63-year-old Patricia Mahaica is a resident of Now or Never Village, Mahaicony, and one of many farmers in the village. She is always on the go taking care of the environment and farming. Mahaica told the Pepperpot Magazine that she has a farm and would use the fruits and vegetables in the kitchen and would sell off the excess (Carl Croker photo)
TAKE it from 18-year-old Kirsten Gomes, every thing good happens when you make a schedule and try your best to stick to it!
As a young academic and sports enthusiast, she’s seen from experience how practical it is to plan her activities, instead of leav ing everything to the last minute.
A member of the Guy ana Junior National Squash
Team, and a passion ate hockey player, Kirsten has had the task of balancing her school life with sports, both of which she has excelled at, owing to her discipline.
“I’ve been playing sports for as long as I can remember, so I grew up knowing how to balance it well with other things. I think I did pretty good at bal ancing it, and creating a schedule that I was able to handle every thing, and I wasn’t scattered and juggling everything all over the place,” she expressed
in an interview with Pep perpot Magazine a few days ago.
A student at the Uni versity of Guyana, and the youngest member of the President’s Youth Advisory Council (PYAC), Kirsten agrees that she has accom plished quite a lot in her life so far, and is determined to keep pressing on to greater heights.
She started playing squash when she was just eight years old, and then represented Guyana on the junior national team since the age of 10. Recalling how it all got started, she said it was as simple as watching her friends play,
and being inspired by what she saw.
“A lot of my friends start ed playing, and I went to visit them once and said it looked fun. We started Saturday classes, and had a nice time every time we got together. We got better and better, and I was able to train for the national team,” she shared.
She absolutely loves the sport, as she finds it interesting and fun. “I like how exciting it is; it really gets your brain involved,” she observed. This would, however, be the last year that she will play for the ‘juniors’, as she is now aging out of the category.
“At this stage in squash, I have only represented Guy
ana at the Caribbean lev el, and as it’s my last year competing as a junior. I am hopeful for the opportunity to participate in the 2022 US and Canadian Junior Squash Open in December. Thus far, I am registered and accept ed, but keeping my fingers crossed as I await a response on my Canadian VISA appli
cation,” she shared.
Even as Kirsten is still at a point of figuring out who she is and where she wants to go, she feels proud of her accomplishments so far. “The Caribbean Area Squash Association Tour nament (CASA); that’s the tournament I usually play in. In 2019, I won gold at the Junior CASA in the under-15 category in Trinidad, and this year, I got second in the under-19 category that was held here in Guyana. I also won the national champion ships in the various catego ries from 2015 to now,” she disclosed.
Sharing a word of advice to fellow youths who may have a rough time balancing sports and studies, Kirsten says nothing beats making a schedule, staying motivated, and sticking to it, especially if playing more than one sport. “Specifically for Na tional athletes, a lot more time needs to be invested in training, and in some in
MELANIE McTurk be lieves strongly in preserv ing Indigenous cultural heritage and protecting and conserving the natural habitats in the environ ment. Her wholehearted commitment to embracing and advancing sustain able tourism across the country’s Rupununi region that benefits Indigenous people and communities has paved the way for her to build a prolific career in environmental conserva tion in Guyana.
It is no surprise that Mc Turk is attracted to cultural and biological diversity and she devotes her time and ef forts to making an impact in the conservation and tourism sectors. Etched in her mind from childhood are the days she spent watching in ex citement at the caimans and snakes that roamed in her family’s backyard at their home in Meadow Brook Gardens, Georgetown (De merara-Mahaica). This ad miration of nature’s beauty fueled by a love for national songs she would sing in school, such as ‘Born in the land of the Mighty Roraima’ nurtured McTurk’s deepseethed interest in promoting the wonders of Guyana and in time, she participated in the Youth Challenge Inter national (YCI) programme during the early 1990s.
“This gave me the op portunity to explore my own country and that romanti cised vision of Guyana that I had as a child became solid ified,” said 49-year-old Mc Turk, Managing Director of Karanambu Lodge, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and the current President of Visit Rupununi. She noted that the YCI pro gramme mobilised Guyanese youths for several commu nity development projects, including fundraising to visit the Rupununi and to engage youths from countries such as Canada, Costa Rica and the Philippines.
“I started to learn more about the vastness of Guy ana’s Hinterland and how beautiful it was. I also be came fascinated with the diversity of Indigenous cul ture,” she said. Upon decid ing that she wanted to blend her passion for biodiver sity with her penchant for chemistry, she decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Guyana, and fortunately she soon started working
as a chemist at the Iwokra ma International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development (IICRCD).
At IICRD, McTurk re alised the importance of lending a voice and actively safeguarding the tremendous value of the Rupununi’s biodiversity, including its benefits to the pharmaceuti cal industry that facilitated the production of medical items. McTurk noted that she estimates approximate ly 10 percent of Guyana’s biodiversity that spans the Iwokrama Rainforest has been explored and tested for chemicals to produce a vari ety of medical ingredients.
“We had Iwokrama, a wonderful pristine area where we could collect sam ples, do testing and conduct extensive ethnobotany re
search to examine what people were using already in
Melanie and her husband, Edward, established the charity organisation, Eiripan, to give back to the community.
Guyana, report on its med ical usefulness and test the chemistry to see what was creating that effect,” recalled McTurk of her work as a chemist. She later related jokingly that for this rea son, she often recommends Crabwood oil as a remedy for any sickness or ailment because ‘the research and chemistry show that there are active ingredients in it that are genuinely working.’
Continuing with passion and intention in the field of conservation, McTurk pres ently enjoys exploring the scenic vistas of the Pakara ima mountains to the vast depths of the Iwokrama Rainforest to sus tain conservation practices in Indig enous communi ties, most notably at the Karanam bu Lodge in Ka ranambu, Region Nine and it is one of the oldest eco tourism locations in the country.
Additionally, there was no better way for McTurk to describe a clear and vivid picture of Karanambu during her inter view with the Pep perpot Magazine and the historical window that Ka ranambu creates to the vast Rupununi
landscape with magnificent flora and fauna ecosystems, and culturally diverse In digenous peoples than with one of her favoured books titled ‘Twelve Views in the Interior of Guiana’; that is based on the 1835 to 1839 expedition by Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk to British Guiana.
“A visit to Karanambu Lodge is similar to taking a trip back in time to the dawn of the 20th century,” she noted.
In 2002, McTurk along with her husband Edward McTurk, accepted an invi tation sent from Edward’s aunt, the late Diane McTurk to visit the Rupununi and take charge of Karanambu Lodge. Diane had devoted much of her life toward wildlife conservation in the region and ensuring that the Karanambu experience embodied the spirit of hos pitality and warmth as well as sustainable hospitality, and she knew that McTurk, together with her husband, Edward, can carry on the family legacy.
She shared that her hus band is a descendant of Tiny McTurk, who founded Ka ranambu Lodge in the 1920s. “Karanambu is massive. It’s approximately 117 square
OVER the years, physiotherapy has proven to be a critical when it comes to healthcare worldwide.
The Pepperpot Magazine recently sat down with the Presi dent of the Guyana Physiotherapy Association Isha Urlin, who provided an insight into physiotherapy in Guyana.
Urlin said that the benefits of physiotherapy, an evi dence-based healthcare profession with expertise in mobility and physical performance, include education and/or elimi nation of pain, improvement in coordination, balance, and muscle strength, improvement in breathing, cardiovascular functioning, and endurance, promotion of wound healing and restoration of normal movement for standing, walking, and running.
Other benefits she highlighted were augmentation of ef fective recovery from surgery, major illnesses, or disabilities, provision of an alternative to surgery and prescription drugs, prevention of injuries, and optimisation of physical activity and sport performance.
According to Urlin, physiotherapy assists in maximising movement and that movement is crucial to the quality of life and independence of a person.
“Therapeutic exercises, a major tool used in physiothera py, are movements and physical activities designed to restore balance and coordination, muscular/skeletal function, and flexibility, improve strength and reduce or eliminate pain. These exercises release endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, and can help to improve a person’s energy level so that they can be more active and less dependent on medication,” Urlin noted during her interview.
In 1916, due to the polio epidemic in the United States of America, young women began treating polio patients with residual paralysis by using passive movements. Also, during this period, World War I saw several American soldiers being injured and requiring rehabilitation, hence the birth of the profession.
In Guyana, in the late 1940s, through the initiative of a British physiotherapist who was visiting from England, the service was brought Guyana through the Ministry of Health in a small outpatient clinic in the compound of the Georgetown
President of the Guyana Physiotherapy Asso ciation, Isha UrlinPublic Hospital. Then in 1960, the first British-trained Guya nese Physiotherapist returned to Guyana and began working with the Ministry of Health. She brought a new vision of the role and scope of work of physiotherapy services. In the latter part of the 1960s, two other British-trained Guyanese Physiotherapists returned and began practising in the public service and private sector. During this time, some doctors, in particular those in orthopaedics (musculoskeletal medicine), recognised the importance of the Physiotherapist.
