Guyana Chronicle Pepperpot E-Paper 23-04-2023

‘I would love to see more Indigenous youths owning businesses’

Youth Ambassador advocates for empowerment through entrepreneurship

Youth Ambassador

Calvin Roberts

The Greats in Theatre

Not so long ago, the Theatre Guild of Guyana recognised38 artists for their outstanding performances over the years.

Among the recipients is a civil engineer and theatre personality named Bert Carter.

The PepperpotMagazine sat down with Carter to talk about his life, career, family, and his involvement in theatre production during the past sixty-seven years of the

Guild’s life in Guyana.

Carter revealed that he has been very close to the theatre guild since 2008, being involved in its construction for over 42 years.

He noted that he has done a lot of voluntary work for the Guild on his return from the United Kingdom in 1969 after he had completed his studies.

The Theatre Guild

“The impact that theatre has made on me is very active. There are a lot of actors who outside of the theatre guild would not have been noticed since its rehabilitation in the year 2010. There are lots of people who have seen changes, the physical environment is better,” Carter said.

He revealed that people now enjoy going to the theatre guild to watch performances because the physical environment and great ambienceare of a better quality now.

Involvement in the The-

atre

Guild

During his interview Carter said that because of his association with David DeCaires and Joe Singh, two stalwarts of Guyana, he aided in the construction of the facility by being a civil engineer is now located in

The Civil Engineer had some advice for young people wanting to get involved in Theatre and theatre performances.

“I think it is a good way to launch your career. If you want to be an actor, it is a good place to learn and develop your skills,” Carter cautioned.

Bert Carter has been honoured by the Theatre Guild this year for his contribution to making the lives of patrons who now sit in a comfortable environment to watch theatre performances, skits, and plays.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Theatre Guild and Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana Dr. Paloma Mohamed Martin, who has been involved in the Guild

since she was eight years old, noted that the Guild is celebrating its 67th year this yearduring the special award ceremony.

Martin, during her presentation at the ceremony in Aprilthis year, revealed that the Guild started its award ceremony in the 1960s for guild production and performances only. The awards will now include persons who work behind the scenes.

About the Theatre Guild

“The Theatre Guild of Guyana’s Playhouse is the oldest Theatrical and Performance facility in Guyana and the second oldest in the Caribbean. The Theatre Guild (TG) was founded in 1957, the Playhouse was opened in 1960 and the organisationwas incorporated on 9th September 1961.

A volunteer not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation the Theatre Guild of Guyana has, from its inception been committed to the nurturing, and training of artists across the spectrum of the performing arts in Guyana and the region. Beginning in the 1960s and up to the mid1990s when the Playhouse and membership fell into disrepair. These commitments were realised in a variety of theatrical production, training and educational workshops, and playwriting competitions.

The 2007 restoration of the Playhouse made possible through the generosity of many private and public local and overseas donors has renewed the energy of the organisation and the membership is determined to ensure that the younger generations of Guyanese from all spheres of the community will have the opportunity to learn about and appreciate the magic of engagement in all areas of creative arts.“

Kingston.

Bert Carter

‘I would love to see more Indigenous youths owning businesses’ Youth Ambassador advocates for empowerment through entrepreneurship

AS a youth activist wearing several hats at the moment, Calvin Roberts continues on a path of advocating for the rights of his fellow Indigenous peoples while promoting their culture and activities geared toward empowering and educating them.

Becoming more and more recognised by the authorities and agencies that observe his passion and will to engage in this type of

career path, Calvin has been busy participating in various impactful activities lately.

As the founder of Calvin’s Indigenous Cuisine, Han-the Wako-tha-the (Come let’s eat), Calvin has been contracted by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs (MOAA) as a supplier for all heritage events/activities. He’s especially proud of this, as the small kitchen in which he started to prepare Indigenous meals has no doubt turned

into a budding successful business.

He hopes to work with the MOAA to have financial literacy and entrepreneurship courses taught to Indigenous youths.“I personally would love to see more Indigenous youths owning their own businesses,” Calvin told Pepperpot Magazine.

In addition, he is also hoping to have an Indigenous business forum for which the logistics are being worked out.

“It is something our Indigenous people and all of Guyana can look forward to soon.With all of the above being done,our main objective is to preserve our Indigenous culture and heritage,” Roberts, who is also a Youth ambassadorwith the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports,

said.

Just a few days ago, Georgetown Mayor UbrajNarinepresented a citation in recognition and support of Roberts. The citation recognised Roberts as ‘a selfless leader who exhibits exemplary service through positive influence, empowerment, and unique personal contribution to his community.’

Born in Moruca, on December 26, 1993, the citation noted that Roberts has been an advocate propagating awareness of Indigenous cuisine and is involved with several projects within the MOAA aimed at promoting education and youth empowerment in Amerindian villages. “The City of Georgetown recognises his hard work, patience and understanding,” it said.

Meanwhile, representing Guyana in 2018 at the 22nd National Youth Assembly in New York was one experience that made a huge impact on Roberts, who, ever since then, has been bent on creating a business to showcase his Indigenous roots.

The thought of becoming the next Indigenous entrepreneur became more and more intriguing as he visited various Indigenous celebrations in Guyana.

Roberts had said he’s always been an advocate for the Indigenous peoples and their rights to equality in Guyana. “We are educated, we are intelligent, and we are a peaceful people. We have potential and ambitions like any other ethnic group.”

Roberts at the recently concluded Rupununi Rodeo

Calvin Roberts (seventh from left) was among those who received Citation awards recently from Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine

A gifted musician’s evolution over the years

By Dillon Goring

There are lots of gifted people musically in Guyana and around the world. When you think of pan music in Guyana, the name ‘Ras Camo’ comes to mind. Known for his music charm and skill on the pan, Ras Camo has been playing pan music since childhood during the early 1960s.

The Pepperpot Magazine sat down with the legend, and he revealed how he began his musical career.

“I began playing music in the early ‘60s when I was going to school. Whilst waiting on my father when school was over in the Charlestown area, there was a pan yard not too far away. It was whilst running errands for the pan players I learned how to play the pans because I was shown what to do,” Camo told Pepperpot Magazine.

He recalled that his first steel band competition in pan music was in 1965 at the then Georgetown Football Club ground, and according to him, the winner of the competition would play for the Queen’s reception the next year. He noted that playing for the Queen was a big thing in those days.His band did not win the competition, but he still got an opportunity to play for the Queen.

Camo mentioned that he began to develop from then on by putting the pan in a string band and then moved into other genres of music, including jazz and Indian music.

He recalled that whilst playing the jazz genre of music, he played with a number of international and renowned Guyanese musicians, including Keith Waithe and John Agard. Camo recalled that the group had performed at the theatre guild during that time.

Staying Relevant in a Modern Age

Camo noted during his interview that technology advanced and the global age has become more and more. He began to use his computer to get musical accompaniment while performing solo on his pan for any large or small audience.

“That is what I am on now, and not the whole band anymore. I use the computer. What I am dealing with now is a more modern thing,”Camo told Pepperpot.

Making room for the next generation

Ras noted that he has been involved in training young people of school age, including schools like St Roses High School and the Buxton Band, among a number of bands involving young people.

He opined that very often in the musical arena, there must be persons to take up the mantle as it were when the older persons would have left the scene.

Ras noted that he has been involved in training young people since the early 1980s.

He noted that there is a need for a community band for the simple reason that when you train one set of young people for at least one year, eventually, the educational development of the young people that you train creates a void for pan music, particularly when they move on to another class to continue their academic development.

