Elaine Daniels is 75 years old and a resident of Mashabo, Essequibo, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). She is a very hard-working elder, who grows her own food, rears chickens and makes craft to bring in an income to the home. In this photo, Elaine displays craft that she made for the village’s heritage celebrations which were being observed at the end of September (Carl Croker photo)
A TRIO of entertain ers of Guyanese heritage performed at the inaugu ral Legacy Awards in To ronto on September 23.
Deborah Cox, who was inducted into the Cana dian Music Hall of Fame last May, joined Melanie Fiona and Keysha Freshh on stage at the live show aired during prime time on CBC and CBC Gem.
Freshh, who started writing music and rapping at age 11, is the daughter
the 90-minute show.
“Being a part of the inaugural Legacy Awards and sharing the stage with fellow Guyanese leg ends, Melanie Fiona and Deborah Cox, is a dream come true,” she said. “Be ing children of the dias pora, I’m confident I can speak for us all, and say we are proud to repre sent Guyana, and endorse where our roots are from. It’s an honour for me to be part of the first Legacy
talent.
Canadian actors Ste phan James and Shamier Anderson created The Leg acy Awards held at History, Canada’s newest entertain ment venue.
Television personal ity Kayla Gray, six-time Olympian Andre De Grasse, and award-win ning actress, filmmaker and entrepreneur Fabienne Colas were the award win ners.
“Andre, Kayla and
of Guyanese journalist Ron Fanfair, and event planner Dessie Fanfair.
Canadian musician and broadcaster Odario Wil liams, who was born in Guyana and raised in Win nipeg, introduced Freshh, who was the opening act of
Awards that will forever be cemented in history.”
The first all-Black awards ceremony cele brated accomplishments in film, television, music, sports and culture, and featured emerging and es tablished Black Canadian
Fabienne are lead ers in their respective fields, and in our com munity,” said James.
“My brother and I are thrilled that The Legacy Awards are recog nising their amazing accomplishments.”
Deborah Cox Keysha Freshh Melanie Fiona
sport in all ten regions across the country as best as we can and we want to implore the youths in the blind commu nity to get involved in blind sports. Give yourself the opportunity to become more independent; the opportu nity to participate in a sport you previously thought was impossible and see where it takes you.”
is ongoing to make it safer for players.
“When you’re on the pitch and running, players say ‘voy’ to indicate they’re coming and to avoid collision because people can collide re ally badly,” Leroy explained.
The keepers for the teams are sighted and there is
the opposition hear and start crowding you,” Leroy further explained.
The game will also have to be played at a loca tion that’s quiet. “You can have crowds but they will have to be very disciplined
By Telesha Ramnarine
HAVING just returned from Barbados following an intense workshop on the sport of blind football, Leroy Phillips is all set to put his training to use and to motivate those in the blind community, especially the youths, to get involved.
Having acquired a
trainers from Greece, Eu rope and those places came and introduced the sport to the group of blind people,” Leroy shared with Pepperpot Magazine a few days ago. He couldn’t be happier that the Guyana Council of Or ganisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) chose him to represent the country and receive the training.
ing, in an informal setting, the group had an opportunity to practice where two teams were set up to play against each other, putting into prac tice all that was taught in the workshop.
“Following that programme, we have a lot planned such as online semi nars and practical sessions. We will travel for devel
Whoever is inter ested in playing the sport or contributing financially can get in touch with Leroy or the GCOPD. “We’re really look ing forward to a very youth ful team. In two years’ time or even less, we hope to have the first ever blind regional football tournament. That will also be part of the drive to further spread the sport.”
Blind Football vs Con ventional Football
With balls that have bells inside, blind players are able to locate and track the ball. The sport is played with bar ricades around the field to keep the ball within the play ing area. While conventional football is usually for 45 minutes for half of the game, blind football goes for 15 minutes for a half with a 10-minute interval.
The games are usu ally not as crowded as con ventional football. They start small with teams of five, although other players are on hand to substitute if necessary. There are codes used in the game when it
a guide assigned to each team to provide audio directions, especially when a player has the ball in his possession.
“You’d have to develop your own codes in addition to those affiliated with the sport. You don’t want to speak in plain language and then the other team members from
because there are signs that will be put up on the screens when to cheer and when not to. Cheering can only be done when a goal is scored. Otherwise players need silence to listen for the various codes and di rectives given by their team members.”
vision disability at the age of six, Leroy is now a ‘B1,’ a term used in sports to indicate total blindness.
Last August, Na tional Paralympics Asso ciations across the Caribbean were invited by the Inter national Blind Sports Asso ciation (IBSA) to introduce blind football worldwide and a one-week training camp was held in Barbados with participants from Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and other coun tries in the region.
“We had a won derful time when veteran
It was a week of both practical and theoretical sessions which proved use ful to building the group’s knowledge on the sport so that they can go back to their respective countries and help to mobilise the sport among the blind population.
“We’re already putting things in place to have that rolled out. I hope the sport takes off to help blind people explore their abilities and acquire independent skills; going places, exploring the world and developing as in dividuals,” Leroy expressed.
Following the train
opmental training and we hope that we will receive adequate funding for games to be played locally and for players to participate in over seas games,” Leroy shared.
By the end of this year, he revealed that a Blind Sports Association will be formed in Guyana to manage the operation of all sports here.
In encouraging the blind community to use the sport as a tool for growth and development, Leroy said: “Blind football is going to be here now in Guyana and we are gunning to spread the
A guide who is sighted is assigned to each team to provide audio directions
Practicing on the field after the workshop
With balls that have bells inside, blind players are able to locate and track the ball
Leroy Phillips
IN a bid to raise aware ness of the importance of Rupununi bird conserva tion and to increase af finity for the endangered species, two grassroots organisations - the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) and the Karasabai Conservation Group – held the first ever “Lethem Bird Fair” at the Manari Ranch.
Guyana, particu larly the Rupununi, is home to amazing wildlife that attracts tourists from
Neal Millar shared with Pepperpot Magazine.
However, whilst over 800 species of birds can be found in Guyana, they also face multiple threats. The caged bird trade, for instance, is hav ing a noticeable population decrease for popular song birds such as the Towa Towa and the Twa Twa. Also, habitat destruction through illegal logging, wildfires and land clear ances are also impacting the homes of numerous
bag decorating, craft mak ing, basket weaving, face painting, costume compe titions, quizzes and more. The event was aimed primarily at children and the organisers pro vided free transportation to bring participants from the communities of Lethem, St Ignatius, Moco Moco, Hiowa and Nappi to attend the event. The winners of the costume competition were a Sun Parakeet, a Crimson Topaz and a Scar let Macaw.
economy. It is therefore essential that awareness is raised about the impor tance of preserving the bird
all over the world.
“In particular, one of the biggest attractions is birds. There are many species of birds in Guyana which bring in birdwatch ers across the globe includ ing the Harpy Eagle, the Red-fan Parrot and Guia nan Cock-of-the-rock,” SRCS Programme Director
species which is impacting their population.
To help combat these issues, the two organ isations thought that host ing the fair would promote environmental education and awareness. Over 200 people attended the event which included activities such as “Guess the Bird”,
“The event was sup ported by One Earth Con servation and the Guyana Tourism Authority. Both organisations highlighted that without a healthy bird population, less tourists will want to come to Guy ana which will damage the country’s growing tourism plans and impact the local
population in Guyana and that conservation action are implemented,” Millar shared.
Owing to the huge success of the fair, the or ganisations hope to partner again to attempt to make the event an annual one where more people can be involved and more activi ties can be added.
Meanwhile, of all the regions in Guyana, the Rupununi is one of the most frequented by birdwatchers due to the unique species that can be easily found there. Some ‘Endangered’ species are the Red Siskin and the Sun Parakeet whilst two ‘Criti cally Endangered’ ones are the Hoary-throated Spin etail and the Rio Branco
other parts of the world and for some, it is even impos sible and the Rupununi is the only place where they can be found in the wild.
However, these species are at risk of extinction and are very sensitive to changes in their habitat or popula tion. Without conservation intervention, it is possible that these at-risk species will go extinct in Guyana,” Millar pointed out.
It is for these rea sons that the two organ isations have been im plementing conservation projects to protect these birds in communities in the Rupununi. The Kara sabai Conservation Group has been monitoring the Sun Parakeet whilst SRCS has been monitoring and
have been successful in raising local awareness in the South Rupununi and the South Pakaraimas.
“Yet despite the efforts of these groups, the birds still face threats from illegal trapping and trading, habitat destruc tion and the pet trade. In addition, Lethem is often a point where many il legally traded birds pass through yet there are not many conservationfocused events that occur in the area which means people, especially chil dren, don’t get the op portunity to learn more about birds, their impor tance to ecosystems and the need for their conser vation,” Millar further highlighted.
Antbird.“These species are an attraction for tourists as it is difficult to find them inprotecting the Red Siskin, the Hoary-throated Spin etail and the Rio Branco Antbird. These projects The fair was especially designed for increasing children’s knowledge of the endangered species Promoting environmental education and awareness A couple of participants in the costume competition The event was aimed primarily at children; to educate them about conservation
By Dillon Goring
When you love and fol low your dreams in such a unique way, you never lose sight of pursuing what you love.
