Honouring the Past
and Reflection
Sister Penda Guyan, long-standing ACDA member, says Emancipation is more than celebration; it’s a time to honour self-determination and ancestral struggle (Delano Williams photo)
Large-scale farmer for 37 years shares his experience The ups and downs of the profession
By Michel Outridge
AS a farmer, Carlos Baker says it takes a lot of time and investment to sustain his farm and maintain his livelihood, resulting in a bountiful and successful crop. Baker has been a cash-crop farmer for the past 37 years, and hails from Huntley, Mahaicony, on the East Coast of Demerara. Despite some challenges, he enjoys his lifelong profession.
The father of four reported that he cultivates a five-acre plot of land in the backlands of the community, and often works alone, or has his son assist him, since reliable workers are hard to come by.
The farmer told the Pepperpot Magazine that he cultivates crops of cabbage, both
sweet and hot peppers, boulanger, and watermelon among other crops, and would sell his produce to wholesale buyers in bulk.
In addition, he has recently set up a roadside stall to sell his produce and ground provisions to locals in the community at a very pocket-friendly price to offset the burden of cost-of-living increases.
CHALLENGES
Baker explained that farming is time-consuming, and often he suffers losses when his crops are destroyed by saltwater that enters his farm due to drainage issues that aren’t properly managed. He lost 15,000 roots of cabbage and 4,000 sweet pepper plants, all bought from a nursery to cultivate on his farm.
Baker related that he was only given half a bag of fertiliser as compensation by the authorities, with no real assistance to help him recover.
He added that if it weren’t for the loans he took from the bank, he would not be able to replant crops after the devastating incidents of saltwater saturating his farm and destroying all his crops.
Baker stated that people need to take responsibility for their actions, and whenever he sought assistance from the relevant authorities, he would receive the runaround and eventually have to give up due to the costs and time involved.
The farmer reported that saltwater incidents have been occurring for years, and he believes it is time for a ranger to be employed to make reports and conduct spot checks to ensure the water pumps are
manned, and regular monitoring takes place to secure the integrity of his crops.
Baker noted that there are approximately ten cash-crop farmers in Huntley, Mahaicony, and most of them receive little to no support from the authorities, who often visit to take photos for social media posts.
He explained that when his crops are destroyed, he still has to find money to pay off his bank loans, and it is difficult to catch a break, or even make a small profit to sustain himself.
Presently, he is harvesting boulanger, cabbage, and peppers, and he is very happy that his crops were saved this time around so he can sell his produce before it perishes.
Baker reported that he has ordered 12,000 cabbage seedlings from the nursery to replant after this harvest,
Turn to page XIII
Compassion in Action
Guyanese Dr Vashti Budhram is making a difference across borders
MANY Guyanese are making an impact all across the world. They include, among others, international artistes and creatives, entrepreneurs, and professionals who are making their mark in countries far and wide. But Dr Vashti Budhram is taking her impact a step further, with her life-changing work through the Dignity Initiative.
The last time Pepperpot Magazine caught up with Dr Budhram, she was already making waves as a fierce advocate for education and empowerment, both at home in Guyana and abroad. A Berbice-born trailblazer, Dr Budhram climbed her way from pupil teacher to professor, collecting degrees, awards, and accolades along the way.
From classrooms in Edinburgh in Region Six to lecture halls in New York, she’s become a voice for the voiceless through her most recent project, the Dignity Initiative Program. Under this initiative, Dr Budhram works with immigrants and the underprivileged, supporting financial literacy and workforce development. Although still in its early stages, the programme has had a profound impact, positively changing the lives of hundreds.
During a brief visit to Guyana, Dr Budhram sat down once again with Pepperpot Magazine to discuss the impact of education, her work in the Dignity Initiative Program, and her aspirations to return to Guyana and make a meaningful contribution.
The Dignity Initiative is a two-year effort that supports individuals in transitional
housing, shelters, or experiencing homelessness, helping them reclaim control over their lives through employment preparation and financial literacy. Made possible through a generous US$500,000 grant from the Citi Foundation, the programme operates out of the Jamaica YMCA in Queens, partnering with 13 shelters and 10 educational institutions to provide access to job opportunities, practical financial tools, and a renewed sense of dignity.
Participants include recent migrants, high school students, undocumented individuals, and those at risk of falling through the cracks.
“Shelter families and students include people who migrated and are placed in shelters but are going to school,” said Dr Budhram. “Some are undocumented. We help them find jobs and offer volunteer roles. We give them a stipend through the programme.”
Workshops, seminars, and conferences form the backbone of the Dignity Initiative’s approach.
“We prep them for employment,” Dr Budhram added. “I have workshops, seminars, and conferences to support participants. We actually prep them. Then we have 13 shelters and 10 educational institutions that we work along with.” The programme also supports high school students through partners like Queen’s Satellite High School.
“Queen’s Satellite School is one of the schools I work with,” she explained. “It has Turn to page VII
Guyanese Dr Vashti Budhram is making an impact with her life-changing work through the Dignity Initiative. The Dignity Initiative Program is a twoyear effort that supports individuals in transitional housing, shelters, or experiencing homelessness, helping them reclaim control over their lives through employment preparation and financial literacy.
Dr Vashti Budhram with healthcare students enrolled in the Dignity Initiative Program. The initiative not only prepares participants for the workforce but also opens doors in vital fields like healthcare, offering real opportunities for stability and growth.
‘It’s a big deal for me’ - Young artiste excited to perform in first 30-minute recital
By Michel Outridge
T’SHANA Cort, who hails from Weldaad, West Coast Berbice, is an artiste who sang her way into the music arena many years ago. Based on her raw talent and determination to succeed, she began competing in calypso and jingle competitions, then progressed to duets and other songs, achieving notable placements. Now, This talented singer will be performing a junior recital for the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) Music Department on July 28, 2025, at the CPCE Convention Centre, Turkeyen, at 14:30hrs.
The 28-year-old is a teacher at the Bushlot Secondary School, also on the West Coast of Berbice, and is nearing the completion of her two-year course at the CPCE. Her performance is compulsory for her to graduate.
Cort told the Pepperpot Magazine that she will be performing for 30 minutes, showcasing what she learned from the two-year programme at the CPCE in a junior recital, which will be graded as part of the Associate Education course with an emphasis on music.
She added that the course was interesting since she entered it with no prior knowledge of music, so it was a big deal for her and she felt very fortunate to be a part of it.
Cort said she wanted to attend CPCE to do the Social Studies course, but ended up in the music programme due to her interest in music as a singer. She was shortlisted for it on the spot via an audition. The teacher reported that being a music major is more than singing for her— she gained a lot and will share it with her students.
Cort added that she is originally from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and attended Aurora Secondary School. She had no formal training in music, so she feels elated about her accomplishments.
She pointed out that the journey to success was not an easy one. Many times, she was troubled and wanted to give up, but she endured
with the strong support of her mother, lecturers and the coordinator.
“My mother always told me, ‘T’Shana, you are not a quitter and you will not quit. Get up and go.’ And it was those words that motivated me somehow, and the strong support of mentors in the form of the lecturers and the coordinator that kept me focused,” she said.