He spoke of the importance of a community band, thus addressing and more or less meeting the musical needs of young people, including school dropouts.

According to Ras Camo during his interview, the answer to keeping the pan alive is the establishment of a community band, where you would have various competitions among the youths.

Ras Camo was among the recipients of an award from the Theatre Guild. He was honoured for his sterling contribution to the arts industry over the years. He loves pan music.

He also urges young people to develop a love for the pan, which he believes serves as a deterrent to keep young people in particular, out of trouble and misdemeanour.

Bartica Mayor to continue developmental works through new ‘Green Town Foundation’

BARTICA’s first mayor Gifford Marshall, wellknown for his affable, warm personality and hospitable demeanor when you’re in his town, is bowing out of office for now. However, he is still bent on continuing the developmental works he started as Mayor – only in a different capacity – as founder of the ‘The Green Town Foundation.’

Marshall, who became Mayor following the 2016 Local Government Elections (LGE), has opted out of contesting this year’s elections because he said he doesn’t want to be remembered as someone with political bias.

He’s not eligible to immediately return as Mayor in any case, but what can happen is that he can be on a List of Candidates, possibly go back as Deputy Mayor, and then after a year, according to the law, return as Mayor. “But I have opted out of that. I don’t want to be on the list; I don’t want to campaign,” Marshall told Pepperpot Magazine a few days ago.

“I would have received support from across the board and I don’t want to go out of office being seen or being known as being politically biased. Politics in Guyana is very dangerous. I think I have good standing with persons on both sides….so I am heading out;

I’ve had my time,” Marshall expressed.

Despite an administration change during his time, Marshall is happy that, “The mandate of the municipality remained unhindered, uninterrupted, and there were no attempts to derail the functions of the municipality.”

Immediately after taking office in 2016, he recalled that a mandate was placed in Bartica to be Guyana’s ‘model town’ and right away, the focus was on sanitation and improvement of the en-

vironment. An “aggressive” programme of cleaning was started; placing bins, developing the boulevard, building the West Indian Housing Scheme, doing repairs to Bartica market, the community centre, and several other projects, all aimed at improving the aesthetics of the community.

To Marshall, the ‘Golden Beach’ project was one of the

Marshall (second from right) with Government officials at the recent Bartica Regatta

SEE PAGE XXVII

Heading in a new direction: Bartica Mayor Gifford Marshall Marshall enjoying a Phagwah celebration in Bartica

‘Champayne‘ anyone? The village, that is!

LAST week, the Pepperpot Magazine visited the rice-producing village of Champayne, Burma Road, Mahaicony to highlight the way of life of the locals.

Champayne village is divided into two sections, east and west, and according to elders in the community, it was in the west all the people resided until it started being more developed.

Most of the villagers moved upfront instead of remaining three and a half miles down a mud dam.

The village is tucked away between Calcutta and Catherine, and it is found several miles down the Burma Road, Mahaicony.

Champayne village is a tiny community with dwelling houses scattered all over the land and it is a large-scale rice-producing place with vast rice fields that go on for miles. Champayne is a little village at one side of

Burma Road with rice fields surrounding it.

The village comprises of mostly Indo Guyanese farmers, and they are hard workers who toil the lands to earn.

The dwelling houses are mostly in one row and side by side while some are behind each other and it takes a bit of walking down a muddy track to get to those houses.

The people of Champayne village are curious but friendly and will not hesitate to invite you to sit and chat

ly plant for self-sufficiency while others sell their produce.

Along Burma Road there is the sprawling complex of the Guyana Rice Development Board and Research Centre.

No public transportation system goes through this village, and those without their own vehicles have to utilize taxis, which is costly and run up to $1,000 per one-way trip to the main public road.

Sections of the main ac-

for a bit, even though they are go-getters; busy people doing the most they can to earn.

It is a place of rice farmers and this community produces a lot of rice all year round, but the people are simple and down-to-earth.

Champayne is a breezy and very quiet place to reside and enjoy the life of a being a farmer.

A handful of locals are cash crop farmers who most-

cess road is asphalted while; other sections are crush and run, and the last leg is made up of a mud dam.

There is a tiny wooden mandir at the edge of the village, on one side, and it is near two drainage canals.

Burma Road is about six miles to the end and only part of it is all-weather road and at the back, there is Air Services airfield and along the road there is Saj Rice Mill

and many old and abandoned buildings that were once occupied when the area was abuzz with activities.

On this road, there is a village called Burma Housing Scheme and it has descendants of some of the first settlers.

Burma Housing Scheme has some houses, two shops, a school and rice fields. It was established in 1968 when the rice mill was then stateowned and things were good in Burma.

Back then, they had more than 600 workers at the rice

mill and people from all over came to find work and eventually settled in the village.

Sadly today, only sections of large, sprawling, old, weathered buildings remain of what was once a booming rice mill which was eventually privatised.

Some old oil boilers, workshops, stores, mills, and silos are still there, but many outbuildings, such as the administrative building, are gone.

“At that time, the train used to pass through the village carrying parboiled rice

and other goods and when the rice mill operations folded, it was leased to some foreigners and today a group of foreign investors are operating the rice mill,” Chairman of Burma Housing Scheme, Japeth Williams said in an interview last year.

Williams remembered that when he used to work at the MARDS Rice Mill, the area was transformed into a large shopping plaza where people were plentiful, selling

SEE PAGE XII

A section of Burma Road, Mahaicony (Delano Williams photos)

The shed on Burma Road, in front of Champayne Village

Sections of rice fields, in Burma Road

Looking back on life in Champayne village

By Michel Outridge

JAGDEO Persaud used to be a rice farmer, a job he had almost all his life, but these days, due to old age, he was forced to step back and let his son manage the rice field and farming aspect of things.

The 81-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is stricken with diabetes and these days he is contented with being able to relax and enjoy the life of a retiree who never had a day off in his younger days.

Persaud, a mild-mannered man, is the father of four and lives at his home with his wife, a son and his family.

His wife was away that day, spending time in the city at their daughter’s place.

Persaud related that he has been living in Champayne Village for the past 52 years. As a senior citizen, he is quite satisfied with life because he would receive his

and he settled in that village and it was not easy, but he believed he made a wise decision.

Looking back, Persaud reported that he started out small as a rice farmer from scratch and he worked his way up and bought things and equipment he needed to make his job easier; and that job enabled him to provide for his family.

He disclosed that he did all he could to ensure his children went to school and had access to education and it was through education he changed their lives. Today, a daughter is a teacher, another works with the Ministry of Education in the city and he has a grand-daughter who is also an educator.

Persaud is very proud of their academic achievements. He now leads a humble, simple life and whenever he is up to it, he would go spend time with his daughter on the Corentyne and also at

monthly old-age pension and his children contribute to his welfare.

“Life is what you make it and I strive to make it easy and good. Despite challenges you must find ways to minimize issues to live a full life and being able to enjoy the simpler things,” he said.

Persaud is originally from Annandale, East Coast Demerara. He recalled attending Buxton School and when he was younger, he had a sister who was living in Champayne Village and he used to visit.

The elder stated that he met his wife and they started a family after marriage

the one who lives in the city.

“I would tell my children to look after their own children but they would say, ‘Daddy, you brought us up well and we are thankful and it is now our time to repay you, to look after you,” he said.

Chaitram Surujdem, the rice farmer

Chaitram Surujdem is a rice farmer and at 70 years old, he is very active, has no illnesses, and has the zest of a teenager.

The 70-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is the father of four and he

has four grandchildren, one of whom he was babysitting that day when the team visited.

