history of British Guiana and the English-speaking Caribbean.

He added that of the 40 former slaves, only 39 voted since they did not allow the one woman to vote. However, being present at the meeting, even though she was not allowed to vote the very first name on the Transport was her name. “She was no easy woman,” he argued.

Being conscious of the past, Harcourt said that he feels inspired to do everything possible to help his fellow countrymen and women achieve the best they can. He posited that the villagers are a proud people and has produced many people that they can be gratified with.

The drive to help each other therefore goes way back into history – at birth and delivery stages, where others made tremendous sacrifices to achieve the given objective and also to maintain it.

DIASPORA At the same time, overseas-based Guyanese from the Beterverwagting community also formed a group, from which they delivered hampers to several residents on Christmas day. The group, comprising of other community groups within the Beterverwagting/Triumph communities, distributed more than 30 food hampers to residents both young and old. The donations were made possible by several overseas-based Guyanese.

Representative of the group, Jonelle Waldron said that she was contacted by a group of concerned overseas-based stakeholders who expressed interest in giving back to several persons in the village. They formed a group and began the work to identify several deserving persons for the hampers, which they were very happy to share with. Dwayne Duncan, another team member stated that it was a very emotional time for them.

The group said that with the help from other persons in the diaspora they will continue to give, making it a tradition.

Farmers gearing up to receive continued benefits As the RAID project unfolds in communities such as BV/Triumph “THESE are men, who without the infrastructural work being put in place they were travelling the terrain, going through the hard times, dealing with the bees and the snakes and all of that, at least to keep some level of agricultural potency in this village,” said Leyland Harcourt, former chairman of the BV/Triumph NDC and a vibrant community activist in the village.

Harcourt was referring to a set of farmer-representatives who were present at an invited interview with the Pepperpot Magazine recently.

Farmers Kimbol Mentor, Leon Seales and Jermaine Jonas explained that among the produce they plant are ground provisions, green and yellow vegetables, peppers, seasonings and other items. They said that they plant not only for the satisfaction of their families, but also to sell within the village – where they ride around and sell; as well as to neighbouring villages, while even taking some of what they harvest to the Georgetown markets.

THE RAID PROJECT The Rural Agriculture Infrastructure Development (RAID) is geared to push the agricultural drive in villages such as BV/ Triumph, Mocha, Buxton and Ithaca areas that were identified as farming areas in need of assistance from the RAID project.

As part of Phase one of the RAID project in the Beterverwagting area, so far many trenches have been cleared and dug; bushes cleared from the back dam lands, and infrastructural works done, which include the resuscitation of many of the main roads in the village.

Since 2015 the government started paying much attention to these areas, thus the administration has been making every effort to continue to work with these and other communities to bring them into agriculture viability of the highest level.

However, many of the communities have not been without challenges, so the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance, as well as the National Agricultural Research and Extension

Institute and other agencies, continue to assist so that farmers are aptly provided with requisite planting and farming materials to be successful in their endeavours.

As part of the RAID project there will be the construction of secondary drainage and irrigation canals and hydraulic structures, rehabilitation of access dams, clearing of acres of land (depending on the village) and the establishment of pasture lands and farm plots.

THE BV FARMERS The farmer-representatives in the village of Beterverwagting disclosed that while they were very glad to have the necessary assistance to help push them in the endeavours that they have already established, they would like to have a more steady clearing of the trenches and the levelling of the roads at the back of the village.

“It can become very costly to keep clearing the trenches since for whatever reason the bushes grown up very quickly – as soon as it is cleared you begin to see new growth…if something could be done to help us in this regard we will be happy; maybe some kind of poison or something else that can help us because we need to use the trench to move in and out of the back dam.

“We understand that because of the infrastructure work being done the mud has to be thrown on the dam, which makes it difficult for us to use it. However, for this reason, that we need the use of the trench even more and at present we are having a hard time because of how the weeds are growing back so fast in those trenches,” said Mr. Kimbol Mentor, one of the farmers in BV. The Government of Guyana (GoG) in 2016 signed loan and grant agreements with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Development Fund (CDF) for US$12.4M, which is being used for ‘neglected’ communities to boost agriculture and tackle unemployment, in addition to providing other services for the people.

One farmer standing proud by his shade house of nursery plants

The farmer representatives expressed optimism as the gained greater insight into the RAID project and its purposefulness for the people in BV and all the other communities that are been positively by it. (mercilinburke2017@ gmail.com)

Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

XIII

Many old men dream dreams Some young men see visions and achieve them with prudent counsel immaul Bagot, NDC Chairman of the BV/Triumph

THE youngest Chairman of a National Democratic Council (NDC) that Guyana ever had is Mr. Jimmaul Bagot.

He was born 22 years ago in the village of was Beterverwagting (BV) on the East Coast of Demerara to Dianne Elizabeth Birkett and Calvin Birkett and is the brother of three sisters.

Chairman Bagot, as he is now known, so far has lived all his life in BV, where he attended the Primary School; he then qualified for the Bladen Hall Multilateral School, after which he pursued a Bachelor’s Degree at University of Guyana, graduating with a BSc at the age of 21. This young man came into the spotlight in 2016 after he contested the Local Government Elections (LGE) as an independent candidate and against all odds, won a seat on the Beterverwagting/Triumph NDC. At that time he was only 19 years old.

CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT Chairman Bagot made major developmental impacts in his village and among then was pushing for the construction of roads in his constituency. He was also instrumental in the commissioning of the Sir Donald Jackson learning and Resource Centre.

Clearly recognising his potential and drive for the continued development of his community, as well as for other communities, he was encouraged to run for the top position of chairman, under the banner of the APNU+AFC. He did so willingly and came out victorious. He and his team of young and energetic peers managed to gain eight of the 18 seats, with the others being shared between the two other contestants.

Chairman Bagot, in an exclusive interview, told the Pepperpot Magazine that some of his plans for the BV/Triumph community have already begun to unfold. He stated that within the past three years BV has benefited from about five major roads renovation and construction. He said that specifically Market Street, Hendricks Street, National Walk, Surat Drive, as well as the BV main road – leading up to the Hendricks Street have all been done over. He posited that further roadworks will be continued from Hendricks Street, going downwards into Plantain walk.

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS “The Sir Donald Jackson Learning and Resource Centre is an E-Governance project, which is considered as a major infrastructural project that has been undertaken in the village of BV. This project was named after a former speaker of the Legislature of Guyana, who was a villager and also considered to be a major player within the community,” the chairman relayed.

He added that the resource centre was commissioned a few months ago and houses 35 computers; further explaining that the Ministry of Public Telecommunications provided free Internet and opened an ICT Hub as part of the resource centre. “However, we have not been opened for about three months now due to the LGE, as well as funding for

the building,” he noted, saying that in the previous council he was pushing for the council to stand the cost of paying someone to work at the centre part-time, but has not been successful thus far.

“However, now the table has turned with me being at the helm of things here, now that am the captain of this ship I will make every effort to ensure that I am able to get things done to benefit of all the residents of our beautiful communities; both the young and old… I will now push for us to hire someone and pay that person or persons to open the centre and keep it open every afternoon,” he assured.

Chairman Bagot said that the services will be free and it will benefit everyone living in the BV/Triumph community, but persons outside of the area will have to pay a small fee. Adding that the NDC will give priority to school-aged children, university students and other young people, especially those who are studying and may gain directly from this service, he offered.

“And to add the icing to the cake, I am currently in talks with officials from the ministry of the Presidency to bring the STEM programme to the centre,” he added.

MAJOR SPORTS FACILITIES He said that another major project which the NDC intends to embark upon, with works starting as soon as March is the construction of a basketball court. This is as a result of a $7.7M grant from the Ministry of Communities. This grant is going to go towards the construction of a basketball court with solar lighting and a pavilion to compliment it.

This BV/Triumph playground, he said, is in response to the cries of the youths in the community for better sports and culture facilities. In this regard, he said the NDC is hoping that there would be sufficient funds left over for the construction of a multi-purpose parking lot within the playground, where they would also be able to set up table tennis facilities for use by villagers.

“PRESERVING THE PRIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY” Chairman Bagot said that in addition to sports and multi-purpose facilities, there are plans in place to use this year’s subvention towards the rehabilitation of a community centre – to rehabilitate and expand it.

“This particular community centre is like a monument to this community. A lot of the older folks would stop me on the road and they would tell me stories about the community centre…it brings a feeling of nostalgia when they talk about this community centre,” he stated.

He said that the previous councillors were suggesting that the centre is broken down and rebuilt in the playground. However, the Chairman said that he does not quite agree with them and think that it can be resuscitated.

“The reason is that it is like a monument in our community – 20, 30, 40 years ago the centre was the pride of the people of the community and I want to preserve it,” he reiterated.

RAID PROJECT The Rural Agricultural Infrastructural Development (RAID) project is also another major project in which the BV/Triumph

community has benefitted. He mentioned that currently, the works are moving at ‘a little slow but sure pace’ but indicated that there is already a commitment from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) that they will start the clearing some lands soon and that they will work with the farmers they have.

He assured that though slow at start, the project will not fail – “we will see it

through; we will work with whatever farmers we have now and I am optimistic that other farmers will come on board once the project starts and the MoA have already notified us that they have all the necessary resources for the BV/Triumph community and we would like to come in on this project,” added that the RAID project offers much scope for the people, he added.