As a teacher for three days a week, it is challenging for her to commute daily from her home village of Weldaad to Turkeyen, but she does it anyway for a good cause—success.
She teaches both Music and Social Studies to Form One and Grade 10 students at the Bushlot Secondary School.
Cort explained that, even though she is no stranger to the stage, this event is different because she is being graded, and based on her performance, she will secure grades to graduate—and she hopes to do well.
“The group of lecturers and the music coordinator at CPCE have an open-door
policy. They will sit with you, listen, and find ways to make things better for you to cope. And, more importantly, they show they care. They are my spiritual family of supporters who have helped me a lot along the way. It is an amazing group that has held me up for the past two years at CPCE, and I am truly grateful for their assistance— it means a lot,” Cort said.
Cort’s On-Stage Journey
Since she was a girl, she always felt she had the talent to sing, and with the support of her family, the then 13-year-old set her eyes on stardom by entering the Cellink Plus kids-stage Competition, which she credits as the beginning of her singing career.
“Three years later,” she said, “I was tempted to enter the GTT Jingle and Song Competition. I would describe that competition as my best musical experience ever. In that competition, I was also a finalist; I placed seventh, but it did not deter me from the experience of learning.”
T’Shana Cort, singer/ teacher
It was through this competition that she met music producer Birchmore Simon, who later asked if she was interested in participating in the Junior Calypso Competition.
It’s a day she’d always remember. “That day, I remember I smiled uncontrollably and jumped excessively. Then I sat and envisaged what my future would be like. And ever since then, I have been blossoming fairly well,” she said.
Over time, the musician has penned and recorded three songs: "Ansa Me" and "I Have Hope," both of the calypso genre, and "Mama’s Wish," which was recorded for a local Christmas album.
Winning the junior calypso crown gave her much hope, so much so that she declared 2016 as her Year of Victory. “For a period,” she said, “I thought I would never win anything in my life, but it all falls back to my team. I remember work-
ing day and night with my manager to get my vocals perfect.”
In 2016, after winning the Junior Calypso Monarch title and getting to compete against some of the best calypsonians in the Adult Calypso Monarch Competition, the then 19-year-old Cort had only just begun her musical aspirations and plans to go much further. She also competed in the same competition in 2017.
Empower Guyana
From prisons to classrooms, Amar Panday and his grassroots team are reshaping leadership and lifting communities
By Shaniya Harding
FOR most of us, when we think of a humanitarian, we picture community outreaches in the most remote regions of Guyana. But there is immensely impactful humanitarian work happening right here in the heart of the country. Amar Panday and his team at Empower Guyana are spearheading humanitarian initiatives—with a difference.
Empower Guyana is a grassroots organisation with national reach, structured around a powerful mission. Led by historian Amar Panday, Empower Guyana strives to build leadership, empower youth, and uplift communities through training, education, and service. Founded in 2000, it has grown into a
dynamic initiative with three clear arms: corporate training, youth leadership, and humanitarian service.
“Empower Guyana is registered as a company. We did deeds and registry,” Panday explained during his interview with Pepperpot Magazine. “Empower Guyana has three arms. The corporate arm that does training with government and private sector agencies. The youth empowerment arm, and the humanitarian arm.”
The organisation’s corporate arm is its engine, generating revenue to support its vital social work.
“We provide training in the areas of leadership, professional ethics, strategic management, monitoring and evaluation, customer service,” Panday added. “Some of our clients include the
Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Prison Service, Fire Service, and a number of other businesses in the private sector.”
But beyond the revenue, Empower Guyana’s purpose has always been about people. At its heart lies the youth empowerment arm and the humanitarian outreach that reaches deep into communities, from the coast to the hinterland.
“The youth empowerment arm—we provide youth leadership training, especially in the land and outlying areas. So that those young people can assume leadership roles in their communities, in their region, even at the national level,” he said.
While many NGOs focus solely on schools and traditional community centres, Empower Guyana has taken a
Amar Panday, Founder of Empower Guyana
more inclusive and ambitious approach.
“At Empower Guyana, we visit all the prisons of Guyana. And we provide anger management and personal development training to the gentlemen who are incarcerated,” Panday shared.
Highlighting the impact of this work, Panday added:
“Many of the gentlemen who participated in this train-
ing and were subsequently released are now members of Empower Guyana under the youth empowerment arm. They now travel with me to different places where we host workshops and training.”
This model—one that transitions inmates into mentors—is unique in Guyana.
“So, Empower Guyana is the only organisation which
has that arrangement, that allows prisoners who are released, who have served their sentences, to now be part of an empowerment project,” he shared.
Alongside their prison work, Empower Guyana has also established a platform for national awareness and civic education. A historian by training, Panday has led the charge in using the organisation’s reach to inform citizens about the Venezuela border controversy—an issue he believes is not discussed enough in Guyana.
“Empower Guyana is the first organisation to hold a public forum on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy. All the way back in 2021, we held it at City Hall.”
What began as a one-off forum grew into a travelling education initiative, moving to the densely populated townships of Bartica and Linden.
Empower Guyana’s youth empowerment arm is the largest youth network in the country, with representation across all ten regions. But beyond its size, it’s the philosophy of how the organisation works with youth that sets it apart.
“Our youth empowerment work is always ongoing. We are always engaging communities. We are always engaging young people,” Panday explained.
Even the humanitarian efforts, which include visits Turn to page XVI
Amar Panday during a training exercise with police ranks
Naniki and New Caribbean Narratives
Guyana Prize for Literature
winner Oonya Kempadoo on her immersive work and the evolving future of
By Shaniya Harding
Caribbean storytelling
STORYTELLING has long been one of the most powerful tools for preserving culture, especially in the Caribbean. Stories of folklore, family traditions and ancestral
memories have passed from one generation to the next, crafting a continuous narrative rooted in lived experience. But like nearly everything today, technology is reshaping how we tell those stories. In recent years, there has been a significant shift in Carib-
bean storytelling, with film, multimedia and immersive formats taking centre stage. At the forefront of this evolution is Oonya Kempadoo.
Revered as a writer, inter-arts storyteller and project director, Kempadoo is reimagining what Caribbean narratives can look, sound, and feel like. Her latest work, Naniki, blends prose, poetry, sound, and visuals into an experience that challenges the very definition of literature.
This week, Kempadoo spoke with the Pepperpot Magazine from her home in Montreal, Canada, about winning the Guyana Prize for Literature, creating an immersive Caribbean storytelling experience, and her hopes for the future of Caribbean literature and cultural expression.
Coming Full Circle: The Guyana Prize for Literature and Returning Home
Kempadoo is a UK, Guyanese, and Grenadian citizen, and a permanent resident of Montreal, Canada. She is the author of four novels and has been critically acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic. Her semi-autobiographical first novel was longlisted for the Orange Prize and translated into six languages. Her second was longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and won a Casa de las Américas Prize.
‘Best in the World’ award.
