Guyana Chronicle Pepperpot E-Paper 22-05-2022

Creating change ‘one step at a time’ …aspiring policymaker wants to make a difference in the lives of others

Nalinie Singh is a 31-year-old aspiring policymaker who currently serves as part of the Social Monitoring team at the Office of the President. She holds a Master’s in Political Science from the University of Illinois and believes that politics is one of the fastest means of being able to help people.

She is eager to contribute to changing lives as she continues to pursue her professional endeavours (Photo courtesy of Nalinie Singh)

Sunday, May 22, 2022

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

It’s finally becoming a reality!

- New GTI building can accommodate more students, new programmes

Principal of GTI, Renita Crandon Duncan.

EVER since she joined the Government Technical Institute (GTI) 22 years ago as a lecturer, Renita Crandon Duncan has always heard talks of a new three to five-storey building and

recently at being able to witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project between Ken Subraj Investments and the Ministry of Education.

her tenure, especially being a woman at the helm of Guyana’s leading technical institute.

“There’s that feeling of accomplishment that I am able to do it. It’s something that I am proud of; to see that under my tenure, I can be able to have that,” she expressed during an interview with Pepperpot Magazine.

The new building, valued at $140M, will be constructed within the school’s compound at Woolford Avenue, and the student population will have a chance to be expanded with the availability of more space and technical equipment. At the moment, it is difficult for the institution to function at its optimum capacity due to a limitation of

What the new building is expected to look like

even saw drawings at one point, but it is only now, during her tenure as principal, that the project is finally becoming a reality.

Imagine her excitement

Having seen the project move from ‘principal to principal’, Duncan couldn’t be happier that the modern, state-of-the-art facility will come to fruition under

space, especially considering COVID-19.

“Having this new buildSEE PAGE XV

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

Creating change ‘one step at a time’ …aspiring policymaker wants to make a difference in the lives of others

By Telesha Ramnarine NALINIE Singh has often joked that the short time she spent volunteering in the Office of then Leader of the Opposition Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo taught her more

things, as opposed to just the theory aspect of her Political Science and Latin America and Caribbean Studies at York University in Canada.

The 31-year-old aspiring policymaker, who likes to

the country, thus using her current portfolio at the Office of the President (OP) to do just that.

She is presently on the Social Monitoring team at OP, which means that whenever the President and

At a public meeting during the 2020 elections period

than she’d ever learned during her years of university abroad. Perhaps it was because she was exposed to the more practical side of

multitask and feels bored if she has too little on her hands to do, wants to be able to make a difference in the lives of people all across

up with those concerns and the relevant agencies that can address them.

Nalinie, who also graduated from an online Master’s programme in Political Science from the University of Illinois, also sits on the board of the Guyana Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission, the Board of Governors for the St. Roses High School, and the Scholarship Selection Committee of the Ministry of Public Service.

Nalinie also has experience in event planning, public speaking, public relations, fundraising, leadership, marketing, training teams, budgeting and social media, most of which she

Aspiring policy maker Nalinie Singh

Progressive Party Civic, the New Amsterdam-born former student of Mae’s Schools and The Bishops’

discussing careers in Guyana, he suggested she pursue Political Science. Nalinie heeded the advice and ap-

Nalinie’s work has involved organising political workshops to train others

Vice-President go on outreaches, she would be there to document issues raised by residents so that she and the rest of the team can follow

With members of the Athletic Council at York University

has acquired during her time at York working with the College Council and at the Student and Leadership Development Office.

“I like managing multiple things at a time, and I am used to staying up long hours. I get bored if I’m not busy,” Nalinie told Pepperpot Magazine in an interview. Currently involved in politics with the People’s

High School has her heart set on eventually being able to craft certain policies that she feels the people of Guyana absolutely need.

While in high school, she’d often change her mind about what career path she wanted to pursue, but a casual conversation she had with a lawyer while attending temple one day had a life-changing effect. While

plied for a Political Science and Economics Degree.

She couldn’t be happier that she did. “It’s a really interesting subject matter to study because you learn how governments and democracies work,” she reflected. After coming home from university in 2018, she did volunteer work in SEE PAGE XIII

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

‘We can be shifters of the world’ Fashion designers are here to stay in Guyana Scenes from a recent expo in Dubai where Carol Fraser showcased her designs

“I think that there is a bright future for designers in Guyana.” These are the words of Guyanese designer, Carol Fraser, who believes that Guyana possesses the foundation for a thriving fashion industry.

“Guyana has the facilities, we just need the resources.

We might have to get International help for that [but] we have the platform here

that we can bring international fashion designers to Guyana. Also, the platform to bring out our own brand with all that is going on in our economy and the growth of our economy,” Fraser said.

In an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine, Fraser who has been designing for over 30 years, made mention of the fact that if Guy-

anese Designers are given the platform, materials and the resources to work with, they will pose a challenge to anybody in the world.

Fraser is also confident that Guyana will become a place of fashion but more particularly “Eco-friendly fashion”, using materials that are available to us and that are appropriate for our weather pattern here in Guy-

ana.

DESIGNING FOR THE FUN OF IT Fraser is of the view that designing in Guyana is seasonal, and as such, if we are going to maintain a quorum of people with a love for the industry, then there must be a market to create sustainability for the art or profession.

“If there is a market and if the market starts to become lucrative, you will find more persons spending more time in their studios because right now people aren’t thinking about fashion, people are thinking about health and wellness,” Fraser told the Pepperpot Magazine.

Carol made it clear that if people approach her with a

vested interest in designing, she is more than happy to impart her knowledge and skills to them, because of the fact designing is very expensive profession.

She maintained that in order to remain competitive in the market as a designer, there is a need for diversiSEE PAGE XII

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

Celebrating the life of a Buxton Centenarian

By Dillon Goring GROWING gracefully to a grand old age of 110 is Evadney Talbot of Company Path, Buxton, East Coast Demerara.

Talbot was born on May 10, 1912 and spent all of her life in central Buxton.

The Pepperpot spoke with her eldest daughter Hermeni Talbot, who related that her mother is a very sociable person.

“My Mom was one of the founding members of the Buxton Golden Age Club which she regularly attended until the last three years when she stopped moving around,” Tablot’s daughter told Pepperpot Magazine.

According to Hermeni, the Buxton Golden Age Club is a club for persons in the 60s. It is a club where persons would meet and enjoy friendly times together, celebrate each other‘s birthdays and other significant milestones in their lives.

The Club met once per week and also provided for outings for the seniors and other social activities.

According to information posted on social media, the Buxton Golden Age Group was formed some 25 years ago by a group of retired teachers.

The main aim of the group, which currently has over 40 members, is to continue the learning process.

To this end, at their regular meetings, they take part in a variety of activities, in-

Evadney Talbot celebrated 110 years of life on May 10

cluding craft courses, health discussions, dress parades, dances and fundraising activities. Some members are shut-ins, so the group has a visiting committee which regularly calls on them, bringing gifts on special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas.

Talbot’s eldest daughter told the Pepperpot Magazine that her mother had five children, but two are deceased.

Hermeni attended the

Sacred Heart Primary School in Georgetown, and resided with her Aunt in Georgetown as a girl and after school, she went back home to Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara, where she currently resides.

LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE CENTENARIAN “Never to give up, to think positively and for my

mother, the phrase ‘can’t do’ is not in her vocabulary.

Everything is possible as far as she is concerned. She is very active. She was always engaged in doing something or the other. She was a seamstress in her own right, made all the clothes for all the children and grandchildren. She was a very capable woman,” her eldest daughter described to the Pepperpot Magazine.

Pepperpot was also told

of ‘Aunty Talbot’s’ unwavering commitment as a long-standing member of the St Augustine Anglican Church and its Mother Union. As a result, she was very active in the village.

“She is capable of carrying on a conversation with both visitors and her grandchildren. Sometimes, she is not in the mood for it, but she knows them and is fondly in love with them, especially when they would pay her a visit,” the eldest daughter expressed.

According to Hermeni, her mother isn’t a person who believes in procrastination. What you can do today, you simply do not put it off for tomorrow.

Hermeni also drew from her mother’s exemplary life, the attribute of becoming involved in activities, which makes you feel as though you have made a great and significant contribution to life and people’s lives.

Talbot expressed in no uncertain terms that her mother always like to go out and dress up.

According to her, any activity in the village that involves the elderly, you can bet that Evadney Talbot would be there.

THE CAREER PATHS HER CHILDREN HAVE CHOSEN AS A RESULT OF HER NURTURING “Well, I am here now, [but] I live in London. I am

a retired nurse. My brother lives in New York. He has retired. He was an Accountant here. My other brother is retired now, and he lives right here in Guyana, at Poudreyen, but he lived in London for a while. We all are married now and have children of our own, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” Hermine joyfully expressed to the Pepperpot Magazine.

“Mum loves to travel, she has been abroad several times, and she travelled to London, England, on four occasions.

She also spent several vacations in Curacao. Incidentally, she loves flowering plants, and everyone came to take plants from Ms. Talbot’s Garden.”

Hermeni recalled that her mother would often say to respect others; if you can help someone, help them.

Her husband passed on 50 years ago and since then, her children have looked up to her as their only mentor and disciplinarian. Her eldest child today is 91 years old.

Evadney also has the honour of having 35 grandchildren, 40 great-grands and six great-great grands.

Before her marriage, she was well known for her homemade embroidery and dressmaking. Early in her marriage, Evadney assisted her husband in the backdam planting sugar cane and ground provisions.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

The countryside village of Aurora Estate - The ideal place for a quiet, fulfilling life

The village and people going about their daily activities in Aurora Estate (Carl Croker photos)

The Aurora Police Station and the Aurora Primary School pictured in one photo.

THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine journeyed over land and water to visit the Cinderella county of Essequibo, Region Three (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands) to highlight the way of life of the locals.

Aurora Estate is a relatively small village located

between Warousi and Spring Garden. It is a place which is diverse in its population, and the villagers get along very well.

Most people of this village are related by blood, and it is a very safe place to reside. It is crime-free, and there is no need to lock your

doors or lose any sleep over security.

The village has two sections, Aurora Estate and Aurora Village, which sit side by side. In Aurora Village, there is a police station, a post office, a supermarket, SEE PAGE XXXI

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

The locals of Aurora Estate are set deep in family traditions as a way of life

By Michel Outridge

ABDUL Nizam Jaleen is a shop owner and is wellknown in Aurora Estate, Essequibo Coast, since his house and business are conveniently located on the public road.

The shop was the brainchild of his parents who established the business 50 years ago and when they passed away, in 1990, he took over the operation.

The shop, which is housed in the lower flat of the two-storey house, has in stock groceries, beverages, clothing, hardware and just about every little thing that is needed for the home.

The 56-year-old shopkeeper has been trying his best to ensure the shop is fully stocked and has been doing that for the past 24

“I used to live in the city,

Abdul Nizam Jaleen and his wife

years.

The prices are pocket-friendly making it very affordable for the villagers to shop.

Abdul Nizam Jaleen (Carl Croker photos)

Abdul Jaleen

so I know about the ‘hustle and bustle’ of the bright lights, but here it is different. It is quite the opposite, quiet and in slow-motion

but safe and ideal for a rural lifestyle,” he said.

Jaleen told the Pepperpot Magazine that growing up in Aurora Estate as a child was hard because they had very little in those days.

But life was nice, he said. It was less worrisome and they did not have to worry about certain things.

The shop owner related that his parents were hard workers who toiled in the backdam to provide adequately for them and, through their hard work, a solid foundation was set for them.

Jaleen added that he recalled as a child in that village, life was happy since the people were nicer and they shared meals of whatever little they had but today that is not so.

“Some people became fabulously rich, and things have changed. It is not like before when I was a child and much younger, still I prefer those days than these

days,” he said.

He stated that times have changed, and now things are very modern, making it a vast difference in the way we live as it relates to yesteryear.

Jaleen reported that in Aurora Estate, most of the people are related and they are of mixed ethnicities, but they co-exist regardless of what is happening in the country.

“The other day I took ill suddenly, and a brother of the Muslim community took me to the hospital and stayed there with me for eight hours so the people are not selfish, and we look out for each other around here,” he said.

Jaleen added that the village is a nice place and the landmark is the chimney that is still standing which is from the olden days when the community was a sugar estate and indentured labourers occupied the land then.

The father of one has one grandchild. He stated that his wife would also assist in managing the shop and do all the chores, and he was grateful for the assistance.

Abdul Jaleen Meanwhile, in the same village lives Abdul Jaleen, a Muslim brother, who is well-respected among his peers and the Muslim com-

munity.

The 56-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that he grew up in Aurora Estate and began farming with his parents at a young age when bulls were used to plough the fields, horns were utilised to cut the rice, and they had to bag the rice manually.

He remembered in those days, hard labour was the hallmark of living and it entailed long hours in the rice fields to yield a good crop, unlike now, heavy-duty equipment made it easier and less labour is involved.

Jaleen disclosed that he has 10 siblings and his parents had to work very hard to make ends meet. With such a large family, things weren’t always good, but they never went hungry.

The father of two related that his parents did a whole lot to make them happy by providing a good life for them. As a result, they all made something of themselves.

To date, Jaleen is not willing to give up the legacy his parents left behind and is still planting rice and rearing cattle.

He used to work with people for 10 years, but as he became advanced in age, he did not wish to work with anyone and became self-employed.

Jaleen has two grandchildren to spoil and these days, he has some more time with the family.

Inside the shop

The home and shop of Abdul Nizam Jaleen

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

The resourceful women of Aurora Estate - Making the most of their engrained skills to earn

Sabeeha Mohamed (Carl Croker photos)

By Michel Outridge BEING a housewife is often overlooked as a mundane task of cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children and basically doing all that needs to be done, but for Sabeeha Mohamed of Aurora Estate, Essequibo Coast, being a homemaker has encouraged her to become multi-talented by launching a catering, baking and salon from her own home.

The effervescent and fullof-life woman related that sitting at home after completing chores was not good enough for her. She wanted to do more to earn.

She began exploring with her inbred skills and started a baking business from her home, making icing cakes and pastries for all events and made to order.

After that small busiHome of Jasoda Persaud

ness was off, she started to cater for events such as Eid, Ramadan and other events in which her culinary skills

were needed.

Whatever it is you need for that birthday party or get together with loved ones and friends, Mohamed can prepare from scratch but with ample notice.

The mother of two also does hair, nails, henna and full-face make-up for brides and other functions with her own brand name cosmetics at a very affordable cost.

She also began waxing eyebrows to keep in touch with the trends of today and still has a far way to go in terms of equipping herself with modern skills.

Mohamed is originally from Columbia Village, also on the Essequibo Coast but got married 15 years ago and settled in her husband’s hometown of Aurora Estate.

Her husband is a rice farmer, and they also rear chickens and cows.

A typical day for this

The loading process before sale Shop of Jasoda Persaud

Shop owner, Jasoda Persaud

homemaker starts at 05:00hrs to get the meal ready for the children to go to school and the husband to go off to the rice fields.

By the time the household chores are completed, it is time to prepare lunch and dinner in one cooking.

After all that is organised, she will see to her appointments and make haste to get to the location or to prepare for the client to visit her home.

Mohamed is also a seamstress and a farmer who used to cultivate fruits and vegetables in her yard space, but due to the heavy rainfall, she has put that on hold for a while.

“Being multi-talented is a gift, and with those skills, you can never go hungry because you can use your skills to earn and assist in the home. When two persons work, it is easier to upkeep a home and see to the expens-

es,” she said.

The self-taught cosmetologist told the Pepperpot Magazine that the only formal training she took was in make-up, and she began importing her own products from high-end brands like Sephora and Milani.

It was during the pandemic two years ago that she started her small business SEE PAGE XXX

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

The firewood man of Annandale, Essequibo Coast - Realising his dream of having his own small business

By Michel Outridge AFTER working at several places, Hardat Pearce wanted to become self-employed. He bought a tractor to begin this goal, but soon after, he began having issues with his employees and decided to quit his job and began cutting wood to sell.

The wood business started at the roadside, and today, it has grown into a lucrative small business from his home at Lot 9 Annandale Public Road, Essequibo Coast.

His simple but firm motto of his business is “Firewood is my business”, and it is a sign displayed prominently in front of his premises.

Pearce is however, re-

When Pearce set eyes on Stella, he knew he had met his wife, and they got married and had five children.

Today, this couple has a nice home and they take care of their surroundings and keep their house brightly decorated and has a fitting décor which reflects their kindred spirit of the kindness of giving.

Pearce used to work at two different places for some years before he began planting 40 acres of rice and reared some cows.

After he bought the tractor and encountered the issues with his workers, he

Hardat Pearce (Carl Croker photos)

Stella Pearce in her flower garden

garded as the next best thing since sliced bread as it relates to wood for wedding, jhandi, cremation, t-shore and form board.

The 66-year-old celebrated his birth anniversary on Sunday last and is looking forward to many more such observances.

He is a native of Annandale, Essequibo Coast but journeyed to Pomeroon River, where he met and fell in love with a girl named Stella.

would cut the wood, and he would buy it from them.

“I would prepare the cremation site with all the woods needed for people at a cost attached at the La Union Cremation Site, and it is a business that is always in season,” he said.

Pearce told the Pepperpot Magazine that he gained a lot by becoming self-employed and being self-sufficient is a great blessing to him and his family.

He, however, credits his success to the unwavering support of his wife, Stella Pearce, who has been by his side since day one and still

decided to undertake the responsibility on his own. He started to cut wood in Lake Capoey Village and sold it at the roadside.

It was after a lot of people began requesting his services for certain wood for functions he got deeper into his small business, which blossomed.

The wood business has been in existence for the past 35 years, and he has locals of Lake Capoey Village that

is to date.

They have been together for the past 45 years and it is a union that only gets better with time.

The Hardats have 11 grandchildren from five children. The eldest resides overseas, two are teachers, and another is a lecturer at the Technical Institute in Essequibo, and the last boy works with his father in the wood business.

“I believe that the children did well because of the good values instilled in them at a young age, and they had the will to make something of themselves through hard work and determination. I am proud of their accomplishments academically and very pleased they are all employed and contributing to society,” he said.

Pearce stated that he ensured they benefitted from a solid foundation and education and from nursery to university, they had the opportunity to attend to follow various career paths.

This elder is also rearing some ducks in his backyard and stores all the woods for his small business at his home, and he is licensed to

The stockpile of firewood for sale at Hardat Pearce’s home

do so.

Pearce renews his various licenses with the authorities as required but has to journey to the city to do which is quite a bother and time-consuming.

Meanwhile, Stella Pearce is a homemaker who came from very humble beginnings and keeps everything in and around the home in order.

She is from Seriki, Pomeroon River and had to leave school to work to assist her mother in their small business of making coconut oil and cassava beard.

She told the Pepperpot Magazine that she has seven siblings and they processed 500 dry coconuts to make oil, and usually the next day, they would prepare 200 cassava bread.

