How Farmers of Laluni Creek Are Working Together to Overcome Hurdles
June 29, 2025
Maurice Ferriera of Laluni Creek works along with his sons to get their produce from farm to market (Delano Williams photo)
Nelle’s Touch
Changing the conversation on relaxation, therapy, and wellness in Guyana, five minutes at a time
By Shaniya Harding.
MOST Friday afternoons, between the hours of 15:00 hours and 17:00 hours, Shenelle Prescott could be found along the Kitty seawall doing what can be considered one of the most unique businesses in Guyana: giving head massages. It certainly is not something you see every day, but Shenelle’s five-minute massages for $500 have been gaining great traction online and even more foot traffic.
Sitting down for an interview with Pepperpot Magazine, Shenelle, known as Nelle by her clients, shared the real-life benefits of a good massage, why she believes the massage business is gaining traction, and walked us through how she launched her business, ‘Nelle’s Touch.’
Where It All Started: Calm, Challenge, and Certification
When we think about
massages, we often think of high-end massage parlours and full-body, deep-tissue massages. But East Coast native Shenelle aims to change and challenge the norms of what it means to get a good massage. Professionally, Shenelle is a secretary at the Guyana Forestry Commission, but she has always had an interest in things that calm the nervous system. That’s why in 2021, amidst the height of the pandemic, Shenelle found herself studying structural massage and Swedish massage.
Sharing what led her to study this little-known craft in Guyana, she said, “I have always liked calming things, things like ASMR. I would watch videos like that to sleep and it’s relaxing and so on.” She further added, “In 2021, it was the pandemic and I was not doing anything, so I decided to study massage at Carnegie and the University of the West Indies.”
Although she was certified, it was not until her mother fell ill in 2021 that she put her skills to good use. Like so many older folks, Shenelle’s mother struggled with joint pain. Stepping up to the plate, Shenelle gave her mother a massage. The immediate relief her mother experienced further inspired the idea of making massages a business venture.
But creating a business model that most Guyanese have not even heard about came with some hurdles. One of the biggest challenges Shenelle has faced is the reluctance from some peo-
ple who don’t fully understand how the head massage works. As she shared, “Some people have misconceptions about it. They think that it’s more than a massage, but I assure them it’s just a head massage targeting the head and shoulders,” she said.
More Than Relaxation:
What a Five-Minute Massage Can Really Do
So what does a massage from Shenelle look like?
A look at her TikTok page would showcase exactly how an appointment works and why so many people are interested in it. Shenelle begins each session by taking the necessary precautions between clients, ensuring both her hands and the client are clean and ready for the massage.
Walking the Pepperpot Magazine through how clients can book an appointment and what they can expect, she shared, “Most of my clients reach out via TikTok for more. Then they would decide if they want a massage and I tell them the pricing and when I’ll be at the seawall. And then they’ll come to WhatsApp to book the session,” she stated.
Beyond the Business:
Building a Culture of Calm
On the topic of why she believes that people are so interested in her massages, Shenelle shared that in a fast-paced world, people are often stressed, and when they see a healthy means of relaxation, they are intrigued. “What I have found is that plenty of people are interested in things like ASMR and this calming content. So, when they see the chance for a head massage, they are interested.” Although fresh to the scene of business, Shenelle has big hopes for Nelle’s Touch.
The aim, she says, is to create a safe space where people can come and experience a massage. With the support she has received thus far, Shenelle believes her dream could become a reality. “In the next few years, I want to have a space where people can come and enjoy a massage. I would like it to be somewhere out of Georgetown, maybe somewhere in Paradise, where I am from,” she shared.
As rare as it may seem, Shenelle says that she has seen other people venture into the same type of business, simply setting up shop with a goal, a skill, and Turn to page V
Getting a head massage, or any massage in fact, is not just a fun five-minute experience. According to experts, a good head massage can achieve a wide range of benefits, including stress and tension relief, improved circulation, headache and migraine relief, and potential stimulation of hair growth. It can also enhance relaxation, mental clarity, and even improve sleep quality. Based on feedback from her clients and her own expertise, Shenelle shared, “A head massage is not just calming. It helps in tension relief and stress relief. If you're studying, migraine, it eases headaches. It calms your nervous system,” she shared.
One of Shenelle’s five-minute head massages in progress
Shenelle “Nelle”, the woman behind Nelle’s Touch
Agriculture Across the Creek
How Farmers of Laluni Creek Are Working Together to Overcome Hurdles
By Shaniya Harding
PAST Soesdyke and through the village of Kuru Kururu is the community of Laluni; and over the Laluni Creek, there is a small community of farmers on a piece of land almost completely surrounded by water. Just about forty people occupy this area of Laluni, known as or referred to as ‘Laluni Creek’.
This community within a community is home to just a few families who travel daily by boat, in and out of the area. A quaint, peaceful farming settlement, the people of Laluni Creek are as resilient as the crops they produce — adapting and modifying their farming tactics in an effort to combat diseases and enhance crop production. But for a community on the water, their biggest challenge is Guyana’s rainy season.
This week, Pepperpot Maga-
zine ventured to the growing community of Laluni, where farmers like Maurice Ferreira are working together with government entities, such as NAREI, to overcome some of agriculture’s biggest hurdles.
Although today the community is known for its cherries and cash crops such as ground provisions and pepper, Laluni was founded on coffee. In fact, the community was once home to one of Guyana’s largest coffee plantations. As successful as coffee was, it yielded just one or two harvests a year, leaving many workers jobless during the off-season. Maurice Ferriera’s father was among the hundreds of plantation farmers left without work. But unlike most, who left the area, Maurice’s father stayed, starting anew with a small plot in Laluni Creek.
Now, more than fifty years later, Maurice and his three sons carry on that legacy, with vast acres of
land covered in coconuts, pepper, citrus, cherries and other crops. Recounting how he and his family came to call Laluni home, Maurice shared, “I came to Laluni when it was a coffee plantation, that was in 1965. My father opened this farm in the same year,” he said.
While he left the community for a few years, Maurice returned to take up the mantle and began farming independently. He added, “The coffee plantation has one crop a year, so when that was finished it was every man gone; searching for employment. But then after that, they started to plant two crops per year. So I came back, I left here in ‘69 and came back in ‘75. In 1980 I started farming here. But my old man was already farming, I just continued it.”
Today, working on many of the same traditional practices as his father did, Maurice and three of his four sons manage the farm and the legacy it holds. The family works collaboratively to get their crops from farm to market. While a now 74-year-old Maurice visits the farm daily to ensure crop quality and safety, his sons handle the heavy logistics of getting their crops to the market.
Outlining a day on the Ferriera farm, Maurice shared, “Two of the boys, my sons, go to the market. After we load up in the farm, we bring it to the boat to cross the creek. Then one of my sons goes to the market in the afternoon, around 3, and comes back around
9. The other one goes out for 11 o'clock and comes back at 2 in the morning,” he said. Despite this well-oiled routine, Maurice explained that the market remains competitive, with farmers from all over Guyana coming out. That’s why Maurice and his sons push relentlessly for the highest quality crops — not just to rise above the competition, but to set the standard. Because in farming, quality isn’t given; it’s earned through hard work.
As farmland expands and new farming practices become the norm, new threats continue to emerge, while old threats become
increasingly difficult to face. This is, at least, how Maurice feels. Talking to Pepperpot Magazine on his farm, he stated that some challenges in farming remain constant, and the only course of action for some threats is preventive measures.