Those were the senti ments expressed by young Artist Rio De Roberto, a student from the E.R. Bur rowes School of Art, who began his career in the Art and Textile Industry by learning with a needle and thread.
The young artist told the Pepperpot Magazine that it was at the E.R. Bur rowes School of Arts that he learned to sew on a sew ing machine for the first time after spending years on needles and threads
The Pepperpot Maga zine caught up with young Roberto at an exhibition hosted by the E.R. Burrow es of Arts which took place at the National Museum in Georgetown recently.
We were able to get a firsthand look at some great work done by this young artist.
During his interview, Roberto explained that he likes to think outside of the box and think of things that
no one thinks about, thus using his imagination in a great way.
“I want to take things that the viewers understand in one way, maybe they find something ugly, and I want to challenge them to see the same thing in a beautiful way. In that way, you challenge what someone expects, but you are playing with their im aginations and perception,” he said.
What goes into an Art ist ‘s mind
“I find that a lot of my work isn’t grounded in realism, “ the young art ist continued. “I like to imagine wild things that you wouldn’t see in the everyday real world, al ien things. I like to create pieces that you do not ex pect. I like to impress the viewer in way that they don’t expect.”
This type of construc tion in his fabric and gar ment making lends itself to Roberto wowing the crowd with his compelling pieces of work that were on display at the exhibition.
One can only imagine the creativity that goes into his creations as he designs
his pieces.
During his interview, Roberto was careful to mention that he intends to reach leaps and bounds where paintings and sew ing are concerned.
He already has, as one of his plans, to have a solo art exhibition.
As Roberto paints and sews said that he believes that his work will have a far-reaching effect, both locally and internationally and that he has a message to send the world through
the medium of Art.
The young artist has plans to study and take his art education to the highest level.
“Guyana has a long way to go in terms of Art, because our view of Art is very limited and we see them at just people creat ing paintings of kokers and sunsets, but it is much more that. The artist has the ability to shape society. If you look at the influence that artists have had, like the independence of France
and so forth,” Roberto told the Pepperpot Magazine.
According to him, the artist’s job is to speak to the issues in society that affect us instead of just glossing over it.
The perception should
be that topical issues, for example, should be ad dressed through the art medium.
This world, according to Roberto, is imagina tive and exciting, and one should expand his or her knowledge in the art arena
Speaking about Guya nese Artist, Roberto is of the view that no one can earnestly push you to de velop yourself, the desire must emanate from you.
His inspiration is di verse and can come from a range of sources including celebrities, religion, per sonalities etc.
Some of the pieces he designed came from a variety of topical issues, including the Guyana Venezuela border con troversy , pollution and climate change.
Some of Rio de Roberto’s art pieces
water that seems never-end ing. The lake is said to be the largest of four in Essequibo.
Last week the Pepperpot Magazine visited the indig enous village of Mashabo, Essequibo, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), as the curtain of Amerindian Heritage Month came to a close to highlight the way of life of the locals.
The journey was over land, river and lake to get to
the actual village, where you have to cross over the Esse quibo River via Parika then to the Essequibo Coast, then through Huist T`Dieren Vil lage, where the access road to Mashabo is located.
Down that road, it takes about 20 minutes by vehicle, and then you reach the lake top, where there is a shed with
seating accommodation.
From there, a boat takes about half an hour with a 15 horsepower engine to get to Mashabo Mission, the central hub of the village.
On the way, the breathtak ing view that awaits you will be just what you need, a sce nic picture of ite` palm trees, the swamp and the cool black
The Toshao, Areafa Shabeer, greeted the team upon arrival at the landing which is one of the commu nity’s attractions. This 660foot wooden boardwalk was constructed by locals from a presidential grant a few years ago.
The boardwalk connects the Mission to another section of Waddaduri, and it is said to be the longest boardwalk which took two months to be completed.
Mashabo has four areas: Mission, Waddaduri, High Hill, Hossanah Housing Scheme and Kamuro. Wooden bridges link these parts, so there is no need to go by boat.
The population of the lo cals is 460, with people of mostly Amerindian descent, and they are descendants of the Arawak and Carib tribes, a friendly, peaceful people with smiles.
Mashabo Village is a lovely place that goes up and down hill and it is indeed a scenic beauty from both the hilltops and lower sections of the community that has a fertile soil composition.
A Village Council manag es the village and the Toshao and the main economic ac tivities of the people include fishing, hunting, farming, carpentry and logging.
Mashabo Village has a Village Shop, one small shop, a Health Post, a Primary School which also houses the Nursery children, a village kitchen, a newly construct ed ICT Centre, a teacher’s house, school children’s lunch room, the community centre ground, two pavillions, the ballfield for games, the Vil lage Council building, benabs with seating accommodation and large shady trees with wooden benches, all of which overlook the lake.
The locals are scattered over the four areas in the Mis
sion and they use motorcycles to get around, abut most peo ple would walk miles to get to their homes and to other sections of the village.
Mashabo Village is a rela tively large place where the villagers rear their own chick ens, including the black giant, ducks, meat birds and creole fowls, with cattle and they also grow their own vegeta bles and fruits.
They produce ground provisions on a large scale and would commute to Anna Regina, the nearest township, for bulk shopping and selling their produce.
It was reported that pri or to 1983, the lake was a savannah with a small creek running through; then the creek was blocked at one end, allowing for the water to back up, becoming the biggest lake on the Essequi bo coast. It was necessary for adequate water for rice farming which is done at the other end of the lake.
Students as they arrived from Mashabo Village via the boat at the landing on their way to Aurora Secondary School on the Essequibo Coast (Carl Croker photos)
Some of the houses in the village perched on hilltops
The people of Mashabo Village
The longest boardwalk across the lake
FOR Brenda Phillips, life could not be simpler. Lving in a beautiful place, where her house overlooks the big gest lake on the Essequibo Coast is something out of a magazine for some people, but in real life, she is coping with a very humble way of life, earning as a farmer and an arts and craft producer.
The 54-year-old is origi nally from Wakapoa, but re located to Mashabo Village 25 years ago after visiting an uncle who is residing there and after a few visits, she decided to stay after she fell
own food, rears chickens and makes crafts to bring in an income to the home.
She had already made some crafts in the form of head-dresses, chains, bands, earrings and outfits for the upcoming heritage celebra tions in the village.
Her craft pieces are made from tibisri and it is sourced from the swamp area in the lake.
Daniels told the Pepper pot Magazine that she makes local dishes and wines to sell. She makes them all year round based on orders, and sells right in the community.
She also rears 25 meat
products,” she said.
Daniels has lived all her life in Mashabo Village and most of her relatives reside there as well and she is hoping for more markets for her craft products.
Rosanne Elliot, the Vil lage Shop employee
Also in Mashabo Village is the home of Rosanne El liot, who manages the Vil lage Shop. She is the lone employee of the small shop which sells groceries at a reduced price, making it very affordable for locals to make purchases.
Elliot related that she is the mother of three and feels
band works in the hinterland as a miner and is often absent from the home, and she is the sole breadwinner.
The Village Shop opens every day except Saturdays from 08:00hrs to 16:30hrs and it is a well-stocked shop with the basic groceries and other things needed to make a meal.
Sharon Phillips, the CIIP worker
Sharon Phillips is pleased to be employed as a CIIP worker attached to the Masha bo Village Council.
The mother of five told the Pepperpot Magazine that her mother is from Wakapoa, but she relocated to Mashabo as a child and she was left behind with her grandparents.
in love with the place.
Phillips grows her own fruits and vegetables and is a poultry farmer who also makes craft during her spare time to earn.
The Mashabo resident told the Pepperpot Magazine that when she was living in Wakapoa she had enrolled in a craft class and from then, she took a liking to it and started making many pieces to sell.
As a way of life, Phillips is accustomed to working the land and growing up, she used to assist her family to farm.
She made some Amerin dian dishes for the heritage celebrations in the village and cassareep, along with her many craft products to sell at her booth.
“Living here is better for me because I have access to the farmlands and I don’t have to walk eight to 10 miles to get to the farm, and I have a lot of space to plant and this place grows on you. It’s home,” she said.
Elaine Daniels, the craft maker and poultry farmer
Elaine Daniels is 75 years old and a very hard-work ing elder, who grows her
birds and 25 black giant chickens and sells right in the village.
“I began making craft in my 20s because I had taken a class in the village in Pome roon during a visit with my husband, and I did some of it whenever I had the time. I became skilled and gained the confidence to start selling my
empowered that she is em ployed and attached to the Village Council, that body is responsible for the Village Shop.
The 38-year-old stated that she started working on September 9 this year and it is good to be earning because she was not working.
Elliot added that her hus
However, as she grew, she began working and she would visit Mashabo and one day she decided to stay and make it her home.
“Since moving to Masha bo my life has improved sig nificantly and for the past nine months now, I am employed and that feels so good, to be working and as a single parent, I was desperate for work,” she said.