“It is rained that day I would have to bake the cassava bread on a ‘tawa’, then placed to dry and it was all done manually and it required patience, time, skill and a lot of hard work,” she said.

Stella got married early and she started a family young, but today, she has no regrets because all her chil-

dren are grown and are doing well for themselves.

She has a lot to be thankful for and it was because she knew what hard work brings and wanted the same for her family.

Stella has a knack for décor designing and would make decorations for her home from vines and flowers which adorn her doorway and other parts.

She is quite the designer and came up with some interesting designs in her home, which is eye-catching and out of the ordinary.

The small business sign on the roadside in front of Hardat Pearce’s home

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

The men of Aurora Estate are enterprising

By Michel Outridge MOHAMED Farukh Khan is a local of Aurora Estate, Essequibo Coast.

He is the village Justice of Peace (JP) and Valuator.

Khan attended Aurora Primary and then Aurora Primary Tops, which was then the Aurora Scotland School and came from a family of farmers. He later became a farmer himself and worked with a private company and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for some years.

He was involved in politics for many years before he called it quits and served as a councillor/volunteer in the community.

Khan represented his re-

gion in parliament and spent many years in the political arena.

“The people here are good and it is a nice place to live because it is safe and we all know each other, so there are no strangers here in Aurora,” he said.

Khan is from a family that is blessed with longevity, his father died at age 106 and he returned to Guyana even after spending years residing overseas because Guyana is home.

“My dad was 100 years old when he came back to Guyana because he wanted to spend his last days here, and just like him, I want that too, but I am aiming for 110 years old,” he said.

Khan stated that, based

Mohamed Farukh Khan (Carl Croker photos)

Rice farmer, Sheik Rashid

on his observations, they had had an overall improvement in services, especially health in the region and he is of the view that things can only get better.

He is, however, saddened about the fact that some young people had to leave the village in search of work elsewhere.

The Justice of Peace related that he is a farmer and he was fully aware of the importance of living off the land. It was quite evident because his yard has a lot of trees- a rich mix of fruits and

vegetables.

The father of two added that he managed to see both his children through university and it was possible, through the assistance of relatives, who let them stay at their house in the city when they were attending the University of Guyana (UG).

His daughter is a doctor and his son is an Accountant.

“I really like it here because it is a safe place where you can come outside for some fresh air at any time, be it day or night,” he said.

Khan told the Pepperpot Magazine that he was not planting rice anymore and had rented out his lands.

He is a senior member of the village masjid and serves as a counsellor whose door is open to the public at any time.

Sheik Rashid At 67 years old, Sheik

Rashid is a rice farmer of Aurora Estate, Essequibo Coast and would sell the paddy to millers and rears cattle for a living.

Even at his age, he is still farming every day alongside his younger counterparts and giving up isn’t an option for him.

Hard work was a part of his everyday life, but the rising prices for fertilisers and other agriculture-related items had been worrying for him like many farmers, but with a reduced price, things will be better.

The father of four added that he has the assistance of his children and wife, and, that day, he was preparing to go out to the rice fields with an employee via a motorcycle.

Rashid stated that he has SEE PAGE XXVII Home of Mohamed Farukh Khan

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

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The boat builder of Cullen Village, Essequibo Coast is one-of-a kind

Badrynauth Kowlessar called “Kenny” in his workshop in the process of boat-building (Carl Croker photos)

By Michel Outridge BADRYNAUTH Kowlessar, better known as “Kenny”, is a well-known boat builder of Cullen Village, Essequibo Coast, who has a small business operating from his home.

The 47-year-old is a self-styled boat builder who, from age 16, patterned his skills from watching his cousins build boats in the Pomeroon River, his hometown.

He married a local of the village and relocated to Cullen, and set up his workshop at the side of his house.

Kowlessar reported that he has three full-time workers, and they collectively build wooden boats made to order.

The father of two added that he would make speed boats, fishing boats and cargo boats in all sizes and dimensions as required by the clients.

The biggest boat he built was 65 feet long, made out of silverballi wood and it was a cargo boat.

The 47-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that a boat made of greenheart and silverballi would last up to 15 years, and those are better woods to use.

The cost for a speedboat is about $1.5M, and a cargo boat which is much larger, is priced at $3M. Kowlessar reported that boat-building is an all-season kind of work, and he doesn’t get a day off because the job is demanding.

A boat takes from six weeks to two months to be completed and made river-ready, with all local materials sourced from the Essequibo Coast.

At the time the team visited, Kowlessar was in the process of making six different boats which were in various stages of completion.

He is working to fulfil all his orders at this point and would like to complete the six boats on time to reduce the waiting process for his clients.

“Working from home is nice and I prefer not to work with people, but being self-employed takes discipline, and you cannot take on work you can’t finish. That’s bad for business,” he said.

In his line of business, time is money. It is a lot of manual labour and hours to finally complete a boat.

Unfinished boats in the workshop at Badrynauth Kowlessar’s residence at Cullen

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

‘We can be shifters...

FROM PAGE IV fication until a sustainable financial goal is achieved.

“The people who are crying aren’t people who are creative and see no end in sight. Let us look at the people who are moving forward in the designing industry… [they] are the people who are doing something different, but it isn’t distracting them from their work. They are just ensuring that they earn enough to feed and sustain their families,” Fraser said. The designer began her career in school over 37 years ago, pursuing courses in economics, textile and clothing.

Fraser shared that since she was so influenced and intrigued by fashion at school, she was placed in a responsible person to be in charge of the fashion design segment at the school’s annual First of May school event.

She recalled that she began sewing uniforms for the school having learned from her mother who was a professional seamstress. “ And I will tell you what those who know me, what I am doing today, is what I was doing since in the 80s, and I have changed, I just keep adding and becoming more creative. I have been sewing, I have been into food and craft since the youthful age of 14, so designing and creating isn’t a job anymore, it isn’t about the money but about the love and satisfaction,” Fraser detailed to the Pepperpot Magazine.

GREATEST DESIRE Fraser was very enthused to say that one of her desires as a designer is to please and tantalise her audience with something different and unique.

She noted that she puts pressure on herself to stand out because of the fact that she isn’t someone who could be easily impressed. Therefore, she pressures herself to be different.

According to her, most of her inspiration comes from looking at someone else’s hard work on the internet.

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT “I am not saying that everyone is perfect, but what I am saying is that this is a different entity altogether. We as designers are unique in our thinking. We take the present into the future and bring the future into the present. Our work solves cultural conflict, just work with us, and we can be shifters in the world,” Fraser told the Pepperpot Magazine.

Fraser spoke these words as a professional who strategises and plans policies for the art and culture associations and industries of this country, thus encouraging them to listen to designers if a revolutionary change and impact is going to be made in Guyana’s culture.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

Creating change ‘one ...

FROM PAGE III

Dr. Jagdeo’s office, with her direct supervisor being Minister Kwame

Mc Coy. Talking about her experiences there, she said: “I don’t think any two days were the same; it was a different task every day. The now Vice-President gives very clear directions of what he wants and what to get done. We worked on a lot of political workshops to train other people.”

POLICIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Politics, she feels, is one of the fastest means of being able to help people as it provides an opportunity for the formation of policies that can benefit many people at once. “Politics is one of the ways you can make the greatest changes in someone’s life than almost any other field because you can make a policy that helps people.

Policies, in general, can help a larger amount of people at a faster pace than any other profession I feel; it’s more far-reaching.”

Asked about some of the policies she would especially like to formulate if she ever gets an opportunity, she called attention to the fact that many people in Guyana suffer from chronic kidney failure because of two main causes: hypertension and diabetes; two afflictions that are higher in people of colour. Almost 60 per cent of the people on dialysis, she noted, find out that they have these conditions when it’s too late, whereas had they known, they could have kept the symptoms down with medication and lifestyle changes.

“So one of the policies I would like to see is us having a health campaign maybe once a month where we go on outreaches, even house-to-house, and test people for hypertension and diabetics and give them advice,” she shared.

A second far-reaching policy that Nalinie is interested in is the preservation of Indigenous languages and cultures through a hinterland language course where residents can be taught how to properly document and even get the information into books so that it can be shared with more people and preservation can take place.

ONE STEP AT A TIME Nalinie, forever in search of a great adventure, believes that it’s her duty to inspire others to succeed.

“I believe that leading with integrity is the only way to lead. I have held many leadership roles over my many years in school as I followed my path of learning.” Being able to spread positive vibes anywhere she goes, is a skill that she prides herself on.

When it comes to effectively managing tasks, she details everything and inputs it into a planner, which helps her remember what she has to do. “I break things down. Nothing is impossible to do. You just need to figure out all of the steps involved and then focus on one step at a time,” she advised.

She also believes that nothing is final. “If you fail one class, don’t worry about it. Try again. No obstacle is too big to overcome. Whatever the obstacle could be, you just go one day at a time with it and don’t be afraid to ever ask for help. If you can’t do something, don’t pretend that you can. Say you don’t understand and ask questions. Never be unclear of your instructions,” she further recommended.

Nalinie is grateful for her family and friends’ support. “To do anything, you need a good social support. No man is an island; we always need others to help us.”

Nalinie is especially grateful for the support from her family

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

Driving is more than just getting behind the wheel I DECIDED to step a bit out of character this week and share a previously published Op-Ed I wrote a few years ago that I think is topical, given the recent spate of road fatalities and the ongoing discourse on road safety and dangerous driving in Guyana. The figures on road fatalities

have been updated to reflect more recent numbers.