By the end of the 1980s, there were major strides in the development of physiotherapy services with further expansion of services in Georgetown and four administrative regions of the country. Another important development during this period was the increase of staffing in the physiotherapy ser vices with the addition of 16 Physiotherapists by 1985, most of whom were trained in Jamaica. Additionally, the training of physiotherapy assistants was introduced, and by 1990 ap proximately thirty (30) assistants had been trained.
During the early 2000s, with the introduction of the Cuban scholarship programme, under the agreement of the two governments, eight Guyanese were trained in Cuba as physiotherapists and returned to serve in 2008, further
equipping the services and extending its reach into more administrative regions. Cuban physiotherapists and physiotherapy technicians, who were part of the exchange in the Cuban Medical Brigade also contributed significantly to the physiotherapy services offered as they brought along varying other therapies that worked in combination with physiotherapy. Other expatriates, from Asia, Europe and North America also made contributions to the development of the services.
In 2010, the University of Guyana, Faculty of Health Sciences commenced offering the programme Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Rehabilitation Sciences – Physiotherapy, and three locally trained Physiotherapists graduated in 2014. This program continues at the University of Guyana, now in the School of Medicine/College of Medical Sciences under the title BSc Medical Rehabilitation – Physiotherapy. To date, there have been several graduates from this program, which has further enhanced the accessibility, availability, and de livery of the services in all ten administrative regions. Some graduates of the University of Guyana program, along with other physiotherapists, have gone on to further their studies acquiring master’s and doctoral degrees, elevating the stan dard and quality of service delivered.
Physiotherapy can help a person in several ways includ ing managing age-related illnesses, treating musculoskeletal dysfunction, for example knee pain, neck pain, back pain, rotator cuff tears, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disor ders, treating many medical conditions, including Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Cerebral Palsy, Lymphedema, Multiple Sclerosis, Vertigo, Muscular Dystrophy, Osteoarthri tis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other conditions.
Exercise can be an important part of a comprehensive diabetes management plan because it successfully lowers blood sugar levels.
She noted that in all phases of healing, from initial diag nosis through the restorative and preventive stages of recovery from illnesses.
In some cases, physiotherapy may be used alone or in conjunction with other therapies, such as treating neurological conditions, including strokes, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, vestibular dysfunction, and traumatic brain injuries.
PAGE II
stances, prioritising is necessary.”
Kirsten feels that support from her family and coaches (Coach Carl Ince, Coach Nyron Joseph and the GSA ex ecutive body for squash and Coach Phillip Fernandes and teammates for hockey) made it easy to fit both training and studies into her schedule.
“I feel very fortunate to have had them on my side through all these years, and blessed for the monetary support from my parents, as gear and trips are very costly. Also, I am lucky that I have not experienced any tournament clashes thus far, as they are usually scheduled at different times in the year. I’m extremely grateful that I have been given the opportunity to represent Guyana in both sports, and I’m excited for the future,” she expressed, adding, “I wish to encourage all students and athletes to dream big, and shoot for the stars, as they can achieve anything they put their mind to if they work for it.”
In sports, Kirsten said it is evident that Guyana is miss ing out on undiscovered talents, as most opportunities are centred in Georgetown due to adequate facilities, equipment and government funding.
Therefore, she believes that as a member of the PYAC, she can assist in creating a plan that would out reach sports to different parts of the country, and imple ment school programmes to bring up a new generation of athletes.
LEGUAN Island has prob ably never looked as ‘pink’ as it did last week when the Women’s Progressive Or ganisation (WPO) hosted the first cancer activity out side of the school system, attracting women from all across the island to observe cancer awareness month.
The WPO hosted a walk that saw over 60 people par ticipating and taking on the approximately two-mile jour ney from Waterloo Bridge to the Leguan Cottage Hospital in Blenheim.
All clad in pink, with marked t-shirts thanks to Impressions, Organiser of the WPO Fajina Khan said the turnout was larger than anticipated. “Women of all ages, ethnicities, religion; everyone came out, even a few men,” she shared with Pepperpot Magazine.
The WPO also planned
and executed a fund-raising dinner and cultural evening for which the beneficiaries
were not limited to persons with breast cancer but those suffering from other can
She added: “I would sin cerely like to thank all those persons who supported the
cers and issues affecting women.
According to Khan, one person died last week on the island with ovarian cancer and there are currently four wom en with cancer and one survivor that the WPO knows about. At the dinner, these individuals were allowed to share their experiences and battle with cancer.
Khan, part of the WPO with some 42 members, shared that her vision is for the women to move Le guan forward through cooperation. Her plan also includes highlight ing the issues that affect women. “Like I said to them: ‘stronger togeth er.’ Our group must be one that is there for oth er women, not limited to women but offering support to the entire island.”
events in cash and kind and who came out to the walk. It just goes to show that if we come together we can move mountains.”
Khan and her family have recently been at the forefront of many transformational projects on the island and often have to put in a lot of work and sacrifice to get things streamlined. “As long as you see there is progress and benefit to the people, the sacrifice is worth it; as long as we’re not stationary but moving forward,” she said.
Dr. Marcia Evelyn-Spen cer, the doctor attached to the Leguan Cottage Hospital who gave the feature address at the cancer walk, shared that the events were well or ganised under the leadership of Khan.
“It was a first for me, but I must say the cooperation of the residents was much appreciated. Everyone was
LAST week the Pepperpot Magazine visited Now or Never Village, Mahaicony, Region Five (Mahaica-Ber bice) to highlight the way of life of the locals.
For some of us, time is now or never when it comes to impromptu decision-mak ing and other things, but in Mahaicony, ‘Now or Never’ refers to a small, breezy ag ricultural-based place with a very close-knit population.
According to an elder of the village, the communi ty was once owned by two brothers and it was an estate. However, when it was time to name the village, they were in disagreement and it was said they said it is “Now or Never”, and that name was adopted as the village name decades ago.
Now or Never Village is situated between Sarah and Bushy park communities, and it is an agriculture-rich village with farmers where almost every resident is re lated by blood.
At first glance it is one of the cleanest villages visited and it has a bus shed where you can sit and it is very tidy;
a resident ensures that the roadside is well-kept daily.
There is also a huge tree with makeshift wooden benches where you can sit and enjoy a chat and it is the ‘meeting’ place for residents, who refer to it as their ‘chill spot’.
The people of Now or Never Village are the kindest and most welcoming and it is indeed a ‘green’ and self-suf ficient village where the peo ple grow their own food and have cattle and livestock.
Now or Never has one street and a cross street and there are dwelling houses on both sides of the main public road.
It also has massive farm lands that extend from the foreshore to the back lands area. The villagers utilise the lands for rice, cash crops and fish farming.
The population of the village is around 250 and it comprises of persons of Indian and African descent, Amerindians and persons of a mixed-race ethnicity.
Now or Never is home to farmers, self-employed folk, skilled workers and profes
sionals who hold jobs in offices and in both the private and public sector.
There are about 45 hous es in Now or Never, but the locals have a housing devel opment project they will be embarking on shortly and a 45-acre of privately-owned land has been identified on the village’s eastern side.
The villagers told the Pepperpot Magazine that it will be a self-help project but they are hoping to partner with the current administra tion for potable water, elec tricity, roads and infrastruc tural development.
They are hoping to build about 40 houses to meet the housing needs of the growing population in the community.
Residents believe that since they depend solely on farming to earn, they should have control of the access dam since accessibility is an issue when it rains.
Now or Never Village has two plant nurseries. The people of Now or Never also take pride in keeping their immediate surroundings
By Michel Outridge
BEING 100 not out is quite a milestone and without any medical complications or illness is a blessing for Mildred Agatha Halley of Now or Never Village, Ma haicony, who credits her longevity to God, her fami ly and hard work.
She celebrated her 100th birth anniversary on July 16 and it was a grand event, where the entire village came out to be a part of the cente nary observance.
Halley was presented with a plaque for her 100th birth anniversary by the Per severance Seventh Day Ad ventist Church and it was indeed a gesture she appre ciated.
When the team visited the centenarian’s home, she was seated comfortably on a sofa under the house following a bath. She wore a lovely floral dress and held onto her hand kerchief, which is a usual accessory of hers.
It is customary for her to always have her hand kerchief in which she keeps her money and she is very comfortable keeping it.
According to her daugh ters, Halley is the mother of 13, and in her younger days, she became a single parent at the age of 38 when her husband died.
Following his death, she was tasked with raising her 13 children single-handedly and did so via hard work as a rice farmer. She also had a kitchen garden of vegetables and fruits. In addition, she reared her own chickens.
Of her 13 children, only seven are alive today. The elder resides with two of her daughters, who ensure that she is properly taken care of and her meals are up to date.
That day, she wasn’t very chatty, but related that she isn’t a picky eater but prefers fried chicken, ice cream and cold beverages.
As a staunch Sev enth-Day Adventist like most people in Now or Never Village, Halley is versed in
the Bible and instilled good morals in her children from a very young age. They were taught to include God as part of their lives and going to church was mandatory.
Her daughter, Doretta Halley, stated that her moth er’s diet while she was much younger consisted of coco nut-based foods and her par ents had a fireside or usually, they dug a hole in the ground and cooked meals back then.