Her latest novel of speculative fiction and recent winner of the Guyana Prize for Literature, Naniki, is part of an eco-social story project that she has produced and directed as an immersive multimedia and live performance experience, supported by Canadian public funds.
Kempadoo is a US Fulbright alumna, has taught creative writing in the USA, led workshops in the Caribbean and at the Quebec Writers’ Federation, and has served on several award juries including the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (USA & Canada), and the Canada Council for the Arts. She is co-founder of the Grenada Community Library and the writing facilitator and editor of The Grenada Chocolate Family, the first children’s chocolate book written by children of colour in a cocoa-growing country, which won Gourmand’s
Recounting her experience winning Best Book of Fiction, Kempadoo calls it a full-circle moment: “This story, Naniki, I wrote it in Grenada. I started it in Grenada, I finished it in Montreal, but it goes all up the Caribbean chain of islands and returns to Guyana. So for me, it was significant and meaningful that the recognition for it comes from Guyana.”
More than just a win, her participation in the Guyana Prize also marked a decade since she last returned to Guyana, an experience Kempadoo describes as both unique and enriching. She was impressed by the raw talent of young writers:
“I was pleased to see the youth awards, and the young writers involved in the workshops. The inclusion of Caribbean authors as jury members, as providers of workshops, and the interaction with young Guyanese writers—I think is great. That, for me, was really the highlight of my experience.”
She also praised the Right to Stage initiative by the Ministry of Culture: “To see the amount of young theatre talent and ambition… It was really great.”
Naniki: Immersive Storytelling
Originally, Kempadoo did not set out to create Naniki as a novel, but rather as an experience. The word Naniki, meaning “active spirit” in the Taino language, forms the title of a cross-platform story project authored by Kempadoo. It is published as a Caribbean-futurist novel (Naniki, Rare Machines, Dundurn Press, Toronto, Jan 2024) and produced as an Turn to page IX
Kempadoo alongside Prime Minister Mark Phillips after winning the Guyana Prize for Literature’s Best Book of Fiction award for her work, Naniki (Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport photo)
Oonya Kempadoo, writer and inter-arts storyteller, reimagining Caribbean narratives through immersive storytelling and cultural innovation (Photo by Phia Dolgin for Fezihaus)
Guyanese Dr Vashti Budhram...
From page III my largest population of students because of its diversity. It caters to students from 18 to 25 years old.”
In just one year, the Dignity Initiative has already helped hundreds begin their journey toward stability.
“We have a target of 750 participants—450 for the workforce,” Dr Budhram shared. “So far, I have 272 persons. Those 272 are now in jobs—part-time, full-time, or voluntary—across healthcare and other fields in New York. They are from shelters, homeless, and transitional housing,” she said.
However, the programme does more than train and educate—it equips people with the skills they need to succeed.
“My programme provides toiletries, clothing, footwear, suits, everything needed for an interview,” she added. “We also give gift cards to clients who need them. When clients are moving out of transitional housing, we buy household items and help them get a fresh start.”
Dr Budhram emphasised that restoring dignity means addressing the whole person, not just employment.
“We try to help people have a better life—jobs, food, better clothing. Our main focus is to educate persons financially, to spend wisely and get a job to support themselves and their family,” she said.
But the work comes with
its challenges, especially when supporting undocumented individuals.
“One of my biggest challenges is finding job opportunities for undocumented clients,” she said.
“They have to be documented to work legally, so I have to create ways to pay them—for example, through their volunteering activities, with a stipend.”
Despite this, numerous success stories have emerged from the Dignity Initiative.
“I had an immigrant in my programme who needed a background check for a job, but couldn’t afford it. The programme paid for it, and that person is now employed,” she shared.
“Another woman had never worked in her life.
After going through the pro-
gramme, she was employed and received her first pay cheque at 40 years old.” Support and mentorship have been major elements in the programme’s success. Dr Budhram credits her mentor and supervisor, Cedric Dew, Executive Director of the YMCA and Vice President of Transitional Housing, for helping her grow into her leadership role. Randall
Amey, Director of Transitional Housing, also played a significant role in her development.
Now, she leads the initiative with growing confidence. Other key partners include Regina Ganpat of J.P. Morgan, who provides financial literacy training, Rachel Rosenberg, a volunteer, who supports high school students of the shelter in Science, and
the three stalwarts of Mandl College of Allied Health: Dr. Linda Chapilliquen, Director of Evening and Weekend Programmes, Dr. Orsete Dias (Vice President) and Ms. Ana Tejada (Dean of Academics and Student Affairs). They are all strong advocates for student support.
Special mention was also made of Mr Ed Caesar, retired Chief Education Officer (Guyana), who Dr Budhram considers a foundational pillar in her professional growth.
When asked about other significant structures that supported her academic development, Dr Budhram emphasised the critical role played by her five children and beautiful granddaughter. They continue to inspire her.
While she is proud of what she has built in New York, Dr Budhram remains passionate about returning to share her knowledge in Guyana, the country of her birth. A decorated educator, she began her teaching career at the age of 17 and later served as a graduate headteacher and literacy professional officer. With the Dignity Initiative already transforming lives in New York, her ultimate goal is to replicate the model in Guyana, where her journey first began.
Through her continued work, Dr Vashti Budhram remains a shining example of what it means to lead with purpose, compassion, and pride in one’s roots.
Dr Vashti Budhram (centre) addresses a classroom of students as part of the Dignity Initiative’s outreach. Her sessions focus on financial literacy, career readiness, and empowerment, equipping participants with the tools to transform their lives.
Dr Vashti Budhram (far left) with key members of the Dignity Initiative team, whose combined efforts have brought meaningful support to immigrants, students, and families in transitional housing.
Emancipation, Education and Reflection Honouring the Past
AUGUST 1 Emancipation festivities have been a constant on the Guyanese calendar for 31 years, with this year marking ACDA’s 32nd edition of the festival, which has become an integral part of Guyanese culture. Penda Guyan, more commonly known as Sister Penda, has been a part of ACDA for more than a decade.
“I became associated with ACDA in the early 2000s. And when I returned to Guyana from living abroad, which was at the end of 2010, I officially joined,” Sister Penda told Pepperpot Magazine.
Since then, she has been a vibrant player and a bold
voice behind Emancipation festivities in Guyana, and says that this year, like many others, holds significance far beyond a festival.
Celebrated under the theme, “Highlighting the connection of all peoples through African culture as we strive to build a world where all our children are loved and protected,” Emancipation 2025 marks various milestones for both Guyana and ACDA. It marks the 400th anniversary of Africans in Guyana, a major underlying theme for ACDA in this year’s celebration. Moreover, this is ACDA’s 11th Emancipation during the Interna-
tional Decade (Vicennium) for People of African Descent (IDPAD), which began in January 2015.
This is why Sister Penda says that Emancipation is more than meets the eye:
“Emancipation is always a big thing. But more so, it's not just about celebration. Emancipation has a big importance. It is not just about dressing and dancing. It is more. Emancipation is a time when we were able to take control of our self-determination."