Often said in jest, is the casual saying that “If you can drive in Guyana, you can drive anywhere in the world,” and though this theory is yet to be proven, the connotations hold a serious undertone that reminds us that this is not something

that Guyanese should be proud of. It stems from the assumption that the risks involved in driving in Guyana are so extreme that they prepare the driver for any roadway elsewhere in the world.

Guyana has been known for its high road fatality rate. As at March 24 2022,

there had been 26 deaths by road accidents for the year already. Guyana has certainly seen its share of fatal accidents due to presumed recklessness, and countless calls for drivers to be more careful on the roadways have seemingly gone unheard.

While fatal accidents are the worst outcomes of the misuse of roadways, it is the actual misuse that remains the burning issue for drivers in Guyana. Sta-

of the vehicle that drivers often take for granted just how technical driving is.

It is also the late reaction of our brain, often brought about by these distractions, that leads to dangerous outcomes.

Danger also rears its ugly head every time drivers take other unnecessary risks, such as failing to utilise the required patience and/or breaking traffic rules. On an average journey, drivers can be seen taking countless

tistics show that there is no shortage of charges by police of persons committing traffic offences- yet drivers continue to be callous on the road.

Though the task may seem simple, driving is, in fact, a complex action that requires significant use of several parts of the brain. While operating a vehicle, it often takes a load of brainpower to analyse, plan, make decisions and quick judgments at all points during the journey.

One’s brain is also constantly at work in the area of visio-spatial perception (average) and other analytical tasks. For this reason, stern warnings are continually made against indulging in distractions such as using the phone to talk or text or other types of multi-tasking while driving. It is these seemingly harmless distractions, however, and the perceived ease of movement

risks and breaking numerous rules trying to get to their destinations, all in the name of shaving off a few minutes - or sometimes mere seconds - from the trip. And indeed, this is something that is not unique to Guyana, but somehow, the frequency with which you encounter ‘crazy drivers’ is so high here that one must wonder what is it that allows this behaviour to thrive?

Perhaps it is that, while there are penalties, they are not efficiently enforced, or when they are, they are not stringent enough. If the fine for breaking a minor traffic law were an exorbitant sum, this could serve as a deterrent for drivers. An offence as minor as driving without a tail light could incur hundreds of US dollars in larger countries. Systems are also in place to revoke licences through a strict points-based system. Drivers are therefore made to keep in line

due to little to no room for error on the roadways. In Guyana, there are countless vehicles with one or no tail lights working, and little or no penalty is incurred for such offences. Though seemingly not connected to the larger problem of road fatalities and other misdemeanours, it is such minor oversights that create a gateway for more significant violations to occur.

Somehow, the gravity of driving does not connect with the average driver.

Every time you step into a vehicle, you put your life and the life of others at serious risk. It is for this reason that rules are in place. But if these rules are not adequately enforced due to a lax system, and if you fail to place enough attention to the task itself, the consequences can be dire. Moreover, if drivers are allowed to skip pertinent steps before becoming a driver-such as acquiring false documents or bypassing parts of the licensing process as is rumoured to be a regular occurrence in Guyana – these events could put many unqualified persons behind the wheel as well.

Therefore, such persons would not learn important techniques needed to operate vehicles and thus fail to build respect and knowledge for the rules of the road.

Not all accidents can be avoided, but there are too many that occur that could have been. Driving can become routine, but what persons fail to realise is that while many routes we take may be the same, the situation never is. As such, vigilance must be taken on the part of both authorities and drivers; the 5 Cs must become a mantra; and the value for human life must be a top priority when getting behind the wheel.

If you’re interested in contributing to this column, email thewritemind592@gmail.com

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

It’s finally ...

Project Manager Richard Mahase and Principal of GTI, Dr Renita Duncan at the sod-turning ceremony

FROM PAGE II

ing is going to open up a lot of possibilities now because we will be able to have more students.

Many of them are gearing towards engineering, and we can only take x amount, so we may now be able to have parallel classes and be able to satisfy the needs that are out there,” Duncan shared, adding, “We normally put a limit to the class numbers. For example, in a Civil Engineering class, we had to put a limit of 36 because even though in the past we had a class of 60 students.”

The new building will also give the institution more scope to be able to introduce new programmes. “We have some programmes in mind. We do a diploma in Science, but it is more Chemistry based, so we want to introduce the option of a Physics-based programme too and Environmental Studies.

Those are some other components we want to add.”

Furthermore, Duncan related that GTI has also started looking at the possibility of introducing bio and geotechnical engineering, which are new areas in Guyana that have been

Executive Vice-President of Zara Group, Ken Subraj

emerging and trending.

Meanwhile, once completed, the building will boast an oil-and-gas laboratory, lecture theatres, smart classrooms, a welfare unit, and an administrative block, among several other amenities. At the signing ceremony, Project Manager Richard Mahase had related that Ken Subraj credits GTI for his many successes as it was the institution that moulded him.

Speaking with this publication subsequently, 81-year-old Subraj expressed that GTI is the institution that he credits with, giving him a good start in life. “I always say to my guys, let’s give back to our community. We gave back a lot to our community here in New York, so I would like to give back something to where I went to school.”

Subraj, who was born in a family of cattle and rice farmers, attended school at Bel Air Primary in the colonial system. At 15, he went to GTI, where he studied for five years and worked on the side at different places, including at Bookers Garage, Family Stores, Bookers Sugar Estate in Ogle and Public Works Department in Water Street.

On June 20, 1961, he left Guyana for London to further qualify himself and worked as a motor mechanic while attending school simultaneously. “I went to what is now the Univer-

Ken Subraj (second, right) with other young Mechanical engineers

sity of London and did an engineering course called Diploma in Mechanical and Production Engineering. I finished in 1967 as what is now called the Valedictorian,” he shared.

He then returned to Guyana and continued to work with the Public Works Department before moving on to the then Demerara Bauxite Company. Now based in Queen’s, New

York, Subraj, the eldest of all of his siblings, works for Zara Realty, a Subraj family business.

The family owns and manages over 3,500 apartments which are housed in about 46 buildings, and is now in the process of constructing a nine-storey building that is to house another 200 apartments.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

Rally ‘round food security GUYANA was the subject of much attention over the past few days- not because of its prolific oil and gas resources but because of the country’s leading efforts at advancing food security efforts across the Caribbean region.

That attention came as the country hosted the Agriculture Investment Forum and Expo from May 19 to 21 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre at Liliendaal, Georgetown. It was an event that brought together Caribbean governments, regional and international agencies, and private sector players- all fundamentally interested in one goal: growing more food in the Caribbean.

Certainly, each set of stakeholders had their associated interests, be it reaping more profits or cultivating a happier

and healthier population. Even with these varying interests stimulating the pursuit of growing more food, there is no doubt that the focus on food security, particularly in the Caribbean, is crucial.

You don’t need to look any further than the surging cost of flour these past few months to understand why we need this focus on food security in traditional and non-traditional food production areas. That price hike has been linked to the Ukraine/ Russia crisis as both of those countries are major global producers of wheat.

Now, nothing screams my East Indian heritage more than the way I love roti. The only reason I don’t eat roti at every meal is that preparing it is such a tedious task. Therefore, this

particular price is one that resonated with me, as it has with so many more of us who enjoy roti, pasties, and all other flour-based products.

Until now, intentions to produce flour locally may have been thwarted by the unsuitable prevailing climatic conditions. Yet, with the crisis starkly illustrating just how vulnerable a small, price-taking market like Guyana is, there is a fervent thrust to find ways to produce wheat locally. If successful, this could help to stabilise prices for this beloved product.

As was the case with wheat, supply chain challenges emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbated by the Ukraine/Russia crisis meant that the Caribbean region- a region that largely imports inflation and is forced to accept higher costs of goods- grappled with surging food import prices.

Let us, for a second, appreciate that Caribbean leaders have lamented the region’s more than US $4 billion food import even before the pandemic. In the absence of empirical data, one can easily assume that this food import bill may have grown significantly during the recent economic crises.

Not only is the hefty bill a problem, but the fact remains that it is much more difficult for Caribbean governments to control and/or cushion the surging prices of imported goods, like food, for their citizens.

These woes directly impact food security efforts. In the first instance, supply chain challenges may lead to lower imports which can mean that there is less available food for people to consume. Then, consider that a lower supply- with people’s demand remaining constant or possibly increasingwould drive prices up. And can you imagine what that means for people grappling with a higher cost of living, or at best, just trying to recover from the well-ventilated ramifications of the economic crises? Suffice to say, ‘tings’ lookin’ brown.

Now when you consider the foregoing, I think one can appreciate Guyana’s efforts in rallying Caribbean countries around the goal of “25 by 2025” - that is, reducing the Caribbean’s food imports by 25 per cent by growing more food within the region, by 2025. And when you look at the conference and the stakeholders present, one can earnestly hope that there is enough support- be it political will and investments- to allow the region to achieve its 25 by 2025 goal.

Already, during this year alone, Guyana has deepened agricultural partnerships with Barbados. The two countries are expanding the region’s mutton production through the black belly sheep initiative. The two countries are also forging ahead with the creation of a food terminal that would allow Guyanese products to be easily marketed on the Eastern Caribbean island.

But much more needs to be done. The removal of intra-regional trade barriers, for example, should be a priority; and other Caribbean countries should jump at the idea of harnessing Guyana’s vast, arable lands to boost production. If so, maybe we may be able to withstand some of the challenges from the next global economic crisis much better.

