George Barclay, M.S. Barclay’s Long Service Award from the GNNL
– Veteran Guyana Chronicle Journalist receives Medal of Service ► Page II
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Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
George Barclay, M.S
– Veteran Guyana Chronicle Journalist receives Medal of Service By Shauna Jemmott and Shirley Thomas With more than half a decade’s experience in the world of Journalism, veteran court journalist, 81-year-old George Barclay has experienced the vast the technological, ethical and behavioural changes within Guyana’s media industry, all the while accumulating a wealth of experience and developing a deep love for his profession to the point where he and one of his greatest loves – writing - seem inseparable. After more than half a century in the Journalism profession and writing under the administration of every Executive President Guyana has had so far, his work has been given due national recognition having been named among the 69 persons conferred with national awards by President David Granger for their outstanding service and sterling contributions to national development. And while it was something he expected, George told the Pepperpot that he takes it humbly as it was his love of writing which brought him to this point. As he reflects on his most memorable assignments, his treasured moments and the experiences of the media of today and yesterday, the deep love that Mr. Barclay holds for his profession, and by extension, the country he serves as a result of it, proves that he is more than deserving of the prestigious honour of a national award. George’s career in Journalism dates back to the 1950s as a cub reporter at the Guiana Graphic, headed by then Editor, M. Alfred Thorne. The newspaper was at that time located on Regent Street, Georgetown. He served initially for four years then joined the B.G. Consolidated Goldfields Ltd. at Tumatumari, as an Assistant Secretary to the General Manager, C.J. Park of Britain. With a natural passion for writing, about five years later, the young stalwart resumed working with the Guiana Graphic, covering all aspects of news. He was at the
Mr. George Barclay with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo on a visit to the GNNL, printers and publishers of the Guyana Chronicle soon, soon after Mr. Nagamootoo was sworn in as Prime Minister
Guiana Graphic when it was taken over by the government and renamed the ‘Chronicle’. With a desire to move on academically, George enrolled at the University of Guyana to read for a Diploma in Public Communication (DPC), since the University was not at that time offering tuition in Communication Studies at the Degree level. He graduated two years later, in 1981, which served as a fillip to his continued upward mobility at the Guyana and the company to which it seems he has pledged unwavering support, the Guyana National Newspapers Ltd. In that same year, he was called to assignment along with two other Guyanese journalists and sent off to Iraq as a guest of late President Saddam Hussein. While in Iraq he received a call and was asked to “join the party in the United Kingdom”, where the Buckingham Palace was celebrating the Royal wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles on Wednesday, July 29, 1981, at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom. In time, George was named the Chronicle’s Chief Court Reporter which gave him the opportunity of putting to practice almost on daily basis, his rare and almost endangered skill of Pitman Shorthand speed writing, certainly giving him the edge over other court reporters. In the ensuing years, he continued to cover, without fail, all the top cases in the Courts of Guyana. Other awards he has to his credit include the GNNL Long Service Award in 1984, for Long and Dedicated Service to the organization and for Participation in a Latin American Seminar in Cuba in July 1985. Having served the company with distinction, Barclay was nominated as Workers’ Representative at the system
of Workers Participation in Management and became a Member of the Board of Directors, a position he held until the time of his retirement at the age of 60. Following his retirement, he was hired by management on a freelance basis to cover certain court cases at the Supreme and Appellate Courts and continues to discharge such duties with flair and fervor. He also currently has a weekly column Court Case Files in the Sunday Chronicle. A trip down memory lane Reminiscing on the days of his prime, George recalls that back in those days reporters were better sellers of the newspapers since there was always a scoop, even though the media many times covered the same events and press conferences.