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Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

Beterverwagting continues to produce strong athletes

By M Margaret Burke ALISHA Fortune, 43, is a proud member of the village of Beterverwagting. She is a mother of three children; a sports enthusiast – an exceptional athlete, who is involved in such sports as track and field, bodybuilding, football, rugby and also a bit of cricket. However, she said that she has selected athletics and body-building as the two main sports that she is involved in.

Fortune is also a massage therapist, who has been making every effort to advance and shine in this field of endeavour with equal robustness as she does with sports. She describes the therapy as a ‘labour of love’ in which her greatest desire is to ensure that athletes like her get the attention they deserve, which would guarantee the best results for their given situations. She also went with a CARIFTA team as the massage therapist in 2016.

She told the Pepperpot Magazine that life and its challenges are continuous and therefore her whole approach is to constantly adjust with the times. “I have learnt to make changes where necessary – and in an effort to make life comfortable and enjoyable I sit and plan about most, if not everything that must be done…after all I am a mother and I do not take this task lightly. Then I am an athlete who values what I have to do because I take all that I have to do seriously. In addition to all this, I am a massage therapist who intends to give of my best to the athletes and others who seek my assistance from time to time,” she assured.

On the red carpet for the first award ceremony of the Running Brace club

SUPERB ACHIEVEMENTS Fortune said that she can consider herself very fortunate, in that she has had and continue to have tremendous achievements in Guyana, as well as overseas.

“I was made Sports Woman of the year in – 2007; runner-up Sports Woman of the year for 2014; then Sports Woman of the year again in 2015. I was also a triple gold medalist at the World Masters in France in 2015; I also reigned as number one in the 100 and in the 200, and also number two in the 400.

That was my ranking in 2015 for track and field.

“In 2014 I did the World Masters in Costa Rica and also had a triple gold medal in the one, two and four; I am still the South American record holder in the 100 meter for the Masters,” she declared.

Ms. Alisha Fortune displaying some of her gold medals

Ms. Andrea Foster, daughter of Ms. Alisha Fortune Mr. Jason Yaw, one of Guyana’s talented athletes

tigious award. In addition, she was awarded the ‘Most Valuable Runner Women’s Cross Country’ 2017-2018; Most Valuable Runner (MVR) Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 2017-2018; Selected as a First Team – 800m Member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 1 All-America Team for the year 2017-18 and was also selected to the NJCAA Region X1X “All-Region First Team” Women’s Cross Country.

OTHER VILLAGERS Jason Yaw, the 6 foot 2 inches tall BV athlete is still the holder of the South American junior record in the 400 meters. He started his career at an early age, did very well for a period of time, but had some challenges in life that hopefully, he can rebound from, Fortune said. The National Schools Championships record holder; a South American Youth Games double bronze medalist, Ms. Andrea Foster stands beside Mr. Michael Doughtie, and also an Inter Guiana Games gold medalEssex County College Athletics Director, ist. Yaw received many bronze medals at the as she proudly displays some of her awards CARIFTA Games; he is also a South American Youth Championships record holder, as well as a KNEE SURGERY AND BEYOND two-time Junior Sportsman-of-the-Year.

She said that as a result of a knee surgery that she had to Fortune spoke of athletes such as Troy Bobb, who is a undergo she took a break from serious athletic sessions for a karate expert and has had numerous medals from the USA. In while. However, in 2018 she went to the World Masters once addition, there is Yesenia Andrews, who is another outstandagain, winning gold in the 200; silver in the 400 and also silver ing athlete, who has migrated to the USA. There are a few in another 200. more that came from the village of BV, she said.

Fortune stated that for bodybuilding she has been reigning from 2007 until now; that she was the Commonwealth Athletic COMMITTEE MEMBER Conference (CAC) bronze medalist – this was in the DominiThe Guyana Committee of Service (GCS) of which Forcan Republic. Also for body-building, she has won numerous tune is one of the executives was formed primarily to be able senior competitions. to end services to athletes where there is a need. Athletes who And she is still at it, she says; noting that she is still con- are travelling to participate in games and may be in need of sidering whether she would go to the CAC this year because of financial or other assistance; those who may be travelling to the many athletic commitments that she now has coming up, seek medical assistance and may be in need of other support being involved in different groups, most of which are related are given help by the service. to helping many sportsmen and women to be of their best.

There is the Running Brave club that started in 2006.

Fortune, an active member says that while the club operates AN INHERITANCE from out of Georgetown, she continues to keep her eyes out It is my desire to make my villagers feel proud and by ex- for rising talents within her own community. tension the entire Guyana. “I am happy to say that my daughShe said that once the talent is spotted in any up and comter, Andrea Foster has also been excelling and making me and ing athlete the first move is to go to the parents of the youth the rest of my family; her villagers and the whole of Guyana and let them know what is recognized. At the same time, such proud to call her ‘daughter’. There are also other villagers who potential is nurtured and encouraged, with the hope that much have been excelling, doing very well in sports and culture. can come out of it.

Andrea Foster, 22, got numerous awards, while at the “Knowledge is something you don’t keep, it is someEssex County College (ECC), where she got a two-year schol- thing that you always share and so I just don’t keep it arship in September 2016 to pursue an Associate Degree in to myself, I give it to the village and even worldwide…I General Science. She is now attending the Clemson Univer- really believe in professionalism and so I am constantly sity at South Carolina in the USA, where she gained a Track striving for the best approach, which I know can help out Scholarship from that university. athletes” she offered.

Among her many awards was the Allison Gibson pres-

Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

Plenty mo wuk fuh we Information Department

Too much people sailing I DON’T have the time to visit my Facebook page daily or hourly, but I do in a timely manner and I recently came upon a discussion about mini buses and someone suggested big buses, but there was one contributor that caught my attention. This person was saying that there used to be big buses until the PNC banned them. Another replied ‘I didn’t know that.’ I contributed with an explanation, as I worked at one point at GRB not far from Motor Transport-Yellow Buses, before they went out of business, during the period when the oil crisis hit all the countries that were not oil producers and Guyana reeled under that impact. I doubt that there was any politics involved.

I do realise that there is a big information void about most of our history from 1900 to the present. But this is post-Independence history and it was never taught in any primary or secondary school text that my children brought home, so most of our young population can be lied to and told foolishness, because there is not enough information available on the period from 1940 to 2000 to force our would-be politicians especially those in the opposition to be ‘honest’ in their rhetoric.

I arrested the statement and called a colleague- yes there are persons with the historical memory who can be engaged to provide adequate data. I related a jolted timeline in that conversation and Ronald filled in the missing pieces. We went back to the closing out in the late 60s of our railway service; it was to prove an error of judgement when the service was cancelled. By 1970, the PNC government had constructed and began construction of the Georgetown to Linden and Georgetown to Rosignol highways; Mandela, the Corentyne and West Bank- Coast highways, among others.

With the absence of the railway, the big buses were imported, TATA buses (these buses were not as sturdy as anticipated) in Georgetown the TATA ran the routes of the newly created Festival City and South Ruimveldt scheme wards. While the Motor Transport –Yellow Buses that were privately owned continued their central Georgetown and East & West Ruimveldt, Front and Back Road routes, until the shadow of the oil crisis.

Guyana’s woes in 1973 began when the Arab dominated Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting countries OPEC began an embargo against the western countries that supported Israel and Israel’s assault on the Palestinians. By the end of the embargo (that saw Israel at war with Egypt and Syria), the cost of oil had risen from $3 per barrel to $12. This was followed by the 1979 oil crisis, which saw oil more than double its price with the price of crude oil at $ 39.50 per barrel. In 1974 from a New York Times article by Dave Binder titled ‘Oil Crisis Disrupts Caribbean Development Plans’- at that time Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana were the Caribbean region’s newborn economic community.

But the current oil shortage and the accompanying spiral of fuel prices have damaged even Trinidad and Tobago the twin-island state that produces and refines her own oil.

Nowhere has the oil crisis more evident than in Guyana, contended Binder.

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Agriculture needs to attract more young farmers Linden woman leads the way For Linden farmer, Myrtle Gentle, there was never a question that her children would have to get their hands dirty and learn how to grow their own food.

The 35-year-old mother of four said no other job could provide the same security as farming because people will always have to eat so there is always money to be made.

“I always insist that even if they work elsewhere, they must farm on the side,” said Gentle, who grows a variety of fruits, vegetables and other crops. A couple of years ago, the mother of four travelled to Trinidad and Tobago and ate broccoli for the first time.

“I looked for the seed and brought it back and since then I have been planting and selling broccoli because everyone that buy it, loved it,” Gentle said while adding that she usually jumps at the opportunity to introduce new crops in her field.

The woman is aided by her husband and children.

“We plant everything. We plant cauliflower, ocro, bora, pepper, pak choi, plantains, cabbage, lettuce and all kinds of fruits.” Gentle recently build a shade house in her backyard to cater for shade-loving crops like broccoli and cauliflower.

Dr. Oudho Homenauth, Chief Executive Officer at the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) recently visited Gentle’s farm with a team from the institute, who has been offering technical support to the farmer.

Gentle said that she does not encounter any problems when it comes to finding a market for her produce.

“I use to wholesale my

crops but now I go and sell them in the market which is better. I still wholesale at times.”