Being the only bread winner in the home, Phillips stated that they would get paid every week into the new month and she would work four days per week for four hours a day from Mondays to
Thursdays.
Phillips was also giving back to the community by assisting in the preparation for their heritage day which was celebrated in Mashabo on Wednesday.
Brenda Phillips and her craft (Carl Croker photos) Head-dresses made by Brenda Phillips Elaine Daniels and her craft products Rosanne Elliot in the Village Shop VIICHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 02, 2022 CIIP worker, Sharon Phillips at work to enhance the villageAreafa Shabeer is the Toshao of Mashabo Vil lage, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), and she oversees all developmen tal initiatives and heads the Village Council.
She has been at the post for the past year and four months and finds it a bit challenging but has gained a lot of experience, and she likes to see her community develop thus, she doesn’t mind serving.
Giving developmental highlights of the village, Shabeer told the Pepperpot Magazine that the village recently finished the ICT building, and it is equipped with 20 computers await ing internet connectivity for its opening.
She added that it will be beneficial to the locals,
both adults and children, especially the school chil dren who will utilise the facility for research, home work and general upkeep of the happenings in Guy ana and further afield. The facility is fully powered by solar.
The Toshao related that there is a need for more job creation for the locals, es pecially the young people with nothing to do because they do not find framing to be glamorous.
In recent times, they have introduced several in itiatives which created jobs for unemployed people.
It happened via the pathway project in which 23 residents are employed within the village, 10 Com munity Service Officers (CSOs) and 20 Community Infrastructure Improve ment Project (CIIP) work ers.
Shabeer stated that there is ongoing enhance ment work in the com munity for their heritage celebrations on September 28, 2022 and generally.
She revealed that to promote their community as a tourist destination, they will embark on con structing a guest house by the lake.
The Toshao added that they will also build a mul ti-purpose resource centre, which will eventually be added to the village.
Shabeer explained that with electricity, they would be able to do more to develop the village and they are hoping the entire village can benefit from power in the near future.
She explained that an nually they would receive a presidential grant of $1.2M and they have benefitted from the COVID-19 grant
of $10M some of which will be used to construct the guest house.
Shabeer stated that some money was also used to re-establish the Village Shop which the Village Council operates and they provide groceries at pock et-friendly prices.
When the team visited the villagers were out and about doing a lot to spruce up the Mission for herit age day and also making a stage, booths and benabs.
The Toshao related that
celebrations.
Shabeer told the Pep perpot Magazine that a tractor which the former Toshao Sylven Raphael requested was realised and the community received the tractor with a plough and chipper for farming and it is also used for trans portation in the village.
She noted that the Village Council has two boats and the access road to Mashabo was recently upgraded and they are very pleased about that develop
is very happy about that, providing adequate hous ing for locals is essential.
Raphael stated that un
almost all the villagers are contributing somehow and they will be preparing wines, arts and craft, foods and other local Amerindian cuisine for their heritage
ment.
“I do not get paid for being a volunteer, but I do it anyway because I am passionate about commu nity-based development, which will ultimately im prove the lives of the peo ple in Mashabo,” she said.
Sylven Raphael, former Toshao
Meanwhile, former
der his leadership three wooden bridges (board walks) were built. One bridging Waddaduri, Kamaru and the other Ho sanna to the Mission.
The resident pointed out that they also saw the construction of the Vil lage Council building, the shed by the lake, the health outpost building, and the
Toshao Sylven Raphael told the Pepperpot Maga zine that he served the community for 13 years and during his tenure as village leader, they achieved a lot as a com munity.
He related that his dream project ‘Hosanna Housing Scheme’ with 51 houses materialised and he
teacher’s house.
He lives in Hosanna Housing Scheme and is of the view that Masha bo should be developing more to become a tourist destination with their natural lake and other things their village is ripe for much more.
The newly built ICT Hub building Sylven Raphael, former Toshao The benabs in the village One of two pavilions in the community
cards for the children to take home.
Beepat related that teachers with internet access would download YouTube teaching aids and ask the pupils to bring the memory cards from their parents cell phones and download them for them to play at home to aid their teaching capacity.
He added that they are still using flash drives and memory cards to down load teaching aids for pu pils and they were gifted 30 tablets from the donor organisation, Guyana/Ja maica Friendship Asso ciation, headed by Frank Denbow.
Beepat told the Pep perpot Magazine that the donor organisation based in the United States they have partnered with for the past nine years has been doing fundraisers to aid the school.
The head teacher for Mashabo Primary related that the Jamaica/Guyana Friendship Association did a magazine and raised funds which was used to acquire 30 tablets for Mashabo Primary School.
By Michel OutridgeEven with a shortage of teachers and many chal lenges, working against the odds, head teacher Modiram Beepat af ter more than 20 years the Mashabo Primary School, has made the ‘A’ List at National Grade Six Examination (NGSA) due to a collective effort via teaching strategies implemented.
He disclosed that they changed their teaching strategies to get past hur dles and introduced video teaching since they have no internet connectivity on flash drives and memory
Beepat disclosed that they are also conducting extra lessons at the homes of teachers and he would take some classes at his home too because he re sides on the Essequibo Coast and has access to the internet.
He reported that it was the first time in 2018, after two decades, they achieved two passes at NGSA and the students were placed at Anna Re gina Secondary School.
And after that success ful pass in 2018 the school consistently continued making the ‘A’ List and this year, they achieved four passes to Abraham Zuil Secondary School.
Beepat stated that five teachers received laptops and exam papers, text books and other teaching materials were donated, as well, to boost their teach ing capacity.
And this year, the or ganisation will not disap point, come October 14, they will be making the wish list of pupils come through and they are elat ed for that.
In addition, he noted that they have been re ceiving support from the Ministry of Education and three 65-inch televisions were donated to the school and the Learning Channel was introduced in class
rooms.
Beepat reported that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) have been assisting the school, too. They rehabilitated the roof, installed new gut ters and the black tanks system for drinking water and provided a boat and engine for schoolchildren.
He disclosed that an extension will be added to the Mashabo Primary School to house the nurs ery section due to space constraints. The old nurs ery school building was abandoned because it was unsafe for occupancy.
The children of the
Teachers on their way to school (Carl Croker photos) Head Teacher of Mashabo Primary School, Modiram Beepat Braving the rain to get to school in Mashabo TURN TO PAGEWITH a vested and genu ine interest in the well-be ing and preservation of good health and life, Faye Hendricks is attached to the Mashabo Health Out post as the Community Health Worker (CWC) to serve her community.
She has been at the post for the past 11 years and from the looks of things, she really likes her job, owing to a clean and tidy facility and smiling staff assisting her.
Hendricks told the Pep perpot Magazine that she is originally from St. Monica, Pomeroon River but grew up in Mashabo when her mom relocated to her fa ther’s home village as a child.
The Mashabo Health Outpost has four pathway workers, a cleaner and two nursing assistants. In June this year, the pathway employees were introduced to the facility to boost their level of service.
Hendricks stated that the pathway workers play
Community Health Worker, Faye Hendricks (Carl Croker photos)
a critical role in the smooth running of the health facil ity and she sees them as ‘helping hands’ that actu ally assist in all aspects of healthcare.
She reported a need for an in-house doctor to be based at Mashabo because every third Wednesday a doctor would visit which is not enough.
The Mashabo Health Outpost is opened from 08:00 hours to 16:30 hours from Mondays to Fridays, but Hendricks is available
at any given time if her services are required in the community. She has an open-door policy where all are welcomed.
At present, Hendricks reported that they have adequate drugs since they receive same on a month ly basis and if there is a shortage, they would make arrangements for the stock of medications to be filled.
She disclosed that there is no electricity at the Mashabo Health Outpost and it is needed since the battery for the solar is not functioning. The entire building was re-wired for power.
Hendricks noted that cases they cannot handle are referred to the nearest hospital at Suddie but they offer primary healthcare. Their largest clinic is the infant and preschool.
She added that a wait ing area with a shed and adequate seating accom modation is needed at the facility and they also have their own landing for pa tient’s convenience in the case of emergencies and
boats are used to get to the location quickly.
At any given day, about 13 patients pass through the health outpost for vary ing medical services and they see a lot of seasonal illnesses such as flu, fever, red eyes, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Recalling her journey into the noble nursing pro fession, Hendricks told the Pepperpot Magazine that at school, they had a career day and she was asked what she wanted to become.
Her goal was to be come a teacher but time and things changed and she shifted her focus in aiming to qualify herself as a nurse due to a personal experi
ence which motivated her.
“I was sick and in the hospital. Lying there and I did not receive the medical attention I should and I was thinking how I felt and that inspired me to become a nurse so I can help people, who are sick and need the aid of medical profession als,” she related.
Hendricks added that it feels good to be serving her community and she is very pleased that she can make people better through the intervention of medicine.
Meanwhile, Decasey Williams, a resident of Mashabo is passionate about a lot of things includ
ing making his dream of becoming a small business owner of his own boutique in the village.
The 28-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is a Community Service Officer (CSO) and he was introduced to the community initiative one year and eight months ago, a job he is getting to like, as a result of being a vol unteer.