“Something I don’t see now is this scoop thing,” he observed of present-day newspapers. “Everybody goes to a news conference and returns with similar stories. With that happening, sales are cut from a particular newspaper since readers can now choose to buy just one paper and get all the same news that would be in the others. Although it’s a press conference you would search for an angle which the speaker didn’t speak about,” he said and added that when covering stories, once he recognised his angle, he would the speaker aside after the press conference to get exclusive comments on the issue, giving him his scoop. He recalls too, that the ‘beat’ system which currently occurs within the media was not seriously considered as reporters were required to have knowledge of covering every field. “You don’t consider yourself a court reporter or port reporter, you had to do everything. You were like an all-rounder,” he said. George worked his way up to the position of Chief Reporter and acted sometimes as News Editor, after attending several seminars here and overseas and adding more certificates to his collection. He was also credited for typing more than 100 words per minute. George said he had taken classes in shorthand typing with Locke’s Commercial at Central High School in Georgetown. He also attests that it was his skill in shorthand that led to him mastering court reporting. He still beats some modern day reporters at reporting on court issues because reporters now have subjected themselves to using recorders, which are prohibited in court. “You can carry a recorder but you can’t use them in court. [But] they can’t prevent you from using your shorthand,” he said. George added that in the past, reporters were also respected more in court and were provided special seating accommodations in every courtroom. Now, only the Chief Magistrate’s Court and the Appeal Court have such accommodations. He said he lodged a complaint about the situation with the newly appointed Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and she said she would resolve the issue and ensure such accommodations are provided. George Barclay has worked with almost every editor the Guyana Chronicle has ever had, from A.H. Thorne and now current Editor-in-Chief Nigel Williams. He named some of those he enjoyed working with as Monty Smith, Harry Heywood, Adam Harris and Sharief Khan.When asked what keeps him going in his profession, even at the age of 81, Mr. Barclay responded, “It’s God, I believe in Him and He keeps me going, feeling alright.”
Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
Maypole Lives!
III
- Villages in Guyana still practising tradition
By Ravena Gildharie TO THE majority of Guyanese, Maypole is a dying tradition as many areas have not witnessed the practice for decades. However, there are some villages that still cling to the custom as a means of socialisation while raising funds for various aspects of community development. Historically, Maypole was staged in observance of May Day during the first week of the month of May. It took the format of a grand fair where a queen is crowned and dancers are colourfully dressed and bounce to synchronised movements with ribbons tied to the pole in the centre, weaving various styles of plaits as they move. Patrons are treated to a variety of food and drinks as well as musical entertainment. Most of the older folks of today’s society gleefully remember when they either attended or participated in the event when it was staged annually in almost each village. On the other hand, there is a section of the younger population that hasn’t experienced the tradition, and has only heard about Maypole from their elders. During the month of May, several villages observed the Maypole tradition including Mabaruma in Region One, Wakapoa and Kabakaburi in Region Two, Plaisance and Buxton in Region Four and Bartica in Region Seven. Wakapoa has been staging Maypole annually since 2013 under the guidance of Margaret Richards, a community health worker, who first danced and plaited when she was 11. She is now 48 and teaches the dance moves and plaits to the younger dancers in her village. “We had our Maypole this year on May 26 at the Yarashirima Primary School. The school children did the dances. We did the Matapee in both the double and single forms; the Spider Web, the Gypsy Tent and the Wrap in both the double and single plait,” she told Pepperpot. There was a large gathering, she observed, noting that in addition to residents of Wakapoa and surrounding areas, there were patrons from along the Pomeroon River who are still fascinated with the Maypole custom. PASSING ON THE TRADITION “We have been having Maypole in Wakapoa over the years and we continue to do it due to traditions commemorating May...this year we worked with a lot of the young children and it was a bit hard to teach them the movements but they performed well,” Richards said. She taught the children also using a DVD of Maypole plaiting held last year at New Haven, Siriki in the Upper Pomeroon River. Siriki is another community that maintains