Where Gentle lives, it is hard to spot young people working in the fields.

Most farmers are middle age adults or retirees.

“It is like a norm that young people go to Georgetown to search for jobs,” she said. Around the world, farmers are an ageing demo-

graphic as the sector fails to attract younger talent.

Currently, NAREI is helping a group of young people in Linden to set up a demonstration plot with the aim of promoting agriculture among youths. The Linden Quality Production Cooperative Society Limited (LQPCSL) was formed in September 2018.

It has seven members, three of whom are females.

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Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) I received a request to talk about DID, something I’ve never spoken about before simply because I’ve never seen a case in Guyana. However, of course, I haven’t seen everyone in Guyana so I’m sure there are some who may be able to benefit from having knowledge of this disorder.

Dissociative Identity Disorder, previously known as multiple personality disorder, is a mental health disorder that is diagnosed when one person has at least two distinct and relatively continuous personality states.

This means that the individual believes there are multiple personalities or multiple people within his/her body.

I believe DID is one of the most- if not the most- controversial mental health disorders for a number of reasons; unable to conclusively pinpoint a cause as well as definitive ‘proof’ of the symptoms being the principal reasons. In the past, the average number of personalities within an individual with DID was two to three but this has recently increased to an average of sixteen.

For DID to be diagnosed, one has to ensure that the symptoms are not due to other possible mental health issues such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or drug-induced psychosis. There must be memory lapses as well as loss of time and consciousness that are also not caused by the aforementioned illnesses. Religious practises and imaginative play must also be ruled out.

DID is typically diagnosed in more females than males and a lot less in children.

If symptoms are to be shown in children, it’s usually at about age three or above.

Like any other illness, only a mental health professional can make an official diagnosis.

Individuals who have been diagnosed report a wide range of personalities and individual traits within those personalities. Some have reported that these separate identities within them possess different ages, gender, religion and some even speak different languages.

They have different memories and have had different experiences throughout their existence. Their level of physical and academic function can also change -advancing or diminishing.

The main and initial personality is referred to as the ‘host personality’ while the others simply take over and are typically known as ‘alters’. The host personality characteristically tends to be more passive and is the one afflicted with any other mental health disorders that DID may bring forth.

The alters are typically more extroverted and are less likely to experience symptoms of mental illness. Many report not having control of this take over, although research suggests that it’s usually stress related.

Others also report having been unaware of the alters that have been present to others around them. While many alters are just regular people, there have been reports of alters being historical figures, celebrities or even animals.

While a root cause has yet to be deter-

mined, researchers believe that the onset of DID may be due to childhood trauma such as abuse, genetic factors, mental or physical health illness, disturbed or altered sleep or inappropriate psychotherapeutic techniques such as hypnosis. Severe physical, sexual and psychological abuse seems to be the most reported risk factor for DID. Professionals believe that the alters are created as a coping mechanism in an attempt to remove the trauma from consciousness and memory.

Treatment for DID is typically a combination of supportive care and psychotherapy.

Medication may be given but this is mainly to subdue potential symptoms for any of the co-occurring illnesses that may be present.

DID has the most co-occurring mental health illnesses than any other diagnosis which can include anxiety, depression, PTSD, substances abuse or self-harm behaviours.

Phase orientated psychotherapy has been shown to reduce the amount of alters that one may experience. This is due to the fact that the therapist must be aware and know who the host personality is and who may not always be present during sessions. It becomes more difficult if certain alters do not react well to the therapy. Creating and integrating new responses and coping mechanisms for the host personality as well as analysing the alters, attempting to integrate them into one shows to be the most effective during therapy.

The link between symptoms and the portrayal of DID in the media is another reason why the illness is so controversial.

For example, in India, the media reports that individuals tend to switch alters only after a period of sleep and therefore, the majority of those afflicted in India only change alters after sleep. However, the most shown reason for this change (as shown by those afflicted all over the world) has been stress.

While DID is vastly controversial, the belief of the afflicted’s genuine suffering and chaotic life is not. If you feel as though you are experiencing symptoms of DID, please reach out to your nearest health centre.

Thanking you for reading. Please keep sending any topics you’d like to talk about to caitlinvieira@gmail.com Or come in to see me at: Suicide Prevention Helpline Numbers: 223-0001, 223-0009, 623-4444, 600-7896 Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!

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#SupportCreativity

Captain Marvel

THE first Marvel film with a female protagonist is here at last! She has emerged on to the cinema screens, ablaze with flashing lights, ready for the world of today where #MeToo is still a relevant concept that is very much a part of a new wave of feminism that continues to unroll across the world.

Yet, all of the importance that this particular superhero and her film might have had in the hands of other capable writers and directors do not seem entirely reflected in this movie, which offers a mundane adaptation, with only occasionally stirring moments. In short, it is okay, but for the first female-led superhero film coming out of Marvel, at this particular juncture in time, more than okay is expected from a film such as this one.

By Subraj Singh

I suppose Brie Larson makes a fine Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. She does everything that is expected of her as an actress in this particular role; handling the humour, the fight scenes, and the emotional bits altogether to create a realistic superhero who eventually becomes aware of the might of the power that she possesses, but there is also a lingering feeling that remains after watching the film – a sense of something indicating that there was more that could have been mined from Larson’s abilities as an actress. She is, after all, an Oscar winner who has turned in very strong work in films like “Room” and “Short Term 12.” Therefore, while it might be too harsh to suggest that the talents of the lead actress were underused, with Larson being good when she could have been great, it

“Captain Marvel,” 2019, Marvel Studios – Image via: IMDB

might be fair to suggest that the greatness of any performance is not linked solely to that performer but to a myriad of other aspects and roles in filmmaking over which Larson may not have had any creative control.

Pretty much all of the other characters are underdeveloped, which is rather unfortunate considering that Jude Law, Annette Benning, Ben Mendelsohn, Lee Pace and Gemma Chan are all really good actors. The exception to this string of underdeveloped supporting characters is Nick Fury, played by a de-aged Samuel L. Jackson. The younger Fury is hilarious, expressing a kind of wide-eyed excitement and shock at the idea of aliens and superheroes, as the film offers to us a pre-eyepatch Fury, before he became the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., as he is more popularly portrayed in other Marvel films. Jackson’s performance complements Larson’s and the duo have great chemistry with each other, with their segments coming across as something out of an intergalactic buddy-movie as the humanness of Fury crosses with Captain Marvel’s otherworldly powers and persona to create a neat relationship that also helps to add some depth to the Fury character in the Marvel universe.

Considering that this film is a comic book adaptation, however, there is one cardinal mistake that was committed by the filmmakers which rendered the whole thing as a lesser version of what it could have been. This flaw undoubtedly has to be the manner in which exciting moments were treated, and relayed to us, in the most unexciting of ways. Yes, there are fight scenes and explosions and alien lore, and yet, plot points and moments with the potential for much excitement come across as banal, mundane, and uninspired. What could have been a blazing, terrific tour-de-force of a film is reduced to a sort of mechanical movie where interesting and emotional things happen, but without much appropriate flair, passion, or pizzazz.

This is not to say that flashing lights and CGI are necessary for a successful production. In fact, one of the most brilliant moments in “Captain Marvel” is a flashback reel of various moments in the life of young Carol Danvers, where we see her constantly being put down by men, only to continuously rise up and surpass them. It is a touchingly pure, relevant, and well-executed bit of filmmaking that does not fall into any of the conventional expectations of a superhero film.

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BE HEALTHIER, WASH YOUR HANDS IN the 19th century, washing of hands was not a regular custom. This could be gleaned from reading the novelists of the period as for instance, George Elliot or Charles Dickens. There is a factual story of a Hungarian doctor, who, in the earlier years of the century enthusiastically tried to disseminate the advice that hand-washing was one of the secrets of health. He was fiercely resisted and ridiculed and was eventually put away in a lunatic asylum.

With the advance of knowledge of Science, the relationship between bacteria and disease was firmly established but it took almost two generations for this knowledge to spread and be fully accepted by the public. By the beginning of the 20th century, this knowledge was accepted by nearly everyone and hand-washing was regarded as a healthy practice. But despite this was known, a sizable proportion of the world’s population still do not wash their hands when they should, even if there are facilities for hand-washing.

Much useful research on hand-washing has been done

by American institutions, the main ones being the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the US Department of Agriculture, the Global Handwashing Partnership (GHP) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. We will mention some of their findings but will not source them to the particular institution. We do this for easier reading but the institutions and their Reports could be accessioned online.

In America, people who wash their hands do not do so for the necessary 20 seconds and do not usually dry them with a clean towel. Or worldwide, only 19 per cent of people wash their hands after contact with excreta. In addition, the provision of handwashing facilities differs very greatly among countries, ranging from 100 percent in the Developed Countries to 10 percent in others.

It has been found that handwashing could prevent one in three diarrhoea-related illnesses and one in five respiratory infections such as colds or flus. It has been pointed out that germs from unwashed hands can enter the body through the eyes, mouth and nose and also from unclean surfaces such as doorknobs or Banknotes and coins. Germs could also enter food and drink from unwashed hands. The American institutions recommend using either anti-bacterial or ordinary soap, and either bar or liquid, though there seems to be a preference for liquid. If water is not available, one could use an alcohol-based sanitiser with at least 60 percent alcohol.