Her offspring added that in the ‘black and white days’ the folk ate organic foods and she is of the belief that contributed to her longevity and good health.
Unlike many of us today, we consume a lot of pro cessed foods with additives
and preservatives which have some side effects like medi cations.
Halley is usually not too much to handle and she would relax either upstairs, on the steps or downstairs daily and would even engage in chatter whenever the need
porridge or soup, but would enjoy biscuits among other fresh foods.
and vegetables.
The father of five told the Pepperpot Magazine that his family left some land and he decided to tap into it and became a farmer, his only source of income.
“If you have land, you have the resource and you cannot punish and say you cannot find work. Life is how you make it,’ he said.
Shepherd only goes to church and doesn’t partic ipate in alcohol drinking and smoking or parties, but would use the time to enhance his environment by planting.
He is not a meat eater and only rears some chick ens for the eggs and he used to have some sheep but stopped rearing those.
arises.
She is the oldest person in the village and since the villagers are all related by blood, the locals would con stantly check up on her to ensure she is well.
Halley doesn’t like tea,
Also in the same village is the home of Marvin Shep herd, whose farm produces one of the sweetest water melons among other fruits
Shepherd is a rice and cash crop farmer and he has been doing this type of work for as long as he can remember.
“I have a problem with people who refuse to work,
AS a woman who came from humble beginnings and became a homeown er, Patricia Mahaica is a resident of Now or Never Village, Mahaicony, and is a lady who is always on the go taking care of the envi ronment and farming.
The 63-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she has a farm and would use the fruits and vegetables in the kitchen and would sell off the excess.
Mahaica has a lovely flower garden in front of her home and she is responsible for keeping the place outside her yard ‘spic and span,’ including the area by the bus shed, under the big tree and the parapet.
The mother of five said that the village is a very nice place to live, and the people have a lot of understanding and cooperation and would ensure that everybody is doing well.
Mahaica would buy and plant trees and flowers as her favourite pastime. She is al ways tending to her crops and ensuring that the place is tidy.
She told the Pepperpot Magazine that when she sep arated from her spouse, she became a single parent to five children and single-handedly tried to put a roof over their heads.
Mahaica added that she had to restart her life and it was a difficult task. However, she mustered the courage to take care of her children and began planting fruit trees.
When the fruits were ripe, she would journey to the city with the fruits to sell to Juice Power and she goes to the
foreshore in her spare time to gather courida (mangrove) staves which she used to erect a shelter.
Mahaica had a paling stave house for herself and five children; as they grew, she was able to construct a better house. Today that house is still standing and is a well-kept structure, com plemented by a lovely flower garden.
Mahaica is still a farm er and a very hardworking woman who raised her chil dren with good morals to lead simple lives by earning an honest dollar doing many things, including farming.
Mahaica is one of the friendliest people you will meet and there is an aura of exuberance about her which
Her house sits just beside the public road, in front of the big tree, and near the bus shed -- the perfect spot.
Frederick Mahaica is also a resident of Now or Never Village, Mahaicony, and he is the father of three.
The 43-year-old was on that day weeding the parapet surrounding his mother’s house and its surroundings, where he also lives.
He also trimmed the trees and heaped up all the grass in one place, which is a regular occurrence for Frederick.
He used to drive a truck and would still do so when he has the time. He is a full-time driver who transports people
a farmer who will soon be re-opening her bar/restaurant, Alicia’s Restaurant and Bar Hideout.
It is indeed a hideout based on its location and it is a very clean place with an airy atmosphere which is good for a cold beverage while overlooking the vast farmlands aback the property.
The 40-year-old who is the mother of five was on that day re-painting the interior of the house and was also in the process of re-arranging the entire house while, cleaning.
Her husband was away at their farm and the pet dog was just sitting out in the front yard just by the wooden swing under the tree, being contented after a meal.
Chichester has a garden of tomatoes, celery and dif ferent varieties of peppers, including a rare purple one which turns into three colours before it ripens.
Next door, her brother has a plant nursery and since he is wheelchair-bound, she would keep an eye on him every now and then.
“This place is nice. The quietness, the breeze, the adequate space, the garden is all part of why we like living here, so this is home,” she said.
suits her personality and she was the one who took the time out to take the team around the village for the day.
from the city to Crabwood Creek, Berbice, working with his cousin, Donald Shepherd, who has a transportation
Petrina Chich ester picking peppers from her garden
HAVING received a start from a non-governmen tal organisation (NGO) nine years ago, Samantha Benjamin is a successful small-business owner with her own plant nursery in her village of Now or Never, Mahaicony.
The 40-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is very thankful for the start, because she was able to realise her full potential of running her own small business and it allows her to work from home which is very convenient.
Food For The Poor Guy ana visited the community and established the Now or Never Farmer’s Group Nurs ery Project at the home of Samantha Benjamin.
The mother of three re lated that Food for the Poor funded the project in its ini tial stage, and after that, she had to manage it as to make a profit to keep the business operational.
Presently, she has plants in the form of lettuce, celery, sweet pepper, pak choi and tomatoes. These are supplied to farmers in the village, who pay $10 per plant, which is reasonable.
Benjamin would purchase seeds and set them for the plants to grow, after which it is sold to farmers per plant and the demand is substan tial.
She was in high praise for Food For The Poor, since they provided the materials for the plant nursery to be established, and it is still in operation to date.
“We usually buy seeds by the bags to set for the plants and sometimes customers bring their own seeds and when they do, we give them a better price of $5 per plant,” she said.
Benjamin stated that the
cost for a bag of tomato seeds is $20,000, and it is not pos sible to benefit from a profit at times.
cess and she would give them a stipend.
Benjamin added that in addition to buying seeds, they
still in business because her husband is also a construc tion worker and he would have to go out of the village
She has the assistance of her spouse, Michael Benja min, and her female cousins who would lend a helping hand with the seedlings trans ferral with is a tedious pro
would also have to purchase pro mix to add to the soil to promote the growth of the seeds and it is $10,000 per bag, which is costly.
She noted that they are
for work, and his income would assist in offsetting the expenses of the plant nursery.
Meanwhile, Michael Benjamin told the Pepperpot Magazine that four years ago,
randah on October 6, 2017, and lost the use of both legs he became bedridden and thought his life was over.
However, with encouragement from his family and fellow villagers, he acquired a motor scooter, got out of bed, and began to regain his life slowly.
Chichester told the Pepperpot Magazine that today he
officials from the Hydrome teorological Service based in the city visited and following consultations, they erected a rain range in their yard and he is tasked with the daily reading of rainfall.
Daniel Richards Chich ester, the plant nursery owner
When Daniel Richards Chichester fell from a ve
owns one of two plant nurseries in the village and he works at his own pace after completing daily chores, right from the motorised scooter.
The 38-year-old added that getting out of bed was the hardest thing for him and he was so fed up of just lying there thinking all kinds of things and, to make things worse, his family left him.
The father of three stated that after his spouse moved on, he was devastated, but he is thankful the people of the village did not abandon him as well.
Chichester told the Pepperpot Magazine that his cousin who lives overseas sent him the motorised scooter and he became mobile and began to do things for himself and it felt good.
Eventually, he started his plant nursery and made his living accommodation comfortable and did not look back. Today he supplies farmers in his village with plants for their farms.
Chichester related that he hardly goes out because of his condition, so he would depend on his mother to buy the seeds for him to set for plants.
When the team visited, he was putting seeds in the trays and has in stock tomatoes, peppers, and boulanger.
“I already had the experience because since age 16 years old, I have been farming, so it was just for me to put things into action to start my plant nursery and it happened. I am very thankful for the people that[sic] stood beside me in my time of need and the people of Now or Never contributed to my success too,” he said.
AS the father of five, Donald Shepherd, of Now or Never, Mahaicony, is a local businessman who runs a thriving transportation service. He transports people from George town to Paramaribo, Suriname.
His small business has grown over time; he has three buses and a car, and school children do not pay a cent to travel in any of his vehicles when he is on the roadways.
The 47-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that his foreparents bought the village, and it was once a plantation owned by two brothers before slavery was abolished.
It was an estate that grew ground provisions, due to its rich soil composition and fertile lands. It was the ideal place for yams, sweet potatoes, plantains, eddoes and cassava.
Shepherd said.
Shepherd related that the people of Now or Never are very like-minded, and would clean their surroundings daily, since it is part of who they are, and promotes cleanliness.
They would clean the bus shed in their community, as well as those in neighbouring villages for free, and weed and keep the parapets and roadside tidy.
And they even installed a standpipe with soap under the big tree where they would gather to relax and enjoy the breeze.
Carlos Hardat is also a resident of Now or Never Vil lage. He is the father of two, including a three-month-old baby.
The 26-year-old is employed as a labourer on the farm owned by Jeffrey Fraser, a large-scale farmer who not only plants rice, but has a coconut estate, a cash-crop farm, a poul try business, and a fish farm. Hardat also has his own small farm where he cultivates boulanger.
“I just took a break from work, so I have to return to tend
threw it back into the canal before abandoning the fishing trip that day.
