CHARMAINE Blackman’s latest new track ‘The Word’ tiptoes between electronica and disco coming together to form an ‘Ethnic Fusion’ with lyrics taken from the Gospel of St. John Chapter 1 and crafted by other composing and musical veteran Bonny Alves.
Known for her tenacity, versatility and range, she captures a quiet, reflective mood in this track, coupled with an acute reminder of where the world began, “delivering the accurate and inspiring emotions necessary for the song.”
Apart from ‘The Word’, Charmaine is also gearing up to do a video that is based on the Mahdia tragedy, which claimed the lives of 20 children. “This song does not say Mahdia, or the children, but it speaks of situations around that event. It’s called ‘Do It Today’” she shared with Pepperpot Magazine.
The Guyanese musician, who has quite a knack for turning heads due to her unique styles of fashion and performances, has completed recording multiple new songs for the year so far.
She has also been working with artistes associated with ‘SSignal Productions’, a production company owned by herself and her husband Bonny Alves.
Charmaine just recently received the Roc Pioneers Award from overseas-based Shawn DemRoc McAllister as someone who has made an impression and contributed to Guyana’s
music industry for over three decades.
She had reflected on the period when it was just she and her husband who were producers, with no one else really doing anything in the field. Looking back through the years, she’s happy that she has gotten some recognition for the hard work that they’ve put in.
Even now, after 33 years of being in the industry, Charmaine said she has not lost much of the energy and drive needed to succeed.
“Every year you learn different things. I think if I wake up one morning and am not able to sing anymore, I would really be depressed,” she had expressed.
Relating how she’s successfully dealt with negativity that came her way over the years, she said: “At first it bothered me. But I have not lost sleep over that. I have come to know my worth and who I am and it doesn’t really bother me anymore.”
For one thing, being a judge
FOUR local Speech and Language Therapists (SLP)/audiologists benefitted from an extensive period of recent self-reflection and theoretical work on how toefficiently deal with persons in their respective departmentsand be better supervisors.
“It was a whole lot of
Kerianne Richards, one of the four who participated in theInternship in Clinical Education: A practicum in SLP (Speech-Language Pathology) Supervisionprogramme.
reflection on how we can better our service with the staff that we have,” said
Richards and her colleagues Sonia Fredericks, Lenise Robinson, and Michelle Jackman travelled to South Carolina and San Jose, California for 17 days to participate in the training.
“The American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) funded our UG programme and the person who sphere-headed it was Gloria Weddington. Due to our mentorship programme we had asked for some supervisory training because when the first cohort graduated from UG, we didn’t have any sort of
training in supervision because we came back to a department where had to
have persons working under
we would want to imple -
it can become chaotic and
us. That’s how this training came about,” Richards shared in an interview.
The participants looked at group therapy for aphasic persons (persons who had a stroke and from it got aphasia, which is a difficulty understanding or trying to bring out words).
“In Guyana, we do not have an aphasia group for speech therapy; we have an overall strokes survivor’s group, so one of the things
ment is to have most of our stroke patients come together, especially the ones who have speech and language impairment, to see how best they can communicate with and support each other,” Richards shared.
She and the other participants also noticed that the clinics abroad are child-centred, meaning that the children would lead the sessions.
“Here in Guyana, we don’t allow them to lead because
we don’t have the space to provide that.” Of course, this is something that will be looked at.
The participants also learned many new things, like how to use alternative communication to speak.
“We also saw that they have an autistic adult group. We don’t have the resources here to accommodate that. But we will look at it,” Richards further shared.
OVER the many years and decades in Guyana, theatre and theatrical performances have been therapeutic for most people.
People have gone to the Theatre Guild, national cultural centre, and other entertainment people when they need a good laugh, and as we say in Guyana, to relieve their stress.
A true legend and champion of the local stage, Marc Matthews,who contributed to much of that entertainment, received a lifetime award from the Theatre Guildfor his work as a poet and storyteller at age 86.
During the ceremony, Marc Matthews related to the audience how he began his career in the late 1960s and has worked with several legends, including Ken Corsbie, among others.
According to one member of the Board of Directors of the Guild, veteran actor and broadcaster Ron Robinson, Matthews began his career as a scriptwriter working for the then Guyana Broadcasting Service and as a tutor in drama at the Cyril Potter Training College
He has also been involved with the Caribbean Artists’ Movement (CAM). In 1987, Matthews won the Guyana Prize for Literature.
His earnest quest and passion for theatre became reinvigorated after he came back to Guyana in 1969 by simply finding out what theatre is and what people want.
He also noted some things that inspired his performance, particularly street theatre.He recalled growing up as a Pastor’s child, he shared what his experience was like
“I was referred to as Pat Matthews’‘dougla’ son, and then Pat Matthews’‘mad son’,” Matthews told the audience, who then rolled up into laughter.
One of his relatives disclosed that her uncle moved to London in 2000 and would often invite her to see him perform in London’s Caribbean theatre scene,where he was and remains… a legend!
According to his Wikipedia page and the bio read at the event,Marc Matthews was born in British Guiana in the 1940s. He received, he reports, “a mid-Victorian education” at Queen’s College, Georgetown.
“He worked as an operator, producer and presenter on Radio Demerara, as a scriptwriter and documentary researcher/ presenter for Guyana Broadcasting Service, and as a tutor in drama at the Cyril Potter Teachers Training College. He was a co-director/founder of Jaiai Independent Broadcasting Unit, and with Peter Kempadoo produced Our Kind Of Folk for radio in Guyana.
In the 1960s Marc Matthews was in London as a freelance reporter, involved with the UK Black Power movement and alternative theatre productions. He was closely involved with the Caribbean Artists Movement (CAM), being, along with Linton Kwesi Johnson, one of the most prominent younger poets to come out of CAM in the 1970s. Unlike with Johnson, Matthews’s pioneering role as a nation language performance poet has not been fully recognised, perhaps because his roots and material were always more Guyanese than Black British.
Similarly, because of its nature as live theatre rather than as published scripts, his important work, first with fellow Guyanese Ken Corsbie in Dem Two in 1974, then in 1975 in All Ah We, which added John Agard and Henry Muttoo, has largely vanished from the record, if not the memory of those who
witnessed them. Only Matthews’s record Marc-Up (1987) survives as a record of those days.
As the tyranny of the Burnham years worsened, Matthews settled in the United Kingdom. However, he made one attempt to return to live in Guyana after the return of democratic government in the 1990s. In 1987, he won the Guyana Prize[5] for his first collection of poetry, Guyana My Altar (Karnak House, 1987). (Kairi in Trinidad had produced an early unbound pamphlet by Matthews, Eleven O’clock Goods, in 1974.) His collection A Season of Sometimes was published by Peepal Tree Press in 1992. His work has also been anthologized in collections such as The Heinemann Book of Caribbean Poetry (1992) and The Penguin Book of Caribbean Verse in English.
Around 2005 Matthews, working under the pseudonym “Tramping Man”, formed a musical collaboration named Burn Brothers with two London-based producers, Jean Philippe Altier, and Adam Hoyle. They were joined by saxophonist Florian Brand and performed a number of gigs in and around London in 2007. A record entitled Fire Exit was recorded and released in April 2008.”