Emancipation is also viewed as an opportunity for self-reflection on the significance of one’s identity. ACDA celebrates an African
country annually because most Guyanese of African descent cannot trace their ancestral roots to a particular African nation.
In choosing a specific country to highlight each year, ACDA seeks to educate both young and old about African nations—and to remind them that Africa is not a single country, like China, India, or the United States, but a continent comprising 54 countries that thrive with diversity.
Education, particularly on cultural history and tradition, is essential, says Sister Penda, in understanding the history of not just Afro-Guyanese, but Guyana as a whole:
“People don't really understand that we were only able to get to Emancipation because of the struggles of our foreparents that went before us. It started with Cuffy in 1763. We don't educate ourselves and our children, so they don't really understand."
Traditionally, ACDA honours an African country each Emancipation Festival by building an educational booth for that country. For Emancipation 2025, the focus will be on Burkina Faso—a country with a rich African influence, history, and culture. Burkina Faso will be proudly showcased during the observance of this Emancipation, giving Guyanese the unique opportunity to explore the culture of another African nation.
Additionally, for Emancipation 2025, ACDA honours the village of Buxton, located on the East Coast of Demerara, which is primarily inhabited by people of African descent. It was founded in 1840 by 128 formerly enslaved Africans who pooled their resources to purchase the plantation “New Orange Nassau”. They named the village Buxton in honour of
abolitionist Thomas Fowell Buxton. It is also where many prominent Guyanese have called home, including Bro. Eusi Kwayana, who officially became a centenarian this year.
Emancipation 2025: A Festival of Culture, Unity and Pride
This year’s festival promises to be one of the most vibrant yet, not only in spirit but in scale. Sister Penda recalled the early beginnings of what is now a national spectacle: the Emancipation Village on Main Street.
“That Main Street Bazaar, as it was known, started 20-something years ago. I mean, it was very small. You would go out there and you would probably see maybe four or five booths.”
She credited Sister Clementine Marshall for laying the foundation for what would become a cultural cornerstone:
“She’d cook, bring out the conkie and other African food, and over the years, it has grown. And it has grown so much that now we occupy Turn to page XI
Sister Penda Guyan, long-standing ACDA member, says Emancipation is more than celebration; it’s a time to honour self-determination and ancestral struggle (Delano Williams photo)
Naniki and New Caribbean...
From page VI
immersive and live-performance experience.
“I didn’t set out to write this as a book, because it’s a story to me that really begs to be interacted with as an experience, rather than a literary, on-the-page experience.”
“It’s very different in style to my other works, which are more conventional novel form. This is really a combination of poetry and prose. It’s quite abstract. It’s very metaphorical—more of a fable tale style.”
Her shift to multimedia storytelling was gradual, but her core values remain unchanged. Whether an immersive live performance or a novel, storytelling remains at the heart.
“The sound and visual elements of the story have always been important for me. That is just sort of hinted at in my early work. In Tide Running, I use the soundtrack of Buju Banton and contemporary music of that time as the soundtrack in my head.”
“The transition from literary creative writing—where the soundtrack and the images were all in my head—to putting it down digitally and bringing that together has been a huge learning journey for me, and a very enjoyable one.”
The underwater scenes in Naniki’s performance element have drawn particular praise:
“In researching images of people underwater, it was hard to find Black people underwater. And then when you think of our relationship with water, it’s not a very friendly one.”
“Working in a white culture with persons who didn’t understand that different relationship with water made me motivated to film Black people underwater.”
“We did it in a pool in Montreal to make it look like the sea. It was a new experience for everybody involved in the production. It became the strongest content that we have. It was very beautiful, very magical.”
Bridging Art Forms: New Caribbean Narratives
Although different from her earlier works, Naniki may be more relevant than ever, particularly as the Caribbean and wider world focus on environmental sustainability. Naniki compels audiences to reflect on their connection with nature.
“The takeaway is really for us to reflect on our own connection with the elements—with nature. So air, water, or land—to be able to think of ourselves as elemental beings. What is your Naniki? What is your animal species that is your relative, that you care about, that you can begin to learn more about or help to protect?”
Naniki also addresses cultural gaps in literature and media. The use of Indigenous language was intentional. “We have forgotten the first people of the region and the Caribbean, and we still marginalise the Indigenous people of the Caribbean. So bringing that language and culture to the forefront was intentional.”
On the broader evolution of Caribbean storytelling, Kempadoo says, “I’m excited to see the development of sto-
rytelling in film and video. The spoken word and poetry also have grown and are meaningful. Festivals have done a lot for developing an interest in writing and literature.”
“I would like to see the connection to film, more to theatre, more to even carnival arts, which I see as our Indigenous storytelling.”
She’s not just observing—she’s actively working on expanding her story’s format. “I’m working on how to reformat this production so that it can move around sustainably. That’s a big challenge. I put so much effort into this production, I’m very conscious of environmental issues and sustainabil-
ity…I’m also working on a VR group experience version of Naniki with a film company.”
Oonya Kempadoo’s work, through Naniki and beyond, signals a bold and imaginative direction for Caribbean storytelling. Her commitment to innovation, cultural reclamation, and environmental consciousness brings new energy to the literary and artistic landscape.
As storytelling evolves across platforms and generations, voices like Kempadoo’s ensure that the Caribbean remains not only rooted in its traditions, but also creatively equipped for the future.
A FAIRYTALE DREAM AND SNAKE DYNASTY
SOMETIMES you wish for something, but you never truly believe it will come true. I grew up in a sugar estate community, and as a young girl walking home from school, I would stop by the roadside of the Estate Manager’s compound under the shade of the huge flamboyant trees. When in
bloom, the ground became carpeted with the fallen flowers in a fusion of astounding red, yellow, and pink colours. The splendour of nature is a gift to the earth. I would scoop them up in my hands and throw them up in the air, so they’d fall all over me. Some I would fill in
my satchel to take home for the round glass vase on my small writing table. Flowers had become one of the loves of my life from a young age, and I believed in fairytales— with a deep love for castles, manors and museums. Every time I stopped to play with the flowers, I would look in awe at the classic, white
colonial house, the beautiful garden, and the neat, manicured lawns.
My young heart wished at the time that I could one day live there.
I was not sure at the time how that could come true when my father was a labourer in the backdams. My friends would look at me bemused, never showing any interest nor wishing for such a life. But I believed living with a dream could set the tone for a beautiful life.
The years passed, and I moved to high school in New Amsterdam, in pursuit of higher education. I rode a ladies’ Raleigh bicycle to school, and along the way there were no huge flamboyant trees in stunning bloom— but many other things of interest. I had developed a deep passion for history and a
curious mind, so I chronicled places and things of interest in my mind to later make notes in my journal.
History has documented our lives and times from colonialism to independence— an unforgettable era that I read extensively about. Life on the sugar estates and in communities continued to change as new opportunities shaped our destinies.
I never thought that the wish I had made years ago would come true, but it did.
And the day I left my parents’ home as a bride, I embarked on a new journey in life. A dream had found me—but would it be beautiful, I wondered?
Only time would tell!