Shepherd stated that the village is small; that the residents are all related by blood, and they are mostly self-employed folk who are very hardworking and self-sufficient.
“This village is a nice place to reside; a quiet oasis to raise a family. And we have people from all walks of life here: Sol diers, police, carpenter, teacher, even ‘sweet man’; everything except ‘thief man’” he said.
Almost everyone in the village is a farmer; they eat fresh, and sell their produce to wholesale buyers and vendors who sell right in the village.
The people of Now or Never have access to freshwater fish, and they also rear their own chickens and cattle.
“We live good here; you have access to food, and the people are very neighbourly. You can get anything here, plus, it is a safe place; we don’t have thieves here. You can leave whatever outside and go back to retrieve it anytime,”
to the crops and chickens before I can retire to my home be fore nightfall,” Hardat said.
The team also met over seas-based Tai Lildar, who had just returned from a fishing trip in the backdam with his castnet.
He had a catch of long-tail (smoke hassar), but he was not pleased with it, and just
When the team met him, he was ‘catching up with the boys’ under the tree, the meeting place for locals before heading home.
“I am here visiting for a few weeks, so I want to have some fun, and do the things I used to when I was living here in this village, before I go back overseas,” he said.
Lildar is of the view that as a farming village, the locals should benefit from seeds, seedlings and other resources need ed to cultivate more crops, and that more emphasis should be placed on road safety.
Now or Never is located around a sharp turn, and it was observed that a lot of vehicles would speed past with out any care or consideration for other road users.
THE morning was biting cold, dawn still some hours away, as the northeastern wind blew in from the seas.
The fishermen on the jetty, sleep long gone from their eyes, prepared to head out to sea, shouting, swearing, mumbling, moods min gling, drifting. The air smelled of tobacco smoke and above the din was the mellow voice of a radio broadcaster on someone’s little radio as the day be gan.
Rajiv, a young boy, with his father and small crew, cast off to sea, his heart pounding with excitement, for today was his initiation. Today he had come of age to
but for so many decades, no one ever did. Rajiv had one wish in his heart, neither for riches nor fine things, even though his family was poor, but for something with so much greater worth.
That first morning at sea, was good with their haul of fish and he saw two sharks but no ghostly ship or the sil ver flying fish. His father told him there would be many more mornings and nights when he heads out at sea and every outing always brings something new, be it bad or good.
It was, for, the young boy, a life of adventure to look forward to, and with a smile on his face and a
two years since that horrible accident that paralysed her legs, an accident that cut the family’s purse strings, poor people they were but all their money spent could not help her walk again.
He touched her shoulder and she turned and smiled, hugging him, wanting to know everything about his first fishing trip.
He could not understand how she could still smile, knowing her dream to be a dancer, to travel the world, had been shattered, leaving her in a wheelchair. He had vowed in his heart to help his sister walk again, no matter what. It was the reason he wanted to believe in the sil
join a long line of ancestors as fishermen, a family legacy.
The boat cut through the waves and as the cold wind stung his face, it gave his life a new experience. For over the years, he had heard so many intriguing tales about pirates, killer sharks, and mysterious ghostly ships, but the tale that mesmerised him, fable some claimed, real said others, was of the silver flying fish, with scales that glittered like diamonds in the night.
It was said that whoever caught the silverfish would have his wishes come true,
spring in his step, he ran home to tell his mother and sister about his first day at sea. His mother had cooked for him, a special meal, but he could eat nothing until he saw his sister. She was sitting in the garden, under the shade of a mango tree, reading stories to two little children, looking so pretty and younger, her long hair in two plaits. A pang of regret touched his heart, knowing as a boy, his ambition to continue a family legacy had been fulfilled but a cruel twist of fate had snatched from her, her dream. It had been
ver flying fish, so he could make a wish for her.
Days rolled into weeks, weeks into months, until one late night, when the tempest sea was wild and the wind wailed, rocking the boat like a toy, the silver flying fish broke through the water, like a vision in the dark night, riding the high waves, and disappearing in the raging sea. Rajiv, the water stream ing over his face, almost obscuring his vision, caught a glimpse of the fabled fish and gasped in wonder.
IT isn’t often you would read comments or piec es from any sportsperson about the challenges they face while they strive to make us all proud. Re cently, though, revelations have highlighted some of those challenges. Because of my love for and interest in sports, these revelations have been disheartening.
So, some context first. One of Guyana’s best boxers, Keevin Allicock encountered a medical issue while at the recent South American games and there was no medical personnel part of the contingent. That issue, we later heard, could have been fatal. Allicock also com plained of having no scale, which was why he could not progress in the competition.
Allicock himself shared what transpired and his frus trations on his social media, and that was met with both support and rebuke.
Subsequently, however, ace squash player and re nowned Guyanese athlete Nicolette Fernandes reflected on Allicock’s incident (she also attended the games) and the ensuing reactions. According to her, athletes in Guyana require much better treatment.
In the first instance, it is important to note that Fer nandes penned her letter with a marked degree of fairness. She acknowledged that there is an “unspoken expectation” that athletes adhere to certain behaviours but explained their plight in great detail, reflecting on Allicock’s un fortunate situation and the reactions to it.
Yet, she still managed to underscore the importance of supporting the people who sacrifice much for them selves and the nation at large. She also lamented the fact that athletes who speak up about these issues may be faced with some level of rebuke- as was the case with Allicock.
A letter of this nature, from someone I consider to be the greatest of all time (the G.O.A.T.), isn’t some thing I expected to read. When I think of the acco
lades and recognition our athletes bring to Guyana, the last thing I’d want to believe is that they are forced to accept anything less than optimal support.
Yet, these are issues that have been festering for far too long. From time to time, those of us on the outside hear such worrying stories and read worrying reactions and defences.
Earlier this year, a close friend of mine, a Guyanese who lives in Trinidad, qual ified for an international sporting competition. He spent the last few years train ing and this was going to be his first international meet, representing Guyana. Suffice it to say. He was ecstatic about the opportunity. Just
individual sporting body. I believe that there is a role for all stakeholders to play, but those authority figures and the private sector are tasked with adequately sup porting sports development in Guyana.
Sport development au gurs well for our country, generally. It offers youth opportunities to develop key skills and values while honing their talent. It pro vides us all with leisure and entertainment opportunities, and, among other things, it imbues us with a sense of pride and camaraderie.
If we are honest with ourselves, we will accept that we have not always done all that we can do to support the people who carry our hopes
days before his date of de parture, however, he mes saged to say that he would be unable to participate in the competition because the local sporting organisation was unable to secure any sponsorship for him and he was unable to raise enough funds on his own. It was understandable how defeated he felt.
I reflect on Fernandes’ letter and Aliicock’s so cial media posts, and my friend’s experience, and wonder when our athletes will get adequate support. My statements aren’t to be misconstrued as an attack on the government or any
on their backs and our Gold en Arrowhead flying high. We should support them by providing them with ade quate resources and uplift ment. We should recognise that they are humans like the rest of us and treat them with dignity, grace, and respect.
And finally, let me say, unless we listen to the con cerns raised, we will contin ue to grapple with inadequate support and challenges.
If you would like to discuss this column or any of my previous writings, please feel free to con tact me via email: vish
DO we in Guyana have an institution, laws or the means to evaluate the qual ity of dental treatment pro vided to the public? One factor that enhances the perspective that a country is developing is when there exists a viable system of quality assurance of pub lic services rendered. Last year, the state’s dental clin ics provided the Guyanese population with close to 200,000 procedures. There is not, in fact never has been, an institutionalised strategy to analyse and account for the quality of
With time the practi tioner’s responsibility ex tended to society as a whole rather than solely to indi vidual patients. Given Guy ana’s contemporary political history of close interaction between the State and the people, there is a real jus tification for and a duty to account more explicitly for services delivered. At first, such public accountability was often more punitive and commonly referred to as an effort to find the ‘bad apples in the barrel’.
The philosophy has re cently shifted from quali
mance rather than looking for deficiencies in individual practitioners.
Another hallmark of the quality of improvement phi losophy is the persistent at tention to identifying areas that need improvement, ana lysing data to discern the fac tors contributing to problems, planning interventions, and checking the results of the interventions.
Quality assessment con sists of methods and tools used to measure care quality. The specific tools used in as sessing the quality of care in clude performance indicators,
ments. This means that if the administration fails to provide an item for health care delivery, the practitioner shares the blame for the defi ciency in the service as he/ she forms part of the team,
and vice versa.
One problem we face is that a major part of the philosophy originates in the United States, where there is no such person as a government dentist. In ad
dition, financial constraints exert extra pressure on the administrators who are obligated to be very innova tive in order for quality im provement to be a reality.
service the public receives. Although quality assurance parameters are still evolv ing, the time is right for the first step in this direction, even if it is merely very se rious consideration.
The philosophy under lying quality assurances is shaped by the economy, social values and sense of distributive justice. All of these, over time, define the purpose of quality assur ance. For many years, the philosophy was simply that healthcare profession als have a responsibility to provide care, in the patient’s best interests, and within the scope of scientific and clinical pos sibility. At its core, the philosophy was an ethical principle that health care, and the quality of it, was a somewhat private matter between the practitioner and the patient.
ty assurance to quality im provement. This is a more educational, consultative and problem-solving approach.