THIS year will mark 50 years since the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has been in existence and since the treaty of Chaguaramas was signed. CARICOMis revered as the oldest surviving integration movement in the developing world,so 50 years is certainly worth celebrating.
The Guyana Folk Festival organising committee is making its contribution this year under the theme “recognising and celebrating its New York roots“.
One of the organisers of the event, Vibert Cambridge noted that “this year, Brooklyn -based Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc will explore New York’s Caribbean. It is our contribution to the 50th anniversary of CARICOM”.
In a document sent, the Brooklyn -based Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc published its first online edition magazine for 2023 . The document also noted that the Guyana Folk Festival is a family day of the best in Guyanese culture, food, music and entertainment
The first Guyana UK Folk Festival was held in 2008. This cultural extravaganza aims to bring a taste of Guyana’s rich cultural heritage to the shores of the UK. Performers have included GUSDA’s Patron and Guyanese icon, Ram John Holder (aka Pork Pie), Flautist Keith Waithe, Actress Doris Harper-Wills, and Poet Marc Matthews. The event has also had special performances from US and Guyanese-based artist
FROM PAGE II
for competitions has convinced Charmaine that others trust her and know her worth. On some days, though, she can’t help but notice how people with a “quarter” of her talent don’t have to deal with as much negativity as she had to.
Meanwhile, when she won the most recent award, McAllister in a social media post said that Charmaine’s “versatility, superb range and exceptional talent” have helped to establish her as a leading voice in the field of music in Guyana.
“Charmaine has sang with many of Guyana’s top bands, the likes of the Majestics Live, The Cannon Balls Band, Pete’s Caribbean Fusion and the Yoruba Singers and her voice and features have been on radio and television commercials for some of the major companies in Guyana, the likes of Mings Products & Services Ltd, Courts (Guyana) Ltd, Wireless Connections, Guyana Lottery Company, Banks DIH Ltd, Caricom, Demerara Distillers Ltd, Geddes Grant (Guyana) Ltd, UNESCO, Guyenterprise and Creative Advertising Agencies and The Mayor & Councillors of the City of Georgetown, just to name a few.”
Terry Gadraj, Big Red, Jumo Primo (former lead singer of the world-famous Byron Lee & the Dragonaires), and Comedienne Liza Singh.
The Folk Festival gives Guyanese a taste of home. It provides an opportunity for Guyanese to get together, reminisce and reflect on how things were ‘back in the de day’. For the children of Guyanese parentage, people of the Caribbean, and other countries, the Folk Festival is an opportunity to experience this rich cultural heritage.
Participants are also treated to a variety of traditional Guyanese dishes, ranging from the mouth-watering main courses of curry and roti, pepper pot and cook-up to the delicious taste of salara, cassava pone, and pine tart washed down with a glass of mauby or sorrel.
According to an article published in the Guyana Chronicle dated August 14, 2022, Cambridge was quoted as saying that “the Guyana Folk Festival is an annual event organised by the Guyana Cultural Association of New York, a complaint not for profit organisation. The festival has been held in Brooklyn, New York for the past 22 years.The Guyana Folk Festival organised by the Guyana Broadcasting Corporationin the early 1980s was the inspiration behind this event for the past 22 years,“ Cambridge told Pepperpot.
The Guyanese musician has quite a knack for turning heads due to her unique styles of fashion and performancesCharmaine has more than 30 years in the music industry
LAST week the Pepperpot Magazine journeyed overland to the countryside village of Portuguese Quarters, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) to highlight the locals’ way of life.
Portuguese Quarters is sandwiched between Rose Hall and Free Yard villages and it is a small two-street community that has a few businesses on the public road.
tation where people were brought to work on the plantation and in the factory.
Today, there are no descendants of those people, and the village comprises mostly of Indo and Afro-Guyanese.
There are dwelling houses on both sides of the public road and two internal streets with a cross street that goes to the Secondary School.
is a bustling place theming with daily activities.
There is a drainage canal running through the entire village from north to south and then there is the backlands area which is utilised by locals to rear sheep and goats on a large scale.
The residents of Portuguese Quarters, Port Mourant, rear their own pigs, sheep, goats, cows and ducks.
Most things are within reach in Portuguese Quarters Vil-
It is said that, in the early days of indentureship, the Portuguese settled in that village. Thus, the name was derived.
Locals said it was in the 1960s and it was a sugar plan-
Public Road
Portuguese Quarters
The village has a few optical stores, a lumberyard, a hardware store, a pharmacy, a poultry business, roadside food stalls, bars, a hotel, shops, supermarkets, the National Insur-
lage and the people are self-sufficient and make a living doing many things.
The people of Portuguese Quarters Village have elec-
ance Scheme (NIS) Office, an insurance company and many other businesses.
In the nearby village of Free Yard there is the nursery, primary and secondary schools, the Guysuco Training Centre and, at Tain, there is the University of Guyana Campus. Other services such as the health centre and the hospital are also in Port Mourant and it
tricity, potable water, landline phone, internet and the basic infrastructure.
This village is part of a series of 15 settlements that are within the catchment of Port Mourant and it is the home of the late President, Dr Cheddi Jagan and also where Babu John Crematorium is located.
These villages are Free Yard, Bound Yard, Portuguese Quarters, Manager’s Compound, Grassfield, Ankerville, Haswell, Miss Phoebe, Bangladesh, Tain, Clifton and John’s.
Just outside this village is the Port Mourant Market which operates daily but is even bigger on weekends.
IN Bunion Dam, Portuguese Quarters, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice is the home of Albion/Port Mourant Sugar Estate employee, Lakeram Lalbeharry, a father of one, who is expecting his second child and has a lot to look forward to.
The 30-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that life is quite normal in that village and he goes about his day at work which is on a shift system, so he is away at work mostly and when he is at home, he would try to catch up on much-needed rest.
He reported that a lot of people migrated and the older folk have since passed on and most people that reside there have lived all their lives there so they are known.
Lalbeharry disclosed that in his street, which is a dead-end, there are a dozen houses and most of the locals were at work and they are neighbourly.
This section of the village is made up of lots of trees, especially mango, in the yards of the villagers along with plants and flowers.
Lalbeharry’s wife, who is heavily pregnant, is a stay-at-home mother who does the chores and cooking and also takes care of their six-yearold daughter, who was away at school.
“This is a nice quiet street, a place I am accustomed to and we all know each other here and this is a place where you can still visit your neighbour for anything but people prefer to stay in,” he said.
Indira Boodram, the home-maker
Meanwhile, Indira Boodram is a neighbour who was relaxing in her hammock after completing household chores and cooking that day when the team visited.
The 53-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she has been living in Portuguese Quarters Village, Port Mourant for the past 26 years and things have been quiet.
She added that she is the mother of two and it is a peaceful place to settle and raise a family.
Boodram stated that her husband, Hardat Boodram is a pastry maker at the nearby Spready’s Bakery and Snackette and she once worked there and it was the place where she met him and they got married.
This resident is very benevolent and does her part in the community by giving back via a feeding programme for the elderly and children.