There are only a handful of things that farmers can do during the rainy season, says Maurice, with timing being a defining factor between a good yield and hundreds of damaged crops. “Well, the most we do to prepare for the rainy season is clean the drains around and in the farm.” However, certain Turn to page VII
Maurice Ferriera of Laluni Creek works along with his sons to get their produce from farm to market (Delano Williams photo)
Freshly picked cherries are placed into buckets before being l oaded on the boat (Delano Williams photo)
Maurice’s sons before they are carefully sorted and packed for the quick boat ride across the lake (Delano Williams photo)
By Shaniya Harding
THE community of Laluni is among the many Guyanese villages experiencing swift and tangible change. From bold, innovative housing plans to collaborative efforts in revolutionising agriculture, Laluni is working harder than ever to preserve what works for them while breaking new ground.
This week, Pepperpot Magazine took a trip to the community of Laluni, where community leader Julian Mohabir shared the major strides made in recent times, their next bold steps, and what kind of impact they hope it will have on their community in the long run.
Located several miles off the Soesdyke turn, the community of Laluni is well known as an agricultural hub, with Guyana’s leaders investing significantly in developing the sector.
As a result, agriculture has been thriving so far. However, while farming continues to reach new heights, the community is also working to develop other sectors, with housing being the most recent focus.
More people continue to make their way to Laluni, settling down and contributing to the growing population. This is why the community council has been working to help people complete their homes. However, with almost 700 people, the community council has devised a unique plan to ensure that the village’s resources reach those most in need.
Chairman of Laluni’s Community Development Council, Julian Mohabir, says that the community councillor is taking a different approach than simply building houses. Following the
Bridges, Buses, and Bold Moves
Taking a Look at the Impact of Grassroots Leadership
Guyana National Toshao’s Conference, the community is utilising some $3 million to help develop the homes of those most in need.
As Mohabir explained, “We got $3 million dollars, and this is for housing and to assist who is in need when it comes to housing. So we have sixty people who that money is going towards to help with housing. So far, we have windows, cement, steel
so instead of picking one person and building a house for them we went through the community and saw who needed help.
So we selected 60 people and invited them to a meeting and asked them what they needed. Some people asked for zinc for their roofs. So we did the estimated cost and we buy half of what they needed. If someone needs a roof, we buy half,” he shared.
got plenty of farming tools, things like chainsaws, brush cutters and some farming materials,” he shared.
But development hasn’t stopped there. In a community where nearly everyone is a farmer, Laluni is also striving to enhance its agricultural output. Laluni is working to ensure it not only remains an agricultural hub but also aims to develop even further. With seasonal flooding often
rod — a number of other things, construction material,” he shared.
The initiative, spearheaded by the community council, aims to assist approximately sixty community members. But equally distributing the community’s wealth is also a major pillar for the council. Instead of building a house for one family, the council developed a transparent vetting process to fairly identify the most vulnerable residents.
As Mohabir explained, “We, as a council, picked sixty people. We did an assessment, because it's $3 million,
Much of this work is a direct result of Laluni’s engagement at the National Toshao's Conference that took place earlier this year — one of Guyana’s most effective and impactful platforms for national development. There, Mohabir said his community made calls for what they needed most, and now they are seeing those calls being answered.
“At the conference, we asked for help with fixing the bridge; we also asked for a four-wheel bike, boat and engine, and then we asked for assistance for farmers. We
threatening crops, the village has pushed for infrastructure upgrades to protect farmlands. “Almost everybody in the community is a farmer, but officially, we have around 250 farmers,” he further added. “Around this time of the year, rainy season, a lot of farmers in Laluni complain about flooding because last year we had a problem with drainage. But this year, the government fixed it — they cleaned all the canals and the creek.”
Going further, Mohabir explained that the funding for this project, although coming
directly from the government, is left entirely up to the community for allocation.
Highlighting plans for this year’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) fund, he shared, “We received $24 million LCDS fund. One of the projects we want to do from that fund is to help farmers. So we have budgeted $9 million dollars to help farms with fertilisers and drugs.
And then we want to buy some small excavators for the farmers in Laluni Creek.” He further added, “Also from the fund, we assist schoolchildren in going to school. We have two buses that run from Laluni to Yarrowkabra and back,” he said.
The Laluni council demonstrates the impact of smart, inclusive leadership. By engaging residents, distributing resources fairly, and planning with a long-term vision, the community is setting a powerful example.
As local leaders, Laluni’s
councillors are striving to cultivate a happy community, with development happening across the board and for every resident. Simple additions, such as implementing school buses, continue to have a ripple effect on the people of Laluni.
“The funding, like the LCDS fund, has helped a lot because it has been almost two years that the children of Laluni are going to school for free.
That has been a big saving on the parents’ pockets. They have more money and they do not have to worry so much about how their children are going to get to school,” he said.
Communities like Laluni show that while national leadership is vital, real transformation often begins at the local level, with leaders who spearhead smallscale programmes that have a big impact — by listening to the needs of a community they too call home.
Chairman of Laluni’s Community Development Council, Julian Mohabir (Delano Williams photo)
Additions like the community’s ICT hub have had a massive impact on the community, says Chairman Mohabir (Delano Williams photo)
From bold, innovative housing plans to collaborative efforts in revolutionising agriculture, Laluni is working harder than ever to preserve what works for them while breaking new ground (Delano Williams photo)
Behind Buzzing Agriculture Laluni Farmer Calls for More Hands to Meet Growing Demands
By Shaniya Harding
GUYANA’S diversity shines the further you move away from the capital city of Georgetown. Laluni is one of the few communities that does a great job of blending their roots and traditional way of life with newer advancements. The best example of this blend is the community’s agriculture. With more than 200 of its estimated 700 people being farmers, agriculture is undeniably the backbone of Laluni.
Farmers like Khemraj Singh, known as Sunil, work alongside each other and community leaders to develop systems tailored to their crops. While machinery is increasingly being adopted in local farming practices, Sunil notes that some tasks still require a human touch, a challenge that he grapples with regularly. With more than 10 acres under cultivation with citrus and peppers, Sunil and other farmers are in need of additional manpower.
The need for human resources and manpower is not the first hurdle that long-time farmer and family man Sunil encountered during his years as a farmer in Laluni. Born and raised in Wales in Region 3, Sunil came to Laluni more than sixteen years ago, where he started a family of his own before seeking work outside the community. He returned just three years ago when his last daughter completed her education, to dedicate his time to agriculture. “I have two
Farmers
daughters and one son. I came back to Laluni when they finished school and I had my granddaughter. I know how to farm and I just decided to come back with my family,” he said. Although agriculture is vibrant in the community, it still does come with a few challenges.
Laluni is known for its cherry farms, with some farmers selling in bulk to companies around Guyana. However, for a community that is largely based in the savannah and lowlands, irrigation is important — and, as Sunil explains, it is even more vital when dealing with cherries. When Sunil began his farm just over three years ago, he started with cherries, like his neighbours. But just a few months into cultivation, amidst Guyana’s rainy season, he learned that while some
Changing the conversation...
From page II plenty of enthusiasm. “I think that therapeutic and massage venues in Guyana are limited, but it is coming along.
There is a new massage place or something like that opening every two, three months,” she stated. Shenelle believes that these new businesses represent a shift in the way we Guyanese see massages and other therapeutic avenues. She added, “I think we’re now getting into massage,
and we are now learning about it and now seeing the benefits.”