The philosophy of quality improvement emphasises the goal of improving care for the patient. The responsibility for the quality of care involves all aspects of delivery sys tem or organisation. Thus, the focus is on improving the system’s overall perfor
review criteria and ratings, benchmarks, standards, clin ical guidelines and practice parameters.
Issues regarding the qual ity of care are viewed with in the context of the entire system. This is based on the assumption that patient care is achieved only through the interactions, collaboration and interdependent functions of many people and depart
I know what the words productivity and anxiety are separately, but when I read how the Indian Poet Rupi Kaur used the term Productivity Anxiety—it was quite intriguing. In
When you’re experienc ing productivity anxiety, you may feel the constant need to keep busy. You’re constantly working. The idea of success in many capitalist societies is to “keep busy”. It gives you
simple to-do lists or grocery lists, but when your entire life becomes a list of accomplish ments to constantly strike off, that is a sign that you may need to refocus your purpose and intentions.
fact, her poem about it in her book ‘Milk and Hon ey’ best describes how I have been feeling lately. You might be wondering what exactly is produc tivity anxiety. It is essen tially having the feeling that you are never enough despite how long and hard you work. The hours you work or how much you get done never truly leaves you feeling satisfied with your achievements. You are always thinking about what else is there to do. You’re always wondering about perfection, think ing ahead to the unknown and the what-ifs instead of acknowledging and ap preciating the work you’ve done thus far. Productivity anxiety can also be used to describe the sense of shame or embarrassment you feel when you’re engaging in unproductive activities.
this false sense of security to get ahead of the line faster if you keep on working, right? I’ve felt that way ever since I was in high school. At the age of 22, I truly do feel like my life has been on such a fast pace path. Some days, all I do is focus on work. Even on days when I ought to rest or take breaks, I find myself thinking about what it is I have to do next. Life shouldn’t always be lived as a routine. Your days shouldn’t always be lived according to a strict schedule and timeline. It’s good to be organised. By all means, do what you must do to upkeep your produc tivity. You can spend all day working but if you’re in a state of never being satisfied by the work you do, then what’s the point in even doing it? Remember your purpose and reasons behind doing the things you do. You might start small like striking off
“I have this productivity anxiety that ev eryone else is working harder than me and I’m going to be left behind cause I’m not working fast enough and I’m wasting my time”. This is a part of Rupi’s poem that resonated with me. The idea of being left behind can be frighten ing, especially in our capitalist world. You may feel the need to always keep up with your peers, and you might even feel like a failure or a fraud when you don’t achieve the things you set your mind to. The truth is, we’re all on differing paths. We all can not be the same. It’s simply impossible. Learn to value your work and yourself a bit more. You don’t need to be constantly working for titles or awards to be reminded of your value or worth. A reason to al ways be busy may be that you need to distract your self from your emotions or current circumstances. Drowning yourself in work and busyness will not take the problems you’re fac ing away—remember that. Remember, you can’t get ahead of the line if you’re burned out and mentally/ physically exhausted. You ought to take care of your self, your health, and your state of mind first—those goals can sometimes wait, whether they’re unrealistic or not.
WELCOME back readers.
Last week we continued to look at the EPA’s Environ mental Guidelines for Poul try Rearing. As we stated in last week’s article, you need to apply to the EPA for Environmental Authori sation when operating a poultry rearing operation with more than 500 fowls. An Environmental Authori sation is not only needed for such rearing; today we will be looking at the different operations/ activities that require an Environmental Authorisation.
Just before we get into the different operations/ activities that require an En vironmental Authorisation, take a look around, and you will notice an increase in the number of economic, construction, and other developmental activities taking place in Guyana. Remember, developmen tal activities are necessary to improve the quality of our lives; however, they need to be conducted in a manner that will not compromise the quality of the environment and human health. Further, the Environ mental Protection Agency was established to manage, conserve, protect and improve our environment. Therefore, certain types of activities need to be authorised by the EPA. These include:
* Construction of roads and bridges;
* Hotels, inns, resorts, guest houses;
* Port and harbour development;
* Development of industrial complexes/ estates;
* Development of water distribution facilities;
* Power generation plants;
* Water treatment facilities;
* Vulcanising shops;
* Auto electrical/mechanical workshops;
* Facilities that store, treat or dispose of waste;
* Rice processing plant;
* Mining activities (sand, bauxite, gold, diamond, rock, etc.);
* Pulp and paper processing
* Cement production & bagging plants;
* Asphalt/bitumen plants;
* Paint and ink manufacturing;
* Extraction of forest resources;
* Petroleum exploration;
* Pharmaceuticals manufacturing; and
* Biodiversity research and filming.
NB. This list is not exhaustive!
What is an Environmental
tion?
Last week’s article stat ed that an Environmental Authorisation is an Envi ronmental Permit, a Pre scribed Process Licence, a Construction Permit, or an Operation Permit granted by the Environmental Pro tection Agency.
Why is Environmental Authorisation necessary?
Having a valid Envi ronmental Authorisation for certain types of activity is required by law -- the Envi ronmental Protection Act Cap. 20:05, Laws of Guyana. It also provides major benefits to the environment, the human health and secures your investment. The process en sures that development is conducted in the most sustainable way possible by mandating investors to identify the major impacts of an investment project and determine the best measures or alternatives that can be put in place to prevent or mitigate negative impacts.
Additionally, the environmental authori sation process determines whether or not an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is needed before granting the Environmental Permit. This is another important process that is required to be completed by investors who are planning projects that will have sig nificant adverse effects on environmental, social, and economic well-being.
To continue to enjoy the benefits of sound environmental management and economic growth, investors need to have their permits renewed. This allows the En vironmental Protection Agency to carry on monitoring project activities to ensure that they are conducted sustainably. You should apply for your permit renewal at least six months before its expiration date.
If you are renewing your application and have made any adjustments to your operations, the Agency needs to be notified of same.
You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
miles of land and it’s incred ibly isolated,” said McTurk while stating that they built
their entire family life in Karanambu. This Indige nous community spans di verse cultures, beliefs, tradi tions, practices and ways of life passed down from Indig
enous generations. As part of her conservation efforts, she also strives to promote an indepth understanding and re spect for Indigenous people and their culture. In her role
as a Private Sector Trustee at the National Protection Areas Trust, McTurk aims to promote the importance of protected areas and mitigate existing negative impacts on the environment.
Furthermore, she re vealed that Karanambu is one of the most biological ly diverse villages in the Rupununi. It is surrounded by the villages Kaimatta and Yakapuri (Upper Ta kutu-Upper Essequibo) as it sits at the heart of the Rupununi wetlands com prising five different natural habitats, namely: savannahs, bush islands, river ponds and oxbow lakes, gallery, and flood forests.
McTurk went on to ex plain that Karanambu has two water systems and these are advantageous because it helps to create a rich aquatic ecosystem that is critical to sustaining nature and biodiversity. There is a wa tershed that exists between Karanambu and Yupukari where the Amazon River from Brazil, during flooding, flows into the Amaku Lake that meets the Essequibo River and other rivers in the territory and this helps to
architecture with other el egant details inspired by Indigenous housing in the early 1920s and building materials such as thatch roofs and mud bricks, even though today much of it has been replaced with clay bricks while remnants of the original mudbricks still exist.
With the provision of other essential accommoda tion amenities to ensure pa trons get the best experience of Karanambu, there is a wide range of activities such as hiking, birding, exploring the Iwokrama Rainforest and simply experiencing the joy of sustainable travel to an Indigenous commu nity. Apart from managing Karanambu Lodge, McTurk and her husband lead a char ity organisation, Eiripan, to assist families and children living in the Rupununi with essential resources and sup port.
“Guyana is the most beautiful place on earth and we have a responsibility to share this beauty,” expressed McTurk. She pointed out an existing gap in the Rupununi
areas include marketing the businesses and tourism opportunities in the region, building capacity to conduct training in collaboration with the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) to enhance talent and skills develop ment as well as fill gaps in technical expertise, facili tating networking ventures with stakeholders that oper ate businesses from different sectors such as accommo dation and hospitality, arts and craft, transportation and recreation and entertainment and advocating for solu tions to issues facing people across communities in the Rupununi, particularly on protecting and preserving of the environment and Indige nous cultural heritage.
As a dedicated conser vationist, in McTurk’s view, sustainable tourism provides the opportunity for stake holders in local communi ties to invest in integrating various tourism products. This encourages the spirit of solidarity that celebrates Guyana as a premier, wild life-friendly tourism and culturally rich destination. This in turn helps foster national development and
create a blend of nature and biodiversity. “If the Amazon is higher, it will flow into Guyana and it will bring that wonderful biodiversity here and if Guyana is higher, it will carry that wonderful biodiversity there,” she said.
She mentioned that Guy ana’s national flower, the Victoria Amazonica, appears naturally in these Rupununi wetlands and Karanambu catchment areas. As a result, Guyana is attributed to have one of most wild collections of the Victoria Amazonica in the world.