In Guyana, fortunately, soap and water are liberally available and are provided in the lavatories of all public places unlike in so many other countries. In Guyana, therefore, the main problem is not the absence of soap and water or handwashing facilities as in some desert countries; the problem is that Guyanese have to develop the handwashing habit and also how to wash one’s hands properly. It may be mentioned that some people are under the impression that it is preferable to wash their hands with hot water since there would be fewer bacteria in such water. Actually, if hot water is used repeatedly for handwashing, it may increase the risk of dermatitis.

PAHO/WHO has been helping in the process of educating Guyanese as to handwashing and they have produced an attractive poster illustrating the handwashing process with twelve simple pictures. The poster could be seen in a number of public lavatories but not with the ubiquity which they should be.

The steps given in the PAHO/WHO poster are the following: Wet the hands with clean running water, thereafter turning off the tap. Then soap the hands with either liquid or bar soap. If it is bar soap, rinse the bar since someone else would have used it. Rub the palms together, getting it into a lather and then rub the back of the hands and between the fingers and under the nails. The scrubbing of the hands should be done for a minimum of 20 minutes. Then wash the hands with clear, running water then drying the hands with preferably a single-use towel if available. In turning off the faucet, use a towel or paper napkin to do this.

In the restaurants or fast-food shops, customers should

walk with their own sanitisers or wipe their hands with the paper or cloth napkins before beginning to eat. The waiters and other servers in the restaurants should always be reminded by management to avoid touching the food they would be serving to customers. For example, when filling an ice cream cone, the waiter should always have the cone wrapped in a serviette or napkin.

In educating the population about handwashing, it should be taught in the primary schools and all businesses should periodically remind their staff of proper handwashing. In restaurants and food shops, management must ensure the staff do not touch the customer’s food.

Public Health officers should constantly give health tips to the street food sellers.

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FILES E S A C COURT Federal Supreme Court freed conspiracy convicts

By George Barclay

TWO appellants including a policeman, who in 1960 were unlawfully convicted for conspiracy to prosecute for unlawful possession of bush rum, were freed by the Federal Supreme Court because the evidence was not supportive of a conspiracy under the ordinance.

The appellants, Ramsonahai and Police Constable Duke who had been convicted of a plot to incriminate Mohamed Ali in a bush rum offence, had their appeals allowed.

Queen’s Counsel J.O. F. Haynes represented the appellants while Mr. E. A. Romao appeared for the Crown, at the hearing of the appeal, which lasted 4 days in 1961.

The court was constituted by Chief Justice Gomes and Justices of Appeal Wylie and Lewis..

The facts of the case disclosed that the appellants sent a bag containing two bottles of bush rum by a messenger to Mohamed Ali, the driver of a car, with instructions to the messenger to tell Mohamed Ali that he (the messenger) would return later to be taken up the coast. The messenger did what he was told and Mohamed Ali received the bag and kept it in his car.

The second appellant, who was a police constable, then telephoned the Force Control Office, and reported that Mohamed Ali had just received a bag containing bush rum.

Mohamed Ali’s car was located by a police patrol car and the bag with the bush rum was found in it by the police. There was other evidence clearly establishing that the appellants had plotted to incriminate Mohamed Ali by false evidence.

The indictment charged a conspiracy to prosecute Mohamed Ali, knowing him to be innocent, for the summary conviction offence of being in unlawful possession of bush rum and was laid under section 330 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Ordinance, Chapter 10 [B.G.]. That section reads as follows: “If anyone conspires with another to prosecute any person for an alleged offence knowing that person to be innocent thereof, the offender shall be guilty of felony and on conviction thereof shall be liable(a) to penal servitude for life if the person prosecuted , or intended to be prosecuted , in pursuance of the conspiracy might, on conviction for the alleged offence, be sentenced to death or penal servitude for life; (b) to penal servitude for fourteen years if the person prosecuted, or intended to be prosecuted, in pursuance of the conspiracy might, on conviction for the alleged offence, be sentenced to penal servitude for any term less than life; and (c) to penal servitude for seven years if the person prosecuted, or intended to be prosecuted, in pursuance of the conspiracy might, on conviction for the alleged offence, either on indictment or before a magistrate’s court, be sentenced to imprisonment but not to penal servitude.”

THE FEDERAL SUPREME COURT HELD: (i) the evidence did not support the conclusion that either of the appellants intended to institute a prosecution by personally laying a complaint or information; (ii) the words “to prosecute” in section 330 are to be construed in their strict sense and are not to be extended to include a conspiracy between two or more persons to cause another person to be prosecuted.. Appeals allowed.

The appeals were against conviction by the Supreme Court of British Guiana of conspiracy to prosecute for the offence of being in unlawful possession of bush rum.

Chief Justice Gomes who delivered the judgment of the court noted that the two appellants, Samuel Ramsonahai and Roy Duke appealed against their convictions for conspiring together to prosecute one Mohamed Ali, knowing him to be innocent, for the summary conviction offence of being in unlawful possession of bush rum.

According to the Chief Justice, the section under which the appellants were indicted is section 330 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Ordinance, Chapter 10 [B.G.].

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Do I request a root canal?

Many persons come into the dental clinic requesting or suggesting a root canal. But it seems that root canal treatment is one of the mysteries of dentistry from the point of view of the average person. It is the most expensive of the regular procedures. Without a doubt the process is traditionally associated with terrible pain and a serious dent in one’s wallet. So, let us try to unravel that mystery if indeed it is.

NOW, WHAT IS ROOT CANAL TREATMENT? Root canal treatment, (also called Endodontic treatment) is needed when the blood or nerve supply of the tooth (known as the pulp) is infected through decay or injury. The end result is that the tooth either becomes extremely painful or literally lifeless and therefore incapable of eliciting any pain at all. It consists basically of filling the canal while a regular filling is basically filling the crown of the tooth.

WHY IS ROOT CANAL TREATMENT NEEDED? If the pulp becomes infected, the infection will spread through the root canal system of the tooth, which may eventually lead to an abscess.

If root canal treatment is not carried out, the infection will spread and the tooth may need to be taken out. Needless to say, severe pain is generally present with a dental infection.

DOES IT HURT? No. A local anaesthetic is used and the entire procedure should feel no different to that of having an ordinary filling done.

WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE? The aim of the treatment is to remove all infection from the root canal.

The root is then cleaned, sterilised and filled to prevent any further infection.

Root Canal Treatment is a skilled and time-consuming procedure. Most courses of treatment will involve two or more visits to your dentist. At the first appointment, the infected pulp is removed. Any abcesses, which may be present, can also be drained at this time. The root canal is then cleaned and shaped ready for the filling. A temporary filling is inserted and the tooth is left to “settle”. The tooth is checked at a later visit and when all the infection has cleared the tooth is permanently filled.

WHAT WILL MY TOOTH LOOK LIKE AFTER TREATMENT? In the past, a root filled tooth will often darken after treatment. However, with modern techniques, this does not usually happen. If any discolouration should take place, there are several treatments available to restore the natural appearance.

WHAT IF THE DISEASE RE-OCCURS? Root Canal Treatment is usually very successful. However, if there should be a re-occurrence of infection, the treatment can be repeated.

IS IT EXPENSIVE? Yes. Root Canal Treatment generally is among the more costly dental procedures due to the length of time required, as well as the skill and material needed. It is, however, worth it when one considers that it’s the only way to save a tooth which is in very poor health.

WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE THE TREATMENT? The alternative to RCT is the removal of the tooth. Once the pulp is destroyed, it can’t heal and it is not recommended to leave an infected tooth in the mouth. While some people would prefer an extraction, it is usually advisable to keep as

many natural teeth as possible.

WILL THE TOOTH BE SAFE AFTER TREATMENT? Yes. However, it is sometimes advisable to restore the tooth with a crown to provide it with extra support, strength

and natural appearance if the crown was significantly lost.

What would you say is a disadvantage of having root canal treatment done if there is any.

The tooth becomes inert (lifeless) and the body will eventually absorb the root although that may take many years.

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The Social Media Blackout LIKE the true millennial I am, how could I pass up the opportunity to talk about last week’s hiccup with Instagram, Facebook and to a lesser extent, Whatsapp.

I began writing this week’s column a few minutes after this ‘blackout’ had left- you know, right when everybody could’ve started posting on Instagram again. Not distracting at all- really smart on my part.

But during the six-plus hours of IG-free time, I did the most logical thing someone in my young bracket would do: I was glued to Google and Twitter (the usual when Instagram and Facebook goes down), to the point of refreshing the pages every five minutes to see if my beloved Instagram was returned to me as yet.

Obsessive? Perhaps, but this did allow for something to be put into perspective. The first was an understanding of the actual issue through the live and multifaceted reports being made by the Independent, and the second was the social media meltdown that resulted from the seeming collapse of this superficial social world.

I personally have not found anything that gives a concrete reason for the blackout, but the Independent drew attention to a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack

which occurred in 2016 and affected Reddit, Spotify, and Twitter.

Through this, large parts of the internet’s infrastructure can be broken by overloading it with internet traffic. And since many of the world’s largest internet companies rely on the same underlying infrastructure, according to the news outlet, a single point of failure can instantly cause issues across much of the web.