She reported that annually, when it is her birth anniversary, she would prepare meals and take them to the orphanages in Berbice and feed the children as her way of giving back to society.
Boodram explained that at times her relatives, who reside abroad, would send money for the same project and she would visit the home of the elderly and do a feeding programme.
“It is something I look forward to and I feel a sense of joy giving back because the less fortunate are people too and they need our support so it is my duty to engage in feeding programmes,” she said.
Boodram visited the Kamal Home for Children, the Dharmic Sabha Home and the homes for the elderly along the Corentyne corridor many times to spread joy and even though it is yearly she would get donations from relatives to provide meals sometimes twice a year.
“I would go and ask what they need for lunch or dinner and based on that menu, I would prepare the meals. In addition I would bake cakes and buy ice cream and other goodies to make the occasion extra special,’ she said.
When the team visited, she was in her favourite spot, the outdoor hammock chatting with her daughter, on that rainy day, a typical day in the countryside village of Portuguese Quarters, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice.
THESE days, Rajpaul Baljit is taking things one step at a time, and he is very grateful for the support of his wife, Parbattie Ramlall, who, despite being in a wheelchair, does all the housework and cooking since he is stricken with multiple ailments.
The 76-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that his wife is in a wheelchair due to a pinched nerve but takes care of the home and ensures everything is in order despite challenges.
He reported that he is the father of two and they have four grandchildren and keep a lovely, clean home and surroundings.
Baljit, a retired sugar worker, has diabetes, kidney stones, hypertension and glaucoma in both eyes, and although he has to do surgery for his eyes, he has declined.
“Honestly, I am scared to go and do surgery for glaucoma because I had a friend that did it and he was not well after that and he died three
years after,” he said.
Being elderly, Baljit related that he will continue to live with his sickness and he is using some home remedies and so far, he is doing better in terms of his eyesight and he can see to sign his name.
Baljit reported that he has a lot to be thankful for, especially his wife, who is his foundation and she remains by his side even now and she provides constant moral support
He has been living at Portuguese Quarters Village, Port Mourant, for the past 20 years, and the house he occupies belonged to his wife’s parents, a roadside spot.
“Living at a roadside property is convenient, but
be done.
“At nights, a lot of things happen around here, people dump garbage in the canal, the loud music, and you cannot say anything because you are threatened and then there is the drug addicts that roam the village, picking the mangoes off the trees and pelting the dog,” Baljit said.
He is originally from a nearby village in Port Mourant catchment named Ankerville, and he moved to his in-law’s place after marriage.
Baljit was a cane harvester at different sugar estates from 1965 to 2006 and even worked at Wales Sugar Estate for some time.
He reminisced that, in those days, they had little but
He related that in the ‘black and white’ days, Port Mourant was a very clean place managed by the masters of the sugar plantation and they had mules they walked the grounds with to ensure the place was spotless and they lived in Manager’s Compound.
The senior citizen stated that he enjoyed horse racing at the Port Mourant Race Course, the flattest and biggest racecourse in those days and it was a place of recreation and it was a big deal for them in those days.
in Guyana.
As a young man growing up in Ankerville, Port Mourant, he told the Pepperpot Magazine that Port Mourant was a place of activities just like today but the sugar factory and other things of indentureship were replaced with modern ones and today they are a central hub of businesses.
‘Uncle Tex’, as Baljit is better known, has a lovely home, a colonial-style house which they maintained over the years with a wood-
en swinger, a signature of Corentyne is under the house for that added comfort and it provides a place to sit and relax after a long day of work and chores.
Baljit’s yard has a lot of trees, plants, flowers and fruit trees, two big mango trees that have ripe mangoes, an attraction to drug addicts. “At my age, I just want to live out my time without worries to have a peaceful time and I hope it can happen,” he said.
the disadvantages outshine the advantages because you get in trouble for things that doesn’t concern you and you are at risk,” he explained.
Many bars, hotels and other nightspots play loud music way into the wee hours of the morning and that is most disturbing for this elder, who said he has to put up with it since nothing can
life was much more fulfilling in terms of family time and simpler with fewer complications.
Baljit added that in the earlies, they used to cook on the outdoor fireside and they would wake up early to cut up wood and cook to take their food to work, riding their bicycles or utilising the train.
Baljit reported that he believes that life was better back then in the 1970s. Even though they worked for a little, it was sufficient and they made do with whatever was in the environment and never went hungry due to the fertile soil composition we have here
DEVANAND Mamgar
doesn’t let things get to him, and his way of coping is to be occupied doing things that bring him peace.
He is a resident of Portuguese Quarters Village, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice and when the Pepperpot Magazine visited,he was mending his cast net he uses to go and catch fish at the canal aback his home.
Fishing is a pastime for Mamgar, who took the option of early retirement, having accomplished his years of service within the sugar industry.
The 58-year-old reported that he would only go fishing whenever he feels like it and it is a form of recreation for him and if there is any catch, he would bring it home for the pot.
Mamgar stated that two months ago the pot-holed dam was replaced with a concrete street, which is a significant development for the locals.
He noted that the only issue in the village is flooding and when it rains, the road being much higher the rainfall water would run off into his yard and lodge there.
Mamgar explained that he was a cane harvester attached to the Albion/Port Mourant Sugar Estate for 37 years and after he was diagnosed with chronic arthritis in both knees, working became difficult.
He, however, opted for early retirement, was paid off, and is at home doing many things to pass time without being bored.
Mamgar added that Portuguese Quarters Village is mostly quiet and it is a good place to reside despite the challenges of everyday living.
Meanwhile, his wife, HainitaMamgar, a mother of three told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is a housewife and she would basically take care of the home, the chores and cooking.
A task she is accustomed to and it is never-ending but she does it anyway and she
has a 29-year-old daughter, who is differently- abled who would assist her in the daily chores.
This couple reside in Middle Street and they have a nice home and surrounding they have maintained to a good standard over the years.
Mary Boodhoo, the stay-at-home mother Down over in the north section of Portuguese Quarters, Port Mourant Village is the home of Mary Boodhoo and her husband, Lloyd Ramnarine.
She reported that about two months ago they benefitted from an upgraded road and she is very pleased about it because it was a mud dam and navigating it was a challenge.
The 54-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that the village is flood-prone and often there is water accumulation when it rains.
They rear some creole chickens and they had to build the pen higher but still the water would manage to get in and cause the birds to
die from cramps. Boodhoo related that life is fair in that village and she is quite comfortable despite
everything isn’t in her favour. Her husband, Lloyd Ramnarine added that he is a mason/carpenter and when
the rainy season is here work is not readily available. How-
THE idea of working for other people did not sit well with Anu Boodram and after working for some timewith a private company, she became empowered and started her own small business from her home.
She is a resident of Portuguese Quarters, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice and she is a self-taught beautician who does hair, nails and full-face make-up.
Boodram, 26, began working from home just before Christmas last year, a venture she was unsure about until she started getting a few customers.
The beautician was self-taught via YouTube and she began practising on family members until she became good at what she does for a living.
Boodram related that she used to work at MoneyGram and she quit after some time and wanted to start her own small business.