If you would like to connect with me to discuss this column or any of my previous works, feel free to email me at vish14ragobeer@gmail.com

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

‘Guyanese-Canadians for Unity’on the move

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- stages impressive Spring Luncheon

THREE months after its inaugural launching, which was done via Zoom

unity for the progressive development of Guyana. It also aims to foster social

our existence. No matter where we go, we carry with us our heritage.”

endured the isolation of lockdowns because of the pandemic. The uncertainties

Members of the Guyana Ex-Police Association (GEPAC).

and saw participation from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, the Guyanese Canadians for Unity (GCU) is on the move.

At an impressive Spring Luncheon held at the spacious District Lounge, Pickering, Ontario, last Saturday and attended by Guyana-born Canadian Senator, the Honourable Hassan Yussuff and several Guyanese associations representatives, an ebullient Janet Naidu, founder and President of GCU, expressed the view that her association was at a pivotal point now, ‘to come together and be re-energised and to help one another feel valued as part of this society and at the same time to give back to Guyana in times of need and where possible.”

The aim of the GCU is to work to bring together Guyanese-Canadians and friends of Guyana to preserve and foster principles of human rights, equality, social justice, democracy, peace, prosperity, and

engagement and the preservation of Guyanese heritage within the Guyanese-Canadian community.

The GCU is currently looking into an initiative on human services to help children in Guyana overcome difficulties in their lives.

According to Naidu, “we have been coming together in many ways through the years, through formations of organisations to serve our community here and participate in the wider Canadian landscape. Many of our folks have contributed significantly to this great journey, and many continue to also give back to Guyana through donations to worthy causes.”

The GCU head reminded the audience that “for most of us, Canada is our home.

We also know that. Guyana is like another home - some of us were born there, and some were born here, even if one parent happens to come from Guyana. We cannot take away the special essence of how heritage plays an important role in

trying to stay safe.

We are trying to get back on track with the happenings in our lives.

Let me say that, when opportunity comes, we must seize it.”

Naidu cautioned that while “we must keep moving, we must continue to take all necessary precautions to stay safe. With all that’s been going on around us in the world, we are coming together - as one people - with our diverse cultural heritage and interests - to share this moment in time.

“Let us try to create a sense of belonging within our community. We continue to be patriotic Guyanese living in Canada as Canadians. We are proud of the diversity of our heritage, be it our ethnicity, religion, gender, age, lifestyles, ability and our many unique selves.”

According to Naidu, “Apart from preserving our heritage, friendships continue to be formed, memories treasured, expressing care towards each other and we also continue to come together as a community.

“Even though we have left the shores of our birth country, as Guyanese-Cana-

Senator Hassan Yussuff addresses the audience at the luncheon.

Expressing delight at the in-person gathering, Naidu pointed out that “we have

of our well-being loomed over us. Today, we continue to brave the dynamics of

dians we continue to come together to share in our common interest. We not

only gather to enjoy everything Guyanese, but we also have that giving-back spirit deeply rooted in us.”

Naidu disclosed, “We formed this organisation to continue to foster a similar social engagement in our community. We allow our generosity to come alive where we make a difference in the lives of others.

“We want to be positive, to be united and build on our strengths. Many of us want to have the Canada-Guyana connection - perhaps to go back, visit, travel, and some may want to volunteer in needed causes.

“We must never give up on striving for positive changes. Let us be courageous and try to overcome tough situations. Let’s try to jump the hurdles that come our way.

“We in the Guyanese diaspora share these fundamental values and more.

If we want to emerge triumphant, we must continue to persevere, especially at those times when we are most tested. Let us stay united, supportive of one another and grow in our strengths.”

Senator Hassan, in brief remarks, said he knew the difficulty of building an organisation since he led one which had over three and a half million people and despite the fact that it was so hard and diverse across the country, it was always a challenge.

Senator Yussuff, who is one of Canada’s most experienced labour leaders and the past President of the Canadian Labour Congress, wished the GCU and its executive members well in building their organisation, knowing the organisation but equally, of course, sustaining it.

He pointed to the fact that there have been organisations created in the past that brought Guyanese together to ensure that they work in unity, but from time to time, they lost interest and moved on.

Yussuff was appointed

by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the Senate of Canada in June 2021 SEE PAGE XVIII

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

‘GuyaneseCanadians for Unity’...

FROM PAGE XVII

He was the first person of colour to lead Canada’s union movement. Prior to that,Yussuff worked as a truck mechanic with General Motors for 10 years before getting involved in the labour movement.

In 1988, he joined the Canadian Auto Workers union as the National Staff Representative and later became their first Director of Human Rights. In 1999, he became the Canadian Labour Congress’s first person of colour to be elected to an executive position as Executive Vice-President. He went on to be elected Secretary-Treasurer for three terms, from 2002 to 2014, before being elected President in 2014. He was re-elected in this role in 2017.

Last Saturday’s programme was interspersed with musical renditions from Mala Harripersad, Madison McNeil-Alexander, Renu Monilall and Tameisha Orleans and a steelpan performance from Alan Ramsarran.Peter Jailall also recited a poem.

Apart from Naidu, the other members of the executive body are: First Vice-president, Jito Naraine; Second Vice-president, Nadira Somwaru; Treasurer, Terrance Charles; Membership Secretary, Roslyn Bacchus; Assistant Secretary/Treasurer, Sachie Ramnauth and Social Media Management Officer, Frederick Halley.

Members of the GCU executive from left are Fawzi Wahab, Terrance Charles, Janet Naidu, Nadira Somwaru and Jito Narine.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

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SHE WORE A FLORAL DRESS

From morn to night, death rides on a pale horse, an emissary of fate.

But stories are told of restless souls, haunting spectres, wandering, lost and confused because of their unexpected end. Such tales are often spoken of by morticians because of their close working experience with the dead.

And for Anthony, the mortician, it was a night like every other night at the morgue, cold and silent. He worked deftly, preparing the dead and securing them in the vaults until it was time for their final journey.

But questions are always asked about death that seem premature.

Is it all in God’s plans?

“We may never know,” Anthony mused as he pulled off the white sheet from a body that was brought in two days ago.

The facial features were hardly recognizable, for it had laid about five weeks in a shallow grave covered with scrubs. The pathologist who performed the autopsy had determined the female was in her late twenties and that she had died from a stab wound to the heart.

“A young life interrupted,” he said quietly, “May your soul rest in peace, dear.”

The night wore on, and close to midnight, when his shift would have ended, he felt a strong presence. He had steeled his mind to be strong for the 12 years he had been working

at the funeral home to deal with strange encounters.

Tonight something was different.

The chilling cold and a soft moaning cry forced him to turn from the table he was cleaning, and he saw her standing in a corner, a beautiful young woman, a pained look on her face.

If he was not awake and at work, Anthony would have thought he was having a dream. She seemed so alive in a white floral dress, like someone who had casually walked in from the street. He did not move nor say a word, just stood there looking at her. She was not looking at him but at the vault where laid the remains SEE PAGE XXXII of the young woman found

SEE PAGE XIX

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

Wellness and well-being A FEW days ago, I experienced one of the most magnificent sunrises on my patio. I felt a positive energy entering my mind, body and soul. I dashed back into the house to get my phone to capture the sunrise. The picture below did not do justice to what my eyes beheld. I decided to start my day by looking at the sunset and drinking tea, and listening to ‘To God be the Glory’ by Kelly Price. I remember similar experiences from my aunt Brenda’s patio and the beach in Bartica.

Priceless! These are moments that contribute to our wellness and well-being.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, wellness is ‘the

state of being healthy, especially when you actively try to achieve this.” Well-being, on the other hand, is considered “general health and happiness, a state of emotional/ physical/psychological well-being”. May is mental health awareness month, and I think the attention being placed on good mental health is on the rise worldwide. Going through the pandemic for over two years affected many people’s mental health. We had to find creative ways to deal with all the challenges while finding that centre. I feel fortunate to have a supportive, loving family, a few friends I can count on and a career I absolutely love.

Although I have these things, I still need to intentionally continue doing the things for my mindset to be in the right space. I know it is a blessing to have the option to have my office on my patio surrounded by plants and fresh breeze. Nature can generate many positive emotions, such as calmness, joy, and creativity and can facilitate concentration. Nature connectedness is also associated with lower levels of poor mental health, in particular lower depression and anxiety levels. I also have calming music in the background.

On many occasions, I have had people who called me and made reference to my background music and how calm they were just listening through the phone. We have SEE PAGE XXI

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

Wellness and...

FROM PAGE XX the power to decide the world we want to live in and the people in that world. People who are close to me have heard my dream about living on a farm, and I am very serious.

I was recently in my hometown Bartica and was invited to lunch by my high school buddy Christopher Shewram, his wife Rhonda and kids. My friend cooked a very special meal for me, and he has no idea how much that meant to me. I am so proud of the family man he has become because it is important for children to have a relationship with both parents. We had great times in high school, and I remember Chris as one of my genuine friends. There was a time we did not see each other for years, but we remained very good friends. During our conversation, he mentioned that he had a friend that has a farm not very far from where he lives, and I suggested we go. That was one of the highlights of that trip home.

Mr and Mrs Premdat Soamnauth, who own the farm, were very hospitable during and after the grand tour. Imagine stopping by the coconut tree and selecting the coconut or pine you desire and eating it immediately. I have not eaten cocoa in years, and this certainly brought back memories of sitting in my cousin’s yard with her kids, sucking on cocoa pods until our tongues were blistered. We enjoyed not only the pods but also the chocolate sticks that made our delicious cocoa possible. I stood for a few minutes in a breezy area under a shade, and I felt like camping out there for a week. I suggested a bush cook on the farm on my next trip, and the entire crew loved the idea.