He gained motivation as a result of the inno vative government-led Hinterland, Employment and Youth Service, more popularly known by its ac ronym, HEYS programme in his village and upon completion, he wanted to
The Mashabo Health Outpost
FROM PAGE X
become his own boss, to be self-employed.
Williams began buy ing and selling clothes he would purchase in the city and return to his village to walk and sell same.
He started his own small business in 2017 and
make the most of what this place has to offer,” Wil liams said.
He would earn by cut ting wood and sell and he is also the carpenter/contrac tor in the village, who takes on jobs for locals such as building houses etc.
HENRY HENDRICKS,
Mashabo and was able to do many things,” he said.
Hendricks stated that in Mashabo they can fish, hunt, cut wood and farm and it is a quiet and simple way of life.
When he first moved to Mashabo he told the Pepperpot Magazine that
started his boat service in his community due to the need for such service.
Williams would trans port 20 students via his boat from the village to the lake top from 06:00 hours to 18:00 hours on weekdays.
Kevin Williams is also a resident of Mashabo Vil lage and he is a talented carpenter, who can make from scratch, almost any piece of furniture.
The 32-year-old is the spouse of the Village Toshao, Areafa Shabeer and when the team visited he was in the process of constructing a stage for the heritage day celebration in the community.
Williams was tasked with getting the men to gether to cut the wood from the forested area in the village and get them to the Mission where Benabs, a large stage and booths were being built.
He resides in Wadd aduri, on top of a hill and it is an isolated part of the community, but he likes it that way because there is enough space, fresh air and his closest neighbours are all related, mostly families live in the village.
“To be at peace, is to strive and this is home for me and my family, so here is where I will remain and
The team also met 58-year-old Henry Hen dricks, the security attached to the Mashabo Primary School, who is originally from Rupununi but relocat ed to Mashabo in the 1980s.
“I had to leave my home village because I wanted a steady job and I moved to
it only had 12 families and today the village has more than 130 families.
Hendricks is of the view that education is the key to success and when the children are successful the community benefits and more should be done to promote ed ucation and avenues for job creation in the village.
Kevin Williams at work in the villageWhat is Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)?
Disaster Risk Reduc tion (DRR) is reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyze and reduce the causal factors of disas ters. It involves reducing exposure to hazards, lessening the vulner ability of people and property, wise manage ment of land and other natural resources, and improving preparedness for adverse events. DRR aims to reduce socioeconomic vulnerabilities to disasters and deal with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them.
Disasters often follow natural hazards, and their severity depends on how much impact a hazard has on society and the envi ronment. The scale of the impact in turn depends on the choices we make for our lives and for our en vironment. These choices relate to how we grow our food, where and how we build our homes, how our financial systems work, and even what we teach in schools. Each decision and action make us more vulnerable to disasters - or more resilient to them.
Disaster risk reduction is everyone’s business!
Disaster risk reduction is also part of sustainable development. In order for development activities to be sustainable, they must also reduce disaster risk. On the other hand, unsound development policies will increase dis aster risk and losses from disasters. DRR, therefore, involves every part of society, every part of the government, and every part of the professional and private sectors.
It is often said that there is no such thing as a ‘natural’ disaster, only natural hazards. When a
community is affected by a flood, for example, we think of it as a disaster and something we can not control. We may not be able to stop a flood from happening through heavy rainfall, but could we have prevented the waters from getting into our homes? Could our buildings have been built in a way that water would not get in easily? Could our drains have been lit ter-free so that the water could drain off easily? Is the area particularly low and easily flooded? If so, should we have built there in the first place?
Disaster risk reduction is about understanding our personal and environ mental risks and finding ways to reduce these risks so that we are not affected by them, or be able to bounce back quickly if they do affect us.
Disasters do not have to happen - we can all do something to reduce our risk!
Many people around the world have lost their lives, homes, or access to essential facilities, such as hospitals, due to natural hazards which include earthquakes, droughts, tsunamis, heavy flooding, hurricanes, or cyclones. Some of these hazards have caused economic damage to some countries in addition to the loss of life. The UN acknowledg es that education, training, and information exchang es are effective ways to help people become better equipped in withstanding natural hazards.
Effective risk manage ment must involve those most at risk and often children are overlooked. Children are often por trayed as victims of dis aster and climate change. However, children can and should be encouraged
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Nursery section are cur rently housed in the Mashabo Primary School.
“Our progress in edu cation has been tremen dous over the years and it is a collective effort between teachers, parents, learners, the community and other stakeholders,” Beepat said.
The head teacher for Mashabo Primary School told the Pepperpot Mag azine that the ministry introduced the feeding programme in that school in 2018, where a daily lunch is provided with fruits and a beverage for pupils while the nursery children receive a snack and beverage.
Since the introduction, they have seen a 90 per cent increase in attend ance and the performance of the pupils has increased significantly, so it is a plus for them.
Beepat related that they have 12 teachers in total with 53 pupils on roll for primary and 20 children for the nursery.
He added that three teachers were seconded
to Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) and they have only nine teach ers now and later this month six more teachers will be attending CPCE, leaving them short of staff.
Chris Raphael, teacher
Meanwhile, Chris Raphael is a teacher at tached to the Mashabo Primary School since 2019 and it is a job he enjoys, and it shows by his demeanour and his classroom ethics.
The 20-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is a student at CPCE and as a young teacher he would like to become qualified and he is giving back to the com munity via extra lessons, free of charge for slow learners.
“I really like this job; moulding the minds of the young is challenging, but here I am making the most of it because I believe I am making a difference in the lives of many through education,” he said.
Aunty Esther Charles, the cook
Meet Esther Charles.
She is one of three cooks attached to the Mashabo Primary School kitchen and is responsible for pre paring a timely lunch for the pupils at lunchtime from Mondays to Fridays.
Charles is well-known and respected in the vil lage having served as the Community Health Work er for 29 years before she
retired five years ago.
At 62 years old, she is still spritely and has the burst of energy as a teen ager and she is also a very friendly and endearing person who enjoys cook ing and keeping busy.
Charles is the only resident of Mashabo to receive a Medal of Ser vice (MS) in 2016 for
her sterling contribution as a healthcare profes sional and service to the community.
The mother of seven is a simple woman who has a kitchen garden and does all the cooking at her home.
“I went through a lot of hardships and used to walk for miles,
down a hill, a dirt dam rain or sun to get to patients and even used a paddle, in a boat, to get out the village to treat the sick and up lift medications. I did what I had to serve the community and even today I would do it again if I have to,” Charles said.
The school Kitchen and Lunch Room
Regatta is synonymous with Guyana because we have hosted regattas for over 100 years. I have been going to Regatta since I was a kid and had the honour of serv ing on the committee for years. I was also a contestant in the Bartica Regatta Pag eant at age 18 and placed 1st runner-up. I also trained the contestant for the pageant for several years.
I attended the Regatta at the Blue Lake in Linden and I had a blast. I must commend the team that planned and executed an amazing event. The new area that was cre ated in the last two weeks for the spectators to have a better view showed the vision of the team and what is possible when you have creative minds on board.
“This was a great event, and the reviews are a great event. Seeing people from all over Guyana and overseas was exciting to watch. We are thankful to the Government and all the other entities which made the resources possible to pull this successful event. It provided an opportunity for people in Linden to earn money. We have even bigger plans for next year,” remarked Aubrey Shanghai, who is one
of the mail pillar of this event.
I am anxiously waiting for what they have in store for us next year, and I believe Bar tica Regatta has a rival event in the making.
The regatta was not the only thing I enjoyed in Lin den. I have wanted to visit Wayne’s World since earlier
this year but everything hap pens at the right time. My hometown Bartica was the lo cation for the last Living with Intention Retreat. When my friend Lisa recommended this exotic location, I envisioned it would be ideal but needed to experience it myself. I invited Natasha to join me, and she
said YES immediately for us to host the retreat there. I am excited to confirm that this will be the perfect place for the first-week retreat in January. The picture I shared does no justice to this nature getaway. I love creek water, so I was in my own world in Waynes’s world. It is great for
meditation, reading, writing and recharging.
I am always curious as to the genesis of unique things, so I had a chat with the owner Wayne Rodrigues who is the owner.
What inspired you to do this?
My inspiration came from
just going back there and admiring nature and that’s where the idea originated. I used to go and meditate and find comfort, and by look ing around, I felt that people could come and feel like me, relaxed in the environment of nature.
How long to take for this vision to be a reality?
It took about 15 to 20 years to try and try again. When you are passionate about your vision, you be come patient and know it is possible.
What is next for Wayne’s World?
Definitely a trail walk, an extension of the creek and at some point, I would like to bring some fish raring so that people can come and catch fish and prepare it right there if possible
Amelia’s Ward in the mining town of Linden has a unique gem that can attract many people to Lin den. Wayne’s World and Oasis is a place you must experience as we continue to celebrate this beauti ful journey called life BE YOND THE RUNWAY.