He reported that his ingredient to being healthy is hard work and even though he is unable to get a day off, he doesn’t mind, because continuous work agrees with him.

Surujdem explained that his wife had a mishap in the house and she fell, which caused her to receive an injury to the ankle and is hospitalized.

As such, his daughter is tasked with going to the hospital three times per day and he has to pitch in to

watch the children.

The elder told the Pepperpot Magazine that he cultivates 40 acres of rice and he would sell his paddy to a rice mill at de Hoop, Mahaica.

Surujdem stated that he is from Airy Hall, Mahaico-

ny, and he used to work on a rice field in Champayne Village and it was during one of his visits he met his wife.

He explained that the rice field was within a short distance from his wife’s home and they got married and he

settled in the community and raised a family.

The rice farmer has a prime plot of land just as you enter the village, to one side and he has a lovely home with a very clean environment.

Home of Jagdeo Persaud

Jagdeo Persaud poses near the tractor (Delano Williams photos)

Residence of Chaitram Surujdem

Making the most of life in Champayne Village

By Michel Outridge

TAJMATI Bahadur better known as ‘Kajol’ is a homemaker and a resident of Champayne village, Branch Road, Mahaicony. She takes care of the children and home while her husband is a rice farmer and is often in the fields.

She resides on the entrance which takes you to Champayne West, a narrow all-weather road which goes up to a certain point, after which it is a muddy dam; along this stretch are the nursery and primary schools and some dwelling houses.

The 27-year-old, who is heavily pregnant, told the Pepperpot Magazine that she doesn’t mind not having close neighbours and she likes the quietness of the place.

She reported that the only noise is from passing tractors and other farming equipment that use the road near her home. Other than that, it is absolute peace.

Bahadur stated that she is from Branch Road. She married seven years ago and began living in Champayne village, Mahaicony and found it has been been fair so far.

She would ride a motorcycle to take her son to school located at Champayne Bottom, about three to four miles daily and similarly pick him up.

She reported that her five-year-old son is a handful at times and they have enough space where he

would ride his bicycle in the street near her home.

It was exactly eight months ago that Bahadur lost her baby and she is still in grief; she is of the hope she will be able to have a good delivery this time around.

The resident of Champayne village disclosed that there is no health centre in the village and as such, she would attend clinic in the city.

Sharo Persaud, the milk lady

In the same village is

the five-gallon bucket of milk and go around house to house to sell it and her routine would not end until all the milk is sold.

The 34-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that they have a plot just for housing the 28 cows they have, which is also located in the same village but away from dwelling houses.

A pint of milk is retailed for just $100 and it is fresh cow’s milk with no additives such as water.

Persaud explained that both she and her husband would tend to the cows dai-

garden with vegetables and some ducks, chickens and a few kittens as pets.

Her husband is a labourer. Two of her six children are grown and working while four are of school-age.

“I like it here; you can

do anything here to earn. There is space and the people knows each other and it is a very safe place to live and we can even fish with our cast net for fresh water fishes to make a curry or fry,” she said.

Camilla Baksh and her son, Mohamed Khaleel

Meanwhile, Camilla Baksh told the Pepperpot Magazine that back in the ‘black and white’ days, all the people that settled in Champayne used to live in the West, the place which is called Champayne Bottom, where the school is located.

She reported that it was years after when the village began to develop slowly, people decided to relocate to the front of the village and they build modern houses and some of the colonial-style houses are still standing and well-preserved.

The 60-year-old pointed out that the place was different back then with a lot of bushes and no roads, but they always had farm lands and the people depended on farming heavily even then.

The mother of three related that life was somewhat different than now and things were simpler when she married in 1982 and began living in Champayne village.

Baksh added that where their house is located was a rice field and Champayne has always been a rice-producing place. She is originally from Brittiana village.

Her son, Mohamed Khaleel, 37, told the Pepperpot Magazine that these days he has taken up the responsibility of farming since his father is of age.

He stated that Champayne is a quiet place to reside and they are accustomed to the still and calm of the place.

the home of Sharo Persaud, a very enterprising woman who sells fresh cow’s milk daily around the village via her bicycle.

Every morning, after her husband would milk the cows, she would get

ly and at night, they have a small cottage where her husband would stay to provide security for the animals.

The mother of six said she is doing whatever she can to make ends meet financially and has a kitchen

Camilla Baksh at her home

Sharo Persaud in her kitchen garden

Home of Camilla Baksh and Mohamed Khaleel

Mohamed Khaleel

The quiet life in Champayne Village

By Michel Outridge

AMONG the residents of Champayne village, Burma Road, Mahaicony, is rice farmer Dhanpaul Samaroo, better known as ‘Dick,’ a popular villager who has lived all his life in the village.

The 78-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that being a rice farmer is all about taking chances with your money. In his case, he invested in rice crops but hasn’t been able to make a profit for some time now.

Samaroo added that life in general isn’t bad or good and it is just in between due to his failing crops; there isn’t any yield as yet.

The father of four stated that he is in the process of ploughing his rice field to start a new crop and that he will have a good harvest this time.

Samaroo has four grandchildren and one of them has since passed away.

“Since the last flood, I didn’t get to re-plant any rice, so I am looking forward to having a good harvest this year,” he said.

Samaroo reported that Champayne is a safe place to live and the people are mostly quiet and are all familiar with each other.

That day, when the team visited Samaroo, he was reclining in his hammock and preparing to go to his rice field, which is located aback of Champayne West, to oversee the ploughing of the land.

His spouse was in the kitchen doing chores and he would get around via his bicycle or his son’s motorcycle.

It was 25 years ago when Shabanna Ramsayack left her home village of Montrose, East Coast Demerara and began living in Champayne, Mahaicony. The stay-at-home mother of four told the Pepperpot Magazine that she likes the quiet stillness of the community and she is accustomed to the simple way of life. Her husband, Ravi (only name given), is a rice farmer

part of the country.

Ramsayack stated that her days are spent doing household chores and preparing meals for the family and she is quite content to take care of everyone in the home.

She explained that in Champayne, there are no shops. As such, they would have to go to other villages to buy essentials, including groceries at supermarkets and markets.

The resident of Champayne added that there are no facilities or anything so you must leave the village to get supplies and they would have to travel to Dundee to shop at the nearest supermarket.

Ramsayack related that the village has electricity and potable water supply. Some people have a landline phone while others don’t and it is the same with private internet service, which is pricy.

She explained that the

cell phone reception is fair and even though the village is deep, they have enough space for cultivating their crops of rice.

Champayne village has no street lights, and it is so dark at night that a few locals had to buy and install solar powered lights.

It was evident that Ramsayack is happy and resides with her husband and three of her four children, who are grown, assisting them in rice farming.

Of her two daughters, one is married and is living outside the village while the other has a fiancée and it is only time for her to get married.

This family has a kitten and two dogs as pets and they live in an alleyway in East Champayne village, just off the main access road.

Shabanna Ramsayack, the stay-at-home mother

Dhanpaul Samaroo reclining in his hammock, at his home (Delano Williams photos)

Home of Dhanpaul Samaroo

Boodeshwar Harricharran, son of Shabanna Ramsayack

It is all quiet in Champayne Village

Dharshand Jailall is a resourceful man who, resides in Champayne Village, Burma Road, Mahaicony, who does many things to earn.

He is a cash crop and rice

farmer and a father of four, who has been living in the community for the past 49 years, all his life.

“To live comfortably, you have to do more than one thing to earn and make

an honest living because you cannot depend on rice farming alone. The way of crops going you only get what you put in with no real profits, so you are basically operating at a loss,” he said.