I did not experience the wonderful feeling of bliss and happiness that comes with being in a special place,
despite the unique and beautiful colonial buildings at Blairmont and Skeldon Estates.
Something from my dream was missing.
A few years later, we were transferred to Uitvlugt Estate on the West Coast of Demerara, and the moment I entered the Estate Manager’s compound, I fell in love with that place. The sprawling green landscape, with its astonishing variety of flowering trees, fruit orchards, colonial gardening relics, and huge, flamboyant trees that bordered the expansive grounds, was a young girl’s dream come true.
An immediate instinct told me that there was something different about the place, and as I began to settle down, I wondered, “What Turn to page XVIII
Emancipation, Education and...
From page VIII not just the space, but we occupy the avenue from Church all the way to Main Street.”
The festivities will unfold at the National Park on Friday, August 1, from 10:00 hours to 20:00 hours beginning with a symbolic Sunrise Service at 5:30 hours. The day will include a mix of culture, education, entertainment, and food, each playing a role in keeping the spirit of Emancipation alive.
For the first time, ACDA is introducing a more structured marketplace experience:
“We also have some new features this year,” Sister Penda said. “For the first time, we’re having what we call a food mart—all the people that are selling food are together—and that is on the side of the promenade.”
Alongside the food mart, there will be a produce section offering organic items from communities like Mocha:
“You can see that we have a holistic marketplace out there for you this year,” she added.
The entertainment line-up will be nothing short of spectacular. International Grammy Award-winning reggae artist Maxi Priest is headlining the event, joined by international gospel saxophonist Jesse D. Schultz from the USA, as well as cultural drumming and fire-dancing groups from Suriname. The lineup also features performances from local stars such as First Born, Charmaine Blackman, Big
Red, and many more.
More than 50 artistes, poets, and performers are expected to grace the stage, along with over 20 dance and cultural groups.
Educational booths will feature lessons on African heritage, the African Guyanese Village Movement, hairstyles, inventions, and more.
The country being highlighted this year, Burkina Faso, gives Guyanese the chance to explore the rich history, resistance, and traditions of yet another African nation.
Children are not left out either. The Kids’ Fun Centre will run from 10:00 hours to 16:30 hours, and will include bouncy castles, folk games, storytelling, face painting, and a children’s parade.
Competitions for best African dress, drumming, group dance, spoken word, and even a cassava pone eating contest will bring energy and friendly rivalry to the day.
And of course, no Emancipation Day is complete without the famous Cook-Up Competition, sponsored by Ansa McAl, which will begin at noon.
As Guyana ushers in yet another Emancipation, it serves as a reminder that occasions like this are about more than just a day of fun and food. It is about honouring the strength and sacrifices of the ancestors, educating a new generation, and building unity through culture.
By Harold A. Bascom
Home Health Aide, Coreen Harry, who hailed from Guyana, sat in the waiting room of the medical centre. She idly paged through a magazine as she waited for the elderly Jewish woman she cared for to emerge from her doctor’s appointment.
Something made Coreen raise her head, and she found herself gazing into the light brown eyes of this cute African American guy. He, smiling, raised his chin to her. Coreen smiled and refocused on the magazine.
He started over to where she sat and asked if she’d mind him sitting next to her. She thought of responding in her own rude way: ‘This is a free country! Sit down
where yo’ want!’ Instead, she smiled demurely and said, “Why not?”
He sat, said his name was Leroy, and they began to talk. She learned that he was there to bring his grandmother to an appointment, which she thought was cute. Everything was casual until he said he couldn’t hold back a compliment, and told her how much he loved her eyes, and how they complemented her smile.
Though Coreen didn’t really care for African American men and had never dated one, what he said made her feel good after a long dry season in hard Brooklyn, New York.
She thought he was ‘nice,’ and before they left the doctor’s office, phone numbers were exchanged,
Memories of Gam, in Brooklyn, NY
and a light friendship began. One call led to another and another, until one night he asked her if he could take her on a date. “Where you want take me?” she said, and that was when he suggested they go bowling.
“But I never bowled,” she said. “Would that be a good date if I’ve never bowled before? We don’t have that in Guyana.”
He laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll teach you—it will be your introduction to this great American pastime!”
“Okay!” She laughed. “You sound like an expert!”
“Well…” he said, laughingly. “I’ve been doing it for a while. My friends from my bowling fraternity think I’m quite good.”
“Then I’ll be in good hands,” she said, wondering
what ‘fraternity’ meant.
When Coreen entered the bowling alley after him, a group of guys, no doubt his friends, called out to him, though they were looking at her. She looked around and something about the atmosphere of the place excited her. She liked the friendly, easy-going ambience.
At last, they put on their bowling shoes and proceeded to an open lane at the head of which was a rack of bowling balls.
He stood over it and began doing something like a palm exercise. He then took up one of the balls. “Now, lemme show you how it’s done…” he said and proceeded to give her a bowling lesson: the hold, the approach, and the delivery. …
And then he launched the ball. It sped down the lane— BLADAX! It upset six pins! “See?” he said. “That’s the object of the game—to knock down the pins.”
“But is not all the pins you have to knock down? If you could?”
“Of course,” he said. “You have to find your own technique, though. But, as with everything, practice is key!”
“I could try now?”
“Of course,” he said.
Coreen took the ball, made sure she gripped into the finger holes the way he showed her, stepped onto the lane, aimed the same way he did, and let it loose.
It left her hands and rushed down the left gutter. “Man!” she snapped in disgust as Leroy massaged her shoulders reassuringly as he chuckled.
“Your first time,” he said. “Don’t beat yourself up, Babe. Don’t worry if your first few balls roll into the gutters. It’s always a little hard for first-timers.”
It was just then that Coreen Harry heard a voice in her head: “COREEN!” the voice said, “WHERE YOU COME FROM, GIRL?” And, in her mind, she answered, “Guyana.” And the voice continued: “WHICH PART O’ GUYANA, EXACTLY?” And Coreen answered in her mind: “New Road, Vreed-enHoop—across the river from Georgetown.” And the voice continued: “COREEN! NEVER MIND WHAT THEY
CALL THIS ‘BOWLING THING’ HERE—I’M SURE IT BRINGING BACK MEMORIES OF A GUYANESE GAME YOU KNOW! —TELL ME I’M LYING!”
And the answer was right there in the forefront of Coreen’s mind: “GAM!”
Among her siblings, she was the only girl, a ‘tomboy’ and could have played ‘gam’ with the best of the boys in the neighbourhood. All thought that her “hand was straight.” When a game of gam was over, they would race to see who could stand well back, aim, and launch a marble to hit another marble, positioned as a target against a concrete block in the yard. The boys in New Road called it “jooming.’
“HEAR, COREEN!” the voice in her head continued. “WHEN YOU HOLD THAT BALL, JUST THINK IT’S A BIG EFFIN MARBLE YOU’RE ‘JOOMIN’— AND LET IT FLY!”
Coreen Harry looked down the bowling lane, watched the ten pins, whispered to herself, “Dis is joomin’’!”, and launched her big marble down the lane!