“One day, I just got up and did not want to go to work for people anymore and I began watching these Youtube videos of doing make-up, acrylic and gel polish nail designs, hair-cutting and the different trending hair treatments including keratin and said to herself I can do,” Boodram said.
Boodram remains optimistic that her small business will grow and she is hoping to establish her own salon soon.
The resident of Portuguese Quarters Village reported that practice makes perfect and she did a lot to practice before taking on customers, only a few to ensure they are getting their money’s worth based on the service.
Boodram added that it was risky to embark on a career she knew nothing about and had no formal training, so that was there to consider.
But she is glad she went outside of the box and took the leap of faith to become empowered as a small business owner and working from home is so convenient.
She noted that things take time and she is willing to allow herself to grow as a beautician and over time, her name and service will become known and she will have the business she desires.
These days, she works based on calls she receives and at this time she is only doing services for family members, relatives and close friends.
Ryan Benn, the taxi driver
In this same street is the home of Ryan Benn, a like-minded taxi driver who has his own clients and works based on calls received.
The 36-year-old was at home relaxing while, his wife, Aruna was doing some household chores.
The hire car driver told the Pepperpot Magazine that the village is a quiet place to live and he is married with no kids yet and he likes the peace.
He related that the people are friendly and civil and he would go about his day normal since it is a routine, he is familiar with.
Benn works for people he knows and does not pick up people he is unsure of.
His house is located at the corner of the Cross Street and Bunion Dam, a good spot and his place is clean and tidy even though it was a rainy day.
“This is a good place to live. In the day it is safe but at night the junkies would pass through and take whatever they find since they have no local community policing group,” he said.
Benn stated there is a great need for a park for recreation for the locals, a safe place for both adults and children to play games and sit for a bit since the community centre is till near the Port Mourant Hospital.
He reported that they need a play park and they have the space for it right in their village and it is not often possible to leave the community to go elsewhere.
Benn added that life is quiet in their section of the village and he is home, a place he is accustomed to and things are readily available in the village.
IN early May, Prince Charles and his consort Lady Camilla were crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom. In Guyana, until the beginning of the 1970s, such an event would have evoked widespread and sustained coverage in the media, and the population would have been moved with a spirit of patriotism while enjoying the unique and magnificent medieval ceremonial of the coronation. From the beginning of the 1970s and for a generation thereafter, Guyana was governed by an authoritarian regime which did its utmost to devalue and diminish our strong ties with Britain. On the other hand, Britain seemed to have been affected by a spirit of isolationism and its cultural and economic relations began to fall into desuetude.
Now that Britain has divorced itself from the European Union, she has again begun to resuscitate her economic ties with her former colonies, including Guyana. Within the last two years, it became easier to visit Britain with the easing of visa restrictions; the establishment of a Guyana/ Britain Chamber of Commerce; the visits of several trade missions with high-level discussions taking place, an example being last November, when the Guyana Foreign Minister Hugh Todd and the British Trade Commissioner for Latin America and the Caribbean Mr Jonathan Knott signed a partnership agreement; and several British companies have begun partnering with local companies.
At the function held by the High Commissioner Jane Miller to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III, an occasion was presented to sum up this trend of the developing economic relationships between Britain and Guyanal: “The signing of a government-to-government partnership arrangement,” remarked the High Commissioner, “meant the UK will work alongside the Government of Guyana and the private sector to deliver fairer, faster and greener economic growth to the country. . . We continue to advocate and support countries that will bring to Guyana efficiency, transparency, quality and innovation and those that want long-term relationships with Guyana’s development.”
The Hon Gail Teixeira, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance and representing the Government of Guyana, responded: “Guyana considers the UK as a development partner and believes our ties will strengthen as Guyana collaborates with the UK to address some of the more urgent issues such as climate change, investment and trade opportunities, fair trade relations between and among countries, particularly small and developing countries.”
The resuscitation of close economic relations between Britain and Guyana is very welcome, but we should not lose sight of the fact that such would operate on a common civilisational and cultural substructure. As a member of the Anglosphere, which would include countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, we share
similar values and worldview with Britain itself. To try to describe the characteristics of this cultural substructure could not be done in a short article; we shall therefore remind our readers of a few of them.
First, there is the English language. English opens up to Guyanese a treasury of ancient and modern learning and knowledge; of Finance and Wealth; of communication with the countries of the world since in all countries educated persons know the language; of ease of travel; it is the lanSEE PAGE XXIV
I BEGIN this column by referring to the letter in the May 22, 2023 edition of both the Stabroek News and the Kaieteur News by the Hon. Jermaine Figueira, M.P.
In this letter, he spoke on the economic value of the Arts as a vital economic niche, with the accompanying important relevance of copyright.
This dialogue has always
persisted in this column, from its inception, and with this writer and many others in the print media much further back. What is new is that a young Member of Parliament has addressed this concept;
its potential reality and legal platform.
That the talent and awareness exist cannot be questioned. But to do justice to this column, especially to someone exploring this conversation for the first time, vital things must be known. The Cultural Industries, as creative expressions in the global market language are referred to, revolve around arts and literature, music and entertainment, design and architecture, furniture, toys, electronic and board games, food products and ancestral treatments that we all turn to when strange pandemics come our way, just to make reference to a few items. What is, however, the essential ingredient towards the Cultural Industries is the legal provision of copyright, patent, and registered trademark. The latter, I think, is available, but there needs to be some discussion on the method. But for our Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), nothing exists. We must converse on its pros and cons. Most of us register abroad.
The giant elephant in the room is the fact that, like the minibuses, the useful bus touts, the speedboat transportation and the past ‘suitcase traders’, none were initiated by any government official. But by obvious recognition of what was needed, it possessed potential as a marketable product or venture, and can be packaged, from a people-survival standpoint with useful managerial advice.
Government’s contribution is, most times, to tax the initiative. When I touted the idea of the Cultural Industries locally, the result of an ACDA Symposium on Sunday, January 15 2012, the following necessity from experience came into conceptual being.
“The establishment of a ‘Cultural Industries Secretariat (CIS)’, managed by a council of practitioners, minds that have evolved from this source will be the only practical path towards the gathering of talents towards the trade pathways beyond the current embarrassing state of ‘Hunter Gathering’. The CIS
is defined in the following context, simplified for clarity, anticipating the limitations of majority responses that would most likely follow from most people out there when the debate went public.
The Cultural Industries Secretariat is a national-interest projection, which is a necessity, formulated to address existing niche industry development, employment and sustainability, along streams not indexed in the national socioeconomic discourse.”
Only one CEO publicly responded; that was Ramesh Persaud, who was then at IPED (Institute of Private Enterprise Development). We met, and Ramesh was on the ball with clarity of what the concept revolved around. He did put a proposal to me, which, unfortunately, I couldn’t grab, because I was hook, line and sinker into another project. I do have the curse of having multiple in-house projects, and not near to finishing any towards registration. And registration is the closure of the initial long difficult investment, from concept to manuscript to pre-press development, amidst the inevitable pauses caused by the pot-boilers that living demands.
When I was on the ERC (Ethnic Relations Commission), at the first meeting, I introduced a document on The Cultural Industries Secretariat. My take was that diversifica-
tion of the economy, based on local potential, should be looked at. I theorised that if people are employed, they have fewer complaints about race, etc. Because all the wars of colonisation and disguised exploration were based on stealing other people’s IPR and wealth, which included medicines, fruits etc.