Jailall added that a rat infestation and floods have plagued his rice crops and to

top it off, his tractor needs new tryes and he cannot afford to replace it.

The day when the team visited, he had just returned home from buying parts to fix his plough which was also broken. Jailall stated that things haven’t been in his favour for a long time as it relates to his rice cultivation and that things will soon change.

He has a crop of squash and celery in his backyard, his kitchen garden, and his celery will be ready for harvesting in a week.

Jainarine Teekram is also a rice farmer and a resident of Champayne Village, Burma Road, Mahaicony and he is a small-scale farmer who works with a large-scale rice farmer within the community.

The 47-year-old plants only 15 acres of rice and that day when the team visited, he didn’t work since he had some chores to do at his home.

He had just completed fetching in some bags of cement to do some work at his home.

Teekram told the Pepperpot Magazine that the place is usually quiet and they need a play park for the children and youths since there is none and it would give them something to do in terms of sports and recreation.

“The children would play a little marble and, at times, some cricket in any space available and that is not good enough for them,” he opined.

The farmer reported that life is fair and he tries to make an honest living with the resources

SEE PAGE XI

Jainarine Teekram, rice farmer

Dharsand Jailall’s crop of squash

Dharsand Jailall in his farm

ainarine Teekram and his wife, Nalini Singh poses for a photo at her ho

It is all quiet in....

was at that time washing some clothes. She was in the process of cleaning, as well.

The stay-at-home mother of two had already prepared breakfast and lunch and will have to cook dinner much later that day for when the children and husband get home.

She told the Pepperpot Magazine that she moved two weeks ago and was living in another part of the village.

Persaud is renting since her former home was inadequate in terms of space.

She reported that she married and started living in Champayne Village 22 years ago and is from the East Bank.

“This place is quiet and nobody don’t trouble you, a very safe place and you can leave everything unattended,” she said.

That day, Persaud had made a meal of rice and roti with callaloo with shrimp and would think about the dinner menu just in time.

FROM PAGE X

he has at this time.

His wife is Nalini Singh, and she is from Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara and when she got married, she relocated to sleepy Champayne Village.

That day, she had already prepared meals and was relaxing after keeping a clean home and surroundings.

Seeta Devi Persaud, the stay-at-home mother/wife Meanwhile, the team also met Seeta Devi Persaud, who

Seeta Devi Persaud at her home in Champayne Village

Rice farmer, DharsandJailall (Delano Williams photos)

‘Champayne‘

all kinds of things and people used to stay overnight for the Friday Market Day.

He recalled that Friday was pay day for rice workers and it was big spending then and

The asphalted section of Burma Road

Rennick Harry on horseback off to graze his cows

FROM PAGE VI

‘Champayne‘ ....

FROM PAGE XII

things were really good.

Williams reported that Burma Housing Scheme was developed for rice mill workers because then the government allocated lots to rice mill workers and government houses were built for them. Just two of these colonial-style wooden houses still exist.

“The sad part about living in here is we do not have the rice lands to cultivate rice but the outsiders do. Many acres of lands were leased to them and they have control of it,” Williams said.

Williams added that even though lands were promised to them, they never benefitted except for 23 acres, which the villagers rotate to plant rice.

One of the drainage canals in the village

Paddy drying on Burma Road

The Theatre Guild’s Creative Spirit Awards 2023

BASED on my recent award, I can now add ‘Commentary on Arts and Culture’ to my resume. This event was indeed a lift from the daily stress of being the head of a family and provider. As a writer with a pool of work, I needed to explore the theatre community by observing. Still, I erred by arriving late, as in the good Guyanese bad habit of “better late than never”. (The only difference this time was that the driver didn’t know where the Theatre Guild was, and took me to the Movie Town on the East Coast. His wife was in the car. I thought the lady was a passenger headed for Sophia, but with good humour at the situation, we finally got to the intended location).

My take was to fully understand the new talents, see where my generation was, and learn from our predecessors, who were also there. My doubts were lifted, and by the time things were over, I was assured that we did possess the talents to initiate the groundwork for a functional small-film launch, commercially, once the content was inspiring enough. To me, the Theatre Guild had done its work from the old-school

platform. The cinemas are all gone, though they could have been saved; they were the roots-man’s alternative to the then classy ‘Guild’. The cinemas provided theatre in good vaudeville fashion.

To extract references that demonstrate the value of both the ‘Awards and the Guild’, the next challenge rests with the creativity, courage, and vision to explore the possibilities of a concept that can pull commercial attention to its space and time, with a theme that is enduring. Some concepts can envelop the right vibe, and take the Guild onto another inspiring sphere, providing there’s the income to spear-

head any new vision.

My emotional moment came at the alpha of the proceedings, when the recipient of the Golden Voice Award,Shawn Bhola, executed his exceptional rendition of the Erwin Drake and Al Stillman song, ‘I Believe’. This was as emotional as was the intent of the song when it as composed, to be an anthem of inspiration between WWII and the then upcoming Korean War for Americans in the 1950s.

Despite his current presence, his voice remains a force awaiting our interception. It was an awakening to me on the work we (the creative community) have not done for ourselves. We have not fairly documented the profiles of the talents through the timeline generally within the sphere of the Theatre Guild and others whose contributing performances and talent trust, within our modern era, from the 1900s onwards.

I have never known Vic Insanally as a stage actor; I learnt that just then. The same was for the recent passing of Senior Counsel Stanley Moore, whose portrait was flashed on the side screen for our benefit. A pay-attention chill did come over me, when I learnt that evening that an old colleague who had migrated some time ago had passed on over a year or two ago. Recently, I had a Facebook friend request from George Braithwaite, which I ignored, since he was already on my page. I’m not a frequent Facebook character, so I have to assume that there are negatives on my page who’re trying to get other negatives on.

The mention of George Braithwaite’s passing took me back to that era when I worked with Dudley Charles, doing set designs; the early eighties, the heyday of the ‘Cultural Centre’. I enjoyed this event even more, because of the creative diversity awarded: Herbie Marshall; Mosa Telford; old- school Nizam Bacchus; my Roots and Culture buddy, Ras Camo; Neaz Subhan; Kenrick Cheeks, and a lot of new folk in time. I hope to know, should any of my unique way (from Graphic novels-comic books) of dealing with the Theatre arts reaches the stage.

I was again politely informed that the Mighty Chief did not sing ‘Drunk Man’. The institution of MATTS record bar is gone, but I’ll get it right soon enough. The epitome is the encounter with Sir Henry Muttoo, an old boy from the Scheme-East Ruimveldt whose talents stand in a world of its own.

I was happy to hear that he was planning to return for another stay, and that links were made towards communications. In closing, what has inspired me is the reality of the talents that exist, so, as the late Isaac Hayes song echoed in my mind, “We gotto do our thing” towards excellence and economic realisation.

Local Government Elections are upcoming

NOMINATION Day, ahead of the June 12 Local Government Elections (LGE), was held last week, offering a glimpse of what we can expect as parties and candidates campaign over the next few weeks until the day of the elections.

Voter turnout at LGEs in Guyana and many countries across the Caribbean have generally been lower than in national elections. Still, one cannot overemphasise just how important Local Government Elections are and why we should carefully assess the candidates offering themselves up for elections and vote smartly.

Let’s take the management of Guyana’s capital city, Georgetown, for example.