the yearly Maypole tradition and is currently gearing up to host the 2017 event on June 19. Nearby, Jacklow also hosts Maypole regularly; the last being held in 2015 at the Jacklow Primary School and the next planned for 2018. The 2015 May Queen, Bernadette Caldeira-Singh dubbed the experience one to treasure, as she enjoyed participating alongside her peers and helping to keep the Maypole tradition alive. Further upriver, Kabakaburi also held its 13th Maypole on May 28. It was organised by the Parent Teachers Association of the Kabakaburi Primary School with the support of the Village Council. The dances involved 32 children and were coordinated by teacher Oswald Williams while Roxanne Henry and Norma Roberts conducted the training. Neville Calistro, popularly known as ‘The Mighty Chief,’ of Kabakaburi noted that Maypole was first held in the community during the 1950 period. He recalled however that it was first introduced to the nearby St Monica village where he grew up and participated as a young boy in 1951. The Maypole was staged at the St Monica Anglican School and the foreign teachers taught the locals the dance routines. “Because it was new, it caught the attention of a lot of people who came from all villages along the Pomeroon, from Charity, the Essequibo Coast, Akawini and Wakapoa…I remember the queen chosen then was a young girl named Mathilda Richards,” Calistro reminisced. He highlighted that the queen had to be someone with the ability to make public presentations and address the dancers. He further observed that there were no “jukeboxes” and a local band provided entertainment using violin, banjo and drums to dish out tunes from the popular calypsos of ‘Lord Kitchener’ to the country and western melodies of Hank Williams. Calistro is one of many Guyanese who enjoys sharing memories of Maypole from the earlier years. Sixty-four-year-old Ingrid Glasglow, originally of Golden Grove on the East Coast Demerara, recalled dancing and plaiting Maypole in 1964 at Plaisance, where she grew up. She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York, but remembered: “Maypole was a yearly thing in all of the villages and kids used to look forward to it because only a few of us used to be chosen to participate. We used to have mad fun and you had to be between eight to 14 years in my days to plait, and to be a queen, you had to be between 14 to 18.” She explained that it was first held in the St Paul Primary School compound but later moved to the playground nearby the Police Station. In recent years, the Plaisance Annual Maypole has been staged in the Tank Yard. The most recent was held on May 13 when Glasglow’s great niece was crowned May Queen. “All of my family always takes part in Maypole every year as far as I can remember. It is a family tradition for us. My eldest daughter was once a May Queen but she has since passed away. My other daughter used to dance Maypole too,” Glasglow outlined.
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Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
FILES E S A C COURT
Two 1953 convicts successfully appealed robbery convictions – Alibi defence not put to jury
IN 1953, Samaroo and Ezaz, who were found guilty of robbery with aggravation, successfully contended that their alibi defences were not adequately put to the jury by the trial judge in his summing-up. As a consequence, they were found guilty by the jury. They appealed and the Appellate Court constituted by ( Bell, C.J., & Justices of Appeal Boland and Wills ) heard the appeal. That court held that it is of paramount importance that the judge, in his summing-up, must fairly put the defence of an accused to the jury and as that had not been done, in an otherwise careful and meticulous summing-up, the convictions and sentence must be quashed. Appeals allowed. B.O. Adams, Q.C., for appellants. G. M. Farnum, Solicitor General for respondent.
At the conclusion of the arguments the judgment of the Court was delivered by Bell, C.J. Judgment of the Court: Bell C.J: These appeals which were heard together are appeals against convictions and sentences. The appellants had appeared before the judge and a jury on charges of robbery with aggravation. Learned counsel for the Appellants argued a number of points. He abandoned two of the points recorded on the grounds of application for leave to appeal. We are against him on two other points, namely, that there was no proof of what the grounds of appeal call ownership, and that the possession of the stolen goods, the money, was not fully established. We are against the appellants on those two grounds. The main grounds argued were that the learned trial judge failed to include in his summing-up the defence as led and that the learned trial judge failed in his summing-up to deal fully with the evidence of the prosecution, particularly
with the cross-examination of the witnesses. We have had the benefit of considerable By George Barclay argument by learned counsel for the appellants, to which the learned Solicitor General replied. Now it is clearly settled law that it is of paramount importance that the summing-up must fairly put the case for the defence, whatever it may be. No matter how trivial or stupid or put the case for the defence, importance that the Judge in his summing-up must fairly put that defence to the jury. If authority were needed for that, proposition there is plenty of it in the books ; for instance , the cases of Totty (1914) 10 C.A.R. ; Immer (1917) 13 C.A.R. and Dinnick (1909) 3 C.A.R. But while it is settled law that the summing-up must fairly put the case for the defence, there is no need for the Judge to go into every detail of the case, nor is there any need for him to put the defence in technical language . For instance, if the defence is an alibi, there is no need for the Judge to put the defence to the jury under that name or to use any technical names for the defence offered. There is no need, as