Neaz Subhan agreed. I figured that I was talking over the heads of the others, and I couldn’t blame them.
This was not a leftover from our colonial past; this was new heritage taking shape. It never came up again, directly, over the three years we served, though its products became relevant during that period, but not without a fight most times. The current subvention is a product of that lobby that manifested in 2017; the only misconception is that the Cultural Industries revolve around small businesses that live through their product line, but there’s nothing wrong with encouraging young minds who want to help themselves.
It’s rough carrying new ideas to people, but I’ve explored the American and other models. Creative people, especially in the Comics, didn’t have it easy either, nor did black musicians, whose talents created the ‘Music Industry’. We’re at a threshold; let’s learn from the wheel, rather than try to reinvent it.
NIGHTTIME - dark and mysterious, the soft whispering of the wind and sounds of the jungle; nature undisturbed. The native girl standing on the fringe of the reservation closed her eyes, breathing in the cool, fresh air, her mind embracing all she loved so much, the natural beauty and serenity of this place she called home in the hinterland.
“Ann Marie.”
Her friends were calling her, for the end of the week feast was just beginning. It was a night when the villagers gathered around a bon-fire, drinking, eating and being merry. They told stories of their adventures, their work and yields and of course, stories of superstition and mysteries. Ann Marie, being the village’s heroine for her bravery and courage, always had some kind of adventure to relate, but tonight she just listened, fascinated by this one story of the beast. The villagers were divided in their beliefs, some thinking it was not real but for those who believed, the story lived on.
‘It had been a dark night, like it was tonight, and the Toshao’s son, a brave young man, who was an ace hunter was returning with a small hunting party, after three days in the jungle. It had been a very dry season and the animals had moved away in search of water. The hunting party had not found much game and then as though luck had crossed their paths, they came upon a deer and doe drinking from a small pool of water. The hunters froze in their tracks and the Toshao’s son signalled he would take the shot. He knew not then it was a spirit of the jungle that took many animal forms and he shot the doe. The spirit angry and grieved at the death of its mate, struck the young hunter with a bolt of lightning, changing him to a hideous creature, saying,
“Not until someone can show you love and kindness
will you be man again.”
The other hunters, scared of the spirit’s rage, had run, leaving the young man, now beast, alone in the dark jungle and telling their story of their encounter with the spirit. No one saw the Toshao’s son again and that was almost ten years ago. Never a sign of the beast, and many wondered about the hunter’s story. The Toshao, a sad and broken man, still awaited his son’s return.
Ann Marie had been just a little girl, and as she grew older, so did her fascination for this story; in her heart, she felt it was true. She had ventured in many dark, forbidden places in the jungle, where even the bravest men dared not to go, but she had never seen this creature. Where could he be and why is he hiding so long?
A soft growl riding with the wind flew over the tree tops, above the now sleeping village. A dark creature stood in the shadows, its red eyes gleaming, looking at the girl, as she sat alone by the fire, its glow casting a reddish-golden light on her long dark hair. She was so beautiful, like an Indian Goddess, and though he had seen her many times, as a young girl and had sensed there was something special about her, he had never allowed himself to be seen, afraid of scaring her. Now, she was a young woman and he felt the time was right for her to know of his existence. But, would she be able to love a creature, like him, to lift the curse?
Ann Marie sat by the fire, as the embers burnt to a soft glow playing with the ring on her finger. She was thinking about David, the young Englishman whose life she had saved, when she had found the lost plane, waiting for the day he would return so they could be together forever. The diamond ring he had given her as a promise, so she could wait for his return. She stood up and walked towards her hut, then stopped and looked around, feeling a strange sensation of being watched. She shuddered off the feeling and went to bed, and as her eyes closed, slipping into the com-
forting embrace of sleep, she wondered what new adventure tomorrow would bring.
Ann Marie opened her eyes to a warm and beautiful new day. She sat up, lifting her hand to touch the sunbeam streaming through the window, when she saw the white orchid by her bedside. She looked at the flower, quite surprised and picked it up gingerly. It was one of the rarest flowers found anywhere and she knew where it came from, but who could have brought it?
Her father burst into the hut then, quite disturbed,
“Ann Marie, you’ve got to see this.”
She rushed outside with him and stared at the maze of strange tracks everywhere. Something not human had entered the village that night and there was fear and confusion in the air. She recalled the feeling she had last night and looking at the flower in her hand, she gasped as the thought dawned on her.
“Oh my gosh, could it be?”
Had the beast come home? Her father looked at her curiously and warned “I want you close to home, until we figure out what this is.”
A hunting party went out scouring the jungle, but found nothing. Whatever it was, was long gone.
Ann Marie tried not to sleep that night, but at about midnight, her eyes closed and next morning, by her bedside, was a yellow orchid. She picked up the flower and looked at it for a long moment, not sure what to think. Was it the beast and what did he want? She had to know and the brave soul she was, she went into the jungle that day. She did not venture too far, stopping by a stream and felt that strange presence again. She did not turn around, but sat staring at her reflection in the water, hearing the sound as it came closer and gasped quietly as another reflection appeared above hers.
THE first time I heard “Caribbean Esthetic” it was from Richard Young, who coined the phrase. I am yet to meet someone more passionate about Caribbean things than my friend and Caribbean creative icon Richard Young. Richard has made significant contributions across the Caribbean and beyond and it was an honour to see and listen to him at the launch of Trinidad Fashion Festival- Dis Is We Style.
“It is absolutely gratifying to steward the creation of a fashion festival with Tourism Trinidad Limited.
It has been my ideal vision to marry destination marketing strategy with identity branding perquisites and above all, claim our distinctive Caribbean aesthetic.
It is paramount that we appreciate our eclectic differences as well as acknowledge our synergistic similarities as a regional space in order to market impactfully our locations, while at the same time, celebrate our unique style template to position our creative genius, internationally.
By nature, we excel as a people through animating our festival traditions, so
it is indeed opportune to corral the forces and present our novel fashions to the world, unapologetically and proudly.
This pulsating momentum of creativity generates not only our competitive advantage but exalts our innovative dynamism.
A fashion festival is moreover a need not a want!!!” said Richard Young, Fashion Festival Develop -
The inauguration ceremony took place at the Queen’s Hall in Port of Spain, a venue renowned for its role in promoting and preserving the arts and culture of Trinidad and Tobago. Dis Is We Style is carded to take place over the course of a week at the end of May, 2024 and will showcase an array of appealing events, including mesmerizing runway shows, captivating exhibitions, enlightening workshops, and much more.
The launch, held to coincide with the calendar date for next year, was also done so persons can start creating a ‘Save The Date’ for next year and plan beyond the carnival celebrations. This all fits into TTL’s strategic festival plans which will see persons now having options beyond the Mas for festivals held over several days which include, Music, Cuisine and of course, Fashion.
Carla Cupid, the CEO of Tourism Trinidad Limited, speaking at the launch event expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “In keeping with our mantra that Trinidad is always in Season, we are fi-
FROM PAGE XVI
It was the beast!