The management of the city is often criticised. Garbage collection woes and flooding are two of the sore issues raised consistently, and many blame the Mayor and City Council for the poor management of these issues. But the City Council is made up of representatives elected by constituents of various constituencies across Georgetown. Therefore, if there is a persistent issue in a particular constituency (or across constituencies), I would imagine the councillor elected by the constituency and representing that constituency should be held accountable. If engagements and lobbying fail, that councillor can be voted out. I think the LGEs, at least in theory, promote a different level of accountability that positions elected leaders closer to the people they have been elected by.

Beyond that, it has been envisaged that the local government system allows community needs to be better satisfied. According to information from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the LGE is the mechanism persons use to elect members of their communities to represent their interests. It follows the reasoning that someone enduring the same community circumstances as other members of the community should be better positioned to herald in the changes or solutions necessary. So if a community needs beautification works, better infrastructure, and more efficient delivery of services or interventions to counter ills, the elected representatives should be au fait with community needs and work towards satisfying those needs. And local governance appears to be a more inclusive form of government by virtue of its makeup.

Independent candidates for Georgetown Malcolm DeFreitas, Juliet Julian, and Pearl McLean were among those who believe that community members, without links to larger political parties that dominate national politics, should be given the chance to help effect changes in their communities. Julian, for example, said in a Prime News interview that she believes she should be elected because she could embody the community spirit needed to transform her constituency.

Despite the aforementioned, local governance is complicated in Guyana. Local government bodies and representatives have raised concerns about their constraints, particularly their limited resources. These bodies, by and large, do not raise large sums of money and often rely on government subvention. So cash-strapped bodies are tasked with ensuring that their constituents are satisfied but often fall short. Central government, from time to time, steps in to solve problems when the local bodies are unable to. This may be necessary to remedy unfolding disasters (such as the Ministry of Agriculture intervening to mitigate flooding in the city) but does little to promote the devolution of decision-making.

It is reasonable to accept that local governance in Guyana is not perfect. Guyana is, however, a young country still trying to push forward its development. That means we have to believe that our local structures can work; we have to participate and we have to recognise where there are shortcomings so that we can advocate for improvements.

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

Real estate and its importance for upcoming, young Guyanese entrepreneurs

ONE of the best pieces of advice an older adult ever gave me was to invest in real estate. Why was it the best piece of advice? Well, I haven’t invested in any real estate, not yet, at least. I have, however, read and did my due diligence on it. I am no professional in the field, so I won’t share many logistical details, but

they saved and needed a place to house their families in our town. There was no use of the phrase “real estate”. Nowadays, the cost and value of those lands have astronomically increased from then to now. She even indicated that many people now live in regret because; “if they did know, they would buy too”.

can take it a step further with real estate. A property is anything that can be owned, such as a house. According to the Corporate Finance Institution, real estate is real property that consists of land and improvements, which include buildings, fixtures, roads, structures, and utility systems. Real estate investing is a financial strategy.

and risk. You must take into consideration how long the term period for investment will be as well as how high the risks are for investing. There are different types of real estate; residential, industrial, commercial, land, retail spaces, mixed-use spaces, and “fix and flip spaces”. These are essentially the various classifications you can choose to invest in. Certain pointers need to be considered before investing in real estate, especially for young people. I know we don’t live in a credit-based economy. However, many young people will always say they require capital to first invest. They have the vision but not the resources. My advice is to research and find out about the options available—you

can consider loans or collaborations with experienced investors and lenders. You can analyse the pros and cons to see which options are best for you and even if no options are available—prepare yourself in case any arises. You should also be able to network and have a sense of self-confidence when you start. You should be prepared to build connections and relationships with others in the real estate industry so that your resource base is wide and accessible in times of need.

If you’re not taken seriously by certain people, you approach for investment or collaboration—know that they may be not for you, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a group of people will-

ing to work with a young and skillful entrepreneur like yourself. There are so many other factors to consider but the most important one of all is the need to continually educate oneself about real estate and its processes. There are tons of online resources accessible and while your information on Guyana’s market may be limited, you can always inquire with professionals already in the real estate business in Guyana about its processes here and get advice on how to get started. With the right set of skills and commitment, you can improve your quality of life for years to come with the right investments and outcomes.

I’d like to enlighten you all on the importance of it. Our country’s economic landscape is widening daily, and the Guyana we live in is shifting its focus to more modern approaches. The concept of real estate is slowly becoming a widespread standardised practice. At least that’s what’s happening where I currently reside. I’ve heard from my late grandmother that long ago, people simply purchased lands because

With what my grandmother shared, I thought I didn’t want to be one of those persons who deeply regretted not investing in property. I know many young people may have inherited money, worked for their money, or looked for ways to make money in Guyana. Even though I’m a social worker, I have an immense passion for entrepreneurship.

If you’re like me and you see entrepreneurship as a “hobby” or “passion”—you

Real estate investing is the purchase of property as a form of income. That investment is expected to generate income rather than be used as personal property or primary residence. Said investment includes the management, ownership, purchase, rental, and/or sale of property for profit.

It’s important to understand that there’s a difference between a gambler and an investor. There are two key aspects of investments; time

WHAT MAKES A TRUE LEADER?

Thank you to the people who shared their takeaway from last week’s column, and I did promise to share some additional content from Dr. Myles Munroe that added value to my life:

WE ARE IN NEED OF TRUE, SPIRITUALLYCONSCIOUS LEADERS.

This is the culture and environment of leadership that pervades our world today, whether it is in politics, religion, business, education, or sports. We are in desperate need of true, competent, principled, sensitive, compassionate, and spirituallyconscious leaders.

WHAT MAKES A TRUE

by a lion will always defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. This statement captures the spirit of this book. This concept became real to me during one of my trips to the continent of the cradle of humanity, Africa. It was there, deep in the village lands of the African bush, that I heard a story that encapsulated what I have come to understand as the missing link in the leadership development process.

It was a sunny but cool day in the bustling, modern city of Harare, the capital of the southern African nation of Zimbabwe. I had just finished speaking in the conference centre of the Harare Hilton to over 5,000 leaders.

two hours, we finally left the modern city lights, and were greeted by unpaved roads, dusty villages, and dense green forests. Just when I thought we were about to arrive, my driver indicated that we still had another two hours to go before we arrived at our village destination. Suddenly, I realised that we were headed for a safari experience. After another bumpy two hours through what seemed to be a jungle, we finally entered a clearing. There stood a group of children who suddenly broke into wild, excited chanting as if they had just experienced the end of a long anticipation.

LEADER?

What makes a leader? How are genuine leaders produced? When does one truly become a leader? Is there a predictor of leadership? What are the qualities that distinguish leaders from followers? This book is about the missing ingredient in leadership development; it’s about the elusive link between talent, titles, and leadership. Genuine leadership is not a result of memorising formulas, learning skills, imitating methods, or training in techniques; it is an attitude of the heart.

The Hidden Leader in You Trapped within every follower is an undiscovered leader.

An army of sheep led

As the guest of one of the largest community organisations in the nation, I had been invited to provide leadership training and motivational sessions for aspiring and seasoned leaders. This was our last session after over seven days of presentations. At the end of the session, my host asked if I would consider going to another town to speak to an additional group of leaders who had asked if I would come to them.

THE HIDDEN LEADER

IN YOU

I gladly consented, and arrangements were made for my driver, who also served as my interpreter, and me to leave at first light the next morning.

We started at six o’clock, and after driving for almost

AN

ARMY OF SHEEP LED BY A LION WILL ALWAYS DEFEAT AN ARMY OF LIONS LED BY A SHEEP.