Moreover, McTurk ex plained that Karanambu Lodge features traditional
to promote the destination and its natural wonders to the national and interna tional tourism sectors. Mc Turk shared that at the time, Conservation International (CI) sponsored a project created by the then Tourism Coordinator of CI, Candace Phillips, centred on creating a regional destination man agement organisation, Visit Rupununi.
In April 2017, McTurk was elected President of Visit Rupununi and to date, she steers the organisation in keeping with its four main pillars that aim to im pact stakeholders in the Rupununi positively. These
allows for the implementa tion of continuous initiatives centred on conservation and preservation practices within the tourism sector that create job opportunities, encourage economic empowerment and influence local conservation.
“Conservation means protecting our culture and environment. It means pro tecting what we love,” ex pressed McTurk.
For more information on Karanambu Lodge, contact Melanie on tele phone number: +592 643 – 4110 or visit @karanam bulodgegy on Facebook and Instagram.
WHEN reference is made to remembering the ancestors, we must have a precise,
the costume prevails, but the significant intent has ceased to be relevant. The other
against what is addressed today, and the profound reali ties enveloping the collective
and I answered, that I knew the origins of all the first non-African relatives, because we were instructed not to denounce ancestors, cul turally there are no rejection cults or myths taught.
Thus, the question to an Afro-Guy anese about his non-African rel atives and the re
sponse is affirmative, does not mean he or she is deny ing their African self before you. But merely accepting ancestral heritage yet again.
In closing, significant timelines must be commem orated. It is duty to the na tional self, as it is informa tive and at times reassuring in a universe where there is always, the other who wish es to define the world about, in definitions unsuitable, because of one’s failure to define one’s self.
conscious and thorough interpretation of what we mean. The Ancients across many cultures, whether African, European, Asian, or Meso-American, be lieved that sacrificing the enemy to their Gods and as servants to their ancestors ensured pleasing blessings from the ‘other world’. In Hebrew/Kemet ma? Kheru is reputed to have instruct ed that there are earthly bodies and spiritual bod ies, the latter having no need of earthly passions. Ancestral commemora tions are then directed at the value of their legacy, thus the phrase, “Render your hearts and not your garments…” is necessary to also understand against judging on the pretext of costuming. Parallels to all these teachings can be found in African teachings.
Costumes, on many oc casions, if not developed around specific definitions, colours, wraps, scarves, or banners that are symbolic upon agreement as relevant instructions that are both in tellectual in content and sym bolic in definition, but never the essential justification of, as, or for acceptance as an immediate authority. Other wise, the ego has overcome the significance of the true values, and transformed the solemn event or group under standing into a cultic entry of postulating imagery, where
problem with costumes is, as an official prop, they can dull insightful perception, and cloud what is sincere from what is predatory. Thus, the saying, “by your works shall you be known”, those who are serious will know. Those who loosely judge, feign their true intentions.
Ancestral heritage, in reference to the recent AC DA-presented MAFFA, was rooted in its commemoration to recognise the inherited legacy of the Africans who were brought here, to re member their struggles and the tenacity to survive, and what they contributed to the shaping of the then colony, now nation, which not only the Afro-Guyanese com munity have inherited. This year, it was crafted to engage the main political parties to wards imploring a significant recognition of the event, not as another national holiday, but as the profound event responsible for our nation’s existence. Unfortunately, it did not unfold as planned. To what must the direct group, however, hold most sacred? That would be the very vil lages they live in; the wards of the townships those who bought their freedom, even before Emancipation, settled in, in both New Amsterdam and Stabroek-Georgetown. It is not really just a rites and rituals event; it transcends that. Its profound essence is an assessment of heritage
towards the next chapter of the very heritage. That as sessment means works, ‘get ting into the trenches’ as the saying goes. In preserving significantly the very heritage commemorated. Thus, the collective must transcend and conceptualise initiatives and alternatives to current stagnant issues, and enhance obvious possibilities. Wheth er you are directly involved as a beneficiary or not, there are institutions that can be developed to facilitate rea sonable costs, even as filling answers to questions outside of the curriculum.
The concept of respect for ancestral acknowledge ment is rooted in our custom of practices. For example, I have witnessed in the little exposure I’ve had in my father’s workshop gather ings when he and his friends celebrated the outcome of a cricket match or a birthday. They throw some liquor for dem boys, some times a few names would be called in a sombre moment before the usual gaff and drinks continue. More important is a conversation I had with a colleague who was sort of complaining that looking at Afro-colleagues and broach ing the question about wheth er they were mixed, they never denied to her observa tions and gave explanations about who were who, this is common with Afro-Guyanese and Amerindians, she paused
BINGE Eating Disorder is one of the newest and yet most common disorders.
According to a Nation
al Survey done in the United States, Binge Eating is the most common of the eating disorders. Last week I spoke
about Bulimia which is quite similar to this one. The in dividual eats large amounts of food over a period of
time. They will directly link food consumption with their emotions; eating as a coping mechanism for being sad, angry, guilty and so on. This eating feels compulsive and uncontrollable to them. The only difference is that those with Binge Eating do not make any efforts to remove the food out of the body as a Bulimic might. This means that this group of people are typically overweight and easy to spot.
The binging does not have to occur every day for a diagnosis as peo ple usually binge two to three times per week and may have normal or even healthy eating on other days. A diagnosis is typically made if someone has had an average of three binges per week over the last six months.
Like all eat ing disorders, it can be developed in both genders but is more popular among women. It can also be developed at any age but typically begins during ado lescence.
It is highly correlated with a wide variety of physi cal and mental illnesses.
People who compulsively overeat subject themselves to fast and unhealthy weight gain which put a major stress on the body. This overeat ing makes cardiovascular disease, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension. Muscle/joint pain and gastrointestinal dif ficulties much more likely.
Someone with Binge Eat ing Disorder is also more likely to suffer from stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders than someone who does not have it. They often seclude themselves by with drawing from friends and family as well as any activity that they previously enjoyed.
There are numerous causes of Binge Eating Dis order which are also very
similar to the others.
There is a biological component which means that one is more likely to develop the disorder if other members of the family suffer from it. There are also a few hormonal irregularities or genetic mutations that may cause it.
People who are dissatis fied with the way they look or feel as well as have low self-esteem or self-confi dence are much more likely to develop any eating dis orders.
friends? (this can range from eating alone in a room or sneaking food)
6. Do you feel heavy amounts of stress that you feel can only be relieved through eating?
While Binge Eating is severe and can even be life-threatening, let’s not for get that it is treatable.
This treatment is not un like other eating disorders.
The first step would not only be to identify that there is a problem but also what is causing the problem. What are the emo tional triggers that cause you to turn to food? Are there cer tain foods that may trigger you to want to eat more?
There are also social and environmental causes such as trauma or abuse of any kind, as well as the previously spoken about social pressure to be thin.
People who are constant ly told about their weight or the importance of it are also at risk.
If you think you may be suffering from Binge Eating Order but want to be sure, please honestly answer the following questions. If you answer yes to three or more, then you are most likely suf fering from the disorder.
1. Do you often think about food/planning meals even if you are not hungry?
2. Do you eat large amounts and continue eating even when full, as if you have no control?
3. Do you always feel uncomfortably full after eat ing?
4. Do you feel embar rassed or guilty after eating?
5. Do you tend to hide your eating from family/
I suggest that you make a list of new and healthy coping skills that may be able to replace the eating. What else makes you feel good? Do you have any hobbies? Are there any new activities that you wanted to try? Now would be the time.
General counselling and talk therapy would also be very beneficial during the recovery process. This is basically how you will work to figure out all of the above.
Please feel free to write in and let me know if you would like to seek treatment for your eating disorder.
Thanking you for read ing. Please keep sending any topics you’d like to talk about to caitlinvieira@gmail.com Or come in to see me at: Georgetown Public Hos pital: Psychiatric Depart ment: Monday- Friday – 8am12pm
Suicide Prevention Help line Numbers: 223-0001, 223-0009, 623-4444, 6007896
Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!
FROM PAGE V
willing to play a part in this Breast Cancer walk and I was honored to be a part of it,” she expressed.
She encouraged everyone to do regular check-ups and follow a healthy lifestyle during her remarks. She also reminded the folks that both men and women can get breast Cancer.
“I also emphasised that sup port from family members and friends plays an important role for those patients suffering with breast cancer,” she said.
The WPO is grateful to all the folks who supported the cancer events, notably Presi dent Irfan Ali, Hardrock Cafe, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Khan’s Enterprise, Guyana Breweries Inc., Nai Meat Centre, Khan’s Construction, Recovery Guy ana, Giving Hope Foundation, Professional Paint and Design, Impressions, Ojhas Internet, Is land Link Internet, Two Broth ers Epoxy, Leguan NDC, Asad Ayube, Treshan Ojha, Barber and Sons Construction, Imran Khan Construction and other personal contributions.