“BLADAX!” — EVERY PIN WAS KNOCKED FLYING!
“SHEEEET!” blurted one of Leroy’s friends. And Coreen bowled again. Same thing: STRIKE! And so, she continued, and every ball she threw down the lane, a strike! Coreen Harry was in her rikitiks—every ball—BLADAX! BLADAX! BLADAX —PINS FLYING ALL OVER THE PLACE! —FULL SCORE AT EVERY ATTACK! PEOPLE COMING ‘ROUND, ‘OOHING AND AAAHING’ AT HER SKILL—HIGH SCORES FOH SOW!
And as Coreen Harry bowled in Brooklyn, New York, her date couldn’t keep up. Leroy’s game, in comparison to hers, was lame, and
it caused him to be mocked by his bowling alley friends. One of them sauntered over to Leroy, nursing his shattered ego.
“Damn!” the man said, chuckling. “Ain’t that the Caribbean woman you said hadn’t a clue about bowling? Huh? She played you like a damn fiddle, my brother— Damn!”
On their way home, Coreen’s date said nothing to her; he just drove, eyes ahead.
“Leroy? … Something wrong? You stop talking suddenly so, since at the bowling alley. What happen?”
“You had a good time?” he said, his voice flat, not even glancing at her.
“Yes … I had a great time. I can’t wait for you to take me back bowling!”
He shook his head and made a sound of disgust with his mouth.
“What happen, Leroy? Why you looking so—like you vex or something. I had a nice time…”
“YOU TOLD ME YOU NEVER BOWLED BEFORE!”
“Is true—that was the first-first time I ever bowl. …”
“Damn...” He was still shaking his head. “…Man, you Caribbean women can lie!”
“But what you mean, Leroy? I’m not lying to you!”
He slowed and stopped in front of the house she lived in on Church Avenue. “This is where I put you off, huh? Have a good night!”
“Leroy—what happened? Why you called me a liar? What I lie to you about?”
“You can open the door yourself, can’t you?” he said.
‘Wait!’ Coreen Harry thought to herself. ‘Is put dis damn Yankee mahn putting me out he kiss-mih-ass car?’ But she said, “What’s wrong? —What happened—at least Turn to page XVI
Large-scale farmer for 37...
From page II and he is hoping for a fruitful outcome in future crops too.
The farmer said farming is a ‘give and take’ kind of business where you plant hoping to reap, and sometimes there is nothing to harvest, and money goes down the drain without any real compensation to stay afloat.
Baker pointed out that due to his years of experience as a farmer, he is familiar with the various pests and diseases that consume crops, and he has measures in place to prevent any occurrences. Over the years, he has invested time in doing his own research to maintain healthy, pest-free crops. He revealed that they had a viable crop of wiri wiri peppers for export, employing 37 women from the community to pick the peppers—but things were quashed after some time due to circumstances beyond his control.
As a farmer, he told Pepperpot Magazine, it is an everyday job—from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., then from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.—with no days off, and it requires a lot of manual labour and time to tend to crops as a large-scale farmer. Baker said help is always welcomed, but the young men in the village don’t want to work and would often decline employment when there is a bountiful harvest, so he would do it along with his son.
At the Baker farm, he utilises a sprinkler system to water his crops, which he invented to make his workload easier and more systematic.
A section of the cultivation
Carlos Baker on his farm
Some hot peppers grown
OLD HABITS CHANGE AROUND US AND WE MUST PAY ATTENTON
AS children, we would tantalise the drunken soul, despite their rude response predicting mature damnation. We did so despite the fact that eventually, some of us, too, would later stagger and stumble from the safety of some drinking facility after summoning the tempting alcoholic spirits, bottled and promoted with auspicious marketing auras to satisfy our then entertainment needs.
Our wrestling with the trappings of adulthood and becoming familiar with the guardians of adult vices entices and celebrates the locations where manhood and womanhood are summoned to form acquaintances.
And we forget the childhood amuse-
ments, when we mocked souls enveloped by alcohol, a spirit that knows none, nor respects any class, nor human social clique.
I recall arriving at the conclusion, as a younger man, about what might be going on with the ‘Daru posse.’ We were younger and sailing in respect to most things. This was, at that time, some 30-odd years ago, a popular liquor restaurant—Cassiram—on James Street, Albouystown.
A few of us questioned, observed, and watched from the northern side of James Street as men waltzed to real oldies, some with glasses in their hands.
Others embraced imaginary partners. Some seemed to be crying as they sang the lyrics to popular melodies. None of us,
the onlookers, could determine what was transpiring.
It took years to understand that these men were trapped in the past, possibly the best time of their lives, taken to re-experience that period on a sea of alcoholic intoxication.
This is a habit that captures souls in the realm of fond memories, yet is dangerous to the probable present.
In retrospect, today, even with productive ideas that can empower many of us, looking at our age group across the world—and realising that 30 years ago, when that mature, intoxicated crew mystified us—we then lacked the information to understand what that permanent memory
lane translated to.
It took a conversation with my wife about the article to recognise the limitations of celebrating local skills within an inheritance of a colonial structure, which has also held ground since post-independence, fighting to sustain an obviously decadent worldview.
It’s not now difficult to understand why so many of our better talents, whom we mainly encounter on social media platforms. They don’t lie—it’s a dog-eat-dog world. But home isn’t ready yet.
In closing, I can only feel the pain of the ‘Daru posse’ of yesteryear and strive to work with greater recognition to transform our little world.
From prisons to classrooms, Amar Panday and his grassroots...
From page V
to children’s homes across the country, are youth-led.
“When we go that day, we take over the kitchen. We cook for the children, engage them in educational activities, recreational activities. The young people who are part of the youth empowerment arm—they plan and organise the humanitarian activities.”
The idea is to cultivate responsibility, compassion, and leadership—not just through training rooms, but through action. The primary way Empower Guyana achieves this is through its Youth Ambassador Programme.
“We have a youth ambassadorship programme that falls under this arm. It’s actually the largest youth organisation in Guyana, with young people from all regions of Guyana.”
Empower Guyana works closely with local government bodies to expand their reach.
“We work closely with the regional community councils in places like Re-
gion 10, Region 7. We work closely with the municipalities.
But we haven’t partnered with any agency per se. We work closely with any agency that is willing to partner with us to achieve the vision, the mission, the core values of Empower Guyana.”
Empower Guyana continues to expand its influence through consistent on-theground work in classrooms, council halls, prisons, and homes. On the matter of next steps, Panday shared:
“We don’t have any activity planned per se. But the work in these three arms is a continuous one.”
And perhaps that’s what makes Empower Guyana stand out: a model that is steady, expansive, and quietly transformative.
Whether training police recruits, rehabilitating former inmates, or mentoring young leaders from Lethem to Linden, the organisation is quietly building the next generation of leaders—and giving them something even more powerful than skills: purpose.
Memories of Gam, in Brooklyn, NY
From page XII tell me!”
“YOU TOLD ME YOU NEVER BOWLED BEFORE, AND THEN YOU MADE AN ASS OF ME—IN FRONT OF MY FRIENDS!”