The internet seems like both an incredibly simple and incredibly complex for users. It isn’t necessarily seen but has far-reaching impacts- which brings me to the more interesting side of things.

In a span just five minutes, the #instagramdown had moved from having 95.6K tweets to 101K. What that means is that in just five minutes- 300 seconds- about 5.4K tweets were made from persons across the world.

The interesting thing is that Twitter allows you to see these tweets (if you’re patient enough to go through them). But a quick scan would know you that there were all premised on few things like the frustration that the apps were down, anticipation for their return and a sense of confusion as to what to do in this largely social media free setting.

For me, what this spotlighted was how important social media has become in our daily lives.

I personally cannot imagine a day without scrolling through my Instagram feed or messaging someone on Whatsapp. And this dependency syndrome is what Caribbean Journalist and Transparency Activist, Afra Raymond underscored in a lecture with journalists last year. According to him, there is a massive dependence globally on ‘FANG’- Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. Effectively, they have become so integrated into our daily life, to the point of almost being unable to live without them and to the point where they can be avenues to effect massive changes, like garnering support or drawing attention to issues (or allegedly interfering in elections - #russia).

Now on Wednesday, the Facebook applications (Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp) were not functioning as well as they have always been and there was massive hysteria of the seemingly dystopian setting of not being able to use social media. It was like we could not decide what to do with the time we would normally spend on social media.

According to statistics provided by the Digital Statistics World, the average user

spends about two hours, 22 minutes (or 142 minutes) on social media daily. Those simple 10-minute scrolls through Instagram or just ‘gyaffing’ on Whatsapp really add up.

Now to add further context, it must be noted that data has replaced oil as the world’s most important resource, as stated in the Economist (2018).

With digital services becoming ever increasing and geography becoming a much smaller hindrance to communication because of the myriad of online services accessible, it comes as no surprise that data would top the list. And Facebook and its family of apps could quite possibly be one the largest holders of data in the world, so really it isn’t hard to believe the DDoS attack might have caused/ contributed to the blackout.

So now what comes to mind is whether we are really conscious of how much time we spend online in these spaces and do we think that this time is productively spent?

Perhaps more importantly, do we understand just how dependent we have become on social media? And how does this affect the way we live our lives? I think now would be a good time to reexamine how much time I spend on the ‘gram’- well, maybe in another 142 minutes or so.

A youth with the aim to positively impact the local sport sector GOALS vary according to the individual and while there are persons who have small goals, there are others who dream big like young Meshach Sargaent, who aims to make a positive impact on the local sport sector.

As a young sportsman, he aims to make a positive and quite noticeable impact on the sector by continuing to represent his country and community to the best of his ability. Sargaent t, who is a young hockey player, said he wants to keep working in a manner which will portray the unity and spirit which Guyanese could live in.

“Personally, I aim to be an entrepreneur which requires a mass amount of focus and experience which is why in my working capacity at this moment, I handle every new task/ challenge as a new

adventure,” he said.

The hockey player believes in working hard and being dedicated. His main focus is to be optimistic in life and treat every situation as a learning opportunity.

“I have a humongous appetite for success and quitting is never on my agenda,” said young Sargaent, adding that he will never give up on his goals and dreams. His motivation is God because without god none of what he achieved and wants to achieve would be possible.

“My biggest fan is my mother and entire family. They push me whenever I’ve had a bad game or day reminding me that there will be tomorrow to do my best and make the best of my opportunities,” said the young sportsman.

His advice to young people is to strive for your best. He believes that there is no worse feeling to have than to know you didn’t try your best and still fell short. Do your best always and give 150 per cent in anything you do; the results will astonish you.

Meshach Sargaent

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ICT initiatives, projects and opportunities

A deliberate strategy to meet Guyana’s digital deficit ICT: A HUMAN RIGHT In 2017 the Ministry of Public Telecommunications signed onto the five-year E-Access and ICT Services for Hinterland, Poor, and Remote Communities Project.

The implementation for the project began in January of this year and Minister of Public Telecommunications, Ms. Catherine Hughes said that even the health and education sectors stand to benefit.

“We see technology as improving the lives of people.

So, under this project, we are actually going to be providing internet access to hospitals [and] to health centres… That has a huge opportunity in remote areas for telemedicine. You’re in a remote area. You want to speak to a doctor. You don’t have a specialist. Through the internet, through technology, at a pre-arranged time, you could speak to any doctor, any specialist in Georgetown, [or] any part of the country, or any part of the world.

Similarly, for education, we’ve been pushing that, in remote communities where they may not have the range of specialised teachers, students still have an opportunity… to participate in a biology class, a chemistry class that could be taking place at another school somewhere in Guyana and still have an opportunity to do exams, to participate, to learn, and to develop themselves,” the Minister said.

Through the National Broadband Expansion Project, which will provide a network for all Government agencies, the safety and security of our City and towns also stand to improve.

“There is a component that looks at providing more cameras around different hot spots and different areas in Guyana so we can manage crime better. It also allows us to equip our

police force with the requisite technology… It also allows us to build a command centre in association with the Ministry of Public Security... with a command centre and a network of police officers that have internet connection, it’s easy to identify where crime is taking place. The command centre will be able to say who is in which location close by that is ready and able to [address] with the situation,” she said.

Aligning the Ministry with the country’s Green State Development Strategy (GSDS), the Minister discussed the E-Government Project, which will facilitate the online access of over 200 Government Services by the end of this year.

“Looking to the future, we’re also going to be starting… our e-Government programme… e-Government [is] really how… as a Government, we could start moving toward paperless solutions. So, firstly, we want to be able to put more Government services online, which means that citizens [will not] have to go to an office and line up for three hours… to transact business. Our vision is that a citizen… will be able to do their passport applications totally online… By 2020, we are committed to providing and putting online, more than 200 Government services. So, I think that’s totally exciting,” she said.

Minister Hughes explained that the citizenry’s easy access to telecommunications services, which she considers a human right, is the true inspiration behind the 2016 Telecommunications Bill.

“In Guyana, we have a monopoly situation… Fundamentally, we felt that in today’s world we needed a liberalised environment, where the consumer would have the opportunity to choose from more service providers… We

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Mrs. Catherine Hughes.

EVERY action made by the David Granger-led Administration is part of a deliberate strategy to ensure that all Guyanese can access the good life. Advancements in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is one way the Government ensures that the quality of life in Guyana is ever increasing.

In this edition of Government in Action we take a look at some of the tech-related projects and advancements that ensure that our nation keeps apace with global development.

The good life for all In his address to the National Assembly in October of 2018, President Granger reiterated his vision of a good life in Guyana.

“The State’s principal objective is to secure the ‘good life’ for all. The ‘good life’ entails providing every citizen with opportunities to be the best that they can be. The ‘good life’ is about securing sustained economic prosperity, ensuring citizens’ access to quality public services and promoting social cohesion.

The ‘good life’ involves eliminating extreme poverty and removing social, ethnic and geographic inequalities. The ultimate indicators of the good life are happy communities, happy households and happy people,” the Head of State said.

The students of Tucville Primary School surf the internet at the newly opened ICT hub at their school.

Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019 felt that small business [and] larger business providers would be interested in providing services, not only along the coastal strip and in Georgetown, but would be able to come up with their own economic model that made it worthwhile to provide better services in our hinterland and remote areas,” she said.

GIRLS IN ICT To date, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications has established 173 ICT Hubs across Guyana and each one is equipped with learning-based programmes that support school curricula.

Prioritising the emergence of a strong Guyanese compliment of software engineers, the Ministry has hosted several activities, including hack-a-thons in the hopes of seeking out local talent. Additionally, the Ministry boasts a robust relationship with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Guyana and hosts several initiatives targeting young women with the intention to level the imbalance of gender representation

vantage also. We have to provide the opportunity, but you have to get up and go.

In some communities, there are not enough computers and not enough space at an ICT Hub… and then there are some communities where its [computers] lying there… The opportunity is there with technology for every person regardless of their age to build their skills, but it will only be achieved if, as a person, you have the get up and go attitude.

So, I encourage Guyanese to ‘get up and go’.

The glass is always half full. Let’s not make it half-empty,” she said.

THE FUTURE OF ICT Ms. Penelope De Freitas has taken the Minister’s ‘get up and go’ charge to heart.

The University of Guyana computer science graduate, who is now the Head of the Computer Science Department there, said that an early introduction to ICT, especially in education, will put Guyanese on the forefront of global development.

“When we look at other countries, es-

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pecially in the UK… They… have changed their curriculum, starting from [the] primary school level. They have introduced a number of ‘introduction to computing’ classes. They’ve even introduced programming… There’s a general shift toward infusing technology in everyday life and there’s a growing need to have a skilled workforce that can actually realise a future that is far more efficient [and] safe,” she said.

As for the imbalance of men and women in ICT, Ms. De Freitas said that men have a responsibility to open doors for women in the field.

“Currently our Department has a… larger percentage of females as opposed to males [than] in the previous years…

Minister Catherine Hughes and a little Lindener browse the internet at a new ICT Hub, in Linden.

Head of the Department of Computer Science, Ms. Penelope De Freitas.

That [is] due to the fact that the males that taught us as students… encouraged us to join the department. So, a major driving force was the males in our Department that encouraged us to come on, recognising that [they] needed more females in the [field].