Since Oil was discovered in Guyana, there has been a lobby of educated persons who have expressed many forebodings of the new oil wealth. However, there are many who are convinced that the Natural Resources Curse is not determinist and that the oil wealth would help to trans form Guyana into a country with first world standards of health, education, hous ing, social services and the elimination of poverty. They believe that the country will also simultaneously achieve an agricultural and indus trial revolution which will keep generating wealth long after the oil resources would have been exhausted or would have been overtaken by green power.
Recently, however, the Leader of the Opposition who heads the Shadow Government which would succeed the pre sent Government in the event they win the next elections was ominous in his remark that the Dutch Disease had already infected Guyana. He said the non-oil sectors have not been performing, claiming that sugar, rice, fish and gold production had badly plummeted and that were it not for oil, the economy would have collapsed. His words were alarming since there is determinism that once a country is afflicted with the Dutch Disease there is no return.
At this point, we should briefly explain to readers what is Dutch Disease. The Dutch Disease is often termed “Natu ral Resource curse” and simply means that once a country, es pecially a developing country, discovers oil in large deposits and begins to exploit it, it be comes the main earner and focus of the economy and all other sectors are neglected, decline and even die. When the Oil deposits diminish or run out or when Oil prices fall, the economy weakens or even col lapses, plunging the population into the same hardship in which they were before the Oil boom. Trinidad shows some symptoms of the Dutch Disease.
Alarmed by the Leader of the Opposition’s forebodings, we did some research on the Dutch Disease and found that Guyana had not been infected by it, and there is no indication that it will be. The overarching reason why Guyana steered clear of the Natural Resource
Curse is simply that those re sponsible for managing the economy are acutely aware of its pitfalls and have framed policies to avoid it and also because of the intelligence of the Guyanese people. However, there is a body of opinion that advocates that the oil revenues should primarily be spent on personal gratification and the non-oil sectors be placed in the backburner and only mod est spending be done on social services. Though this position’s superficial attractiveness, it would lead to ultimate economic and social disaster.
Following up on our re search into Dutch Disease, we reviewed national statistics. For the first half of this year, the GDP had grown by 36.4 percent driven mainly by petroleum. The non-Oil economy, despite the effects of the 2021 floods had grown by an estimated 8.3 percent. It is estimated that for the whole of 2022 the overall GDP is estimated to be 56 per cent and the non-Oil growth at 9.6 percent. A growth of 8 percent to 9 percent in the nonoil economy of any country is considered very good. These statistics are an indication that Guyana is far away from any affliction by the Natural Re sources Curse.
The policymakers are seri ously focusing on the non-oil sectors and are committed to diversifying within that sector. In the words of Dr Ashni Singh, Senior Minister of Finance, “We recognise the inherent vulner ability that arises from being de pendent on one or two crops or one or two products, so we want to make sure that we diversify. In this regard, in Agriculture, Government is encouraging the cultivation of other crops, in cluding corn, soya bean and tropical varieties of wheat to promote large-scale production. We have done a lot of work to support the Mining Sector. We took off taxes on fuel, gasoline and diesel as well as other taxes on the Mining Sector.”
Government has been heav ily investing in infrastructure with the building of main roads and bridges and airstrips. The shorter roads to market are beginning to make Agriculture more profitable and attractive and the Hinterland roads con tinue to be a major factor in stimulating and furthering the extractive sectors. The Hinter
land roads also have the social dividend of helping to integrate the Interior communities with the Coast.
Dr Ashni Singh, in his recent visit to Canada, ad dressed the Guyana /Canada Chamber of Commerce in Toronto and gave the as
surance that Guyana would never be affected by the Dutch Disease syndrome: “We intend,” said Dr Singh, “to ensure that we use this period of Oil production to invest in the things that are necessary to ensure long term growth and wellbeing
for all the people of Guyana long beyond the Oil era. . .We are looking far down the road and contemplat ing what are the things we need to do now to transform our country to ensure that growth is not only dependent on oil”. . . The World Bank
Report, which came out at the end of September, affirms that Guyana is far away from being infected by the Dutch Disease, is laudatory on Guyana’s social and eco nomic policies and is a paean of praise for Dr Ashni Singh and his creative policies.
I received an email from an avid reader who re quested this column. I initially wrote it in 2017, and she said that it was powerful, emotional and moving, and our com munity can gain from reading or re-reading it. With just a few changes, Pamela, thank you for your kind words and suggestion. This one is for you.
I initially wrote it based on a funny and causal American Holiday called “Embrace Your Geekiness Day.” The word “geek” is foreign to us. It typically has a nega tive connotation, which basically means awkward. I guess we have our own local names for that — Which I will not get into!
The day was creat ed by Wellcat Holidays, a private group which has created more than 70 copyrighted holidays that were added to the annual calendar. This particular holiday was created in an effort to encourage people to embrace their quirkiness, hobbies and interests – whatever they may be. The day and its meaning made me think about self-acceptance and its importance to mental health and our general well-being. How many of us can say that we genu inely like ourselves? That we like the way we think, act, look or even speak? Sadly, my guess would be not many – which I hope to change today.
Self-Acceptance means that we embrace
all parts of ourselves and unconditionally love our flaws and all. It means we are fully aware of our weaknesses and limita tions but do not let them define us as a whole. It means that we are satis fied with who we are. It requires zero judgement and a lot of understand ing.
It’s not about living in a fantasy world, thinking that everything is okay. It is about being okay about everything not being okay. It is important as there will rarely ever be a time when everything is okay. We will always have some issue or difficulty to face.
Some theorists say that our self-acceptance begins as children and largely depends on how our caretakers treated and felt about us. If you were not allowed to make any mistakes if your care taker showed that they didn’t accept you – or even if you simply feel they didn’t, it would be very difficult to grow up and accept yourself. Of course, any kind of abuse (physical, sexual, verbal or emotional) will also decrease the chances of self-acceptance in the fu ture — for both the victim and the abuser.
Therefore, it is impor tant to ensure that anyone in your care is well aware that they can make mis takes and they are still enough, still accepted and still very much loved.
Why is this even im portant?
Without self-accept
ance, our entire psycho logical and physical wellbeing can suffer.
People with little selfacceptance suffer from high stress and anxiety –particularly social anxiety.
It affects our relation ships as it is known that we cannot love or accept anyone until we love and accept ourselves.
There are so many benefits of self-accept ance. Of course, we will generally feel happier, but it is so much more than that. Our mood is better regulated. We have higher self-esteem and feelings of independence; we have lower fears of failure, self, and outside criticism. All of the above decrease the possibilities of anxi ety, depression, as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviours.
When we accept and like ourselves, we stop comparing ourselves to others — which is a huge way of bringing ourselves down. We also break free of the prison we are in, wondering what other people think of us. Self-acceptance comes with the under standing that the only approval we need is our own.
It may be easier said than done, but practice makes anything possible. How do we learn to accept ourselves? Just like any skill, through rituals that we can practice every day.
How do we become more self-accepting?
Keep in mind that self-
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acceptance is completely different to self-improve ment. It is beneficial to improve, but that cannot happen without accept ance– affirming who we are. Some very common examples are when we tell ourselves: “I will be okay when I make more money.” “I will be happier when I lose 10 pounds.” This is not selfaccepting. It is about be ing content with the here and now and not based on any changes in the future.
A common difficulty with this occurs when people do not want to ac cept themselves as they feel it makes the current situation okay. For ex ample, they may never want to do better if they become happy in a job below their capabilities. That is inaccurate. Ac ceptance and the crea tion of happiness is what brings the motivation for personal growth and im provements. However, keep in mind that if you do want to change your self, self-acceptance is the prerequisite for this to happen.
As mentioned before, a preventative measure is growing up in a calm, compassionate, support ing and forgiving house hold. However, the reality is that any of us do not, so we need to do things that ensure we accept ourselves for who we are.
To gain self-accept ance, we must gain self-understanding and compassion. Again, it
requires self-awareness of our flaws. We must understand and admit that everyone has faults; it is okay to have our limita tions.
You must be aware of what you are bringing to the table. Every social group has ‘the fun one’, ‘the responsible one’ etc. Everyone has a role and recognising and accept ing yours allows for inner peace. If you are unsure what your role is, ask!
Constantly acknowl edge and celebrate your strengths. We tend to fo cus more on our nega tives than our positives and this should change.
Every morning, write down a strength that you have. Furthermore, make a list of everything you have accomplished, all the adversities you have overcome and all the good you have done, no matter how small you think they may be.
Have a healthy sup port system and social circle. This means stay ing away from people who pull you down and make you feel bad about yourself. You probably do that enough on your own already. Forgive yourself for whatever wrongs you have done and every flaw you have. Regret can pre vent self-acceptance.
Mindful meditation is specifically for accept ance. Mindfulness hap pens when we sit (upright but comfortably) alone in silence. We take a few minutes to pay attention to our breathing. We fo
cus on what’s around us and then we focus on our life. The point is re linquishing power to the situation and accepting it as it is — without judge ment or plans to change.
Do you feel that you have been unaccepting to yourself? Well that’s okay — it is never too late to start. You can make a conscious effort right now to transform your sense of self.