Now, Shenelle plans to keep doing what she loves at the seawall while building her brand at her own pace. She hopes that as more people learn about the benefits of head massages, they’ll become more open to trying new ways to relax and take care of themselves. With growing support and interest, she believes Nelle’s
is just getting
plants can survive the heavy rain, cherries are uniquely and adversely damaged by rain. “I used to farm more cherries.
But when rainy season come, the rain would beat off the cherry. And cherry is a funny thing — if rain falls today, and I cannot pick up cherry today, I can’t pick it at all. So, I changed to more citrus: orange and lime,” he shared.
Sunil still does have some cherry plants, but has scaled down cherry production and has made citrus the farm’s priority. Over the last few years, since Sunil returned to the agricultural sector, he says that there have been some changes. Among the changes he highlighted was the im -
provement in productivity. Farming, he says, has become easier, thanks to a few simple yet notable improvements. “Farming now is easy; it is going alright. I have my own machinery, so that has made it a lot easier for me,” he said. The community council of Laluni has also been working to support farmers, providing them with equipment and fertilisers.
Getting crops to the market, however, is entirely left up to the farmers. Sunil is among the few farmers in Laluni who sell their produce in bulk to local Guyanese sellers
and distributors.
As he explained, it eliminates the need for him to constantly travel and also ensures that his crops are sold while still fresh, thereby securing the best price for the best quality.
“I sell my crops to someone that comes right here in Laluni. I have pepper, sorrel, and I have pumpkin in the savannah, and he comes right here and buys all so I do not have to go to the market,” he shared. Although he has found a farm-to-market solution that works for him, Sunil is still working on finding more peo-
ple to help support the farm.
Most of Laluni’s farms are family-owned, and most of Laluni’s younger farmers have been in agriculture all their lives. Today, many of the community’s young people have begun to get more involved with sectors outside of agriculture.
This has created a un ique challenge for Sunil and his fellow farmers — getting more people interested and involved in farming.
“Workers is one of the biggest challenges for me right now. For the people in Laluni, it’s either they have their own farm, or they don’t farm. So getting people to help plant and reap and so on is hard,” he shared.
While Sunil and others continue to advocate for more involvement in agriculture — one of Guyana’s fastest-growing sectors — Laluni, as a community, is playing its part. In addition to support from neighbours and family members, the village leaders collaborate with farmers and various organisations to facilitate access to equipment, funding, and vital resources. Despite the challenges, Sunil remains optimistic about the future. When asked to sum up his experience with farming in Laluni, he replied simply and sincerely: “Farming is nice.”
Touch
started.
Tucked away behind Sunil’s home is one of Laluni’s few natural springs. Shown here, Sunil explains that the spring is more than 4 feet deep and h as been giving the farm fresh water for years (Delano Williams photo)
Many farmers, Sunil included, are currently working to find a solution to a disease impacting peppers (Delano Williams photo)
like Khemraj Singh, known as Sunil, work alongside each other and community leaders to develop systems tailored to their crops (Delano Williams photo)
Stepping Outside Agriculture
How Laluni’s Youth Are Building Beyond Agriculture
By Shaniya Harding
DEVELOPMENT across multiple sectors is often seen as a hallmark of a growing nation or community; and Laluni is a shining example. Long known as an agricultural hub, this community is now nurturing growth beyond farming. Young residents are trading excavators and planting tools for welding torches and business plans.
This week, Pepperpot Magazine sat down with two such individuals, Rondell Peters and Robin Pellew, who went into business for themselves. Though the work can be unpredictable, they say it’s steady and on the rise. The duo share their insights on entrepreneurship, the shift beyond agriculture, and what development looks like from their corner of the country.
When Rondell Peters moved to Laluni more than a decade ago, he remembers the community being very different from what it is today. Originally from the village of Non Pariel, when Rondell came to Laluni to start a family of his own, he remembers Laluni as a small farming community, lacking water and with just a handful of homes scattered throughout the village. As he shared, “From 2015, when I came to Laluni to now, it has developed a lot. We have more houses
now; more people are building their own homes now. I think the village might even have more people now too,” he said.
Since then, Laluni has seen a gradual overhaul. Today, the community is a captivating blend of modern homes and vibrant farmlands. According to Rondell, the biggest challenge the people of the community faced was access to water, with villagers having to travel to nearby creeks or, for some, to
natural springs. As Rondell shared, “The early days in Laluni were tough. The hardest part for me was the water situation. When we first came, we had to fetch water from the creek that is a little up the road from where we live. But now we have a water system, we have had it for around six years.”
Rondell is among a growing population of tradesmen in Laluni. After learning to weld at a former job, Rondell developed his skills
and returned to Laluni to start working for the community, giving back to the new homes being built across the community. “I have been doing welding and construction for five years. I trained to learn welding, and after that, I learnt construction. Before that I used to work with people. I started working on my own to get more money for myself and my family. Working with people, I did not earn much. I want the independence,” he said.
Most days, Rondell says there is plenty of work happening in the community, with almost all of his earnings coming from within Laluni. He explained that with housing and infrastructure happening more than ever in the community, jobs like welding and construction are more needed and relevant than ever before. “Work in the community is good most times. Sometimes it is rough and sometimes it is smooth. But most of the work I do comes from the community. Most of what I do is in the village. More people are building houses in Laluni, and so we get more work,” he said.
Fellow welder and longtime Laluni resident, Robin Pellew, shares similar sentiments. Robin came to the community after meeting his now wife and getting married. Reflecting on his journey into the community, Robin stated, “I moved to Laluni a little over seven years ago after meeting my wife. I met my wife on the East Coast, where I am from, and she is from here, Laluni. I knew about Laluni before I came here to live. I used to visit the community, but I did not know I would come here to live. But I did know that at some point I had to leave my mother’s house and I ended up coming to Laluni,” he said.
But starting from scratch in Lal-
uni years ago was no easy task. As Robin detailed, hurdles with water took a toll on many of the villagers. Without access to potable water, villagers faced challenging routines for showering, washing clothes, and obtaining water to drink, which made opening a business even more difficult. Today, the community is equipped with a state-of-the-art water system, while the neighbouring creek now serves as a hangout spot for friends on the weekends or as a playground for the community’s children.
Today, Robin works alongside Rondell tending to all the welding and construction needs of the community. Although growing, Robin expressed that job and entrepreneur opportunities in the community still have a long way to go and are poised for massive development. “Work in the community does not come every day.
It is not every day that somebody has a gate or a fence to make or fix. But we do get work, like right now I am working on a fence.”
He further shared, “I know that more houses are being built in Laluni because we have more people moving in. And I know in time to come Laluni will develop more, because things are happening around us like the Silica City being built not too far from here.”
Laluni thrives not only because of government intervention and strong leadership, but also due to the unwavering support of its ambitious people. Both Rondell and Robin express pride and happiness in being part of the welding and construction field — industries they view as essential to the community’s growth. They are excited about the direction it's heading and the opportunities it holds for the future.
Welder and longtime resident of Laluni, Robin Pellew (Delano Williams photo)
Both Rondell and Robin express pride and happiness in being part of the welding and construction field; industries they view as essential to the community’s growth (Delano Williams photo)
Rondell Peters is among a growing population of tradesmen in Laluni (Delano Williams photo)
How Farmers of Laluni Creek Are...
How Farmers of Laluni Creek Are...