I have many reasons to go back soon, and that is one of them. The air felt so fresh, and it felt different, and I enjoy it differently and it kept me in the present, and it felt amazing. We were picking “coriyou” (not sure if it is the correct spelling ), which is a fruit I love, from under the tree. With no knives available, I did what we did as children growing up in Bartica. I took the hard skin off with my teeth, lol! Memories, memories, memories!

They certainly don’t leave as people do. I love to chat with people who are passionate about what they do, and Premdat is a master farmer who takes pride in explaining what he does and why he does it, which inspired me to live on a farm. You would not believe the organic farm produce I left with. I had enough that I shared in Bartica and when I got back to the city.

Some take for granted the simple things that we are fortunate to do in Guyana that can contribute significantly to our health and wellness. My foundation held an event in collaboration with the National Library on “Finding your Centre” – A discussion on wellness and well-being, on May 20 at the National Library.

Let’s remind ourselves and the people around us of the importance of our well-being as we celebrate this journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

The natural physique is not a ‘birth defect’

AS sad as it is to admit, some people are insecure and even sometimes ashamed about certain aspects of their physical bodies—myself included. The most common and present reason for this is the fact that we grow up in societies that

have a standardised version of what a human being should look like. From a very young age, I noticed that many animated films and children’s shows incorporated these standardised beauty and body standards. Even most of the

toys such as dolls or action figures girls and boys play with come with a “standard” concept of beauty and physical appearances. Parents may also unintentionally pass down perspectives of beauty and body standards to their children in their informal teaching. In schools, children might also learn about the anatomy and functions of the body from a specific standardised type of chart or model. We learn what and how humans should look like, even before we can comprehend that our bodies are susceptible to ageing, body hair, weight gain, weight loss, scars and even disabilities.

From a very young age, we’re taught about the standard of what a woman and man should look like. In certain societies or perspectives, a body type outside of the standardised type is not shamed, but that doesn’t mean that it’s “liked” either. In certain societies, body types even come with privileges as well. Certain “privileges”, such as being more appreciated and liked by family members—may be shown to women of a more slender, curvier build rather than a short, “chubby” woman (based on the culture that is). It disgusts me even writing that but sadly, that is how some societies are, even in this supposed era. The older we get, you can even start to point out the use of this “perfect” physical image in the mass media, marketing and even the cosmetics industry. In advertisements, a muscular, tall man is often shown to show what masculinity looks like in the physical form. The cosmetics industry constantly uses the “flaws” of women and even men and uses that to market products and services. High tummy with rolls? “Buy this product to help”. Broad nose? “Come in for a rhinoplasty consultation”. Dark skin? “Time to lighten it with this lotion”. They seem to answer every question about your physical “flaws” by advertising how you can “fix them”.

As a beauty and skincare care enthusiast, I absolutely despise this.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy certain products or even use them. I’m merely trying to emphasise that you can be told about certain products and services without having your natural physique belittled and shamed. We can still also choose to accept and love both versions of ourselves. Love your acne skin and your clear skin after.

Love your tummy rolls and your abs after. Love your curls, and then love your straight hair after. This goes for every other industry related to body type/images and beauty standards. The notion that you need to “fix” your flaws and natural appearances is completely absurd. Unfortunately, sometimes we don’t always have these thoughts or comparisons of our own accord. When unrealistic expectations and standards are praised and glorified constantly in societies, one can only be left to wonder, “Is my body good enough?”.

I wrote this article to remind you all that your natural physical appearances should never be classified as “defects” or “flaws”. Whatever and however you choose to do to your physical appearance, ensure that you accept and love every version, age and even weight gain/loss period of yourselves. It’s the right, self-conscious, loving thing to do.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

The men of Aurora ...

Mohamed Farukh Khan and his wife

FROM PAGE X lived all his life in Aurora Estate, and he was very appreciative of the life his parents – who have since passed away- gave him.

He has three sisters and two brothers.

The rice farmer is renting some lands for his cultivation, and he has some cows he is rearing.

Rashid would employ a few men from the village when he is cutting rice depending on the workload and hardly ever takes a day off his work.

He is a family-oriented man who knows the value of close relations and family ties. In that village, they live like a large family instead of neighbours.

Rashid likes the place he is living and would not go elsewhere to reside since it is home and his whole life was based there.

He has a lovely well-kept home and it was noticeably clean.

The sign at Mohamed Farukh Khan’s gate

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

VESAK - LORD BUDDHA’S BIRTH CELEBRATED WORLDWIDE TODAY, Vesak, the full moon of May, the day of the birth anniversary of the Lord Buddha, is widely celebrated.

Though there is no organised Buddhist community in Guyana, there are many Guyanese who are interested in Buddhism or follow the Buddhist path, especially among expatriate Chinese. Though Buddhism originated in India, very few Indians are Buddhist, most of them being Hindus and Muslims. The countries with dominant Buddhist populations are Korea, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the other Southeast Asia nations. In Europe and North America, there are organised and growing Buddhist communities, and Buddhism has been the main influence in the growing spiritual teachings in the West.

Buddhism dates its origin from the sixth century B.C. In the Kingdom of Kapilavastu in Northern India bordering Nepal, King Suddhodona ruled. His Kingdom was prosperous, but he lacked an heir. One evening, his Queen, Maha Maya, dreamt of a white elephant floating about her room and the next day, she reported to the King she was pregnant. The King was overjoyed, and when his son was born, he named him Siddhartha Gautama.

As customary, he invited the main astrologers in the Kingdom to foretell what Siddhartha would be when he grew up. Asita, the chief of the Astrologers, began weeping, and when the King asked him why he was weeping, he explained that he regretted he would not be alive when Siddhartha grew to manhood, for he would be either a great world Emperor or a great religious teacher and leader. He would only become the world Emperor if he never was exposed to human suffering and never met any religious teacher.

The King was determined that his heir would never be any kind of religious teacher. He was trained in the arts of war and was always surrounded with a life of ease, luxury and pleasure and he never saw any ageing, sick or dead persons and no monks or priests were allowed to enter the palace precincts. At the age of 16, he was married to Yasodhra, the most beautiful and accomplished young woman in the Kingdom. At 19, he was blessed with a son whom he named Rahul. The King then built three palaces for each of the seasons for him, and he continued to live a life of pleasure.

Suddenly, one night an overwhelming desire to see what was outside the precincts of the palace seized him. His father refused to allow him to go outside, but when he realised how resolute was Siddhartha, he acceded on the condition that he arranged the visit. The streets along which the Prince was to drive were spruced up, and care was taken to ensure that no ageing, sick or dead person would be about and no monk was allowed to walk the streets.

When Siddhartha left the palace gates, he was ecstatic at the beauty of the landscape, the houses and the people when, suddenly, out of nowhere, a bent and wizened old man appeared. He ordered his charioteer to stop and asked what that was. Channa replied that that was an old man, and all humans will, in time, become old with body deteriorating.

Siddhartha asked, “does that apply to me also?”and Channa told him that would be so. He became depressed, but they still drove on. Then in an alcove of one of the houses, he caught sight of a sick man, vomiting and rolling in pain.

He again stopped his chariot and was told by Channa that he was a sick man. All would, in time, suffer deterioration of health and body, including the Prince. He was further depressed and decided to return. On his way to the palace, he encountered a funeral procession, and Channa explained to him that what he saw was a corpse and that all who were born would eventually die SEE PAGE XXIX and become like the corpse.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

XXIX

VESAK - LORD BUDDHA’S BIRTH ...

FROM PAGE XXVIII Siddhartha was completely overwhelmed with grief and depression when as he was about to enter the palace gates, he saw a monk in meditation who exuded peace and calm, which gave Siddhartha some relief. Channa explained to him that he was a monk.

After his excursion into the city, Siddhartha’s personality changed. He realised that pleasures were merely tiny islands in a sea of suffering which would quickly pass away. The pleasures and luxury with which he was surrounded became meaningless and disgusting, and his being yearned to find a way which could free the world from suffering. He decided to escape from the palace and go in search of the answer.

He ordered his faithful charioteer and friend, Channa, to saddle his horse and leave the palace with him. Before he left, he visited his wife’s chamber, looked at her and Rahul, and overcame the overwhelming desire to awaken them. As he left, the palace guards were mysteriously in a deep sleep, and the gates were open, and Siddhartha and Channa hurriedly rode away. Buddhist tradition claims that the gates being open and the guards being asleep were due to divine intervention. He rode as far as the river Anoma, which was the boundary of his Kingdom, stopped, cut off his hair, changed his rich royal clothes with that of a beggar and ordered Channa to return to the King with his hair and sword.

He took up the life of a wandering monk who begged for his food. As he wandered, five monks became his companions, and he decided to go to the best teachers and hope he would find the answer to his question. For six years, he wandered from teacher to teacher who taught him the higher meditations but could not give him the answer to his quest.

Eventually, he was able to go to the greatest teacher of them all, Udaka Ramaputta, who brought him up to Samadhi but could go no further. During these six years, he subjected his body to the greatest austerities until he was no more than skin and bones and became very weak. He realised that his efforts so far led nowhere, so he decided to begin to eat again and to do his own meditation. His five companions then immediately abandoned him because he had broken his vows as a monk. He was now completely on his own.