I found a brief exer cise online that is recom mended to try every day:
Find a comfortable chair to sit in quietly for a moment and just notice your body; your arms, legs, torso and head. Then focus on your mind, your thoughts, feelings and sensation.
Once you have done this, allow your selfawareness to sink in and then let a smile creep across your face as you tell yourself:
“This is me and I’m completely okay with that.”
It may take a little practice, but once you can do this, and truly feel that acceptance of self inside, it will give you a huge sense of relief. It’s like a wave washing over you, calming your body and mind because it feels good to be you.
Did you try it? Wasn’t it wonderful?
Thank you for read ing and please send in any suggested topics to caitlinvieira@gmail. com.
THE nations that have end ed up colonising and conse quently wooing the colonised, strangely enough, have all deployed and boasted their right to civilisation through custodianship of ‘The Arts.’ Even more peculiar, when tracing the manifestation of its timeline, Ancient Khemet (Egypt) is the fount of that organised process.
The story of the advent of The Arts in Guyana so far can be safely traced to the art-based language of the Petroglyphs, expressed by the Mongolian tribes who journeyed to the twin continents of the Ameri cas and populated old Guyana, and are today addressed as the Amerindian Peoples.
But to drift to the Age of Colonisation and its cruel and conflicting normalcy, we also find The Arts expressing its comforting freedoms in drama as early as the 1780s-90s, ac cording to the biographers of the tri-colonies of old Guyana. Masquerade, as a mystical ex pression in Guyana, was kept alive. Significantly, its features differ from the development in fluences of masquerade across most of our Caribbean brethren, though, in some cases, as with Barbados, similar rhythms can be identified with the urgent modern organising of ‘The Arts and Crafts’. To quote the late Basil Hinds in a previous article, and reiterated again in the 1959 edition of the Christ mas Annual: “Thirty years ago when Governor Denham convened the inaugural meeting of the British Guiana Arts and Crafts Society at Government House, no one then perhaps thought that within a couple of generations the movement would have become as popular as it is today, and that Guianese artists would have been capable of winning world interests.”
But the gist of this col umn cannot be to capture the timeline of The Arts in Guy ana, which would take a solid volume of intense work, with the participation of overseas
archives and also private col lections, which local artists cannot fund at an initial stage, at this time. But this present focus, instead, is to pay respect to those who created thresholds of recent trends. How did the ‘Main Street Gallery’ come into being?
The answer rests with an awakening in the mid-to-late 1980s that brought to the fore a resurgence of The Arts. The main gallery and gathering place that spearheaded this was Nigel Hughes’ ‘Hadfield Foundation’, situated at Had field & Cross Streets, Werken-Rust. This movement acti vated other galleries, including ‘The Arlington Gallery’ on Hadfield and Smyth Streets, Werk-enRust; Ras Camo’s ‘Roots and Culture’ in South Ruimveldt; and Richard Hum phrey‘s ‘Tower Arts’ at Hotel Tower on downtown Main Street that bought art and sold art materials. But through it all, the Hadfield Foundation stayed ahead. This was also the period when the Creative Arts Association would write then Director of Art Dr. Denis Williams to petition the usage of the Castellani House (that was empty after the death of President Burnham) to be used as a platform for The Arts.
To his credit, Dr. Williams agreed with the position that the government must have twothirds managing say, and we had agreed. We launched the first exhibition there; what fol lowed left an impact those still alive will never forget.
The 80s into the early 90s were lucrative for both The Visual and The Performing Arts. The initial process that led to Main Street proper began when they were allowed by the management of the Stateowned Guyana Stores Limited to use the eastern walkway outside of the shopping centre to display their work and do business. Some moved to the tip of the Main Street Avenue. The then Mayor thought it was good for the artists to meet
tourists with their work; it gave the city a civilised flair, and was also convenient for those who may not be guided by the hotels they were staying at to visit art Galleries. The new pri vate owners of Guyana Stores Limited would subsequently evict the artists, thereby dem onstrating, convincingly, that to be empowered with finances did not necessarily mean to be envisioned.
The fact of that period is that there was a brisk and vi brant local arts market. Talking about the hotels, this column cannot be complete without mention of Madam ‘Teix’ Teix eira, who was what can be termed a thorough arts broker. Through her small booth at the Pegasus, the sale of paintings, my local comic books, and artworks from various artists were deposited. About two weeks later, upon paying her a visit, ‘Teix’ would open her record book, and something would be there for you. With ‘Teix’ not there, there was a significant loss. Others tried, in the same location, to emulate her; even Universal Bookstore, but the talent ‘Teix’ had was not replaceable.
The pioneering artists cannot all be highlighted. I can identify, for certain, from memory, the founda tion: Omawale Lumumba, Winston Strick, Francis Fer reira, Brian Clarke, Albert Barnwell, a travelling art ist, among other brothers like Nunes, who were itiner ant, efficient art vendors who stopped by occasionally. However, the stable broth ers like Stephen McKenzie, and the sisters in Craft and Clothing that became a part of Main Street all helped to create “the Culture”. Those who, with no malice intended, I have not included by name, would all make the ‘Main Street Gallery’ come to life, and successfully, what it is today.
Guyanese had a long and enjoyable week of cricket after the Caribbean Premier League games. It’s been a long week of fun, tears, excitement, frustration and even relaxation. Our National Stadium at Providence was packed to the brim, and our tourism rates have increased like never before. It’s safe to say that cricket has allowed all of us to put aside our differences for the love and support of our home team. Many of us grew up playing cricket in our neighbourhood and school, and it’s probably one of the very games that we played, which allowed us to understand the importance of teamwork. As I listen to stories of my parents and grandparents, cricket has always been a glue throughout our history. It’s a liked game by most Guyanese. Yes, I’m a bit biased towards cricket for obvious reasons but it’s also safe to say that many of the other sports played in Guyana have a similar effect on the people of our land. In those moments of anticipation—awaiting to see if the Amazon Warriors would win or lose; we came together in the crowd or behind the televisions in our home and sup ported our team. In that moment, all of us had a common goal, and it ultimately allowed all of us to achieve a sense of community and togetherness throughout the length and breadth of this country. That’s the version of Guyana that I
love. That’s the version of our country that melts my heart. We have many underlying issues and the centre of that is our difference in race and beliefs. It’s important to always
into our culture and history. It reflects the message, “many voices, one message”. Sports can bring together people in ways unimaginable. Total strangers come together together and celebrate and connect just by living in the same country and supporting the same team. As I was reading more on the topic of sports and unity. I came across an interesting article: What does “unity in sports” really mean? Written by Sara Gross. She explained that, “If we can’t find unity while doing simple things like kicking a ball around a field or running to see who is the fastest, then what hope do we have of finding unity in more important tasks like helping impoverished communities, cleaning up our oceans or deal ing with climate change?”
acknowledge that we’re all different people and should re spect each other regardless of race, creed or gender.
With that mind, we can also recognise the togetherness that comes from sports when played in Guyana. Cricket is our national sport for many Guyanese and is embedded
She explained it as sports being a microcosm of so ciety. We need to get the lowest stake (agreeing on who hit the ball best on a field) right before aiming for higher ones (how can we help the homeless get off the street?). Sports should’ve be a quick fix to achieving temporary unity because at the end of the day, we still have many underlying issues as a society to work on. However, it still allows for us to work together while having a sense of national pride. It’s just a small block in achieving unity and togetherness, but it’s still a stepping stone to getting there.
For the first time in its ten-year history, the final leg of the Caribbean Premiere League (CPL), dubbed the ‘biggest party in sport’- was held in Guyana. This cricket tournament brought much excitement (and anxiety) to these shores, but perhaps,
more importantly, it has provided an oppor tunity now to revisit sport development in Guyana.
Months ahead of Friday’s showdown, it was evident that Guyana would witness an in flux of eager sports fans and people just coming to enjoy themselves.
Though still in its form ative stages, it was a sound idea to tailor car nival activities around this highly-anticipated event.
The twin occurrences illustrate the appetite for sports and the arts here in Guyana. But today, let’s focus on sports de velopment.
Let me establish that when I talk about sport development, I don’t just mean hosting more excit ing events here in Guy ana. Sport development, I believe, is a process of enabling people to meaningfully participate in training and sporting activities and providing avenues for those people to refine whatever skills and talents they may possess.
Let’s take cricket, for example. Having CPL here and providing op portunities for Guya nese players, especially the young players, to play among international cricketers were both in valuable. Let me also acknowledge that there have been substantial national allocations to upgrade facilities, inter alia.
Still, when I think about sport development (cricket and generally), it seems as though there is a much greater need for more institutional support. That is, the de velopment of more yearround, well-invested pro grammes that allow any person interested to get involved in sports and then nurture their talents without them having to struggle for sponsorship and support.
We’ve seen some of these already- sporting academies and camps that go a very far way in nurturing young talent.
Better facilities in every community so that playing the game and training is more acces sible to all should also be a strong focus. If there aren’t facilities available,
we will continue to rely on passionate young peo ple defying the odds and making do with the bare minimum when we could be nurturing their talent in conducive spaces.