[However,] this is not a field just set aside for males. It may require a different mindset in terms of thinking. Like any field, it requires commitment, a large degree of commitment. I think they can do it. Just give it a try… in the future we’ll need a larger workforce to come on board and develop Guyana,” Ms. De Freitas said.

ICT is a functional and practical response to the challenge of the digital deficit in Caribbean states; it will promote greater inclusion and innovation and provide information services and digital industries. Moreover, it is a necessary tool of the globalisation process which brings peoples and markets closer together and it has profound and far-reaching implications and influences in our day-to-day activities. It is against this backdrop that the Administration sees the development of ICT as a major part of the ‘good life’ that is the birthright of every Guyanese man, woman and child. in tech.

“We have a very comprehensive and [a] very aggressive Girls in ICT programme…

The UN has the mandate to promote more girls in ICT… It’s actually goal number nine in the Sustainable Development Goals [(SDGs)] and it is [as] true in Guyana as it is in every part of the world that not enough girls get into technology-related positions, when you consider that by 2025, 70% of the world’s jobs are going to require skills in ICT of some form. So, we’ve been pushing that,” she said.

Last year, the Ministry conducted a 12week programming camp called Guyanese Girls Can Code. The camp was planned with a target attendance of 20 young women but was instead met with an attendance of 57 on the opening day. Minister Hughes was moved at this realisation.

“That was one of the most emotional times for me, to hope you can get 23 girls and to walk into the lecture theatre at UG… and to walk in that Saturday morning and see 57 young girls and their parents there with them egging them on… [it] was really a vision of where we can go,” she said.

Minister Hughes encouraged Guyanese to embrace the nation’s imminent technological advances.

“The onus is on Guyanese to take ad-

Children gather around a computer at the Caribbean Telecommunications Unions ICT youth fair last year.

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Celebrating World Water Day 2019 Water is an essential building block of life. It is more than just essential to quench thirst or protect health; water is vital for creating jobs and supporting economic, social, and human. Managing our water to meet our current and future generation needs and to support the ecosystems is vital for Guyana’s future. That why it is important that all Guyanese join the rest of the World in observing World Water Day 2019 which be celebrated under the theme “Leaving no one behind”. This day provides the opportunity to learn more about water-related issues, be inspired to tell others and take action to make a difference. Given the importance of this resource not to Guyana’s economy but to the world.

The significance of this year’s theme “Water for all” The theme ‘Leaving no one behind,’ is the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: as sustainable development progresses, everyone must benefit.

Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water for all by 2030.

Today, billions of people are still living without safe water, which means ‘safely managed drinking water service’: water that is accessible on the premises, available when needed, and free from contamination. Marginalized groups such as children, refugees, disabled people etc. for often overlooked and have difficulties accessing safe water.

EPA’s role in Water Protection and Management.

The Environmental Protection Agency has an integral role to play in ensuring that the country’s water resources are protected, conserved and managed effectively. This is enshrined in our mandate to ensure pollution is monitored and controlled. Managing our water requires us to investigate, understand and integrate a range of information and complete several key steps, including: • Characterisation and classification of our water bodies, to help us understand which ones are at risk; • Monitoring the status of these water bodies, and any trends in chemical or biological changes within them; • Looking at the geography and geology of an area; looking at how all the water bodies are connected both above and below ground and how the water flows from where it falls as rain to the sea; • Understanding how people are using the water, including drinking, agriculture, industrial use and bathing; • Establishing how people use the land and water bodies and what livelihoods are supported; and • Investigating possible sources of pollution from; large industrial sites; and runoff from farming, forestry and landfills.

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Old enough to marry but not old enough to drive

I AM at that point in my writing career where I’m starting to test the waters of controversy. This topic is not as controversial but there is still a divide of opinions when it comes to teen marriages in Guyana. Fairly enough, it’s when a teenager gets married. On the legal perspective, at the age of 16, consent can be given to get married as well as, to engage in sexual activities. However, information provided by the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic suggests that if someone is 16 or 17, marriage could only be granted through the parents or guardians or with leave of the Chief Justice. The laws of Guyana also state that if a female is pregnant or gave birth and she’s below the age of 16, she can get married to the father of the child despite his age as well.

A Law student from the University of Guyana professed her thoughts on this topic by stating, “This is a particularly disturbing provision to me, simply because anyone under the age of 16 cannot legally consent to sex. In a situation where a man above the age of consent impregnates a young woman below the age of consent that typically amounts to statutory rape even if they were in a ‘loving relationship’, she was in no position to give her permission to the sexual act. However, in light of this offence, the laws still provide that the couple could be married. It must be noted that the Marriage Act referred to is from 1998 and the Sexual Offences Act (which sets out the age of consent) is from 2010 and there is an understandable disconnect.”

In my opinion, the cause of many teenage marriages in Guyana is caused by religious or cultural reasons. Other factors may include love, peer pressure and teenage pregnancy.

Arranged marriage is also very common in the Indo-Guyanese societies of Guyana. While there’s the distinction of forced marriages and those teenagers who consent, it is also important to note that marriage can put a physical, mental and emotional strain on children as their bodies and minds are still developing. Many of these young people or their parents believe in abstinence before marriage and would get married very young, most of the times for all the wrong reasons (sex, to move out of parents’ home, etc.). Now in many of these cases, these young couples will end up thinking the only way to have sex, move out, to have some form of independence is to get married.

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Nothing good comes easy

Making an honest living selling water and other beverages

Young beverage sellers at the Linden Mashramani float parade

By Vanessa Braithwaite “IT’S not easy, but I rather do this than go and thief,” young Ryan said as he made change for a thousand dollars, after selling a bottle of water on Sunday, March 3, at the Linden Mashramani parade. Donning a vest and a pair of three quarter washed out pants, a pair of socks and slippers, with sunglasses and a sun hat to protect him for the boiling sun, Ryan was not focused on viewing the passing floats and the people in the Mashramani parade, but on sifting out thirsty costumers to purchase his beverages. “Water! $100 a water here, get ya ‘I Kool’, Turbo, Sun Burst here!” That was his catch line, as he sifted out customers.

His appearance was very different from those who were fancily dressed and who spectated the procession, but in his innate desire to dress fancily too, he believes that should be done honestly, even if it means a swollen ankle at the end of the day, a sun burnt body and a hoarse voice. “Here what a telling you, Sistrin, ya see how much get shoot down yesterday deh. I in about the fast money, I prefer wuk hard for me money. One day a must mek it,” he related.

He quickly walked away to meet other potential customers, as other beverage sellers were creeping up on his territory.

With limited employment opportunities in Linden, young men have capitalised on beverage selling as a means of earning. On a regular day, plying this trade may not be as successful, and when there is a huge activity, such as the Mashramani parade, the young men, capitalise on this. They use the profits they earn maybe throughout the week as capital for a much larger purchase, so they can satisfy the needs of the crowd.

One young man related that he would listen to death announcements every night to find out where wakes and funerals would be held and would sell there and at other public functions, where the competition may not be as heavy as the Mashramani parade.

He related that on a case of water, when sold for $100, the profit garnered is $1000 and he often tries to sell five cases per day, as well as other beverages. He then throws $4,000 box hand per day, takes the rest to supply the needs of his wife and two children. When he collects his box hand, he invests most in materials for a modest home he is building.

This young man and Ryan, would have proven that nothing good comes easy and there is no excuse for not earning through honest means. So the next time, you see a young beverage seller, even though you may not be thirsty, think about patronising them, for that $100 may go a far way for them.

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Beyond the Runway with Dr. Sonia Noel

... Inspiring lives through fashion

Rising from the Ashes in New York

The celebration for women continues across borders. Last Tuesday Liberty Fellowship Bible Church was on fire for the Rising from the Ashes Women Conference as part of the celebration for Women’s History Month.

This event was hosted by Liberty Church in collaboration with Women Across Borders. Pastor Joseph Persaud is such a visionary that when the idea of the collaboration was discussed last year he was on board.

The evening began with opening remarks from Ruth Caetano, head of Liberty Church Women’s department and powerful worship led by Sister Shanon. Most of the songs made reference to ashes which was profound because that was the official launch in NY for the new anthology Women Across Borders- Rising from the Ashes.The first speaker was CEO Guyanese Girls Rock who just returned to New York from the INSPIRE YOU conference in Guyana.

“Hope rises like a phoenix from the ashes of shattered dreams.” This sentiment sums up the message and the energy that was felt in the room during the recent Women’s Conference at the Liberty Church, and I am truly honoured to have had the opportunity to be a conduit of inspiration through my own personal story. This collaborative effort championed by my brave and empowered sister, Sonia Noel, the testimonies from the very courageous Jaymie Bowles and Hon. Consul General Atherly, under the spiritual guidance of Pastor and Mrs Joseph Persaud, left the audience uplifted, strengthened and filled with hope. It was an evening well-spent,” were the words of Cloyette Harris-Stoute Mrs. Rachel Persaud took the podium to share about the importance of purpose. This woman is a true servant leader and I will never forget the first time I met her. I visited the church for the first time and after the service, I told him I needed to meet his wife and he called her. It was the usher that seated me. She may be the first lady of the church but she is a true servant of God in every sense and very humble which makes me love her more.I introduced Jaymie Bowles to speak next but invited worship leader Emrand Henry and the band gave us some more worship and I know Jaymie appreciated that. She is battling stage 4 lung cancer which she shared in the anthology. She said this after sharing her very emotional story. “This the event was powerful and very well attended with great energy from everyone in the crowd. I am glad to have been a part of it.”