From page III aspects of drainage and irrigation necessitate government intervention. “The government cleaned the drain a while ago and this year the flooding is not so bad. A while ago we had a flood and we were in inches of water, water coming into our houses, but not this year,” Maurice said.
One of the growing challenges facing farmers — not just in Laluni but throughout Guyana — is crop disease. Maurice and several of his fellow farmers pointed to peppers, which are currently battling a disease that causes black spots and leads to significant losses in both yield and income. Maurice and his sons are working to ensure that it does not cause too much damage, however, by ensuring plants are healthy at the seedling stage. “I try to control the disease affecting the peppers. But you have to control it from the baby stage. As soon as you see your farm get that disease, don’t mind where you spray it, don’t mind what you put on it — nothing brings it back,” he said.
However, like the rest of Guyana, work is continuously being done to ensure not just survival, but growth. Farmers and community leaders in Laluni are collaborating with agricultural government entities to resolve and find solutions for their needs. Work within the community is also making a great impact, with the community council already allocating funds aimed at helping farmers with equipment, machinery and fertilisers.
Laluni and its farmers emphasise that developing the agricultural sector requires much more work, dedication, and collaboration than meets the eye — and the quiet work being done throughout Guyana, in communities like Laluni, makes all the difference.
Laluni Creek currently has one stelling which is used by all of the people living in the creek — schoolchildren included (Delano Williams photo)
FROM OUR EARLIEST EFFORTS TO HEAL, CAME THE GRIM REALITY TO DESTROY…
WE undoubtedly learned what fruits and plants were good for consuming, as well as for medical uses, by observing the older species of the animal world from which we evolved, as they applied their innate instincts to heal and feed themselves. And as our primitive ancestors learnt the healing methods to survive, came the need to protect the tribe from the other.
We did not approach the strangers we observed with open urgency, for we were hunter-gatherers and often had inadequate sustenance, not willing to share. However, we might have found it more necessary to protect our-
selves from past experiences.
Africa in that period might have had a more lenient attitude to the stranger than Europe. I say this based on the scholarship that has come down to us of conquests and destruction in harsh climates. However, to return to the realm of healing — for example, the following narrative, extracted from The Incredible Book, The Chemical Muse, by D.C.A. Hillman — the use of toxic plants was a complex subject in antiquity, where doctors and street vendors debated the specifics of administering many fatal substances in what appears to be a ‘dizzyingly’ complex world of
poisons, antidotes and counterpoisons.
What is known of Africa is that most poisons were associated with the craft of sorcery. Asia is likely to have had similar trends.
However, in Africa, the discovery that specific methods were employed for certain ailments and symptoms that led to death — and a subsequent discovery of the use of certain concoctions prohibited by religion — led to punishment by death when certain plants were used and found to be used by sorcerers engaged by request.
Apart from the sorcerers, there were the healers, who possessed a knowledge of herbal
cleansing — they were the fathers and mothers of healing. One of the things we do not quite understand of the ancient world is that, beyond prehistoric times, there was always trade between peoples, though there were also people and their secrets protected by forests or mountains.
However, some adventurers developed methods to engage with isolated sources of knowledge that was still unknown and promised prestige to healers who acquired perceived sacred knowledge.
The essence of this column is to more or less explore the unique human ability to discover — and to at the same
time abuse and colonise — a discovery for personal benefit.
Our world, modern Guyana, that abounds with addictive tablets and human addictions to hard drugs, alcohol, and some over-the-counter tablets that promise rest from stress and depression, when found as possible gateway lures to drug yard highs — with all the distorted shortcomings that so many families experience — should be taken more seriously.
That should inspire the shape of some pre-warning mechanism.
As a father, I know.
I have been there, and I am recruited again ever so often, as fresh and new pharmaceuticals
emerge with lofty promises, easily bought, invoking the past, informing families that nothing has really changed.
But I cannot end this column without referencing the Thalidomide scandal of the 1960s. This, I was informed, was an exciting medication for high-end expecting mums, as a medication for anxiety, morning sickness, for expecting mothers, and almost everything etc., but the magic faded when the charm treatment produced thousands of babies born with severe defects. Thus, today, we must pay attention. Much has not changed, as our quest for honesty can be again betrayed.
Why People Choose to Marry
Section 1. External factors in choosing to marry
Some people marry due to various external factors. These external factors were enticing to their eyes and they could not resist the temptation, so they marry.
When some people consider whom to choose as a companion, they look for people based on their physical appearance. Similarly, those who operate based upon a class system may only choose persons from their class.
It is interesting to see how peer group pressure can cause some individuals to consider marriage, even when they were not initially thinking of it. Within some groups, most members are married, and those who want to associate with them may perceive that they must be married to fit in with the group. Some groups have their own written and unwritten cultures, and indi-
viduals will choose whether they want to become members of those groups. Often, when people want to fit into a group, they must adjust their culture to match that of the group.
In some cultures, family members often remind those who are not married that they should consider marriage. While some single people may not be considering marriage, they may eventually allow family pressure to cause them to seek a companion and then marry.
Family abuse is never an acceptable practice. However, in some families, if there is regular family abuse, then the victim may choose to marry because they want to move away from that abusive atmosphere. Those who perpetrate family abuse must stop such actions right now, as they may cause many family members to exit their families prematurely.
Those who live in poverty will be happy for the opportunity to enjoy some wealth. Therefore, those who can quickly find a wealthy person may seek every opportunity to marry in order to enjoy a financially secure relationship. Poverty drives people away and may cause them to make some decisions that they might not have ordinarily wanted to make.
Some people view marriage as a means of securing their emotional well-being. The chosen partner may deter many onlookers. When a person is single, others may perceive them as vulnerable, but as soon as they get married, they are often given more respect. Marriage does wonders for some people’s
self-esteem and their need to feel secure.
Section 2. Internal factors in choosing to marry
The internal factors that cause some people to marry are strange. Nevertheless, each person must know what they need internally for their marriage. There is no formula for those who want to get married. Each person must choose why they want to marry, and if they are reasonably satisfied with their decision, then they can proceed.
There are those who enter into marriage because of sex or wanting to have children. As couples age, they may not have the same desire for sex compared to when they were younger.
Those who plan to enjoy a healthy sensual life must take good care of their bodies. They must be willing to consume healthy food and also exercise. Exercising must not be solely for the sake of looking muscular, but also to keep the body fit. People enter into relationships because they want ways to relieve their emotions. In their relationship, they may experience times of laughter, which can help them overcome their struggles. Communication is important for both single and married people. Some people choose to marry because they need someone to communicate with regularly and someone with whom they can share some deep personal issues.
The history of some families is negative. Therefore, to change those negative histories, marriage may be a way for a person to move away from their family. When some people are living in depressed communities, they may choose to marry because they want to move away from those communities.
For more information about Geary Reid and his books, please use these contact information: Amazon: http://www. amazon.com/author/gearyreid, Website: www.reidnlearn.com, Facebook: ReidnLearn, Email: info@reidnlearn.com, Mobile #: 592645-2240.
‘Lost and Found’ – Resurfacing the Hidden Voices of the Anglophone Caribbean
Reviewed by Jasmaine Payne, The Write Mind
ALISON Donnell’s newly published anthology Lost and Found: An A–Z of Neglected Writers of the Anglophone Caribbean is one of those rare finds: meticulously compiled, yet written with an immediacy that makes you want to dig
deeper. In a literary landscape that too often celebrates the usual suspects, Donnell dares to challenge the canon and turn the spotlight towards voices that “fell from sight, but whose works deserve to be better known.”