It is simply not enough to have inter spersed tournaments that allow sportspersons to show up and shine. And support for individual athletes in need, as has been well-ventilated, is always a concern. There’s also a conversa tion to be had on support for professional sports persons- instead of forc ing them to juggle mul tiple occupations and interests.
Last week, I read an interesting piece from prominent local sports journalist Rawle Toney, arguing that even though hosting the final round of this year’s CPL in Guyana showered much attention on local sports (cricket in particular), the development of sports in Guyana needs much more attention. I agree.
Again, this isn’t to say that little to no at tention is placed on de veloping sports in Guy ana. That would be an unfair statement given the government’s recent thrust to invest in facili ties and programmes that will benefit many young sportspersons. It is also evident that there is great interest in expanding (or maybe further diversify ing?) the sports sectorwhether it’s horsing or powerboat racing.
Still, I think the only way these and other posi tive developments can happen is if we are first
honest about the chal lenges and concerns that we are confronted by.
Before I end this col umn, I must briefly men tion women’s sports.
Since 2018, when a leg of the Women’s T20 world cup was held in Guyana, I have been fascinated by women’s cricket. Not only be cause the women are just as explosive and entertaining as the men but because they appear to be pushing the sport forward with far less support from all stake holders. I imagine that it is the same for many, if not all, other sports.
I won’t pretend to know the inner work ings of women’s sporting events in Guyana. I will say, however, that rev enue generation, or the lack thereof, should not be a deterrent to invest ing in the development of women’s sports. As we think about establish ing and expanding fa cilities and programmes, the focus should also be placed on getting more girls and women interest ed and involved in sports by creating safe spaces for them to participate and train.
All in all, I think the nation is engrossed in our recent cricket fes tivities, and now is as good a time as any to discuss and pursue sport development in Guyana meaningfully.
If you would like to discuss this column or any of my previous writings, please feel free to contact me via email: vish14ragob eer@gmail.com
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to participate in disaster risk reduction and deci sion-making.
EPA’s role in disaster risk reduction
The Environmental Pro tection Agency’s (EPA) mandate is to oversee the effective management, con servation, protection, and improvement of the envi ronment. This requires the Agency to take the neces sary measures to ensure the prevention and control of pollution, assess environ mental and human health impacts of economic activi ties, and the sustainable use of natural resources.
EPA’s Emergency Re sponse forms part of Guy ana’s action to reduce the severity of environmen tal disasters should they occur. The Agency also works closely with the Civil Defense Commission (CDC), the coordinating agency for disaster man agement in Guyana, on a
number of initiatives to raise awareness, and craft policies to prepare com munities and households to manage impacts.
The CDC has embarked on a number of initiatives to strengthen and enhance Community Based Early Warning Systems (CBE WS) in the vulnerable coastal, hinterland, and indigenous communities across Guyana. The project entails the incorporation of CBEWS into the already implemented Community Based Disaster Risk Man agement (CBDRM) system in the hazard-prone coastal, hinterland and indigenous communities in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Strengthening Disaster Management Ca pacity of Women in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Common wealth of Dominica Pro ject. Further, a number of target-specific public edu
cation and awareness cam paigns are being conducted to help us all understand disaster risk management a little better, and what we can do to contribute.
On Thursday, October 13, Guyana will join the rest of the world to observe the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
For additional infor mation on Disaster Risk Reduction, contact can be made with the Civil De fence Commission (CDC) at Thomas Road, Thomas Lands, Georgetown on telephone numbers: 2261114, 226-8815, 225-5847 0r 226-1027 or visit the website at www.cdc.gy
You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Pro tection Agency, Gan ges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or
email us at: eit.ep aguyana@gmail.com.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our You Tube channel.
Pink ribbons fluttering in the wind, coming closer and closer then drifting away, lost in the far horizon.
Brandon sat up in bed, awoken from his sleep again by the strange dream. He sighed, got up and slid open the glass doors on the upper balcony of his home. He stepped out and sighed again.
At the beginning, when the dreams began, he did not put any thought to it, that it may
have some kind of meaning, for in his view dreams were just an unending series of thoughts and images occurring in a person’s mind.
But now he began to won der.
“Why am I having this re curring dream of pink ribbons in the sky?”
He tried to think of some thing that may have connected him at some time, somewhere to the ribbons, but found noth
ing. The one odd thing about the dream, he now recognised, was that it only happened when he was home, not on travels.
Brandon was a successful cricketer, a recognised No. 3 batsman for the West Indies team, so he was more overseas than at home in Guyana.
“It means,” he surmised, “The dream has to do with something or someone here.”
He was on a break from
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cricket, but his daily schedule was so hectic, the dream was pushed to the back of his mind, until he saw the little girl.
He had visited Leonora Primary School on the West Coast Demerara to donate some cricketing gears, when he noticed a pretty little girl sitting quietly in the corner of the classroom. She had long hair, tied with ribbons and was shy and soft-spoken. It was at that moment the meaning of the dream hit him. The pink ribbon was an image from childhood that had been re pressed in his mind.
“I had a friend!” he ex claimed to himself, “A little girl like her.”
At home alone, with time to think, his mind searched for memories of her, finding little fragments from the years that had gone by. He had seen her for the first time almost twelve years ago when he had gone to spend some time with his aunt in the countryside. The house next door was hidden by thick hedges and tall trees with huge sprawling limbs that gave the place a dark, mysterious look. His aunt forbade him not to go close, but Brandon, the curious young boy he was, wanted to know what was hidden behind the thick hedges. He managed to cut a little opening but could see just a little part of the yard and as he watched, a pitbull came into view.
“Darn!” Brandon ex claimed quietly, pulling back.
A few days passed and Brandon did not peep through the small opening again, though he was still curious. Then early one morning, he was awoken by a soft, sweet voice singing. It was com ing from the house next door and scrambling out of bed, he ran downstairs to the hedge and cautiously uncovered the opening he had made, but he saw no one.
The voice was coming closer, then she came into view, walking barefoot in the dewy grass, her long hair tied loosely with a pink ribbon, a small basket filled with flowers on her arm. Her simple beauty sent a warm feeling in his young heart but what actually touched him was the sad tinge in her voice.
The story in the neighbour hood was that the young girl was literally imprisoned with her mother in that house by her tyrant stepfather. Brandon knew that if there was anyone who needed a friend, it was her and he had wondered how to get her attention. Then one day, whilst watching cricket, he realised he could hit a ball like a six over the hedge when she was in the garden, so he had bought a pack of flannel
balls and taped a note on the ball that said, “Hi, my name is Brandon.”
He had waited early the next morning when he heard her singing and he took aver age of the shot and hit the ball over the hedge. He heard the dog barking, then there was silence.
The next morning as he was thinking whether he should hit another ball over with a note, when he saw a pink ribbon, stuck in the corner of the hedge. He took it down and written in neat. Small let ters were the words,
“Hi I’m Deepika.”
“Yes!” Brandon expressed in delight, and that was how they began communicating.
Day after day through the opening in the hedge, he had become her friend, a warm friendship that had brought a smile to her lips and a light in her soft brown eyes. But regrettably, the time had come for him to leave and on that day he did not see her but stuck on the hedge was another pink rib bon and she had written, “Thank you for being my friend.”
He had kept the ribbon, hoping one say to see her again but as the years passed and his cricketing career took off, he became famous and rich. The ribbon got lost somewhere and the little girl he had befriended faded from his mind.
Brandon sighed deeply and shook his head, “I left and never returned,” he said with deep regrets, “How could I have forgotten her?”
He knew he had to find her. He travelled to her village in the countryside of West Coast Berbice but when he reached there, his hopes were shattered, for she was not there anymore.
His aunt told him they had left, mother and daughter, eight years ago to get away from her brutish stepfather and no one had ever seen them again.
Brandon stared at the hedge, not sure now what to do, when his aunt handed him a folded pink ribbon.
“She left this and asked me to give it to you, if you ever came back to look for her.”
He unfolded the ribbon slowly and written on it were two words, “Find me.”
Eight years ago, she had left that note and he wondered if life had been harsher for her.
He folded the ribbon neat ly and put it in his pocket, a promise in his mind.
“I will find you, my friend.”
He was not sure, though, where to start in a country of ten regions, no forwarding ad dress nor any family connec tion to mother or daughter, and most importantly, how would
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he recognise her from twelve years ago when he had first seen her?
For days he tried visualis ing what she would look like now, as a young woman draw ing sketches after sketches, for sketching had been one of his hobbies since at school. Fi nally, he got something that he felt could give him an idea who to look for. He travelled all the regions on the coast but could not find her. Days matured into weeks and a measure of desper ation crept into his mind. Then one night, he saw in another dream native children sitting under a huge tree listening with rapt attention to their teacher, whose face he could not see. Then one child raised her hands and said, “Miss Deepika.”
Brandon snapped out of his dream and sat up so suddenly he almost fell off the bed.
“Yes, of course,” he said excited, “she had said she wanted to be a teacher. Thank you, Lord!”
Now, the task was finding which region in the interior and that was where his friend Anto nio came in. Brandon sketched the picture he saw in his dream and Antonio immediately rec ognised the place.