“But—but ...”
“Get out of my car. … Please?”
She got out; he drove away. She gazed after him until his car rounded a corner and was out of sight. Coreen Harry sighed.
Maybe she should call him later and explain all about ‘gam’. She sighed again and shook her head. He wouldn’t understand, anyway.
“Oh well…” she muttered under her breath and turned away from the street.
The night was nippy; she hugged herself and started walking towards the gate of the house where she rented a room in the basement.
*** ABOUT HAROLD A. BASCOM
HAROLD A. BASCOM is a Guyanese playwright who has won the Prestigious Guyana Prize for Literature five times in the category of drama. He is also a novelist, illustrator-artist, and painter who currently resides in the USA. His plays, such as The BARREL, The Visa Wedding, TV Alley, Cockle House, and the memorable Tessa Real-Girl & The Old Fool, and MAKANTALI among others, have made him a household name in Guyana.
Persons Living with Disabilities Deserve Inclusive and Accessible Polling Stations in Guyana
IN a few weeks, Guyanese from all across the country will head to polling stations to exercise their democratic right to vote for a leader of their choice. This very right is outlined in Guyana’s Constitution. However, this right is infringed upon when Guyanese living with disabilities can’t even vote because of the inaccessibility of polling stations across the country. The right to vote is outlined and adhered to; however, equal opportunities for accessibility in the voting process do not always exist.
In Guyana, many of our public buildings such as schools, are utilised as polling stations and, unfortunately, the majority of them lack accessibility for persons living with disabilities. These public facilities lack ramps, widened doorways, accessible washrooms, and designated disability parking spaces. This is a fact that was proven in our last 2020 General and Regional Elections.
According to the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD), in 2020, only 55 per cent of polling stations had staircases, and only 12.3 per cent were equipped with ramps, leaving 87.7 per cent of the stations without accessibility. This observation was
conducted in collaboration between GCOPD and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, with 42 observers deployed across over 560 polling stations nationwide.
It is also important to note that disabilities are not limited only to physical characteristics. Historically, polling station agents have not been trained in sign language, and the fonts are not large enough for the visually impaired. Our Constitution, as well as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, outlines that persons living with disabilities have the right to vote.
Are these current realities not a violation of these laws and policies? Are they also not a violation of human rights and dignity? Should our polling stations not have access and disability assistance? Should the ballots not be accessible to all citizens for easy understanding and voting? These questions and more are asked every election cycle by disability advocates all across Guyana, but unfortunately, there is little to no change or consensus.
Voting is a civic right and should not be violated simply because of how one walks, talks, or comprehends. The ballots should include braille
for the visually impaired, there should be trained sign language polling agents at every station across Guyana, and a wider voter education campaign should be implemented that accommodates all disabilities, including sign- language advertising. Access to voting is not a favour that can be granted—it is a right and ought to be respected at all times.
I understand that persons living with disabilities can vote by proxy, but this does not mean that it should be their only option. While we may still have limited resources this election season to address the accessibility issues at polling stations, I hope that as you read this, you will be inspired to help those with disabilities to vote. They should not be
discouraged because of a lack of parking or ramps. Instead, you can motivate them by pledging your assistance to local community members living with disabilities on the day of the elections. If you’re a polling agent, you can also try to understand the types of disabilities and ways in which you can assist without disturbing the voting process on Election Day.
I urge you all to open the doors for these discussions in local villages and communities throughout the year, not just every five years. We must hold our electoral systems accountable because Guyana can only truly ever be a state of inclusion and representation when every citizen can vote independently, fairly, and with dignity.
A FAIRYTALE DREAM AND SNAKE DYNASTY
From page X mystery or magic does it hold?”
What was unique about the compound was that it was separate from the main one and surrounded by canals—like an island. I felt now the bliss and happiness, for the landscape lent a certain type of romance to the mind.
From dawn to dusk, each day was something interesting to do, to see, to learn in that little paradise.
One of the things I learnt about the Leonora/Uitvlugt Estates was the names of the Dutch owners of the plantations—Ignatius Charles Bourda and Ursillya—and their initials are engraved on the factory chimney of Uitvlugt.
And of course, the fabled tale of Dutch colonial masters’ burial sites in the yard—none of which I saw.
What I saw were huge snakes that were real!
One day, as I was walking under the canopy of the flamboyant trees, I saw a long snake slithering down one of the trees. I ran out of fear, and the gardener told me there’s always snakes in the yard.
“Why is that?” I asked.
He told me that beyond the border of the grounds were canefields, so when the cane is burnt, the snakes crawl over into the yard. That was scarier for me than stumbling on an old Dutch tomb, so I avoided that part of the grounds as best I could.
So many snakes were caught during the time I lived there that I just couldn’t get the thought of snakes out of my mind.
Then one night, I was awoken by a soft hissing sound.
I was not sure where it came from because everyone was asleep. I got up and slowly pulled aside the curtains from the glass doors leading to the veranda. I looked outside but saw nothing.
“Strange,” I thought.
“Did I actually hear that or was it a dream?”
The next morning, I went
for a walk across the narrow waterway where a diversity of exotic lilies grew to a section of the yard that was an abandoned tennis court.
The wildflowers that grew there were an amazing display of yellow across the court. Why I was there that morning, I wasn’t sure. But as I stood there looking around, a soft breeze blew, bending the soft stalks of the wildflowers—and that’s when I saw the snake.
It had raised its head and was looking at me!
I dropped the basket of flowers I had in my hand— that I had picked for morning prayers—and ran, almost tripping over the old wooden bridge.
I stopped in the middle of the lawn as the two gardeners hurried to see what was wrong with me.
“Another snake,” I said, a little out of breath.
They both smiled and said casually, “Yuh would geh accustom tuh it.”
I shook my head, somewhat in disbelief.
“How and when do I get accustomed to snakes?”
They both advised me not to walk too far out on the grounds, but as a nature lover, I wanted to see every flowering shrub and blooming tree, to pick fruits, and look at the different birds flitting around in the garden, heading to the bird bath.
That night, when everyone was asleep, I went out on the veranda and looked across the lawn to the tennis court that was veiled in darkness, and I asked silently,
“Is something there from the past?”
So many stories I have heard, and all the notes I had written in my journal—maybe it’s time for me to write from my own experiences: The historical past, the mysteries of the estate grounds, tales of Dutch ghosts and tombs, and the myth of a snake dynasty.
Fiction and facts from a curious mind. And living here in a world of my own, in the embrace of nature’s brilliance, the writer in me bloomed.
STUDY SUCCESS
Welcome dear reading friend. We continue with strategies to improve reading-comprehension skills. Look here: Read to understand the written text. Become enwrapped and connected and summarise in your mind the substance of ideas so far. Appreciate the message, notice the language use.
Active reading is focused, never bland. Visualise the picture, feel the atmosphere being painted by the author’s chosen words. Take valuable notes -- reading and writing improve understanding. Ask yourself useful questions,
too. Be wise. Love you.