He was not just a tale. He was real!
She rose slowly, trying not to be afraid, not knowing in the next moment if she would be killed. He was so hideous, it almost took her breath away but his eyes held a soft, almost pleading look. In his paw-like hands was a red rose, that he held out to her, but before she could move, voices were
heard coming and with a deep growl the beast turned and disappeared in the jungle. She picked up the red rose, he had dropped and at that moment, she knew what she had to do, for the pleading look in his eyes were more than words could say. The next morning, before dawn, Ann Marie left the village, quietly. She had to reach deep in the jungle, where the rare orchids grew. It was a long journey and just before dusk, she reached where she
knew the beast would be.
“Beast,” she called “I’m here to see you.”
Nothing moved, it was quiet, too quiet, she thought. Where was he?
She sensed his presence just behind her and turning, she almost screamed. The beast was standing there, bleeding, two arrows protruding from his shoulder and back and he slumped to the ground. The hunters had found him and the voices were drawing closer. She
wasn’t sure what to do, but she knew he would be killed if she didn’t do something. She knelt down beside him and breaking off the arrows, she tore pieces of her clothing to stop the bleeding.
The look in his eyes was so gentle, that it touched her heart and holding his face, she said
“Please don’t die, I love the flowers you brought and I know from that, you have a good heart. I see you, not as a beast but as a nice person who will live in my heart.”
He touched her face at those words, that he had longed to hear so long and his eyes begin to close.
“No, no, please!” she shook him, “Stay with me, you can’t die.”
Loud angry voices were heard as the hunting party drew closer and Ann-Marie cried softly, looking at the beast, “What does it take to save your life?”
And as though in answer to her distraught question, a pure white buck appeared in a glowing light. Ann-Marie looked stunned at the spectacular vision knowing the story had related that it was a spiritual being that had cast the curse on the Toshao’s son. It raised itself on its hind legs and a blinding flash of light caused Ann-Marie to close
her eyes. When she reopened them, the buck had disappeared and lying in her lap was not the beast but a handsome young man. She cried in relief just as the hunters burst onto the scene, their arrows in deadly poise but slowly lowered on seeing the Toshao’s son.
Ann-Marie looked at them, tears streaming down her face, “The story was true.”
She had believed and her care and kindness towards the beast helped to break the curse.
Another adventure for the brave Native girl.
nally making this a firmer reality with our festivals schedule.”
She continued by noting that, “we are truly thrilled to unveil this remarkable event which exemplifies the talent and ingenuity of our local fashion industry. Our talents are world class, and we need to start creating space locally to invite the world to come and enjoy it. This festival stands as a testament to the unwavering commitment and passion of our homegrown designers, and we take immense pride in supporting their endeavours.”
These sentiments were echoed by Ms Simone Thorne-Mora Quinones, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. She emphasized the significance of the Trinidad Fashion Festival - Dis Is We Style, stating, “This launch represents a pivotal moment for our nation, as it will highlight our distinct culture and boundless creativity. We are proud to lend our support to this event and eagerly anticipate its continued success.”
The festival will feature a stellar line-up of Trinidad and Tobago’s leading creators and many more. Additionally, international designers from around the globe will also be showcased, adding a truly global flair to the festivities.
The festival will commence in the last week of May, 2024, and will feature an array of captivating events such as runway shows, appealing exhibitions, enlightening workshops, and much more.
The Trinidad Fashion Festival - Dis Is We Style is an annual extravaganza that celebrates the unique style and boundless creativity of Trinidad and Tobago’s fashion industry.
Aisha Stewart - Project Lead of Value Chain Investment Programme (VCIP) at Fashiontt gave brief remarks at the launch and it was with great pride when she spoke about the designers selected to go overseas soon.
The designers off to London are:
Meiling
Claudia Pegus
The Cloth
J’Angelique
The Hideout Clothing
The designers off to New York are:
Ecliffe Elie
Charu Lochan Dass
Heather Jones
Genesis Swimwear
1ndividual Aesthetic
Neha Karina
The global tier - Global Value Chain (GVC) heads off to trade missions in New York and London in June and July
Without a doubt Trinidad and Tobago is leading the Caribbean Fashion Industry and we must commend Tourism Trinidad Limited, FashionTT, Richard Young and all the other stakeholders that contributed for them to take the lead. I must also thank Tourism Trinidad Limited for inviting and hosting me to be part of this prestigious launch. The ambience was magnificent and the audience was a mixture of fashion designers. creatives, private sector, diplomats and government officials.
They admired the artistic direction of Richard Young and the way he utilised the Pierrot Grenades throughout the evening. Pierrot Grenades are part of the traditional Mas history as satirical characters that speak with a learned tongue with great oratorical capacity serving to inform the masses on all issues -- social, economic and political. Xavier Strings violinists were amazing and the image of the Pierrot Grenades in the background while they were performing has carved a place in my memory bank.
The Trinidad Fashion Festival - Dis Is We Style, a vibrant celebration of the distinctive style and creativity flourishing within Trinidad and Tobago’s fashion industry, will inspire the other Caribbean countries because we have something unique and special to offer the world. Let’s continue to collaborate as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called LIFE BEYOND THE RUNWAY.
I THINK these past two weeks have been heavy for us all. The death of 20 children is not something that we can be unaffected by, especially when their deaths were so heartbreaking. I can say that it has certainly been an overwhelmingly emotional period for me, since I’ve been in Mahdia, Karisparu, and other far-flung communities from where the girls hailed, and in the hospitals.
I know that we’re still thinking about these families and the support that can be provided. I know we will be thinking about them and this support for a long time. But all that also forces me to reflect on the structural difficulties by which they are confronted. These difficulties cannot be ignored when we think about what support we have to provide to the families and the communities.
First, the geography of the region is a huge challenge. Because a majority of our Indigenous communities occupy areas in the forested and/ or remote hinterland communities, their access to education and other resources and/ or opportunities has been limited. Karisparu, for example, is accessible only by helicopter or all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The community does not have internet connectivity and during the two days I spent there, I had no clue from where they get electricity. That’s why the students leave their far-flung communities and stay in the dorms; otherwise, I don’t know how they would advance their studies.
Yes, education should be easily accessible by all, but our thinking, perhaps since time immemorial, has been to find the
that community can maintain for the benefit of its residents. I think if support to these families and communities were to be long-lasting, it should include some ways of helping to empower them economically. That could include lending farming support for them to engage in larger-scale farming or building the infrastructure needed to help them create (or expand) their ventures. It should also include training opportunities for those desirous of pursuing higher-level studies.
There’s much more to consider in the wake of this tragic
event. Shortcomings in the management of public facilities and the care of these students, for example, may be unearthed when the promised Commission of Inquiry is conducted. For now, I hope the families get the support they need and that we all give them the space to cope as they see fit.
If you would like to connect with me to discuss this column or any of my previous work, please email me at vish14ragobeer@gmail.com
most suitable solutions given the resources on hand. Instead of building schools everywhere and searching high and low for teachers to teach in those schools, the alternative seems to be constructing schools in highly-populated areas that are more accessible and help children attend those schools (by housing them in dorms, for example, and providing other support). Further, last year I reported on the Education Minister Priya Manickchand’s comments that Region Eight in particular is a challenging place to improve education in the progressive ways her ministry wants to. Geography remains a huge consideration.