In a way, Lost and Found is a call to arms, where Donnell steps beyond just claim-
ing cultural heritage for a list of recognised figures. Evidently, she aims to transform the very architecture of how we understand Caribbean literature, and she achieves this with the precision of a historian and the heart of a storyteller. What’s even better is that Donnell brings in sharp contributions from other scholars and writers,
making Lost and Found a chorus of recovery.
Beyond the “Big Names”
In the Caribbean canon, names like Naipaul, Lamming, Selvon, and Walcott are well acknowledged and, no doubt, with equal merit. But Donnell pushes us to look beyond the narrow spotlight and ask: Who got left in the shadows? Refreshingly, she then answers the question with specific references to writers perhaps too long forgotten.
Take “H,” where Joanne C. Hillhouse introduces us to Eileen Hall, a Dominican-born poet and visual artist who moved through modernist literary circles in the 1920s but is now barely mentioned. Or under “M,” Edwina Melville of Guyana, whose writings about Amerindian identity and her role as a government ethnographer reveal a rare and powerful voice negotiating postcolo-
nial belonging. Then there’s Eula Redhead, rediscovered in “R”, a Grenadian woman whose writing lay buried
until Donnell, with help from regional scholars, traced her story and her legacy. The Turn to page XI
Existence Precedes Essence
Knowing Ourselves
WHO would you become if one day, you woke up and realised that your purpose in life had already been designed for you? Like wearing a crown that is passed down from generation to generation or pursuing a family trade that is upheld as a tradition, what if you, too, had an ultimate purpose that was already set out for you? Would you feel suffocated by the idea that you are no longer in control of your destination, or would you feel free from the burden of figuring out where you truly belong? The idea of destiny has been the subject of many debates.
go. Finding our purpose is much like embarking on a scavenger hunt while shrouded in darkness. The idea of a destiny is enticing as it frees us from the burden of finding our own identity and learning to overcome our own obstacles in its pursuit.
Through its very existence, it changes what a human life can mean. After all, destiny is what distinguishes whether a human defines himself or whether his purpose does. As young people, we often feel lost. We may know who we are, but we may not know where we belong or where we are meant to
‘Lost
and
OVER the course of our lives, all human beings unfurl and bloom like the creased pages of a diary that is slowly being filled with fresh stories. We allow life to embrace us, and, in return, we are granted the space to be who we are. As we grow up, the gentle discomfort and pressures of creating your identity fade. Our skin becomes our armour, and our heart fills with the satisfaction of being able to live our lives just as we had imagined in our
From page X revival is welcomed, but it also highlights the many shadowed corners that we are yet to uncover in our quest for identity through Caribbean literature.
Women, Silenced Twice
One of the strongest messages in this book is the erasure of Caribbean women from the literary record. Whether through editorial neglect, limited publishing access, or assumptions that their writing was “domestic” or “minor,” this book reminds us that female authors were consistently sidelined, perhaps in favour of more marketable options.
childhood dreams. Even those who may not yet have attained their goals are comforted by the freedom of choice—the grace of knowing that, even though they have not reached their destination, they still have the power to steer themselves towards it. The reward for those who are true to themselves is the ability to look into a mirror and respect the person they see. They shall experience no loss or failure that can take away this ability from them.
The truth is that for many of us, knowing a sure-set destiny would prevent us from becoming better people, from attempting to change our perspectives or pushing ourselves to grow. There would be no need for us to endure the discomfort of growth if we knew that, regardless of who we are, we would meet our ultimate destiny and live the life that has already been predetermined.
Thus, the real question lies not in whether destiny exists, but in whether the confirmation of its existence could change what human beings are capable of.
To put it simply, some paths are quite challenging to take. Nevertheless, we often
Found’ – Resurfacing...
make the choice to go down these paths to discover whether there is a hidden treasure lying at the end of it. Although we may face struggles and obstacles, we push forward to meet the potential reward. Then, when we reach the end of our roads, we are often changed for the better. Our struggles would have made us stronger people.
When it comes to human beings, however, we have no specific “essence” apart from what we choose to create for ourselves.
Only human beings begin to exist before their purpose has been determined. We have no pre-set purpose to fulfil or a predetermined path to walk.
Writers like Monica Skeete, Gloria Escoffery, Dorothy Lovell, and Vera Bell all appear here with sharply drawn portraits that highlight how much we’ve lost by excluding them from the conversation. These women all held impressive portfolios, including those of teachers, editors, folklorists, and political thinkers. Many were published regularly in local newspapers and magazines, such as BIM, or contributed to the Caribbean Voices radio programme; yet, most are now virtually unknown outside specialist circles.
Room to Grow
As groundbreaking as Lost and Found is, it should not be taken as the end-all for these portfolios. In fact, readers are only scratching the surface of these vibrant stories, which deserve booklength attention. However, access may also be a consideration in your quest, as while Donnell provides extensive bibliographies and publication trails, much of the referenced work may be out of print or locked away in archives. That’s no fault of Donnell’s, but it highlights the next necessary step: digitisation, republication, and reintegration of these texts into our curricula and cultural discourse.What’s most admirable about Lost and Found is that it asks what recovery should do. It demands curricular change and points to publishers who can bring these texts back into circulation. For Caribbean readers, it offers validation to see how many different kinds of Caribbean lives were once represented in literature. Lost and Found is an essential publication on Caribbean literature because it forces us to reconsider what the canon is for. Its contents make the book a permanent fixture on your shelf, where you can return to, teach from, argue with, and build upon. If you care about Caribbean literature,
Recently, I discovered the story of Narcissus from Greek mythology. Narcissus was a young man who was prophesied by a prophet to live a long and fruitful life as long as he did “not know himself.” He was known to be extremely handsome but prone to rejecting the affections of others, no matter how sincere they were. Then, one day, as he was travelling through a forest, he came across a body of water and caught his reflection glimmering
this is required reading.
The Write Mind Verdict
****— Essential. A scholarly reckoning with real heart, Lost and Found resets the terms of the conversation and reclaims a literary inheritance we didn’t even know we’d misplaced. Donnell restores Caribbean writers to history with the dignity and depth they deserve.
About the Author
Alison Donnell is a British literary scholar and professor known for her pioneering work in Caribbean, postcolonial, and Black British literature. Currently a Professor of English at the University of East Anglia, she has spent over two decades researching marginalised literary voices, with a focus on gender, sexuality, and diaspora. Donnell co-edited The Routledge Reader in Caribbean Literature and has published extensively on writers such as Una Marson and Olive Senior.
Lost and Found continues her lifelong commitment to expanding and challenging the boundaries of Caribbean literary history. Donnell will be speaking about Lost and Found at the upcoming Literary Arts Festival on July 4 at the Castellani House at 14:00hrs.
on its surface. He leaned forward and watched as his own perfect face peered back into his eyes. Then, he remained there, falling in love with his own reflection until he passed away from thirst and starvation, unable to tear his eyes away from it. The spot where he died was marked by a bright yellow flower known as the Narcissus. We now commonly refer to the Narcissus flower as the daffodil.
However, if we knew what was at the end of these paths even before we began our journey through them, we would never choose to put ourselves through these struggles. Thus, we lose the strength and understanding that these journeys could have given us.