He decided that he must find the answer to ending suffering in the world, or he would die in the attempt. He bathed in the river, dressed neatly, and chose a spot under a shady peepal tree overlooking the river and went into meditation. As he started his meditation, Mara, the Devil, began his temptations. Jesus suffered only three temptations, but Siddhartha suffered every possible temptation, including violence, death, food, power over the world, wine, women and song, but he conquered all and drove Mara away. He then fell into the various stages of meditation, and at daybreak, he had achieved Enlightenment and achieved Buddhahood. Some traditions say that he meditated for nine days, others for nine hours. On achieving Enlightenment, two options then came to his mind - either he would remain in the world and try to teach what he had discovered, or in Enlightenment, he could enter Nirvana, become one with the Universe and achieve infinite peace. He began to feel that no one would understand his message and he would be wasting time; it was, therefore, better to enter Nirvana. Just in time, he realised that Mara was trying his last temptation - Egotism- and he defeated Mara and remained in the world.

His body was so weak that he fell unconscious on the road and realised he was going to die. Fortunately, a milkmaid, Sujata, happened to pass him on the road, stopped and fed him with some milk which revived him. He began eating again and recovered his strength, and decided to go to a deer park which was a few miles away. As he approached the deer park, he saw in the distance his former five companions, and they too saw him and decided among themselves they would ignore him since he had broken his vows as a monk.

As he approached, they saw his body exuding light and his demeanour godlike, and they realised that he was a Buddha. They bowed to him and washed his feet, and he spoke with them, giving his first sermon, which was the basic Buddhist teaching. He taught the way to end individual and universal suffering and the achievement of Nirvana which is encapsulated in the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The five monks understood the Buddha’s message and achieved Enlightenment. Thus, the Sangha or Buddhist community was initiated.

The Four Noble Truths: The human condition is enveloped in suffering. Birth and Death are suffering; union with the unpleasant and separation from the pleasant are suffering.

Pleasures are disappearing islands in a sea of suffering.

Cause of Suffering- Desire and attachments to material things which are all subject to the Law of Change.

Suffering could only be ended by one’s efforts. Gods or other supernatural forces cannot end suffering.

Suffering could be ended by pursuit of the Eightfold Path.

Eightfold Path: Right View Right Resolution Right Speech Right Conduct Right Livelihood Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Concentration.

The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path need a great

deal of clarification to understand their full import, but space would not permit that. Readers who may wish to learn more of Buddhism could use their computers, Youtube recommended.

Before we end, we will give a few sayings of the Buddha: All that we are is the result of what we have thought. It is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts, and if a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain will follow him just as the cart follows the horse which pulls it.

Hatred ceases not by hatred; hatred ceases by love.

Do not dwell on the past, do not dwell on the future since they do not exist; concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Every morning we are born again; what we do today is what matters most.

Doubt everything. Do not believe anything except you could experience it.

XXX

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

The resourceful women ...

FROM PAGE VIII

right from the confines of her home.

JASODA PERSAUD, THE SHOP OWNER Jasoda Persaud is a housewife and a shop owner of Aurora Estate. She has a roadside shop, which she manages

The produce for sale

during the day.

The mother of three is originally from Middlesex, also on the Essequibo Coast but relocated to Aurora Estate after marriage 35 years ago.

“Living here is nice. You get to enjoy a quiet, peaceful life in the countryside and the people are good to each other

Creative work by Sabeeha Mohamed

here,’ she said.

Persaud’s husband is a farmer and at times, she would assist him on the farm.

She is a quiet kind of woman who stays to herself and home but do entertain customers on a daily basis.

MALINI PERSAUD, the vendor Melani Persaud is also a resident of Aurora Estate, Essequibo Coast and is a greens vendor who goes around villages in a car, selling the produce.

It is a daily business that requires a lot of time away from home, but it is the only business she knows and grew into; her mother is a greens vendor too.

The 44-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she would buy produce from the city and at times, before she arrived home, the greens would go bad on her, causing a loss.

Persaud goes from Aurora Estate to Anna Regina, selling ground provisions and vegetables two times per week.

She would journey to Georgetown on Saturdays and Thursdays to buy produce and it is a business she has been doing for the past 20 years.

“To enjoy a good life you have to work hard and it is better you do a job that you are familiar with than one you don’t know,” she said.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022 The village signage is prominently displayed on the public road at Aurora Estate

The countryside village of ... a pharmacy, the Neighbourhood Democratic Council office, a health centre, many shops, stores and other small businesses, a nursery and a primary school.

It is an agriculture-based village set in traditions, and the people produce rice, rear chickens, cattle and livestock.

FROM PAGE VI

The play park in Aurora Village

Most of the locals have lived all their lives in the community and inherited properties and some businesses from their parents, who have long passed away.

Aurora means ‘goddess of dawn’, and it was once a sugar plantation owned and operated by the Dutch, who had many labourers residing there.

Aurora Estate was sold, after slavery was abolished, to Harry Sahoi. It is now the village of the Allis and the Khans.

The people are very down-to-earth and they are hard workers who are farmers and self-employed.

A handful of locals have jobs out of the village and they commute daily to other parts of Essequibo Coast.

It is a relatively clean village with pretty flower gardens, plants and trees that occupy every little space, which complement the environment beautifully.

The houses and yards of the locals are well-kept and tidy. It is a place where the people would greet you with a cold beverage of your choice or a good cup of coffee to refresh you from the hot weather.

Aurora Estate is a village where you might just stay and forget about your life elsewhere because of the ambience of peace it brings.

It is also a breezy village where you feel safe and can walk around freely without having to worry about someone snatching your gold chain.

Aurora Estate is a countryside village located on the Essequibo Coast and most things and services are within reach and accessible.

XXXI

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

SHE WORE A FLORAL...

FROM PAGE XIX

in the shallow grave, a woman not yet identified.

Now he knew what she looked like, her deep pain sending a chill to his bones, for she had died a brutal death by cruel hands.

“I wonder who she is.”

The thought just left his mind, and she turned as though she heard his unspoken words. He held his breath, and she looked at him, but she did not move, seeming lost, a confusing soul not understanding what happened to her.

The clock struck midnight, a startling sound that pierced the deathly silence in the morgue. But Anthony did not fall victim to fear, for he was feeling a sense of sympathy for her.

“I should not, though,” he warned himself, “for she is not of this world.”

Yet there was something about her that seemed so real as though she was not dead.

The door opened as an assistant came in to relieve him from his shift, and looking at Anthony’s face, he joked, “Wah happen, man, like yuh see a ghost?”

She was still there, not vanished, but the assistant could not see her, something that surprised Anthony, and he questioned himself, “Why am I seeing her?

He had trouble sleeping that night, and as he lay in bed, he thought, “Her family needs to claim her body and give her a decent burial so her soul can ascend to Heaven.”

The discovery of her body by a hunter in a forested area off the highway had featured in all the newspapers and news channels, but no one had yet contacted the police.

“How has no one missed her as yet?” he wondered.

And as Anthony’s eyes closed in sleep, a lost soul waited for answers, and an obsessive killer, miles away, drank a toast to her photograph on the wall, pleased he had gotten away with the perfect crime.

“You will now belong to no one,” he said as he poured another drink and lifted his glass, “Only to me.”

Anthony returned to work in the evening, hoping the police had word on the killer or a family member had come forward to claim the body, but nothing had happened.

He shook his head resignedly and began his work in the morgue, glancing at the vault holding the young woman’s body. The clock ticked and as the night grew older, the cold slowly deepened and Anthony heard an icy whisper, crying out just a name, “Rachel.”

He turned and saw her by the vault, an edge of desperation in that whisper, wanting him to know who she was.

“I wish I could help you,” he said silently.

And as though she read his thoughts again, sudden tiredness overcame him, and he fell into a doze, dreaming he was in a bus travelling out of town to a small, neat community on the East Coast and walking along a paved road. He came to a modest, flat concrete house. No one was home, and as he walked around inside the house, he saw two suitcases by the door and travel documents on a corner table. But his eyes kept being drawn to the fawn sofa.

“Something bad happened here,” he surmised, and suddenly he seemed to be in an audience as a scene played out in front of him.

She came out of the bedroom, her hair wet, having just taken a bath and laid down on the sofa, closing her eyes. A dark figure who had hidden in the house stepped out quietly, a knife in his hand. He stood over her, and feeling his presence, she opened her eyes a little too late as he stabbed her in the heart.

The shocking scene told him the story of her death.

“I can’t believe this,” he said to himself as he left work that night, “I’m actually helping a ghost.”

In the church where she had sung in the choir as a little girl and where she had exchanged marriage vows, she lay now in eternal sleep as the pastor prayed for her soul to find everlasting peace.

She was supposed to have SEE PAGE XXXIV

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

XXXIII

XXXIV

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

SHE WORE A FLORAL...

been in the Bahamas on a month’s vacation. The pictures and short messages sent from her phone to her close friends and family testified to that fact. How then could she be vacationing whilst her body was lying in a grave?

Someone clever and evil had planned the crime, leaving not a clue nor a trail. The plan seemed perfect until her family started to receive anonymous messages about the photoshopped pictures, false messages, and the unknown body in the morgue.

Anthony was playing his part in helping her. Soon, the family identified her body from a tattoo on her shoulder and a birthstone ring on her finger. The police came under pressure for answers, and several suspects were de-

tained, but the main focus was on the ex-husband. He had an airtight alibi for the night she was killed, but her family was certain he was guilty because of their troubled marriage and recent breakup.

Anthony sat at the back of the church, moved by the eulogy of her life. She was standing by her coffin, her face pensive as she looked at her c r y i n g f a m i l y.

Then her expression changed to dark anger as her ex-husband came into the church, a bouquet of fresh flowers in his hand.