As we came to a noisy stop, a group of happy men emerged from a large thatched hut. They were led by a gentleman wearing a welcoming smile and simple clothing. We embraced, and he invited me into the grassroofed building in which over 300 men and women sat, eagerly waiting for us to begin the teaching session. I was deeply humbled by the hunger and patience of these beautiful people, and I gave them my best. It was a joy to be so well received.

After the session, the chief of the village invited

WHAT MAKES A TRUE...

FROM PAGE XVIII

me to a special dinner in my honour, where I was treated to cuisines traditional to village life and culture—some familiar to me and some do not. It was during this meal that the chief told me the story that taught me a lesson in leadership I will never forget.

A LION AMONG SHEEP

There was once a farmer who lived in this village and also was a herd of sheep. One day, he took his sheep out to pasture, and while they were grazing, he suddenly heard a strange noise coming from a patch of grass, which first sounded like a kitten. Led by his curiosity, the old shepherd went to see what was the source of this insistent sound, and, to his surprise, he found a lone shivering lion cub, obviously separated from his family. His first thought was the danger he would be in if he stayed too close to the cub and his parents returned. So the old man quickly left the area and watched from a distance to see if the mother lion or the pack would return. However, after the sun began to set, and there was still no activity to secure the lion cub, the shepherd decided that, in his best judgment, and for the safety and survival of the lion cub, he would take him to his farmhouse and care for him.

THE LION HAD BECOME A SHEEP BY ASSOCIATION.

Over the next eight months, the shepherd handfed this cub with fresh milk, and kept him warm, safe, and secure in the protective confines of the farmhouse. After the cub had grown into a playful, energetic ball of shiny muscle, he would take him out daily with the sheep to graze. The lion cub grew with the sheep, and became a part of the herd. They accepted him as one of their own, and he acted like one of them. After fifteen months had passed, the little cub had become an adolescent lion, but he acted, sounded, responded, and behaved just like one of the sheep. In essence, the lion had become a sheep, by association; he had lost himself and become one of them.

THE HIDDEN LEADER IN YOU

One hot day, four years later, the shepherd sat on a rock, taking refuge in the slight shade of a leafless tree. He watched over his flock as they waded into the quiet, flowing water of a river to drink. The lion, who thought he was a sheep, followed them into the water to drink. Suddenly, just across the river, there appeared out of the thick jungle bush a large beast that the lion cub had never seen before. The sheep panicked, and, as if under the spell of some survival instinct, leapt out of the water and dashed towards the direction of the farm. They never stopped until they were all safely huddled behind the fence of the pen. Strangely, the lion cub, who was now a grown lion, was also huddled

suddenly, the beast appeared out of the jungle again. The flock dashed with breakneck speed towards the farmhouse, but before the young lion could move, the beast stepped in the water towards him and made that deafening sound that filled the forest. For a moment, the young lion felt that his life was about to end. He realised that he saw not just one beast, but two—one in the water and one before him.

His head was spinning with confusion as the beast came within ten feet of him and growled at him, face-toface, with frightening power in a way that seemed to say to him, “Try it, and come and follow me.”

HE FELT STIRRINGS THAT HE HAD NEVER KNOWN BEFORE

As fear gripped the young lion, he decided to

whether to continue to live life as a sheep or to be the self he had just discovered. He knew that to become his true self, he would have to give up the safe, secure, predictable, and simple life of the farm and enter the frightening, wild, untamed, unpredictable, dangerous life of the jungle. It was a day to become true to himself and leave the false image of another life be -

hind. It was an invitation to a “sheep” to become the King of the Jungle. Most importantly, it was an invitation for the body of a lion to possess the spirit of a lion.

After looking back and forth at the farm and the jungle a few times, the young lion turned his back on the farm and the sheep with whom he had lived for years, and he followed the beast

into the forest to become who he always had been; a Lion King.

So many takeaways in this story! I would love for you to share your takeaway (WhatsApp me at 592-6848129) as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.

with them, stricken with fear. While the flock scrambled for the safety of the farm, the beast made a sound that seemed to shake the forest. When he lifted his head above the tall grass, the shepherd could see that he held in his blood-drenched mouth the lifeless body of a lamb from the flock. The man knew that danger had returned to his part of the forest.

Seven days passed without further incident, and then, while the flock grazed, the young lion went down to the river to drink. As he bent over the water, he suddenly panicked and ran wildly toward the farmhouse for safety. The sheep did not run, and wondered why he had, while the lion wondered why the sheep had not run since he had seen the beast again. After a while, the young lion went slowly back to the flock, and then to the water to drink again. Once more, he saw the beast and froze in panic. It was his reflection in the water.

While he tried to understand what he was seeing,

try to appease the beast and make the same sound. However, the only noise that came from his gaping jaws was the sound of a sheep. The beast responded with an even louder burst that seemed to say, “Try it again.” After seven or eight attempts, the young lion suddenly heard himself make the same sound as the beast. He also felt stirrings in his body, and feelings that he had never known before. It was as if he was experiencing a total transformation in mind, body, and spirit.

Suddenly, there stood in the river of life two beasts growling at and to each other. Then the shepherd saw something he would never forget. As the beastly sounds filled the forest for miles around, the big beast stopped, turned his back on the young lion, and started towards the forest. Then he paused and looked at the young lion one more time, and growled as if to say, “Are you coming?”

The young lion knew what the gesture meant and suddenly realised that his day of decision had arrived; the day he would have to choose

Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals

SEVERAL organisations or societies have come over to Independent Guyana as part of its inheritance from colonial times, and all of these tend to have an international pitch. Among these organisations are the Red Cross Society, Freemasonry, and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). In Independent Guyana, the “Royal” in the name was replaced with “Guyana” so the Society is now known as the GSPCA or the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Such animal protection programmes are still spreading or being strengthened in various parts of the world. For example, an RSPCA was recently established in Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan kingdom, and President Trump of the USA passed a fairly strong animal protection bill into Federal Law before he left office.

Animals seem to have a particular attraction for children who seem to have a natural empathy for them and animals, on their part, seem to communicate with children easier than adults. When therefore, Zayd, the son of President and Madame Arya Ali, hosted a lemonade sale at State House in the first week of March to raise funds for the GSPCA, the occasion seemed quite normal. However, this was the first time in the history of State House that such an occasion took place. Zayd and the other children who attended and who were all interested in animals happily fraternised. The sale raised nearly $2 million.

The GSPCA does not venture into the protection of animals in the wild as a few similar organisations in other parts of the world do. It focuses on domestic animals and particularly pets. Until about the 1950s, the main means of transporting goods in Guyana was using carts drawn by donkeys, mules, and horses and sometimes, the cart men would cruelly beat their animals with the thick ropes they carried in their carts. In those years, the RSPCA employed a roving inspector who went about the city and even the countryside on his bicycle and was able to bring prosecutions before the Courts of these cruel cartmen or even persons mistreating their dogs, cats, and even livestock. The roving inspector was an effective deterrent, especially to the cart men.

Today, the GSPCA rarely brings prosecutions; it concentrates on rescuing animals, mainly dogs, and cats, who have been abandoned or are being mistreated; conducting a

SEE PAGE XXII

WHEN THE HEART SPEAKS, LOVE FINDS YOU CONCLUSION

MARISSA woke her brother to take her to the upscale area on the East Coast where Aditya lived with his parents, prayers in her mind for the child. She met with the grandmother and an aunt who had stayed home to take any calls that may come in.

The grandmother, though distraught, was surprised to see Marissa and asked in a slightly condescending tone, “Why are you here?”

“Aditya called and asked if I could help in any way.”

A displeased look flashed across her face when she said, “I guess he has gone against what we told him.”