Jean-Paul Sartre was a French philosopher who once proposed that “Existence precedes essence.” These words directly oppose the existence of destiny. The word “essence”, in this context, refers to one’s meaning or purpose. Every object around us exists in the specific way that it does because it is made to fulfil its essence — its purpose. A notebook is blank because its essence is to be filled with words. A ship has sails because its primary purpose is to transport people across the oceans. A cup is hollow because its essence is to hold water.
The myth of Narcissus is a fascinating tale
that offers us a valuable lesson. It teaches us the dangers of self-absorption and the losses we may face by refusing to open ourselves up to the love and affection of others. We may speculate that perhaps if Narcissus had already been in love with another person, he might never have been inclined to fall so madly in love with himself. It also shows us that our destiny is rarely within ourselves. We may spend a lifetime preparing ourselves to be better people, but this preparation will not mean anything if we do not use
proud of, it is quite easy to forget to look around us at the people who are fuelling the successes and the joys we are experiencing.
Our choices are the only factors that can determine who we are. Although this fact can feel frightening at times, we will eventually realise how truly freeing it is to know that our fate lies in no one’s hands but our own. It means that there is no trauma, title, or responsibility that we need to carry from one generation to the next.
The promise of destiny is a dangerous hope, as it prevents us from being who we truly can be. If you are troubled by the inability to discover your purpose, know that every step you make, even if made in darkness, is making you a stronger person. Thus, even if you never do discover your destiny, you can rest knowing that every choice you have made has been your own choice. You will know that you created your essence.
The affections of others are a gentle influence. These affections can fade away and disappear long before we glance around and begin to notice that we stand completely alone. Yet, the emptiness they leave behind when they are gone is a mighty force. Those who have developed a strong sense of identity and learned to love themselves deeply will not be limited by the failures they experience or the losses they face. However, they are still -
In a similar manner, it is possible for our owntions to the world to fadetions of others. When we fail to acknowledge and reciprocate the love that others proffer us, we will eventually lose it. If we stop reaching out to the world with kindness, we will ultimately lose our
Each of us holds ain us. Let us allow this power to extend beyond us so it can reach parts of the world that truly
ENDING PLASTIC POLLUTION IN GUYANA - EPA Director talks up ‘circular economy’
The global community converged to observe World Environment Day under the theme, “Ending Plastic Pollution,” on June 5, 2025, and in Guyana, a monthlong series of activities has been embarked on, aimed at curbing plastic waste products being disposed of wantonly in the community.
The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kemraj Parsram, in a recent interview, pointed out that the emphasis on ending plastic pollution pre-dates this 2025 theme and, in fact, goes back to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, launched at
the end of 2022/early 2023, which speaks to a policy of the “circular economy”.
A circular economy is a model of resource management that aims to minimise waste and maximise the lifespan of products and materials. It shifts away from the traditional use-and-dispose practice and, instead, emphasises reuse, repair, remanufacturing, repurposing, and recycling.
Environmental impact
This approach, Mr Parsram explained, reduces environmental impact, conserves resources, and even creates new economic opportunities.
“That policy has catapulted the EPA in going forward, in terms of how do we address waste in general,” said Mr Parsram.
“And it's a simple thing you know, we can design out waste from what we do and what we produce. Waste isn't a thing, and it shouldn't be a thing. There's value in every product that we develop.”
He said this is the essence of the circular economy — a principle that spans from “cradle to cradle” rather than from “cradle to the grave,” thereby moving away from the “take, make and dispose or pollute” cycle.
“We can take, make, reuse, recycle and keep it into perpetuity.
For example, in the biological cycle, you can have products, like your shoe soles, for example. You can make it with products that, eventually, degrade and go back to nature.
“There’s also what you call a technical cycle. You make a washing machine or chair. How can the producers and manufacturers design these products so that they don’t get disposed of?
“The idea is that if your washing machine is beyond repair, you don’t just throw it away. You perhaps can return
it to the producer or to the manufacturer, who can then repurpose, redo, or refix and then put it back out in the market, so that those things can be kept in perpetuity. So, this is where we’re going. We’re promoting the circular economy all around,” the Executive Director said.
Mr Parsram said the EPA is taking a very pointed and progressive approach to this type of thinking and practice.
“We can’t do it alone. We need the help of all stakeholders — from the children, the businesses, our government agencies, and all citizens as a whole,” he said.
“So, you’ll see more of us going through this campaign. You’ll see us on the sea walls, you’ll see us ramp up our efforts aimed at education awareness, but you’ll see us boost our efforts for enforcement as well.”
Negative attitude
Mr Parsram said he has observed that in many instances, people demonstrate very negative attitudes and behaviour toward the environment, particularly how they treat Guyana’s canals, Turn to page XVI
Executive Director, EPA – Mr Kemraj Parsram
EPA’s Green Theatre Production 2025, at the National Culture Centre (Education and awareness about the effects of plastic pollution).
A Home, a Legacy, Timeless Beauty
IT was early in the morning, dew still wet on the grass, a cool wind blowing in from the farmlands. The young man standing by the old picket fence passed his hand through his thick hair and breathed in deeply the cool freshness of the morning.
“So good to be home,” he said quietly.
In his light brown eyes, though, there was a glint of sadness. He pushed open the picket gate that fell away on one hinge and walked up the path, bordered by frangipani trees, through thick, overgrown grass. In the not-too-far distance, he saw the house and, as he got closer, his heartbeats quickened. He stopped and inhaled deeply, a burning sensation in his throat as he looked at the house that had been home when he was a little boy.
A beautiful house, it had been from the colonial era, with the black water creek in its background and surrounded by lush green forests. The life and light of a home were gone, and it stood there, dull, forlorn and dilapidated. The long years of neglect and the changing weather had taken their toll.
“It’s as though you have been dying one day at a time, waiting for me to come back,” he said, choked with emotion.
Tears filled his eyes as he remembered the love, laughter, comfort and happiness of family, the pleasant and relaxed atmosphere—until one fatal night took it all away.
His father and mother had been medium-scale farmers of cash crops and livestock, an inheritance from his father’s family that they managed efficiently. He had enjoyed riding in the tractor with his father when crops were harvested, and was excited at the birth of twin and triplet lambs. Fun times were when his father would go up the creek in the boat to fish or bird-spot, and take nature walks in the forest with the family.
He had been ten years old, his sister six, and his younger brother five, when tragedy struck one late night. Never in the history of the house and farmlands had something of such horrific nature happened.
A loud, crashing sound had awakened Naren, then his mother’s muffled screams. He was unsure of what was happening, and trying not to be scared, he slowly opened his bedroom door and tiptoed to the top of the stairs. There were low, heavy voices coming from the living room and, going down a few steps, he almost gasped at the horri-
ble scene.
His father and mother were down on their knees, surrounded by three masked men with guns.
“What are they doing?” he had cried silently, starting to tremble.
He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but saw his father shake his head and one of the men hit him with the gun. His mother was struggling as one man held her in a vice, his hand over her mouth. As a young boy then, he didn’t know what to think, what to do, and a dreadful fear entered his heart.
“Suppose they kill us all?” He tiptoed quietly back up the stairs to his brother and sister’s bedroom and awoke them, his voice trembling with urgency.
“We have to escape. There are bad people downstairs.”