FROM PAGE XXXII He stood by her coffin, with his head bowed as though he was saying a prayer for her, when the organ that had been playing softly made a loud sound, startling everyone.

She was so angry. It somehow gave her the power to show it. The Pastor’s Bible that had been sitting on the pulpit fell onto the ground, and the bouquet of flowers he had brought, was thrown off her coffin, bringing gasps from the mourners.

Rachel’s mother got up and said, as calmly as she could, to her ex-son-in-law, “Travis, move away from her coffin.

She doesn’t want you close to her.”

He stepped back and glanced around nervously as though expecting to see her.

“She is angry,” her mother said, “because her killer is here.”

He left immediately and Rachel watching him go, said that no one heard except Anthony, “You will not get away with this. I will haunt you until you confess to my murder.”

Anthony said, “And then your soul can rest in peace.”

She smiled and nodded, “Only then…”

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

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XXXIX

XL

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XLIII

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

THOUGHT FOR TODAY Do the work that’s ne Though it’s dull at arest, Helping, when we whiles, meet them, Lame dogs over st iles.

CHARLES KING SLEY (18191875) Letter to Tho mas Hughes

May 22, 2022 STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, Welcome dear friend.

Have you been reading stories, descriptions, and other texts across the genres?

Please do. Wide reading helps build concepts. A few multiple-choice examination

questions and answers are literal and not much challenging because the texts state the answers very clearly. But, your comprehension of some other kinds of questions and their answers draws much upon your general experience. Be good at reading “between the lines,” or “beyond the lines.”. Yes. Experience is at the heart of comprehension. Be wise.

Love you.

THE PASSAGE Read the following advertisement carefully and then answer the questions below.

The Long Trek Steve reckoned that they were still three miles from the river, if there was still a river.

He closed his eyes to slits as he peered through the clouds of dust – red dusk kicked up by hundreds of hoofs. The cattle that streamed past him were as tired and worn out as the exhausted men who drove them.

Some of them bellowed with fear and pain.

The calves pushed their noses into the sides of the cows that had no more milk to feed them. All of them were mad with thirst and very thin. From their knob-like backbones, the drawn skin was tight over their fleshless haunches. Their ribs curved like the bars of a cave over their sunken flanks.

They has trekked from the cattle stations in the north of Australia where usually heavy rains filled streams and pools. But this was a year of drought. The burning sun, which had sucked up the last drops of water, had left the earth with wide and dangerous ruts. There was only one thing to do. The cattle must be driven many miles south, to the river; or they would die.

(From “Worldwide Adventure Stories”) 1. Why were the animals’ backbones like knobs?

2. What other effects had the drought had on them?

3. What is a drought?

4. Had the sun really “sucked” up drops of water?

Name the figurative language used by the writer.

5. Why would you think that the ruts in the earth were dangerous to both man and beast?

6. Write a paragraph about this drought for a study partner to become informed about its effects on cattle, herdsmen, and land.

7. What effects would a drought have in your area?

GRAMMAR Revision of figurative Language Figures of speech in our daily expressions suggest meaning by comparison, pictures, or surprise elements. These make our language vivid and colourful. If you take a close look at many words in common use, you will see that they are figures of speech.

Do you remember some of the types of figures of speech, most of them with names of Greek origin? Check yourself.

Some names are now listed for you: simile, metaphor, personification, apostrophe, irony, and hyperbole.

(A)..Without brushing up your present aptitude by using past work, look at the following sentences, and then find and identify the figures of speech. Some sentences have more than one figure of speech.

1. The events of the past week paraded before her mother’s eyes.

2. The tourists stood still, feasting their eyes and cameras on the spectacular view.

3. The sun smiled on the display of participants as the big game began.

4. Death lays her icy hand on kings. – LAMES SHIRLEY 5. Sunlight sifted through the shade of leaves.

6. Market Place slaughtered Pineapple Grove.

7. I resolved to take Fate by the throat and shake a living out of her. – LOUISA MAY ALCOTT (B) Substitute more original expressions for the trite figures and phrases used in these sentences. Compare with your study partners.

1. As Wolfe walked along the street of (imposing edifices), he could not help recalling his home in the village (nestling in the hills) of Vermont.

2. Megan emerged from the gruesome experience a (sadder but wiser) man.

3. Lance first (saw the light of day) on February 14, 1976.

THE PASSAGE Read the further abridged passage below carefully and then answer all the questions that follow.

IQ and EQ For many years people enjoyed respect, even preferential, if they scored high on intelligent tests. However, high IQ does not necessarily predict who will succeed in life. Psychologists agree that IQ contributes only about 20% of the factors that determine success. A full 80% comes from other factors, including what is called EQ (Emotional Quotient). Some of the major qualities that make up EQ are: self-awareness, self-motivation, mood management and impulse control.

Self-awareness refers to the ability to recognise a feeling as it happens. It requires that the individual tunes in to ‘gut-feeling’, a response that is often unconscious.

Positive self-motivation requires clear goals, perseverance, and a ‘can-do’ attitude. Mood management is the act of controlling emotion. Impulse control is illustrated by the ability to delay gratification.

The individual with a high EQ is better able to understand other people’s feelings and practise better interpersonal skills. No matter what the IQ, those with a high EQ rise above the average.

(Adapted from Daniel Goleman, “Emotional Intelligence”) (a) What FOUR qualities are listed in the first paragraph of the passage? (b) What do you think the letters ‘I’ and ‘Q’ in the abbreviation IQ stand for? (c.) What do you think is ‘gut-feeling’? Why do you think awareness of ‘gut-feeling’ has to be deliberately developed? How might a person with high IQ behave if he has no ‘gut-feeling’? (d) From the compact second paragraph, what EQ quality, if developed, can make the person use ways to avoid developing ‘bad situations’? Which word in the phrase made you choose your answer? (e) What is the meaning of ‘gratification’ in the second paragraph? (f) What is the intention of the passage produced by the writer?

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022

XLVII

Oral hygiene and the toothbrush

MANY years ago, when I was a dentistry student, a professor ended his lecture with the following words, “If I were marooned on a deserted island and asked what two items I want, it would be a toothbrush and some aspirins.” One can easily appreciate the statement as regards the toothbrush if one becomes familiar with its history. More importantly, one can see its importance in removing dental plaque, which is the key to good oral health.

The modern toothbrush, which is actually a high tech instrument made of plastic and nylon bristles, started out as not much more than a humble toothpick. Toothpicks are made out of wood, thorn, metal, or porcupine quills and have been around for at least 3000 years.

Oral hygiene was valued by Roman and Greek civilisations; even slaves had access to chew sticks made from the wood of trees and shrubs such as liquorice, lucern, mallow root, myrtle, dogwood, or the tender shoots of peach. The end of each stick is unravelled by chewing, separating the fibres which scrape the teeth. These sticks still are used extensively in some parts of the world today.

In Arabia and India, chew sticks or “siwaks” have a religious ritual significance. Brushing for 15 minutes is believed to be the equivalent of 70 prayers. The siwak is mentioned in early literature from Mesopotamia, considered by many to be the cradle of civilisation.

Virtually every civilisation has, at some time, produced powders, slaves or washes to freshen the breath and ward off oral disease. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, compounded a tooth powder that included burnt hare’s head and mouse parts. Roman literature is replete with recipes for dentifrices(toothpaste) and instructions for their use. The physician Rhazes (850-932 A.D) was the first one to recommend filling cavities.

The ancient dentists used to lay the patient’s head on their lap and scrape the teeth.

Giovanni Archoli, an Italian physician who died in 1484, wrote 10 rules for dental hygiene, including cleansing the teeth after meals. He was one of the first to mention the connection between food and dental decay.

By the 15th Century, English barber-surgeons performed dental procedures. They scraped teeth with various metal instruments and rubbed them with a stick dipped in “aqua fortis”, a solution of nitric acid. The acid certainly made teeth white before it ate the enamel away and caused teeth to die.

During the 1800s, toothbrushes were made by hand.

The thighbones of cattle were considered superior for use as handles because they were the only ones strong enough to withstand pressure, especially when brushes became wet during use. Bristles came from the necks and shoulders of swine, especially those in colder climates like Siberia. They were considered stronger. Badger bristles were avoided because it was believed that they were too soft.

One of the first illustrations of a toothbrush accompanied the 1818 tract “Le Dentiste des Dames” (the women’s dentist). A fashion among American men was not to clean their teeth at all but have the service performed periodically by their barbers.

By 1840 toothbrushes were being manufactured in France, Germany and England. The use of new production methods and cheap labour enabled omate brushes to be made with decorated handles and innumerable small knots of bristles. The art of manufacturing brushes was taken by the French to Japan where cheap brushes were made for poorer people. In the 1890s, early studies began to link tooth decay with oral hygiene, and Americans took the brush to fight bacteria. Today, in a good supermarket in the USA, one can count at least eighty different products and brands of oral care items, including scores of different toothbrushes.

The first nylon brushes were made in 1938 and developed by researchers at E.I Dupont de Nemours. The use

of nylon filaments gained widespread acceptance because of the wars and other world disturbances that interfered with the importation of good natural bristles. The combination of nylon bristles with plastic handles is still used by the manufacturer.

By 1990, electric brushes are believed to have captured roughly 20-25 percent of the market. By 1994,

toothbrushes that operate on the principles of ultrasound became available to the public. Personally, that is the kind of toothbrush I have been using since then. From 1990 to 1995, several dozen new brushes flooded the American toothbrush market, featuring all kinds of shapes, sizes, colours and functions.

XLVIII

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 22, 2022