Marissa took a deep breath and responded calmly, “The reason being, I’m the child’s teacher and his safety is my concern.”

The grandmother was not receptive to her response and she asked, “Do you know the area?”

“No.”

“Well, I don’t see how you can help.”

Marissa did not let her tone bother her and made her observation, “It’s a gated community so I’m guessing he won’t go out, which means he’s in here somewhere. Was the front gate open?”

“No, and he can’t open it,” the aunt answered.

“Is there another gate?”

“Yes,” the aunt answered again, “Let me show you.”

A small gate at the side of the yard was open into a vacant lot.

When coming in, she noticed that the area had a playfield

and a few vacant lots with tall weeds and thick overgrown grass. From her experience as a teacher, she knew a little child wandering away would most likely follow a pet so she asked, “Does he have a pet?”

“No,” the grandmother answered but on second thought, she

Prevention Of Cruelty...

FROM PAGE XX

clinic that offers services such as vaccinations, deworming, spaying and neutering, and other veterinary services; providing food and shelter; and finding new homes for animals.

On any afternoon at the GSPCA clinic, one may see owners taking their cats, dogs, rabbits, parrots, and other birds and even turtles for veterinary inspection and treatment.

GSPCA is a volunteer organisation and the doctors and attendants are volunteers. A nominal fee is charged for consultation and medicines, but it is volunteerism and donations which keep the organisation afloat. The long-serving President of the GSPCA is Mr. Oliver Insanally who has been performing this labour of love for many years.

Protecting animals and caring for them have been civilising forces in all societies, even from ancient times, such as when Buddhist rulers established animal hospitals by Lord Buddha’s teachings. Families who rear pets rarely commit crimes of violence against each other. It has also been observed that the men who indulge in domestic violence against

women and children have never had pets.

Animals, on their part, provide many valuable and essential services to man. For example, the Eskimos of the Arctic cannot survive without their dogs. In Guyana, dogs help in crime fighting by tracking down criminals and assisting in discovering narcotic shipments at airports. A good proportion of homes depend on guard dogs to deter criminals or to warn residents of unwelcome or suspicious visitors, and they are on duty 24 hours per day and there are examples of dogs defending owners against armed criminals and being injured or killed.

Dogs also help to guide the blind or visually impaired. Cats in any home ensure that rats and mice are kept away. But probably, the greatest service of pets is the companionship and love they give to their owners, particularly children. Owners using their psychological relationship with their pets often grasp the great philosophic truth that all life is one irrespective of the physical forms in

which life is manifested.

GSPCA provides a very valuable service to Society and enriches the quality of life and we would wish to persuade volunteers to offer their services and the public to make financial donations to the Society, no matter how small.

WHEN THE HEART SPEAKS, LOVE ...

FROM PAGE XXI

said, “A resident’s bunny sometimes comes in our yard and he would run behind it, but never out of the yard.”

Marissa’s brother brought a flashlight from the car and they began searching the vacant lots, calling out Aryan’s name. She stepped into muddy patches, unbalancing and almost twisted her ankle once. They came out onto the road and met with other searchers and two policemen. Marissa identified herself and her brother, given they were strangers and the search continued.

Marissa couldn’t understand how no one saw a little boy in pyjamas on the road.

“Maybe he kept in the shadows,” she surmised to herself. She went into the playfield though she was told the area had already been searched, thinking maybe they could have missed something because it was a big ground. She stood in the middle where the grass was thicker and higher due to the unseasonal rain.

The wind was blowing heavily with a moaning sound but somehow, she thought she heard a weak moan. She called his name again and this time as the wind lulled, she distinctly heard the sound. The other searchers were shouted for as she pushed through the thick grass. She found him weak and lying on the ground, mud on his pyjamas and a black bunny cuddled up next to him.

She picked him up in her arms after realizing he had hurt his ankle, crying with relief as her brother sent a message from her phone to Aditya.

Aryan was rushed to the hospital by relatives and Marissa returned to the house, not realising how muddy her clothes were, her arms bleeding from the scratches from the tall weeds. The grandmother was crying, overwhelmed by the whole frightening incident and she said to Marissa, “I’m sorry I was not nice to you. Thank you for finding my grandson.”

Aditya reached early the next morning, met with his family, his mother still somewhat traumatised, and then went to the hospital to see his son. He held him in his arms, so emotionally shaken he couldn’t speak for a long moment. The doctors assured him that Aryan was fine except for the sprained ankle that would soon heal. Both families were pretty shaken from the incident and deeply grateful to Marissa.

He went to see her late that afternoon, an overwhelming feeling of relief and joy filling his heart as he embraced her.

“I don’t have enough words to thank you,” he said.

“You don’t have to,” she said gently, “He’s a child of my heart, like all the children and I felt deeply concerned for him and you.”

He smiled with sincere gratitude and said to her, “Remember I told you Aryan recognised something in you?”

“Yes.”

“Well I must confess, I do too.”

She smiled, tears of happiness filling her eyes.

From a child’s heart, and the script of fate, love had found her.

Bartica Mayor to...

FROM PAGE V

most transformative ones that he pursued, second to that being the massive tree planting exercise where approximately 50 trees were planted across the municipality. The ‘peace sign’ in Bartica was also established “as a reminder to residents that peace and love is the message.”

“I believe we achieved those objectives. I am grateful for the support from the previous administration and of this government in carrying out the mandate of the municipality. I am grateful not only to my family but to the entire community and those persons who would have supported me over the years,” Marshall, a teacher by profession, expressed.

Being Mayor has been quite a learning experience for him, even in the challenging moments. “I am very grateful because those challenges helped me to grow. I am a much stronger person now emotionally and mentally; a better individual than when I first went into office.”

Feeling he’s now in a better position to serve, he believes that his work with the foundation will help him to address some of the major issues affecting Bartica. The foundation will focus on environmental projects such as sanitation, issues with mining, water discolouration, and others geared at improving the aesthetics of the communities. “One of the things we struggled with is sensitisation in getting people to become more aware of their environment and through the foundation, we can be more people centered and focused specifically on educating people, especially young people.”

The foundation will also “allow me to pursue an aggressive tourism product;” tourism in Bartica, he said, being very close to his heart.

With officials from the Guyana Police Force in the Town Hall compound

With Director of Guyana Tourism Authority Kamrul Baksh at a falls in the region.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Idleness is only the refuge of weak minds.

PHILIP STANHOPE, 4th EARL OF CHESTERFIELD (1694-1773) Letter to his son.

STUDY SUCCESS

Dear Student,

Welcome dear friend. Let us look at developing one phase of a general topic to speak on. Thoughtfully select the phase. Push yourself to concentrate authoritatively on it. This technique will prove difficult as it is quite the opposite to what you are already mastering. Almost anyone can speak on a general topic, but it

April 23, 2023

takes authority to develop a carefully limited subject. Increase confidence as you become enabled to offer new and unusual information to your listeners. Take care.

Love you.

IMPROVING PUNCTUATION

Accurate use of the hyphen (-) in syllabication of words

Use a hyphen in the syllabication of words overrunning the line. Division of words at the end of lines should be avoided whenever possible.

Here is the general rule: Divide a word only between syllables. A syllable is a part of a word pronounced by a single impulse of voice.

a) Do not divide monosyllables (words with one syllable) or proper nouns. breath, not brea-th; freight not fre-ight walked not walk-ed; Williams not Wil-liams

b) Do not carry over a group of letters containing only a silent vowel.