SOME of our members have asked us to carry a piece on Halloween rather than All Hallows or All Saints Day. We will touch on both. All Hallows Day or All Saints Day was long celebrated in Guyana as a Church festival but Halloween is an import from the USA which made its appearance here much after World War II, and this
was due to the spread of American culture and the scores of thousands Guyanese who have em igrated to America or have visited the country.
Though today Halloween is regarded as an American holiday, its roots lie in Europe where it was brought by Irish immigrants. In the pre-Chris tian Celtic Cul ture, 31 st Octo ber was regarded as the day which marked the be ginning of the on set of the colder, darker months of winter and when society prepared itself for its priva tions. It was also regarded as a day when there was a very thin line between light and darkness and so the Druids, the an cient Celtic priests, used the day to remember and com municate with the souls of relatives and ancestors and to leave food for them.
But the nature of the day also allowed for invading evil supernatural beings
all the supernatural beings disappear, and calm and peace once again envelop the Earth and the priests could invoke the Gods. The Celts and in particular the Irish called this day Sanwain. Other European peoples observed days similar to Sanwain on October 31.
In the third and fourth centuries, Christianity began to penetrate the Celtic lands and to make conversions to the new Faith easier. Christianity co-opted those customs and areas of the pagan religions that did not conflict with Chris tianity. Thus All Hallows or All Saints Day was moved from
to the Earth to terrorise hu man beings. Such beings include witches, evil black cats, devils, evil spirits, ghosts, and goblins.
To ward off the evil be ings, people built large bon fires, made as much noise as possible, dressed themselves in the weirdest clothes they could imagine to frighten the spirits, and kept vigil un til the dawn of November 1. At the first rays of the Sun,
May to November 1 as a counter to Halloween and also to offer peace, calm, and protection to people who had gone through the harrowing experience of Sanwain. In this pro cess Sanwain became Halloween, that is, Hallow e’en, the evening of All Hallows Day.
All Hallows Day was so named because it honoured all the 9000 plus canonised saints and those not canonised. The presence of these blessed souls brought peace, calm, good ness, freedom from fear, and happiness to the world. This was the antithesis of Sanwain or Halloween.
When Halloween was adopted in America, it became purely celebratory and shorn of any serious supernatural or spiritual aspects. It was a time of partying when children and
adults dressed in the weirdest costumes they could imagine and homes were decorated with Halloween motifs and there were sometimes bonfires. Chil dren regarded it as their holiday when they could dress up in weird costumes, play pranks on each other and adults, eat as much as they could and go about the neighbourhood demand ing “A trick or a treat” when they were given chocolates and other sweets. The most well-known symbol of American Halloween is the Jack o’ Lantern which is created mostly by children: A pumpkin was scooped out, the gourd was cut into a face and a light was put in the gourd, lighting up the eyes, mouth, and nose, creating a frightening face. Though it may be unduly lengthening this offering, many readers may be interested in knowing the origin of Jack o’Lantern. Below is one of the most common traditions of Jack’s origin.
Jack was a criminal who committed all the known crimes and he was always drunk. He paraded the streets with a lantern on Halloween nights and one such night, he met the Devil who had come to take him to Hell. Jack asked the Devil to permit him to have another drink before he took him and the Devil agreed so they went off to a pub. After
many drinks, Jack, who had no money to pay, asked the Devil to transform himself into a coin that Jack promptly put into his pocket, stole a crucifix from a nearby patron, and imprisoned the Devil. Jack let him go after he had promised to give Jack an other year. The Devil returned after a year and Jack suggested that the best place to depart was from the cemetery so they went to the cemetery, where Jack easily got a crucifix and with it again held Satan prisoner. He released him on the promise that he would report to Hell in a year. During the year, Jack tried to enter Heaven but was refused. He tried Hell where the Devil refused to admit him, throwing a piece of hellfire into his lantern. Jack was thus destined to wander the streets with his lantern for eternity.
The celebration of Halloween in Guyana has so far been low-keyed. Some wealthier families would have children’s
fancy dress parties and there would be a few public balls catering to the well-off, often patronised by the Diplomatic Corps. These balls would be fancy dress and the George town Club used to be a popular venue. With the expansion of the Oil Industry and Guyanese society becoming more cosmopolitan, the popularity of Halloween celebrations is bound to grow.
It was such an extraordinary sight.
It stayed in his mind, every day he went out to sea, won dering how he could catch such a fish, for he was just a boy and it had eluded grown men over the decades. To try to catch that fish, his father had warned was flirting with danger, but Rajiv had a vow in his heart he had to fulfill and he hoped and prayed that something, somewhere, somehow would help him.
Months rolled into a new year, and his body had grown a little taller and stronger. The night before his sister’s nine teenth birthday, he kissed her ‘goodnight’ hoping that in the morn he could give to her a gift of something very special.
That night, the sea was wild and restless again, and the fishermen struggled to pull in their catches. A storm was brewing and as the waves, lashed against the boat, the sil verfish flew out from the water, flying over Rajiv’s boat and disappearing into the sea.
Rajiv so excited at seeing that amazing spectacle, heeded not his father’s warning as a huge wave bore down on them and he was knocked into the raging sea. He went down, then
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surfaced, but was pulled down again and that was when he saw the silverfish trapped in the net of another boat.
Rajiv struggled with all the strength in his young body to get back to his boat and grabbing his knife, he dived back into the water, much to his father’s dismay. He swam towards the boat that was already pulling up their net and Rajiv knew if he couldn’t get there in time, to cut free the fish his chances of a wish for his sister to walk again would be gone.
The sea would not let him, the strength draining from his arms and as he started to sink, his sister’s beautiful face and the smile that was always on her lips flashed before his eyes, putting new strength in his arms and kicking to the surface, he breathed in deeply before diving again. The boat’s net was just a few inches from being pulled up when Rajiv with every little ounce of strength left in him reached and, grabbing the net, cut the fish loose. He made his wish with the little air that was left in his body before slowly sinking to the bottom.
There was the sound of music coming from somewhere far as his eyes opened. He lay still for a moment, unsure where
he was, not knowing if he was alive. The music was now closer and he stood up, a little unsteady, wondering what was happening. No one was around and he walked slowly down the steps to an open door where the soft sounds of music came from within.
What he saw hit him like a storm on the high seas but it was a storm that filled his heart with happiness, bringing tears to his eyes. His sister was standing in the middle of the room in a baby pink dress, her hair tied by a ribbon as she practised little dance steps.
“Priyanka.” He called her name.
She turned and ran to him, hugging him as their mother and father entered and they all embraced, a family whose hearts were now filled with joy. A brother had risked his life to make a dream come through for his sister for he had allowed his heart to believe in the magic of the silver flying fish.
In the darkest of nights, when the sea is at its wildest, the silver flying can still be seen – a vision to behold.
but then again, you can live how you choose to and growing up in this village I saw how people live and I patterned myself after my religious beliefs, live simple and farm,” he said.
This farmer likes the village because it is home, the quietness appeals to his lifestyle and the place is very safe with a breezy at mosphere and lots of space.
Shepherd eats what he grows, produces his own co conut oil, and takes the time
to eat only organic foods to maintain his health, which he prefers over wealth.
Alletha Halley, the poultry farmer
Alletha Halley is a poul try farmer and a mother of six who quit her day job and
became self-employed.
The resident of Now or Never Village told the Pep perpot Magazine that her husband is a vendor in the city and he would buy fruits to re-sell.
When the team visited, he had a fresh stock of bananas. He only cultivates peppers and celery.
“I used to work at Ro han’s Auto Spares but quit and sometimes I would do some domestic working, that is, housecleaning but life is fair here, it is a quiet place to
have a simple way of life,” she said.
Linden Shepherd is also a farmer and a resident of Now or Never Village, Mahaicony, who has a cultivation of ba nanas, plantains and peppers.
The 40-year-old would also do day jobs of ‘throwing paddy’ with local rice farmers and he has 40 goats.
However, he is willing to
rear the black belly sheep but getting his hands on a pair is difficult.
The father of two re ported that he would be pleased if the National Ag ricultural Research & Ex tension Institute (NAREI) can visit to access their needs with it being Agri culture Month and all, they are a farming village and a little bit of assistance and guidance is welcomed at any time.
clean and they are conscious of the advantages of growing their own foods and eating
ger was in season and it was dropping from the large trees to the ground since there is so
dance and often wasted.
Residents of Now or Nev er Village also expressed the need to restart their commu nity policing group, which is defunct.
The locals reported that they don’t have complaints but are of the view that they would like progress to con tinue.
They are now bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic which caused a lot of hardships among the people and affected their livelihood.
organically-produced fruits and vegetables.
There is also an abun dance of fresh fruits going to waste in this village, five-fin
much and no market for it.
The locals have also asked for a processing plant for their fruits and vegetables which, at times, are in abun
Now or Never is a lovely little village that is agricul ture-based and it is inter esting to see how the people have utilised the land to earn and it can become a model community.
FROM
Musk declared “let the good times roll” on Friday as he completed his $44bn (£38.1bn) takeover of Twitter and swiftly be gan making changes at the company.
Senior figures at Twitter announced their exits, while Mr Musk announced a new council to moderate posts.