I shared on my living with intention journey then introduced our featured speaker, Hon Barbara Atherly, Guyana’s Consul General to New York.

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‘Get the Youths involved, be disciplined’ Guyana National Cadet Corps launched in Region Two

By Indrawattie Natram DISCIPLINE, alertness and focus are some of the attributes that are essential in the upbringing of youths in today’s society. With the introduction of the Guyana National Cadets Corps, it will enable youths to be more responsible and focused and therefore contribute positively to society. This was according to Region Two Regional Executive Officer, Denis Jaikarran at the launch of the Guyana National Cadets Corps Programme. The programme was recently launched at the Cotton Field Secondary School.

The Programme has been launched in all other administrative regions with Region Two being the last. During the launch, the REO explained the importance and the benefits of signing up for the programme to teachers, parents and children in Essequibo.

He also called on persons especially teachers to become volunteers. Students will be given the opportunity to receive rigorous training from the Guyana People’s Militia and the Guyana Cadet Corps.

Jaikarran gave the Regional Administration full commitment towards the implementation of the programme. He used the opportunity to inform the gathering that he is a former Guyana National Service Trainee and he was happy that he participated in such programme as a teenager.

With that in mind, he said he is happy that Cotton Field Secondary School will be in charge of the Guyana National Cadet Corps and gave the Region’s full support to accommodate same. He also gave permission for Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Souvenir for the Coastal Battalion to proceed with the expansion of the Anna Regina Camp Earlier the Commandant of the Guyana People’s Militia, Cornel Paul Author and Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Souvenir of the Coastal Battalion and Military Team met with the REO and conducted discussions on the programme and the way forward.

Lieutenant Souvenir informed Regional Officials that the Guyana People’s Militia will be based at the old Guyana Defence Force Infantry training building in Maria’s Lodge and the Guyana National Cadet Corps at a building near to the GDF base in Anna Regina.

The programme will be open to persons between the age of 17-35. These persons will be trained as reserves and will be engaged in rigorous training for two years especially in the evenings and on weekends.

Recruits will be reimbursed and a stipend will be available to assist in any crisis, natural disasters or heightened tensions. They will also be actively involved in Regional Activities such as Republic, Independence and Remembrance Day. The Guyana People’s Militia was first introduced in 1976 as reserves for the Guyana Defence Force.

The Guyana National Cadet Corps was launched in 2018 by his Excellency President David Granger. The programme was then introduced to pilot secondary schools across the country with Region Two being the last. This programme targets secondary school children from the ages of 12 to 16. Uniform for the cadets will be provided; also, teachers who wish to sign up for the programme will be assigned ranks similar to their teaching status and even offered a stipend for their duty. The student Cadets will attend classes in Language, Mathematics, Spanish, Portuguese, Civil Studies, Discipline, among others.

Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019 ◄◄◄ From page XXIX

Although I have known her for years and we had many discussions but I was happy to be in the audience that day. She shared her journey and part of it was her time in Afghanistan.

I am even more proud of her for resilience and bold to bring about the change in the education sector in that country where women don’t have the freedom we do.

“It was very inspiring and motivational. Listening to the stories of each speaker demonstrated the resilience and fortitude that women display to find their purpose. I believe everyone was encouraged to believe that in their darkest moments they can draw from their inner strength, to refocus and “Rise from the Ashes”. I commend Sonia for her insight, energy and affording us women, during International Women’s Month, to share and inspire our fellow women.” CG Barbara Atherly.

I personally can’t wait to read her book and have no doubt it will be a best seller. So many people have powerful stories inside and I know recently more people are convicted and realising that their story is to inspire someone else. I am so passionate about this which prompted to take course training on how to teach people to write and publish their books.Stay tuned to this column for the upcoming free work on this subject. I believe in collaboration and really appreciate this one because the feedback meant it was impactful.

“The recent women’s conference- Rising from the Ashes with Dr Sonia Noel in collaboration with Liberty Church in NYC was a smashing success!

Over 140 women came and were inspired with the powerful words spoken by each speaker along with inspirational music and singing with the Liberty band.

From the powerful leadership of Dr Sonia Noel whose influence brought the speakers together to the atmosphere of joy and praise and confidence that exuded the atmosphere.

Each of the five speakers was powerful and effective and from diverse experiences and backgrounds.

As Pastor of Liberty Church and CEO of Hope is Rising Global, I count it a privilege to have collaborated on this inspirational project and wish to invite one and all to come visit us at our church services when you are in New York City, as we are only 10 minutes away from JFK airport.”

Pastor Persaud.

Send us an email to beyondtherunway1@gmail.com sharing with us something you did for Women’s History Month.

I am encouraging us to make a difference with people who make a difference as we celebrate this journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY. ◄◄◄ From page XXVI

WHAT CAN YOU DO? Keeping in mind that our motto is the environment is everybody’s business. We all as citizens of Guyana and the world have a critical role to play to protect our water resources.

• Takes steps to conserve water in your homes, schools and offices like turning off pipes and fixing leaks.

• Clean-up water bodies like drains and trenches in your community.

• Read and watch a documentary on the importance of water resources. Start by taking a read of the State of Guyana’s Environment Report to find out the status of the country’ freshwater resources.

• Make water protection and conservation a conversation.

Facts & Figures: Information Source: United Nations, 2019 • 2.1 billion people live without safe water at home.

• One in four primary schools has no drinking water service, with pupils using unprotected sources or going thirsty.

• More than 700 children under five years of age die every day from diarrhoea linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.

• Women and girls are responsible for water collection in eight out of ten households with water off-premises.

• For the 68.5 million people who have been forced to flee their homes, accessing safe water services is highly problematic.

• Around 159 million people collect their drinking water from surface water, such as ponds and streams.

• Over 800 women die every day from complications in pregnancy and childbirth.

• 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, Georgetown, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Referring to the facts of the case, the Chief Justice disclosed that on the morning of October 24, 1959, the appellant Samuel Ramsonahai left his home on the East Coast and drove to Georgetown by car. By prearrangement he picked up on the way, first the appellant Duke, who is a police constable, and then a man named Naraine Persaud.

On arrival in town, Ramsonahai took a bag which was in the car between where the two appellants were sitting, gave it to Persaud and, in the hearing of the appellant Duke, told him to go to the gasoline station and enquire for Pundit’s car and deliver to the driver, and to say that he, Persaud, would return later to be taken up the coast. Naraine did what he was told to do and the driver of Pundit’s car, who was Mohamed Ali, received the bag and kept it in his car, the number of which was HD 444.

Either before or about the time that Naraine delivered the bag the appellant Duke rang up the Force Control Office and reported that Mohamed Ali driving car HB 444 had just received a bag containing bush rum. The message was immediately relayed by a patrol car which located Ali’s car, in which was found the bag that Naraine had delivered to Ali. The bag contained two bottles of bush rum. The other evidence in the case clearly established the fact that the two appellants had acted jointly in causing the bush rum to be ‘planted’ on Ali. Continuing his judgment the Chief Justice declared that there are three grounds of appeal: the first is common to both appellants, the second relates to the case against the appellant Duke and the third to the appellant Ramsonahai only.

He added, “The three submissions made by counsel, who appeared for both appellants, are (i) that the evidence did not establish the offence for which the appellants were indicted and convicted; (ii) that the judge misdirected the jury by failing to direct them that the onus of proving whether the statement alleged to have been made by Duke to the Police was made voluntarily or not was on the prosecution , and also that if they had any reasonable doubt on the question whether or not the statement, if made was a voluntary one, they should reject it ; and (iii) that the case against Ramsonahai was unduly prejudiced by the failure of the judge to order a separate trial. Counsel also made submissions on other questions that could or might arise if those three submissions were not upheld or in the event of the second or third submission being sustained.

“With regard to the final submission, counsel contended that, while the evidence may be sufficient to prove the commission of other statutory offences or of an indictable conspiracy at common law, it did not establish a contravention of the provisions of section 330 of Chapter 10, because it did not prove that the agreement was that either of the alleged conspirators would prosecute Ali, that is to say, that one or other of them would actually institute proceedings by laying a charge against him: In other words, counsel maintained that an offence is not committed if the evidence discloses an intention merely to cause a public prosecution to be instituted against him.

“Counsel advanced three reasons in support of his argument. He stated that the ordinary and primary meaning of the words “to prosecute” is to commence proceedings by laying a complaint or information. Secondly, that the section is a highly penal one and on that account the words “to prosecute” should be strictly construed and not extended to include the phrase “to cause to be prosecuted”; and thirdly, that if the legislature in tended such an extension of the words “to prosecute” it would have said so, as it did in several other sections of the same enactment.

“While it is clear that any person may commence a prosecution against another person, we agree with counsel for the appellants that the evidence does not support the conclusion that either of the appellants (notwithstanding that the appellant Duke is a constable) intended to institute a prosecution by personally laying a complaint or information against Ali. We do not therefore consider that it would be profitable to examine and deal with the evidence that was put before the jury in regard to police regulation and procedure before a complaint is made by a member of the police force.