So alternatives such as these have to be considered to help push education.
I think these things are understandable, but when tragedy strikes, it forces us to rethink all that we have been doing and maybe, disregard whatever rationale on which we once relied. It comes as no surprise to me that President, Dr Irfaan Ali publicly said that the government will consider building schools in some of the far-flung areas from where the students hail. Economic inequalities are another challenge and factor to consider. Employment opportunities are not necessarily abundant in these remote communities. Many migrate to more populated centres in search of those opportunities and find ways to send support back into their communities, be it goods or money. That reality then impacts how much is invested into children’s education, for example, and what infrastructure
FROM PAGE XI
guage of the Sea; and of IT; and being able to read Shakespeare, the Renaissance figure who continues to bring wisdom and pleasure to humanity.
Then there is the English Common Law which is probably the greatest system of law with universal applicability ever devised by man. It is a system which brings fairness, justice, humanity, protection of the poor and powerless and secures democracy. Guyana and Britain share the Common Law and Guyanese could seek redress and protection from
the law in the Commonwealth countries and the United States.
Since the Industrial Revolution, Britain has always been a great innovator in the Arts and Sciences and this was especially so in the 19th century. Examples are the invention of the railways, which have been a main agent in the economic development of the United States, Argentina and other countries; the discovery of vaccines which have eliminated the scourge of smallpox from the world and several other vaccines which have continued to save the lives of scores of millions of people from infectious diseases such as cholera and tuberculosis; even in sport, Britain had laid down the rules and structures of several international sports, the most known being football whose name all foreign languages have retained in acknowledgement of its British origin. In all this effulgence, Guyana, being a British country, shared.
In Guyana, British institutions and culture could be found everywhere. There are, for example, Parliament and the System of Law, which still operate from British buildings - the Parliament or Public Building and the Victoria Law Courts and the Georgetown Magistrates Court. British names proliferate everywhere in the names of people and places. But most importantly, Guyana and Britain share the same thought process.
Now that relations between Guyana and Britain have awakened from their somnolence, the momentum should be maintained. Economic relations are again on the rails, but cultural and civilisational relations must be resuscitated to benefit both countries. A comprehensive plan of this has to be worked out and the elements of this should include: Support for the University of Guyana by supplying teaching staff for the Oil and Gas Department, for the English Faculty and the Law School to be established next year; grant of scholarships for Journalism and Diplomacy; and that Guyana be included in the itinerary of British artistes, Exhibitions, etc touring South America.
FROM PAGE III
Meanwhile, clinical educators are preceptors and mentors and need training that includes evidence-based information, guidance, and methods. Successful clinical educators require knowledge and experience and mentoring by well-educated, experienced mentors.
Hence, this project was able to provide the speech therapists with workshops and 10 days of observation, practice, interaction, and debriefing with supervisors of students and colleagues.
In many universities around the world, supervision of students, assistants, and colleagues is a process that is as varied as the number of supervisors engaged in the practice. No training is expected or required. Many SLP clinicians have been supervising students for many years, working blindly, choosing to work with students in a way they were supervised, making changes as they believe are successful and omitting the practices that have proven ineffective.
So in 2016, ASHA selected an ad hoc committee to examine the issues and develop a position statement for the organisation on the topic of supervision. This was the beginning of the discipline of clinical education as an evidence-based speciality in SLP. Consequentially, ASHA now requires clinical educators (both new and experienced) who supervise students and clinical fellows to complete professional development courses every three years.
I’VE always wondered what happens to destitute women when they’re menstruating. I’ve always wondered how safe the “old cloth” method is for girls in rural communities in Guyana. I’ve wondered what happens to women who earn enough money to purchase food and shelter only—how do they prioritise their cash to purchase overpriced sanitary products? The first Sustainable Development Goal for the year 2030 is to end world poverty; yet, I don’t see much progress towards having conversations and solutions around “Period Poverty.” In hindsight, the idea should be to help eliminate all forms of poverty. To some people, the concept of “Period Poverty” is not as important as other categorised areas of poverty and as such, it is left unchecked during certain discussions.
Period Poverty is not secluded to one specific set of women, girls or people who menstruate—it’s a global crisis.
People born with female anatomy have been experiencing a menstrual cycle from the dawn of time itself. It is not a new or foreign concept, yet sometimes even in the 21st century we pretend as if it is. One would expect such an old, reccurring health cycle to have better services, products or ideologies surrounding it. Unfortunately, that is not always the reality for many menstruating human beings. For some, there’s a lack of sanitary products available to them. Due to existing economic constraints, these said products may be expensive. This can also lead to women and girls using unsafe or hazardous products and methods to collect their menstruation.
Even when these products are available in certain parts of the world, they may be limited. This can force the users to use said products for a prolonged period, leading to an increased chance of developing an infection. In some countries, there aren’t proper toilets or lavatory facilities for women and girls who are menstruating. In some schools or work environments, the toilets may be absolutely disgusting and pose a health threat to those who use them. Period poverty is also an umbrella term covering the stigma and lack of education surrounding the menstrual cycle. In some communities or cultures, having one’s menstruation may be deemed as “impure” or “dirty”. This evidently creates a stigma that surrounds the menstrual cycle and can force women and girls into isolation when they’re menstruating.
In some African countries, some girls stay at home from school at least 20% of the time, out of the entire school year due to their menstrual cycle. I’ve seen a few initiatives across Guyana, including the recent Menstrual Health Expo, the free distribution of sanitary products in schools, and multiple private “Period Drives” done by small businesses and NGOs. I see you and I applaud you. In the same breath, I’m still hoping that others follow suit and take a stance through similar actions. It’s imperative that we disseminate and share as much information on safe methods of collection menstruation
as well as the biological aspect of what happens during one’s cycle—while simultaneously breaking cultural barriers that prevent girls and women from having better access to education and products. Young girls should be able to know that there is a difference between your
period/cycle and your menstruation. They should be able to access clean facilities with running water to change their products if needed. They should be able to express themselves about their menstrual cycle without a frown or derogatory comment.
FROM PAGE IX
ever, he would do other things to occupy his time. That day, he told his wife to take a break and he did the cooking of curried boulanger with friend fish and rice.
Oshni Motiram, the home-maker
In the Cross Street is the home of Oshni Motiram, a mother of two, who would transport her children to and from school every day via her motorcycle.
The 28-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she has been residing in the village for the past two years and things have been good so far.
Her spouse is a block-maker and together they rear some sheep.
Motiram reported that things are quiet in that section of the village and there are no houses in the back street, only pens for sheep which belongs to a resident.
She noted that she lives in the same street as the Kali Temple and she would keep to herself but is cordial to the neighbours.
“Things are okay here and it is relatively a safe community to live,” she said.
Motiram’s home village is the neighbouring community, Rose Hall which gained township status and it remains a central hub of businesses and services.
FROM PAGE VI
Port Mourant, Corentyne, is a central hub of businesses and other facilities. It is said to be the home village of some outstanding cricketers as well and was described as the only village that offers education from “nursery to university”.