He tweeted “anyone sus pended for minor & dubious reasons will be freed from Twitter jail” and “comedy is now legal on Twitter”.
The purchase had been long delayed.
The deal was announced in April but months of wran gling followed. Now ques
tions are focused on Mr Musk’s future plans for the site.
The potential changes have drawn scrutiny from regulators and divided Twitter’s own users, some of whom are worried Mr Musk will loosen regulations governing hate speech and misinformation, and some of whom feel the previous management curtailed free speech with overly rigorous rules.
Mr Musk said Twitter would be forming a council with “widely diverse view points”.
“No major content deci sions or account reinstate ments will happen before
that council convenes,” he said, shortly before confirm ing that Twitter had ended artist Kanye West’s sus pension from the platform before his acquisition.
Rapper Kanye West, known as Ye, had been sus pended from the platform for anti-Semitic comments.
Finance chief Ned Segal was among the senior leaders to announce his exit from the company after Musk’s take over. Chairman of the board Bret Taylor has also left and it was widely reported that Twitter’s chief executive Parag Agrawal - a target of Mr Musk’s criticism - was among the people fired, al though Mr Agrawal still has
“ceo @twitter” on his Twitter profile.
General Motors - the larg est US carmaker and a rival to Mr Musk’s Tesla - says it has temporarily halted paid advertising on Twitter. GM said it was “engaging with Twitter to understand the di rection of the platform under their new ownership”.
“The bird is free,” Mr Musk wrote on the platform late on Thursday, while as suring advertisers in a public note that he did not want Twitter to become a “free-forall hellscape”.
He has sig nalled he wants widespread change at Twitter. A self-styled “free speech absolut ist”, he has said he sees the plat form as a forum for public debate and is willing to reverse bans on controversial users, includ ing former president Donald Trump.
Ex-finance chief Segal tweeted that his time at the company was the “most ful filling of my career” and reflected on the strain caused by the uncertainty of the last six months.
“You learn so much when times are challenging and unpredictable, when we are tired or feel our integrity questioned,” Mr Segal said, alluding to Mr Musk’s public criticism of the company’s leadership.
“I have great hope for Twitter,” he added.
Who is Elon Musk?
In Europe, the commis sioner in charge of oversee ing the EU’s digital market, Thierry Breton, tweeted: “In Europe, the bird will fly by our EU rules” - suggesting regulators will take a tough stance against any relaxation of Twitter’s policies.
In the US, Stop the Deal, a coalition of left-wing ac tivist groups including Fair
Vote UK and Media Mat ters for America, said Mr Musk had a “thirst for cha os” and his potential plans would make Twitter “an even more hate-filled cess pool, leading to irreparable real-world harm”.
Former US President Donald Trump, who was banned from Twitter last year following the Capitol riot in January 2021, said he was happy Twitter was now in “sane hands” while stating his “love” for his own Twit ter-like service, Truth Social.
Dmitry Medvedev, Rus
Twitter executives took legal action to hold Mr Musk to his offer, arguing that he was balking after becoming concerned about the price.
The deal closed on Thurs day, when a company con trolled by Elon Musk pur chased the firm for $54.20 per share, according to a filing on Friday with the US government.
Dan Ives, analyst at Wed bush Securities, said the $44bn price tag would go down “as one of the most overpaid tech acquisitions in the history of M&A (merg ers and acquisi tions) deals on the Street”.
sia’s former president and current deputy head of the Security Council, also wel comed the new ownership.
“Good luck @elonmusk in overcoming political bias and ideological dictatorship on Twitter,” tweeted Mr Med vedev.
Until recently it ap peared the deal could still fall through.
After building a stake in Twitter at the start of the year, Mr Musk made his $44bn offer in April, a price tag that looked too high almost as soon as it was agreed.
He said he was buying it because he wanted “civilisa tion to have a common digital town square”, and pledged to clean up spam accounts and preserve the platform as a venue for free speech.
But by the summer he had changed his mind about the purchase, citing concerns that the number of fake accounts on the platform was higher than Twitter claimed.
“As we have discussed, the easy part for Musk was buying Twitter, the difficult part and Everest-like uphill battle look ing ahead will be fixing this troubled asset,” he wrote.
Despite playing a large role in public debate, Twitter remains a relatively small so cial media platform, claiming about 240 million accounts that are active daily, com pared with nearly 2 billion on Facebook.
It has struggled with the wider market decline in digi tal advertising.
It is not yet clear whether the clear-out of senior man agement is the forerunner to company-wide job cuts. Earlier reports suggested 75% of staff at the social media company were set to lose their jobs.
Departing executives are in line to receive hefty pay outs under terms negotiated earlier this year. Mr Agraw al could receive a package worth potentially $60m, while Mr Segal could receive more than $46m, according to a May filing with the US government.
Additional reporting by Laurence Peter in London.
Dear Student, Welcome dear friend. Do find ways to optimise your study within the time frame and reduce stress. Plan well. Get a handle on your class notes, home work, reference materials, and research. Now, go ahead and observe these other pointers. First, treat yourself well. Try to feed yourself with study-friend ly foods and snacks that are good fuel for your body and mind. Second, sleep well at night. Third, stay dehydrated with drinking your daily recommended
amount of water. Be wise.
you.
The social business let ter
You may very well be asked to write a letter of congratulation in your ex amination. In this social letter of congratulation, its style is designed to make the letter warm and per sonal. This kind of letter is usually written by the person who is to sign it, especially when the writer is a personal friend of the individual who is being congratulated.
Here is a letter com ing from a group of workers in journalism to a writer whom they greatly admire. Remember as with all other social business letters, a let ter of congratulation should be warm and personal.
Dear Martina,
Congratulations on be ing named Columbus Jour nalist of the Year by the Columbus City Association of Sports Journalism. All of us at “The Sun” agree that your superb coverage in our weekend magazine section of the construction of the new and acclaimed Young Voyagers swimming pool and the expanded stadium deserved the Association’s top honour. We know that this is just the first of many awards that you will receive for your outstanding cre ative work.
To celebrate your win ning this award, we’d like very much to have you as our guest for dinner on November 15. Will You be free?
Cordially, IMPROVING WRIT ING
Knowing to write a good summary is an advantage in the examination. You get to be tested in what you need to use in daily life.
Summary skills involve testing comprehension and composition, paying atten tion to:
first, that you can un derstand what you read; second, that you can express that understanding.
Here is a breakdown of the needed skills whether you are required to make a summary of the whole pas sage or of its selected parts: the ability to organise your answer in a coherent and logical manner; that, in turn, requires competence in sentence and paragraph construction and a thorough knowledge of punctuation;
the possession of, and the judgement to make use of a large vocabulary, so that you can condense the given passage and choose appropriate words to reflect its spirit and its writer’s intentions.
Different kinds of sum mary
(a) A précis or fulllength summary – a pre cise, accurate summary that must be written to the exact number of words stipulated.
(b) Selective summa ry - a selection from the contents of the passage the points that bear upon a specific subject and to summarise those. Here you are asked to operate on dif ferent areas of the original passage.
(c) Short summary ques tions - summary questions are particularly selective in nature. They occur among the comprehension ques tions set on the given pas sage and must be answered briefly.
Stages in précis writing
1. Study the subject mat ter. Discover gist. State gist in your own words.
2. Discover writer’s pur poses. Clearly note his intention.
3. Analyse structure of passage. Note separate items in order presented. Make a skeleton of the pas sage.
4. Decide which points are fundamental to the writ er’s theme and purpose. List these key points.
5. Use list of points as framework for a detailed plan of first draft. Use your own words as much as pos sible throughout your plan.
Be clear about given instructions.
When making a précis you identify and then pres ent in your own words and in shortened form the major points of the main theme in the whole passage.
When making a selec
tive summary you identify and then present in your own words and in shortened form from the major points made in a specified part of the passage.
The major points may sometimes occur in vari ous places throughout the passage.
[To be continued next issue. Thanks.]
Appreciating compari sons and/ or contrasts
Human nature is full of contradictions; look at the way most people love to get letters and hate to write them. There are, it is true, people who are indecently fond of writing letters, such as lovers and the people who sign themselves ‘One of many’ or ‘A reader’, and write to the papers attacking some article in yesterday’s issue; but these are on the whole oddities, like the folk who adore listening to lectures, or those who like to move house often. Most people dislike moving, dis like letting other people talk, and in particular dis like answering letters. As regards to the last it is safe you assume that an ordinary man only writes a letter when he wants to get an answer to it, a motive that regularly disappears if he receives a letter himself. The dislike of writing let ters probably arises from general human laziness; but the craving to receive letters has, seemingly, deeper and more mysterious roots.
(Karel Capek, “Imitate Things”)
1. Give the meaning of the following terms: con tradictions, indecently fond, oddities, a motive that regu larly disappears.
2. Find two contradic tions in the passage. What do they tell you?
3. Why do you think a writer would sign himself ‘One of many’ or ‘A read er’?
4. Give three personal reasons why people should dislike to move house often.
5. In the latter half of the closing sentence, what do you think the writer was hinting to his readers?
WALDO EMER
ofthe