It was in Region 8.
The next morning, he trav elled by land to the Hinterland region, reaching at nightfall. The anticipation of seeing her after all these years tied knots in his stomach and the night seemed so long.
In the morning he travelled from the guest house to the village and he saw the same scene. She was sitting in a chair under a huge tree, her hair wrapped at the nape of her neck, reading to the children. He did not see her face but he knew in his heart, it was her.
“Deepika,” he called her name quietly.
She stopped reading, turned around and rose from her chair. He felt the rush of overwhelming relief and joy as he looked at her. Her living
image wasn’t far from the one he had sketched.
She was so beautiful!
She looked at him, un certainly, for the years and changed him from boyhood to manhood.
“Do I know you?” she asked in a soft, pleasant voice.
He took the ribbon from his pocket and held it up saying,
“I got your message.”
She gasped and dropped the book.
“Brandon.”
“I’m sorry I took so long to find you,” he said, his voice heavy with relief.
“After all this time,” she said through tears, a little trem or in her voice, “I thought I would never see you again.”
“It’s God’s work,” he said, wiping her tears, “and now I have found you, I want to have you and our friendship in my life forever.”
She smiled and he hugged her in soft embrace.
A bond tied by a pink ribbon.
There are two tragedies in life.One is not to get your heart’s desire.The other is to get it.
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW(1856-1950) Man and Superman(1903) Act IV
Dear Student, Welcome dear friend. Effective study techniques are the key to study success for all students. Realise your learning style. If you learn faster and easier by seeing, you are a visual learner. Colour highlight important words to recall infor mation. Make writ ing your own notes a habit. Use charts, maps, and graphs to
communicate ideas and thoughts. Look at headings and pic tures before reading whole sentences. Sit close up-front where you can easily see the teacher. Be wise. Love you.
IMPROVING WRITING
Dealing with writ ing the business letter (cont’d)
When you write a business letter you should consider its spe
cific purpose. It can be used to request infor mation, make a com plaint, or apply for a job among many other purposes. A business letter is written more formally than a friendly letter. Business letters are written by hand, also typed on an of ficial letterhead. Look at short descriptions of two types of business letters:
a) Letter of Request. This letter tells what specific information the writer needs as well as why or when the infor mation is needed.
b) Letter of Com plaint. The letter should state politely the nature of the problem and ask for or tell how the problem might be corrected.
Typed Letters. The order or sequence in which the parts are po sitioned when the busi ness letter is typed is a fixed one. Fixed in a logical pattern that is normally not altered to suit individual tastes.
The topic writ ten on, and audience it reaches, determine the use of style, wheth er block or modified block. A typed letter in block style has each line begin at the margin. Make note that a new paragraph is marked by double line spacing.
Qualities of Request Letters.
a) Request letters, especially those which are persuasive in na ture, need to be planned carefully. Let your need be known to your reader and let it be re lated to your request, and you will be closer to accomplishing the purpose of your letter.
b) State your ideas completely and clearly in as little space as pos sible. Make it courte ous and tactful and as easy as possible for the reader to carry through the desired action.
Organisation of Per suasive Requests
When writing a per suasive request letter, there are some factors you need to consider:
a) Determine the ap proach you will take. Ask yourself, “In what way will or can my request benefit the reader?” View your request in terms of sat isfying one or more of the reader’s psycho logical needs. Write the letter as much as pos sible from the reader’s viewpoint.
b) Once you have gotten a provocative opening and gained your reader’s attention by presenting your re quest in the most fa vourable light, continue to build interest by re lating the discussion of your request to the reader’s needs.
See what we have stressed in the Persua sive Request?
1) Attention-getting statement or device that encourages the reader to continue reading the letter. 2) Statements that (a) present facts or (b) meet the reader’s needs. 3) Presentation of request in terms of how it will benefit the reader, if possible. 4) Request for action.
Kinds of Persuasive Requests
Persuasive business letters are many. They can be sales letters to prospective custom ers, job-application let ters, requests for dona
2,
tions, letters requesting favours among very many others.
Business Letter of Complaint
When writing a letter of complaint, remember to explain carefully and tactfully what is wrong. Avoid negative accusations or threats. They tune out the reader. Avoid lec turing the reader about the ethics of the situ ation. Put the matter as succinctly as pos sible. Politely explain what you need done in the situation. The complaint letter can be persuasive but look at the simple complaint letter below.
Ladies and Gentle
men:
The wood-grained radio I ordered from your store arrived broken. Apparently, no packing had been placed in the box before it was sent from the warehouse.
The radio was pur chased on June 25 and charged to my account under your Sales In voice PL56387. I am returning the broken radio to your store and would appreciate your replacing it with a new one in the same size and wood-grained fin ish.
The radio is to be a birthday gift, so I would appreciate receiving the replacement by July 28.
Sincerely yours, Something to Do
1. For one of your language clubs, assume you have been given the task of interviewing a person who presently is working in an occu pation in which you are interested. To complete this assignment, you
will need to enquire about duties, qualifica tions, educational back ground, opportunities for advancement. You need to obtain a com prehensive picture of the position for a report you must write. Select an individual you might like to interview and write him or her a letter requesting an interview.
2. A box of kiwis you ordered from Grossly Fruit Intl Ltd., Causeway Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice arrives with some of the fruit spoiled. The grapefruit was crated poorly and was marked “Keep in a Cool Place”. Write a letter making your complaint.
March, 2006
The Editor, These days we have to look at a calendar to be sure that Carnival is really here. Car nival was celebrated regionally last Mon day and Tuesday, in Trinidad and Tobago, in Martinique, in Domi nica and in Haiti, yet, I’d be lying if I said I heard maybe once or twice the latest ca lypsos for 2006. All you hear on the radio is rap, rap, rap, and more rap. Fifty Cents, Sean Paul, Kenya West, and Beyonce dominate the air waves. However, no one can remember hearing Sparrow, Sugar Aloes or Invader on BET. Tell me, when last did you see a Car ibbean steelband on BET?
Question: What is the writer’s attitude to rap music as ex pressed on this para graph?
It is quite common for dental practitioners to hear persons describe dental pain as an “edg ing” or “shocking” when they eat or drink anything sweet or sour, when the food is hot or cold, or even with simply brushing. If you experience this, you are among the approxi mately 60,000 Guyanese adults suffering from den tine hypersensitivity.
Dentine is min eralised tissue transected from the pulp chamber (at the tooth’s centre) to enamel or cementum by minute tubules. Within the tubules are protoplasmic projections (“tentacles” of cells), with the cell body itself being located in the pulp chamber. Stimulating these cells emits only one sensation, pain.
There are currently four hypotheses of pain trans mission through dentine, of which the hydrodynamic theory is the most widely accepted. According to this theory, the movement of fluids within the dentine and pulp stimulates the nerves causing pain. All ex ternal stimuli translate into hydrodynamic changes that alter the pulp equilibrium and elicit pain. So even contact with air can result in pain.
Pain can be caused by mechanical, chemical, thermal (temperature) or bacterial stimuli. Stimula tion sources may include: toothbrushing, digital (fin ger) probing; desiccation (a blast of air); acids, sweet, sour, hot and cold products: and acid products from plaque bacteria.
There are varied pre disposing factors to den tinal hypersensitivity but no single cause. The tooth becomes sensitive after enamel loss or root sur
face exposure. Enamel loss follows mechanical wear (biting surface wear), neck abrasion or possibly tooth flexure after grind ing, which fractures enamel rods chemical erosion (acid foods or stomach regurgita tion), gingival recession (retracting gums) and sub sequent tooth root expo sure allow more rapid and extensive exposure of den tinal tubules because the cementum layer overlying the root surface is thin and easily removed.
The many causes of gingival retraction include normal ageing, chronic per iodontal disease, abnormal tooth position in the dental arch, periodontal surgery, incorrect tooth brushing habits and root preparation for crowns. All of the pre cipitating factors allow the exposure of dental tubules, which create the condition for dentine hypersensitivity.
Treatment modalities fall into two main catego ries: chemical and physical. All available treatments work to differing degrees depending on the treat ment and severity of the patient’s hypersensitivity.
Pain is extremely subjec tive, so effective treatment often depends on the in dividual’s pain threshold. Some desensitising agents can be used at home; others require a visit to the dentist.
Chemical desensitising agents can be sub-classified by their action: anti-inflam matory, protein precipitat ing and tubule blocking.
Corticosteroids, one of the many groups of chemi cal agents, have been used topically for their anti-in flammatory effects but are not particularly effective.
The second group of chemical agents, the pro tein precipitants, includes silver nitrate and zinc
chloride. Silver nitrate was widel y used in the past. Unfortunately, both substances cause teeth to stain perma nently and are harm
ful to gums and pulp. Strontium chloride and formaldehyde (in Senso dyne toothpaste) belong to the group of agents that precipitate proteins
within the tubule. Other drugs used to treat the condition include cal cium hydroxide, fluo ride, and sodium citrate. Patients may also be
treated with composites (fillings), resin varnish es, sealants, soft tissue grafts, glass ionomer cement and laser sealing of the tubules.