“The point is a novel one, and research has not revealed any authority on it. We therefore deal with it according to the ordinary rules of construction”, the Federal Supreme Court disclosed as it allowed the appeals and set aside the convictions and sentences

Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019 ◄◄◄ From page XV

Prime Minister Eric Williams is quoted as saying that he could not continue to offer special rates to his CARICOM partners because it was simply unworkable in a world oil market to have two-tier pricing. “There have been sharp increases in violent crimes in Trinidad, Jamaica and Guyana following these developments,” the narrative continued. “Guyana’s Minister of State at the time, Christopher A. Nascimento has attributed the rise in ’choke and Robb’ crimes to unemployment which he pointed to be at around 15 percent but it was assessed to be much higher.”

Those external developments had wiped out small manufacturing, clothing factories, canning, printer operations etc along with the private bus companies that could not survive the rising and absent access to petrol and went out of business followed by the loss of numerous jobs. Foreign dollars were scarce and importation was stifled. Those were the days when we stood in line for Kero, Gas and accustomed necessities.

Opposition politicians choose to misguide and peddle the propaganda that government stealing and spite had caused the domestic shortages and restrictions on importing certain items favourable to their constituency. Like the Facebook post, where do younger Guyanese with no historical memory of that period go to find out simple national facts like why we endured the shortages and the disappearance of the big buses? How would they know that it was President Hoyt years later who gave the permission to Eddy Grant to import the first minibuses? Nascimento, Jeffrey Thomas, Ronald Austin among others are still available, but the time clock waits for no human consensus.

It is time to enact the National Heritage Commission, to house a reservoir of relevant data that a clueless population can reach to when self-promoted people choose to lie to them.

We must conclude that we humans come with all dispositions and ‘evil’ is also a human disposition that only truth can protect some who desire to know, from the ‘evil other human’. ◄◄◄ From page XXVII

Years later or even months after getting married these couples would then find out that they’re incompatible (sexually, emotionally) with each other. Again, due to their strong religious and cultural beliefs divorce is also ‘wrong’. Hence, they will be forced to stay in these marriages for the long run.

The lack of education, basic life skills training and poor parental guidance also contributes to teen/child marriages. Sadly enough, Pedophiles hide behind cultural and religious practices just so that they can marry a young child. The pressure of a dowry or bride price on families also contribute to this; the older the bride the higher the bride price.

Our constitution declared that at 16 years old, we are not old enough to drive a motor car on the road but somehow, we’re mature enough to upkeep martial, sexual and parental responsibilities. The phrase ‘teen marriage’ is subtle.

Let’s not forget that those under the age of 18 are considered children by the law. According to the United Nations, 39,000 child marriages occur every day and between the period of 2011 and 2020, 140 million girls will be married.

Complications of pregnancies are rampant between the ages of 15-19 and young girls are more vulnerable to sexual and domestic violence. To my fellow teenagers, I advise you all to grasp as much education as you can and remember that marriage is not the only way to gain a high status in society, especially young females. In the words of a 14-year-old Nepali school girl, ‘I used to imagine that life would just go by laughing and playing. But now, there’s no laughter. I’m pregnant so I feel strange.’ Or in other words, as old Guyanese folks would say, ‘a child can’t raise a child.’ ◄◄◄ From page XVIII

However, such moments of poignancy are rare in the film, meaning that the filmmakers do not even rely on some sort of anti-typical-superhero matrix with which to tell the story of their film in a new fashion. Instead, they end up with a strange half-good film, where the mundane, expected superhero elements are only utilised to impart some of the true potentials of the film, and at the same time, the dramatic and more intimate elements of the life of Carol Danvers are not also developed in order to fashion a new and compelling perspective within the superhero narrative.

To use a metaphor to describe the film, I would say that “Captain Marvel” is a hearty meal, filling, and managing to do the job of feeding someone – perhaps it is tomato soup and bread – when it could have been something that is hearty, but also unique and delicious and worthy of being shared with the world – perhaps like cook-up rice. If the food imagery does not convey my thoughts on “Captain Marvel,” it will simply have to be sufficient to say that Marvel’s first female-led film deserved better, even though the film is certainly not bad.

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English

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, Here are some chosen tips for better performance at your English Language examination. For instance, the short answer questions need responses between a few words to a short paragraph or two, and

the size of marks allocated here normally guides the response lengths. Do not waste time rewriting questions. Read questions well, carefully note what each is asking, note how many you need to answer, choose these wisely, and then respond to each as best you can. Be wise.

Love you.

THE PASSAGE Lives of great men all remind us The following excerpt, takWe can make our lives sublime, en from NGUGI’s “Weep Not, And, departing, leave behind us, Child,” is a perfect example of Footprints on the sands of time. good writing.

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW “I have often come here to (1807-1882) A Psalm of Life see father. There is a boy about my height. His skin is so very that a commonplace book is a self-assorted white. I think he is the son of Mr. Howlands. book assorted by you, the writer, and not I did not like the way he clung to his mothyour study partner. It often contains exciting er’s skirt, a frightening thing. Yet his eyes and worthwhile quotations, songs, jokes, were fixed on me. A bit curious. The second menus, and any other thing that you have time he was alone. When he saw me, he rose put there because you find them interesting and walked in my direction. I was frightened or thought-provoking. Its purpose provides because I did not know what he wanted. I one way to stimulate your thoughts when ran. He stood still and watched me. Then he writing stories. Acquire these effects for walked back. Whenever I go there, I make your writing cache: sure I am near my father.”

Pictures; postcards; clippings from di“Did he want to speak to you?” aries, newspapers, letters, and magazines; “Well, I don’t know. He may have poems; plans of houses, towns and villages wanted to quarrel with me. He is like his stored in it; along with any other thing that father. And you know --” leads to stimulating good writing such as Njoroge remembered the story Ngotho a dried natural plant or insect can also be had told them. He could not tell Mwihaki of included. this. This was to be his own secret.

Any material that interests you should be “All this land belongs to black peokept into your commonplace book. ple,” “Y-e-e-s. I’ve heard my father say so.

PRONOUNS He says that if people had had education, the See how some pronouns are used. white man would not have taken all the land.

1. Jerry and she have been awarded I wonder why our old folk, the dead old folk, trophies for the S.R.P.U. Junior Basketball had no learning when the white man came?”

Championships. (Who have been awarded?

“There was nobody to teach them Jerry and she.)

English.”

2. It proved to be he. (If the subject of “Y-e-s. That could be it,” she said the infinitive to be is not expressed, the comdoubtfully. plement is in the nominative case.)

“Is your class taught English?”

3. Nathan thought me to be her. [Me (ob“Oh no. It is only Standard IV which jective case) is the subject of the infinitive is taught English.” to be; the objective her, not the nominative “Does your father know how to speak she, is needed as the predicate complement.]

English?”

4. We asked Nathan and her to conduct “I think so.” the tour. (Compound subjects of to conduct) “Where did he learn it?”

5. Give Appleona and me a spoonful of “In the mission place….Siriana.” your delicious pudding. (Compound indirect objects) What to Do 1) Discuss with your study partners the What to Do following comments and questions: In the following five sentences, list each i) The passage is enhanced with good dinoun and each pronoun. After each, state alogue along with simplicity and authenticity whether it is in the nominative, or the objecof language. tive case; then tell why. Check your work ii) How does the dialogue seem appropriby the given rules above. ate to the age of the “I” narrator?

1. The game master needed two girls, iii) How does dialogue in this story help Donna and me. in building up any of the following aspects: 2. When we reached the doorway she and character, setting, and conflict.

Jack Jones shouted for help.

2) Narrative tells what is going to hap3. The two thought us to be the police. pen; dialogue shows what is going to happen.

4. Uncle Harry took Sandra and me to the i) Does the writer use mostly long or hockey tournament. short narratives? How effective is the nar5. Sandra and I went to the golf tournarative usage in this story? ment with Uncle Harry. ii) What effect does dialogue lengths have on the story interest?

GRAMMAR 3) Write short comments on these guideThe ever-present sentence fragments lines: A sentence fragment is an incomplete i) Do away with empty dialogue! sentence punctuated as if it were a complete ii) Correct dialogue usage makes the sentence. Correct all sentence fragments, character seem more real and three-dimenadding words and phrases if necessary, to sional. complete each message. iii) When you write dialogue, readers 1. A short story can be fulsome and exmust hear the characters talking clearly and citing. Never lacks reader interest. directly to them.

2. Obviously your readers will have iv) Dialogue moves the action forward. different levels of enjoyment. And varying degrees of interest in character and setting.

BETTER WRITING AID 3. With what kind of language can Things will be easy for you if you have you reach a younger audience? Probably been up-dating a commonplace book. Know conversational.

Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019

Home made Ice-Cream Recipe

INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp custard powder or cornflour 1 pt milk 3 eggs 2 oz sugar or to taste flavoring METHOD 1 Blend custard powder or cornflour with a little cold milk.

2 Whisk eggs and sugar together.

3 Heat the rest of the milk and add to blended custard powder.

4 Bring to the boil and let it boil for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

5 Add boiled mixture to beaten egg and sugar immediately, stirring all the time. Add flavoring.

6 Cool and freeze.

Serves 6-8 Note: Any pulped fruit may be added to custard before freezing. If pineapple is used, it must first be cooked.

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Chronicle Pepperpot March 17, 2019