Handle not han-dle; flex-ible not flexi-ble muscle not mus-cle; vis-ible not visi-ble

c) Do not make one-letter divisions.

enough, again, among (not: e-nough, a-gain, a-mong)

d) Avoid carrying over fewer than three letters. The following show correct division.

per-former in-completely; re-ad-vertised

e) Do not make divisions that may cause pronunciation difficulties.

raging, not rag-ing ref-eree, not re-feree

f) When a suffix is pronounced as a separate syllable, divide just before it, except in words covered by rules d) and e).

ring-ing wait-ers por-ous self-ish

g) If a word contains a double consonant as the result of adding a suffix, divide as follows: excel, excel-ling; dip, dip-per; hum, hum-ming

Something to Do

(1) Draw vertical lines to indicate where the following words must be divided at the end of a line.

(2) Circle words that should

not be divided. Look over with your study partners. ablaze instep running night hidden government mystery

Jacqueline manuscript carry little strictly

THE PASSAGE

Reading with comprehension

Read the selection. Then, answer the questions below it. In many parts of the world such as in Africa or in America there are deserts. Deserts usually have a great deal of sand, gravel or bare rock. Also, they generally have very little plant and animal life.

Sand or rock and few trees are not the only features of deserts. There are other features that make deserts different from the land areas on which most people in the world live. The most significant of these is the amount of rain that falls on the desert. In many land areas that have no deserts, rain falls several times a year. In the desert, such as the Sahara, rain may fall only once a year. In other deserts, rain may fall only once every three or four years. In the desert the temperature during the day may be as high as 45o Celsius. During the night however, the temperature drops and may drop as low as 15o Celsius.

Something to Do

1. This passage is mainly about the A. features of a desert. C. rain that falls in the desert B. kinds of soil in the desert. D. temperatures in the desert

2. How many features of deserts are mentioned in the passage?

A. 6 B. 4 C. 7 D. 5

3. To what does the word ‘these’ in the third sentence of the second paragraph refer? A. deserts B. features C. sand D. trees

4. The passage also gives information on

A. African deserts. B. American deserts.

C. the sand, gravel and bare rock in the Sahara desert.

D. the differences between deserts and other lands on earth.

THE POEM

They were lovely in the quartz and jasper sand

As if they had created terrariums with their bodies On purpose; adding sprigs of seaweed, seashells, White feathers, eel bones, miniature Mussels, a fish jaw. Hundreds; no –Thousands of baby stars. We touched them, Surprised to find them soft, pliant, almost Living in their attitudes. We would dry them, arrange them,

Form seascapes, geodesics … We gathered what we could

In the approaching darkness. Then we left hundreds of Thousands of flawless five-figured specimens sprawled Along the beach as far as we could see, all amassed Together: little martyrs, soldiers, artless suicides

In lifelong liberation from the sea. So many Splayed hands, the tide shoveled in.

(Starfish – Lorna Dee Cervantes)

[Jasper – a variety of quartz of a reddish, yellow, or brown colour; geodesics – in interlocking patterns]

Study and Discuss

Analysing and interpreting the poem

1. A terrarium is a small enclosure where plants or animals are grown. Why does the poet associate terrariums with the starfish?

2. What characteristics of the starfish does the poet focus on in the first ten lines?

3a. What are the connotations of the word ‘specimen’ in line 11? 3b. What is the effect of the words ‘sprawled’ (line 11) and ‘shoveled in’ (line 15? 3c. How do these words signal a shift in attitude?

The worst enemy of teeth

THE tooth equation is pretty simple: germs plus sugar equals acid production. These acids can dissolve enamel and the tooth-root structure, resulting in a cavity (technically, a carious lesion.) Although tooth decay is a fact of life (no record that exists ever shows that any adult human has never suffered from tooth decay); there is evidence that some persons are more resistant than others.

Since effective brushing and flossing are critical in controlling dental decay in susceptible individuals, I want to detour a brief discussion about the cause and prevention of tooth decay. Of course, everyone who reads this column should realise by now that the secret to oral health is the effective control of dental plaque. Now, three elements need to be in place before tooth decay can happen: the microorganism responsible for decay (Streptococcus mutans) must be present, sugar or carbohydrate for S. mutans to metabolize must be available, and the tooth or teeth must be susceptible to, or capable of, decay. Additionally, there are three cavity-preventing measures those of us susceptible to tooth decay must take to combat this decay: we must control plaque, reduce carbohydrates (sugars) in our diet, and make out teeth more resistant to decay.

Eliminating or at least drastically reducing tooth decay is certainly relatively easy, although it takes a little effort. Proper brushing and flossing are of paramount importance in eliminating tooth decay in the caries-susceptible individual because, without excellent control of plaque (the sticky stuff containing cavity-causing microorganisms, including S. mutans), cavities can between the teeth, on the sides of the teeth at the gum margins (edges) of fillings, crowns, or bridges distress dentists and patients alike, since much of this restorative work was done to repair damage caused by previous decay, and new decay around existing dental work does not usually get restored properly with a patchwork approach. Once the dentist has done his or her best to restore a tooth, this work needs to be well-maintained by the patient.

Brushing and flossing are critical in controlling the plaque that can lead to decay, but further reducing microorganisms (germs) is necessary for a healthy mouth. This can be achieved by tongue scraping (the top of most people’s tongue carry untold trillions of microorganisms and much odorous material), and irrigation to reduce the number of microorganisms under the gum margins.

An obvious way to reduce dental decay is to reduce or even eliminate sugary drinks from the diet. Great plaque control is an excellent way to keep cavity-causing organisms at lower levels in the mouth, but even great plaque control is no match for the acids produced when six to twelve sugar-containing soft drinks are consumed every day. This much sugar coating the teeth supports the astronomically fast growth of the cavity-causing organism and its acids. Coffee or tea sweetened with sugar will create never-ending cavities in anyone prone to decay. The use of nonsugar sweeteners is recommended for those susceptible to tooth decay.

Another excellent way to deal with dental decay is to drink several cups of green tea a day. Why is green tea so great for reducing dental decay? One study showed that green tea inhibits the growth of plaque caused by the S. mutans bacteria. In contrast, another study showed that green tea catechins destroyed these bacteria at concentrations lower than those found in one cup of tea. Other studies report that green tea strongly inhibits bacteria after only five to ten minutes of exposure to the tea. And yet another study reported that green tea extract was more effective than fluoride compounds in preventing dental caries.

To summarise, consuming three or four cups of green tea daily for dental reasons is a great idea because it inhibits the growth of plaque caused by S. mutans, destroys the biofilm that coats teeth and the rest of the mouth (thus helping to clean the mouth), and, because of the fluoride content in green tea, actually makes the teeth more resistant to acids produced by S. mutans. Fluoride in its many dental formulations, is the third method that has been utilised to reduce susceptibility to tooth decay (caries) in cavity-prone individuals. I am in my fifties and have only lost four teeth which occurred when I was a teenager. I ascribe much protection from green tea and recommend the same to my patients. Please note that when consuming green tea for its cavity-reducing benefits, it is best to swish each mouthful of green tea vigorously to cleanse the mouth before swallowing the tea. In other words, don’t drink the tea as you normally would since the cleansing action and the S. mutans

inhibition are improved by having tea in contact with the mouth and teeth for longer periods.

Finally, my advice on using green tea is to find one you like, and have it readily available at work and home so you can drink it regularly. Green tea has benefits that go well beyond cavities, and you can take advantage of them all if you will incorporate

drinking several cups into your normal daily routine. A final note on the dental decay issue: make certain that you have regular dental checkups. Your dentist is there to help you be healthy. And regular dental visits afford the greatest possibility of minimising problems.