They were both groggy with sleep, but Naren got them to the back porch and, slipping the hammock off its hooks, he guided them to slide down, falling several feet to the ground. They had hurt themselves, but not badly, and limping, they ran to the sheep pen. The animals, thankfully, did
not make any noise because they knew the children. Naren had cautioned
them to stay hidden whilst he went looking for help. He rode his bicycle as fast
as his young legs could, but just as he reached the Turn to page XVII
Procrastination is not always equivalent to laziness
By Youth Perspective
IN a world that values productivity and efficiency, procrastination is often looked down upon. From someone completing tasks at the last minute, missing important deadlines or constantly deferring tasks, they would rather do these tasks later or when they’re “in the mood”. It’s easy to mistake procrastination for laziness, but oftentimes, there are so many underlying factors or reasons that we don’t consider.
From the surface, people often see the unfinished assignments, unanswered phone calls or uncompleted chores. Have we considered there’s more beyond what meets the eye? Procrastination is a coping skill, not a lifestyle flaw, and should not be defined as laziness.
When people procrastinate, they often put off tasks or deflect from confronting certain situations. Procrastination has been proven in research to be linked to emotional regulation. Unfortunately, people who procrastinate often don’t struggle with the task itself. Instead, they struggle with the emotional state or impact of doing said tasks. A student can be brilliant in their studies and in their ability to complete work. However, they may experience anxiety related to their confidence in performing,
which makes them hesitant to start assignments.
We often judge people when they procrastinate, but have we ever considered using it as a sign of deeper challenges and issues? These individuals should not be labelled as “lazy” because, perhaps mentally, they’re in a state of despair, stress or burnout. People who struggle with procrastination often have the intention of completing a task, but due to emotional distress, they tend to avoid it. They may also feel guilty for not completing the tasks and subsequently end up in a state of panic or paralysis.
I can relate to procrastination, and what helps me is breaking up the tasks into smaller goals. I set out clear objectives and work on smaller tasks to accomplish my large task at hand.
It’s also important to be kind to yourself. Instead of down-talking yourself, say kind words of encouragement to yourself. Change your thoughts and words to positive ones. Instead of saying, “I’m lazy,” say, “I am emotionally unwell right now and that’s okay.” Our brains often associate laziness with a lack of perfection, and, as such, it’s also important to recognise that while completing certain tasks or goals, you don’t have to always be perfect. Every step and method counts, even if it’s imper-
fect—progress is what’s important.
We are all human beings and must acknowledge the limitations that come with being human at times. The
next time you find yourself under the spell of procrastination, I encourage you to take a moment to self-reflect and understand why you may be delaying or avoiding
a task. Is it because you’re tired or burnt out? Is it because you’re anxious?
Victor Kiam once said that procrastination is opportunity’s assassin. I urge
you all to recognise the underlying reasons for your procrastination and take control of your life once more so you can grasp life’s opportunities.
ENDING PLASTIC POLLUTION IN GUYANA
From page XII rivers, and ocean.
“We discard plastic, we discard garbage in general. And so, the EPA at this juncture decided that enough is enough. We need to take a stance and educate people, strengthen our awareness campaigns, and improve our enforcement efforts, as well as collaborate with key agencies and all citizens.
“Plastic itself is not the problem. It is how we dispose of and treat garbage that has led to this crisis of plastic pollution,” he stated.
Mr Parsram noted that the EPA is spearheading efforts to change public attitudes, starting with actions to eradicate littering at the seawalls and extending to broader national behavioural shifts. He said the EPA is building a platform to instil environmental values in young people, who, in turn, will influence their families and communities.
“Plastic harms the environment, the fish, the marine mammals, the wildlife in general — and it looks terrible as well,” Mr Parsram said. “So, I ask that everyone join us. Let’s change our attitude toward the environment. Let’s look out for each other. Let’s end plastic pollution now.”
A Home, a Legacy, Timeless Beauty
From page XIII picket fence, he heard a gunshot, then another. He fell off his bike, crying and screaming.
The masked intruders’ vehicle was parked right by the fence; the gate was padlocked. Fearing for his life now, Naren, with all the strength in his little body, picked up the bike and threw it over the fence. Then he climbed over and rode away before the men reached their vehicle. He threw his bike down and knocked on the first door, crying and breathless.
By the time villagers came out, the men had already left and they found his father’s body lying on the forest floor where they had dragged him, with two gunshot wounds. Naren had sunk down on his knees, hugging his father and crying uncontrollably. The men did not kill his mother, but she was so traumatised she became speechless.
The police, relatives and villagers scoured the back dam and other villages for the killers. As word spread, so did shock and disbelief.
Naren was hailed as a little hero for helping his siblings escape and hide, and seeking help.
Police investigations revealed that Naren’s father was set to testify against a rich landowner involved in cattle rustling, money laundering and other illegal activities. He had always been a man of principle and never condoned wrongdoing.
It had cost him his life and broken his home and family. A good soul gone, and the evil men who took his life, still to be found. He was cremated on
his farmland and his ashes scattered in the creek. Naren would sit on the bank of the creek for hours, hoping that maybe his father would come out of the water and come back to life. Nothing was the same again. His mother closed down the farm and sold all the working machinery, and after one year, she decided to leave with her children to live in the outside world. Naren didn’t want to leave, thinking of his father’s memories—that maybe his soul was still there— but he had to go with his mother because he was just a young boy.
The day that they left, he had stood by the creek and said, “I will come back one day, because this is home and the legacy must live on.”
Fifteen years later, he had grown up, tall and strong like his father, and had graduated with a degree in agriculture. His mother had remarried and, though he had not been happy with her decision, he took it in stride because she needed comfort and security for her children.
She had cried the day he left to return home, but she knew she had to let him go because that place was in his heart.
He smiled, just a little, and taking a deep breath said, “I’m back, Dad, I’m back.”
The house had gotten old and in disrepair, the farmlands overtaken by grass and shrubs, an old tractor parked under the wisteria tree, his bicycle braced on the sheep pen—all things of the past. However, what did not change and remained in timeless beauty were the creek, the forest, and
the sounds of nature.
“Sanctuary from the outside world,” he expressed, joy surging into his heart.
And so, with the money he had saved up and part of his inheritance from his father, he began repairing the house and resuscitating the farmlands with new machinery. He implemented new initiatives, hired more farmhands, and soon the farm became the talk of
the village.
“The little hero has returned,” they said. “And he is bringing back the farm to life.”
Justice, though, still had to be sought for his father, and although the case had gone cold, Naren retained a top criminal lawyer to reopen the case.
There wasn’t much in the police report to work with, but Naren knew talking about the killers casually would travel on the grape-
vines, and someday someone who knew something would come forward.
And the truth would then reveal itself.
One evening, he was invited to a cocktail party at the rich landowner’s house. There he met his beautiful daughter, who welcomed him with a warm smile.
There were many people there he did not know, but who knew the story of his father, and were sur-
prised the case had been reopened.
He just smiled pleasantly, and later, when he said “Good night” to the landowner’s daughter, she replied, “I’m sorry to hear how your father died.”
“Thank you, but quite coincidentally, that happened when he had to testify against your father.”
The smile left her face and Naren walked away with a satisfied smile.
“And so it begins.”
STUDY SUCCESS
GRAMMAR
Punctuation of sentences
Welcome dear reading friend. This marks week four of learning to improve study techniques. Now, try to actively approach your study by getting deeply involved with practice exercises in both answering questions and solving problems. Your knowledge gets applied with quickness and clarity, and your areas of weakness are easier identified. When you need assistance, be proactive also. Do not wait until you are overwhelmed before you seek assistance. See how this improves your mental health during study. Be wise. Love you.