It has nursery, primary and secondary schools, the Tain Campus and the Guysuco Training Centre. In a nutshell, it is a village which fulfills all the educational needs of the locals.
It is home to the Port Mourant Cricket Club which is known for having produced Guyana and West Indies top players like Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Joe Solomon, Randolph Ramnarace, Ivan Madray, Alvin Kallicharran, Derek Kallicharran, John Trim and the Etwaru brothers.
It was also home to well-known attorneys like Sir Lionel Luckhoo and other prominent and well-deserving people that have made a name for themselves both locally and overseas.
I
WILLIAM BLAKE (1757-1827) A Memorable Fancy, pl. 12-13
Dear Student, Welcome dear friend. Concerning the important skill of efficient reading, be cognisance of these two additional uses of context clues. One, sometimes the unfamiliar word is a sum-
June 04, 2023
mary word portrayed in the illustrations. With the unknown word “conservation,” the illustrations of “dams built, reservoirs constructed, and areas reforested,” should point to its meaning. Two, an inferred meaning of the word “sedative” can be gotten from the general contextual phrase like “to relieve the patient’s suffering.” Be smart.
Love you.
Recognising word meaning
Each of the sentences in this section has one underlined word. Choose from the four options the word which is NEAREST IN MEANING to the underlined word.
1. It was impossible to rectify the error made by the computer since inaccurate information had been fed into it.
(A) expunge…..(B) modify (C) determine (D) correct
2. The bank teller indicated that our account was dormant.
(A) inadequate (B) overdrawn (C ) neglected (D) inactive
3. The news story revealed the squalor of the old prison cells.
(A) strength (B) stench (C) filthiness (D) strength
4. A citizen is expected to show complete allegiance to his native land.
(A) respect (B) obedience (C) loyalty (D) tribute
5. For the first time in a decade the company disclosed a deficit in its accounts.
(A) balance (B) shortfall (C) miscalculation (D) defect
THE PASSAGE
Comprehending a prose passage
Read the following advertisement carefully and then answer items 1-4 based on what is stated or implied.
The tours we offer are truly unique and very much off the beaten track. We take you into the country to experience the his-
torical, cultural and breathtaking scenic highlights of the island. Our rich heritage is farming over the centuries has produced grand plantation mansions surrounded by picturesque little copses with stately royal palms swaying majestically in the easterly trade winds. The neat sugar cand fields sweep down the rolling hills towards the wild east coast where miles of untouched beaches are graced with the backdrop of rugged cliffs and the giant breakers of the Atlantic crashing ashore.
At Highland Outdoor Tours the choice is yours –whether you are the adventurous or prefer a more laid-back tour, give us a call and let us advise you.
1. The advertisement is most likely taken from a
(A) naturalist magazine (C) geography text
(B) tourism brochure (D) zoologist notebook
2. Which of the following is nearest in meaning to “off the beaten track” (first sentence).
(A) Into the wilderness (C) Through the forest
(B) Along scarcely used routes (D) On dirt trails
3. Which of the following does the advertisement promise?
I. Scenic beauty
II. Outdoor adventure
III. Sedate enjoyment
(A) I and II only
(B) I and III only
(C) II and III only
(D) I, II and III
4. The advertisement seeks to persuade the reader mainly through the sense of
(A) imagery (B) exaggeration (C) suspense (D) alliteration
THE POEM
Comprehending a poem
Read the following poem carefully and then answer items 1-4 based on what is stated or implied.
Flowers
I have never earnt the names of flowers
From beginning, my world has been a place
Of pot-holed streets, where thick, sluggish gutters race In slow time, away from garbage heaps and sewers Past blanched old houses around which cowers Stagnant earth. There scares green things grew to chase The dull-grey squalor of sick dust; no trace Of plant save few sparse weeds; just these, no flowers. One day they cleared a space and made a park There in the city’s slums; and suddenly Came stark glory like lightning in the dark, While perfume and dark petals thundered slowly. I learnt no names, but hue, shape and scent mark My mind, even now, with symbols holy. (Guyanese poet - Dennis Craig)
1. The speaker in the poem is
(A) a grandmother (B) a child (C) a visitor (D) a dreamer
2. How does the speaker feel about flowers?
(A) Adorable (B) Appreciative (C) Overwhelmed (D) Captivated
3. The mood of stanza 1 of the poem is
(A) bland (B) gloomy (C) lonely (D) neglect
4. The speaker’s attitude to the environment in Stanza 1 is one of
(A) displeasure (B) disgust (C) resentment (D) bewilderment
5. What device is used in lines 5-6 to describe earth in the phrase “which cowers stagnant earth”?
(A) Metaphor (B) Simile (C ) Hyperbole (D) Onomatopoeia
6. What device is used in line 7 to describe the dust?
(A) Metaphor (B) Simile (C ) Hyperbole (D) Onomatopoeia
was in a printing house in Hell, and saw the method in which knowl- edge is transmitted from generation to generation.
I BELIEVE if it were not for the fabrication of false teeth there would have been far less dental “quacks” in Guyana. Despite losing their teeth for one reason or the other, some persons are often skeptical of wearing dentures due mainly to erroneous perceptions or ignorance. However, for those who will be wearing dentures for the first time to obtain maximum benefit from it, certain practices should be observed. One should first remember that dentures are not permanent and that changes continue to occur in the bone and soft tissues of the mouth. Now here is some basic advice for those who either wear or intend to wear removable dentures:
During the initial adjustment period, you should:
1. Leave the dentures in for the first 72-hour period. Use denture- adhesive cream (eg. Fixodent). Note any discomfort or pain and revisit your dentist for post–insertion consultation and adjustments.
2. Feelings of fullness and increased salivation will decrease with time.
3. Sucking sweets may help any gagging sensation.
4. Expect sore spots to develop during this initial adjustment period, as this is not unusual. It is important that the dentist sees these sore spots in order to identify the exact place to relieve on the new denture.
Eating with your new dentures:
1. Cut up food into small, bite-sized pieces.
2. Eating with food on both sides of your mouth may be helpful.
3. Biting foods with your front teeth will tend to dislodge dentures and the underlying tissues.
4. Avoid sticky foods.
5. Learning to eat with dentures takes time. Eating with dentures will be as easy or efficient as eating with natural teeth, but you must be patient.
Talking with your new dentures:
1. Adjusting takes time – read out loud to speed up the process.
2. Muscles will need to be re-educated so they will retain the denture.
3. The feeling of crowding of the tongue will decrease with time.
Cleaning your mouth and your dentures.
1. Cleanse and massage your gums daily with a soft toothbrush.
2. Brush dentures with a soft toothbrush and ordinary facial soap. Never use toothpaste to brush your dentures – it is too abrasive.
3. Soak dentures overnight in either a commercial denture-soaking solution/tablet or a weak mixture of bleach and water.
Dentures Do’s and Don’ts
1. Brush your dentures with soap daily.
2. Only use denture adhesives on the advice of your dentist.
4. Never attempt to adjust, repair, or re-fit your denture yourself because you can damage it and may require a new one..
5. Do see your dentist for your regular check-ups.