THE PASSAGE
Reading-Comprehension
Note: For your examination, be prepared to manage the following skills:
1) Read and give responses for questions based on comprehension passages emanating from novels, short stories, biographies, diaries and letters.
2) Manage forms of expository extracts from reports, instructions, newspaper articles, notices, texts of speeches and transcripts of conversation.
3) Manage extracts from
argumentative texts from advertisements, and speeches or letters to the editor.
4) Manage visual extracts such as tables, cartoons, and diagrams.
Be able to handle multiple-choice items, responses coined in sentence and phrase forms and use continuous writing. The passage below was taken from an American novel for children. Read carefully to understand the peculiar language of the young female narrator.
Instructions: The following passage has questions based on it. Answer all the questions.
Barnaby Terrace, across
JULY 20, 2025
town, my old neighbourhood is … fine. I didn’t really know what else to say about it except for the fact that there’s nothing really to say about it. There is nobody rich, that’s for sure. But is there nobody really, really poor, either. Everybody’s just regular. Regular people going to regular jobs having regular kids who go to regular schools and grow up to be regular people with regular jobs, and on and on.
And I guess everything was pretty regular about me, too, until six years ago. Follow me. I’d just turned six, and me and my dad were having one of our famous, invisible cupcake parties. Kind [of] like how little girls on old TV shows were having tea parties, but you know how it doesn’t ever really be tea in the cups. Like that.
Except I didn’t have a tea set, and my mom wouldn’t let us use her real teacups, which were really just random coffee mugs, plus my dad always said tea don’t even taste good enough to pretend to drink it. And what better thing to pretend to eat than cupcakes. And that is what we always had – imaginary cupcakes.
1a) What general impression do you get of the narrator’s mindset about the Terrace from the opening lines? b) Have you ever been asked a question that caused you to start off thinking like her? What was that question about?
2. What things did she relate about the Terrace? Write two sentences describing two profound impressions she elaborated upon.
3. Is the narrator herself talking about Barnaby Terrace, or do you hear the writer’s thoughts also? See how much you can say about this.
4. Give meanings for each of the following terms: regular people, regular jobs, regular kids, regular school.
5. How did the narrator explain that she herself could have been called “regular” six years back but not now? What other experiences did
WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE; WITH CHARITY FOR ALL. ABRAHAM LINCOLN
(1809-1865) Second Inauguration Address, 4 Mar. 1865
she have after then?
6. What does the sentence beginning with “Except I didn’t have a tea set ….” tell us about her parents’ living standard?
THE PASSAGE
Finding the main idea
Note: The main idea of a paragraph or passage is the pivotal point of its contents - the main concern of the author. This is often supported by details. To find the main idea, look for the topic or subject and then find pointers the author is saying about it. Key words, topic sentences and repeated ideas point the way to the main idea of the paragraph.
Note that the topic sentence in most cases is often, but not always the first sentence, of the paragraph. It may even be found at the end of the paragraph.
The details provide evidence, examples, and explanations that support the main idea. Sometimes the main point is not explicitly stated; in such cases try to infer it by looking at the supporting details and the overall purpose of the text. An excellent thing to really tell yourself that you have found the main idea, restate it in your own words.
Instructions: Read the passage and then answer the question that follows.
The first practical transformer revolutionised the brand-new electric lighting industry. By the turn of the century, the transformer had assumed a key role in elec-
trical transmission and distribution. Today’s transformers can handle 500 times the power and 15 times the voltage of their turn-of-the-century ancestors; the weight per unit of power has dropped by a factor of 10, and efficiency typically exceeds 99 percent. These advances reflect the marriage of theoretical inquiry and engineering that made the understanding and application of transformers possible. It is not an overstatement to say that transformers have made the modern lifestyle possible – they allow for the electrical grid, for cross-country transmission, and for use of desk lamps, battery chargers, toy trains, and television sets – all of which rely on transformers to adjust the voltage as needed to step up or step down from the power source available.
Instruction: Which of the following thoughts best expresses the main idea of the paragraph?
A. Transformers today can handle much more power than those that were before and make our modern lifestyle possible.
B. At the turn of the century, transformers carried out a major role in electrical transmission and distribution.
C. Transformers allow for the electrical network, cross-country transmission, desk lamps, battery chargers, toy trains, and electrical sets.
D. Transformers resulted from the conflict between theoretical inquiry and engineering.
The role of genes in dentistry
BOTH ABO blood type and the bleeding disorder, haemophilia, are solely determined by the action of genes, with no environmental factors involved. Conversely, diseases like cholera and AIDS can affect anyone, regardless of their genetic makeup. Asthma, however, is an example of a disease thought to have a genetic basis, but which requires specific environmental factors, such as climatic conditions and pollen, for induction.
In dentistry, numerous differences in dento-facial characteristics of individuals are encountered, leading one to wonder whether oral health, as a condition, is inherited. Even within a family, some members have a high prevalence of dental caries, while others may be caries-free. Such observations make it difficult to answer the question on the hereditary basis of oral disease.
Regardless of abnormal or normal individual states, how do these differences come about? To deal with this question, it is necessary to turn to genetics. When we examine a specific characteristic or disease in the oral region, we often find that it is the consequence of two principal factors: Genetic and environmental.
Likewise, the sizes and shapes of teeth, as well as different degrees of susceptibility to tooth decay, depend on both genetic and environmental factors. Common diseases such as dental caries and periodontal (gum) disease are infectious in nature because the germ responsible for tooth decay can be transmitted from one person’s mouth to another. However, the problems are often considered to be mainly environmental. However, even in this case, researchers are convinced that the genetic aspects influencing the degree of susceptibility should not be
overlooked.
The basic element in genetics is the gene. It is found in the nucleus of every cell. A body containing many genes is a chromosome. Humans have 46 chromosomes in each cell. Chromosomes are made in pairs, which closely resemble each other.
There are 23 such pairs, of which one concerns sex. One of the sets of chromosomes comes from either parent. Each of the thousands of genes is responsible for a specific attribute. For example, there are genes for the colour of the eyes, one for the shape of the nose, and one for the colour of the skin, among others. Environmental factors may alter the composition of genes, a process known as mutation. Cancer is a classic example of a condition caused by a gene mutation that an external agent triggers.
After an alteration occurs in a gene, the change is transmitted to descendants, which is why certain conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, tend to be passed down through families.
Many dental and maxillofacial diseases are primarily transmitted through genetic lines. During my years working at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, I can readily cite two common examples: Facial keloids (abnormal proliferation of scar tissue), seen almost exclusively in Afro-Guyanese, and cleft lip/palate, seen almost exclusively in Indo-Guyanese.
A study published in the Journal of Periodontology in December 2010 concludes that approximately half of the variants in gum disease in the population can be attributed to genetic differences.
There are likely several genes that contribute to susceptibility, and these may vary across different racial and ethnic groups. For ex-
ample, this author observed that in the village of Paramakatoi, while multiple
decayed teeth are prevalent among that Amerindian community, the prevalence of gum disease is low. So, one can say with a fair degree of accuracy that you can blame your oral health status partly on your parents.