Note the following points: Proper punctuation is essential for clear and effective communication.
When you produce a well-punctuated script, it helps your readers to understand your intended meaning and flow of what you have written.
This exercise is yet another reminder specially selected for improving the sentences
in your stories and quotations. You need to guide your readers by correctly indicating pauses, stops, or breaks between words, phrases, and sentences.
Here are some common punctuation marks in daily use. The list includes full stops (periods), commas, question marks, and exclamation points. Again, all these and more help define what type of sentence you have produced and what meaning readers need to assign to each, and to guide the reading flow.
Also, make your written work generally look more professional; be sure you know what each mark is and how to form them and use them.
Look here for short definitions of those marks used frequently:
Periods (full stops) ( . ): These indicate the end of a declarative or imperative sentence.
Example: He is our new male nurse.
Commas ( , ): These introduce pauses, separate items in a list, or set off introductory phrases.
Example: Joy, my loving aunt, came to visit us last Wednesday.
Question marks ( ? ): These follow interrogative sentences that ask questions.
Example: What dress would you like to wear this evening?
Exclamation points ( ! ): These indicate strong emotion or emphasis, often in sentences that exclaim.
Example: Wow! That is a great commendation.
Colons ( : ): These introduce lists, explanations, or elaborations.
Example: You have two options: Buy a pair of sneakers or order a pair of leather slippers.
Semicolons ( ; ): These connect two closely related independent clauses but lead the reader to recognise the connection of ideas.
Example: He did not like his first name; however, he kept it since he did not want to change it.
Apostrophes ( ’ ): These show ownership or indicate contractions.
Example: Hazel’s stepbrother is now living in London.
Quotation marks (“ ” ): These enclose direct quotes, titles, or special terms.
Example: Mr. C. turned the rocks over and over in his hands and said, “Well, where’d you get these?”
Instruction: The following sentences are not punctuated completely. Read each carefully and then punctuate as best you can to get the best messages.
1. Mr jimmy said bud where did your mother get these
2. Herman E. calloways pipe dropped out of his mouth and he stumbled and fumbled into Grand Calloway Station feeling his way like hed been struck blind
3. Mr jimmy was still crouched down right in front of me he said bud hes not your father
4. She hoovered over the machinery grunting and cursing then she got up pulled open a drawer and threw a potato peeler and a knife in the sink the knife just missed my hand she didn’t look once but said don’t go cutting off your fingers theres no money to take you to the hospital
5. Sister mukumbu said we would be safer with mrs woods than by ourselves sister pat added the man is still watching the house
6. No more delays comrades cried napoleon when the footprints had been examined there is work to be done
THE PASSAGE
Comprehension of a passage
Note: As you read you comprehend. Here is a simple passage chosen for you to do reading comprehension. Your ability to understand, process, and interpret the text with ease is called comprehension.
You have been involved actively with texts before so
here are some small reminders that can help you improve absorbing what a passage is conveying, the know-how at grasping its meaning, and integrating it with what you already know.
There are aspects you should not miss like: a) understanding the meaning of words and sentences along with the vocabulary contained in them within the context, b) looking at main ideas and supporting details, c) drawing inferences and conclusions, d) understanding the author’s purpose and point of view, e) connecting with your previous knowledge, and f) analysing structural features of the passage and organisation involved.
In doing this comprehension, it is advised that you do the following:
Have a preview like skimming before reading it thoroughly to get what it is all about.
Ask yourself questions about the text while reading it.
Visualise the kind of images the passage forces you to formulate.
Summarise or paraphrase what the passage is saying.
Monitor what you understand as you read and read again if possible Instruction: Read the passage carefully and then paraphrase it using your own words.
The animals were shocked beyond measure to learn that even Snowball could be guilty of such an action. There was a cry of indignation, and everyone began thinking out ways of catching Snowball if he should ever come back. Almost immediately the footprints of a pig were discovered in the grass at a little distance from the knoll. They could only be traced Turn to page XXXV JUNE 29,
A rare post-extraction problem
IS it possible to still suffer from pain at the very spot where a painfully decayed tooth had been extracted weeks before? It may surprise most people to learn that the answer is yes. Sometimes, partially healed bones persist, and bacteria and toxins proliferate in the area, causing pain and discomfort that may even be felt in a different part of the jaw (referred pain).
When a tooth is being extracted, a normal dental procedure, the surrounding periodontal membrane is usually left intact. Theoretically, when a tooth is pulled, the body will eventually fill in the space in the bone where the tooth was. However, when the membrane is left behind, incomplete healing can occur, resulting in a hole or spongy area within the jawbone known as a cavitation.
Cavitations are a relatively new term in the dental dialogue. Most patients are unaware of cavitations, and even many dentists are not familiar with them yet.
A cavitation, which is rare, is a hole in the bone, usually where a tooth has been removed and the bone has not been filled in properly.
Experts speculate that this may be because the bone cells on either side sense the presence of the periodontal membrane and “think” that the tooth is still there.
A cavitation can form in any bone in the body, not just in the jawbones. There are also other reasons that cavitations form, some of which are localised traumas, poor circulation to the area, clotting disorders and the use of steroids.
Viewing an X-ray of an extracted tooth site, this
membrane can form an image that appears to be a shadow of a tooth. Almost always, this is an indication of a cavitation.
Most dentists can be aware of this phantom tooth image, but they generally do not recognise it as a site for potential problems.
Inside a cavitation, bacteria flourish and deviant cells multiply. Cavitations act as a breeding ground for bacteria and their toxins.
Research has shown these bacterial waste products to be extremely potent. Cavitations can also cause blockages on the body’s energy meridians and exert far-reaching impact on the overall system. Investigations reveal that some cavitations even serve as reservoirs of significant amounts of mercury emitted by many silver fillings that the patient may have had at the time the tooth was extracted.
Some researchers believe that cavitations may be a source of low-level or high-level stress on the entire body.
Diagnosing cavitations is a challenging process because cavitations do not always appear readily on X-rays. Sometimes they appear only as subtle differences in the texture pattern of the bone. If your dentist is not specifically looking for the cavitations, then your X-ray will be read as looking “just fine”.
There are other methods for discovering cavitation sites. For example, they will sometimes cause pain when the area is lightly stroked or when pressure is applied.
The most common place to find cavitation is in the area where the wisdom teeth are removed, specifically the third molar area. Because so
From page XXXIV for a few yards, but appeared to lead to a hole in the hedge. Napoleon snuffed deeply at them and pronounced them to be Snowball’s. He gave it as his opinion that Snowball had probably come from the direction of Foxwood Farm.
“No more delays, comrades!” cried Napoleon when the footprints had been examined. “There is work to be done. This very morning we begin rebuilding the windmill, and we will build all through the winter, rain or shine. We will teach the miserable traitor that he cannot undo our work so easily. Remember, comrades, there must be no alterations in our plans: they shall be carried out to the day.
many of the body’s major organs are on the wisdom tooth meridian, cavitations in this area are particularly worrisome.
While the removal of teeth can cause cavitations, this does not necessarily mean that you should not have teeth removed. How -
ever, the dentist should clean out the periodontal ligament if it remains attached and any infection that is present, as part of the normal procedure.
By doing this, the wound will have the greatest chance of healing normally, giving the patient no further difficulty.