we understand the law, that the Judge should put the defence at any particular stage of his summing-up He can deal with it as he deals with the witness for the prosecution , but there are obvious advantages of emphasis and orderly arrangement that the Judge should put the defence story to the jury after he has finished with the story for the prosecution; and that is the mode that we would certainly recommend . It is also quite clear that it is sufficient if the defence is put substantially, that is to say, if it emerges from an examination of the summing-up as a whole that the issues in the case were, in substance, put to the jury by the Judge. Now, unquestionably, throughout the learned trial Judge’s summing-up he did make reference to statements which had been made by the two appellants, but we are of the opinion that he did so for purposes other than the purpose of putting the defence to the jury in the way we feel it ought to be put. It would not be enough, we feel, to a say: “Well, when these statements were being dealt with by the learned trial Judge it must have been apparent to the jury that the statements raised the defence of an alibi in each case.” Something considerably more than that was required in our view, so that we are left in the result with the view that at no stage can it be said that the defence as put forward by the appellants, was sufficiently clearly and emphatically put to the jury and we are forced to the conclusion that that very vital principle has been infringed. It must be, we feel, the duty of this Court to ensure that Judges trying cases with juries do not overlook that important principle. We would reiterate that it is the function of the Court to make sure that a Judge sitting with a jury never loses sight of the fact that at some stage of his summing-up and in some language and method he must alert the jury to the defence which has been offered to them by the accused. That is a very fundamental duty which we as a Court of Appeal, would fail in if we did not emphasise it. We feel that the appeal in each case must be allowed and the convictions and sentenced quashed. That being so, we direct the discharge of the appellants. Appeals allowed.
Film
Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
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By Subraj Singh
Pirates of the Caribbean
Dead Men Tell No Tales
– A Convoluted plot, with some high points THE Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has somehow made it to its fifth film, and based on the ending of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, there are sure to be more films to come. Five films in, with more on the way, and
yet I wonder if there are other people who have realized that, with the exception of Calypso/Tia Dalma (played by Naomie Harris) in the earlier films, a fully-realized character of colour, native to the West Indies is yet to be presented,
despite the entire franchise being set in the Caribbean in a time when people of African, Amerindian, and Mixed descent were swarming in the region. However, that is a conversation for another day. Today we will talk about Dead Men Tell No Tales and ponder over why it is not as good as its predecessors. First, the plot is woefully convoluted. The film opens with Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), son of Will and Elizabeth Turner, who is seeking the help of Jack Sparrow to break his father’s curse, which keeps him chained to the ghost-ship, The Flying Dutchman. Henry then has an encounter with the evil Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) who exists in an undead state because of the mechanizations of a young Jack Sparrow. Meanwhile, Jack Sparrow is shown womanizing and robbing (aren’t characters supposed to change over the course of time?), and escaping the soldiers of St. Maarten by dragging an entire building across the island (yes, it is as ludicrous as it sounds). During this chase, he meets Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), an astronomer/horologist (source of some of the film’s actually funny moments) who is on her own quest to find out who she is and where she comes from. Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) also appears and offers to lead Salazar to Jack Sparrow. Eventually, all of these characters decide that the lost magical Trident of Poseidon is necessary to their individual motives and they all set out across the sea to find it. Needless to say, the plot is packed with too many characters and too many happenings, and therefore a lot of the characters and relationships are not as well developed as they could have been and the storyline itself does not keep the interest the way in which the earlier films did. I mean, I am still wondering if Golshifteh Farahani as the sea-witch actually needed
V to be in this film. And I like Goshifteh Farahani. Maybe some of the film’s problems started at the very beginning – with the screenplay – where, if tighter edits and better choices were made, a slimmer but more effective plot, utilizing a handful of necessary characters, would have emerged. There are too many gimmicks in places where good movie moments should have been inserted instead. I have already highlighted the building being pulled by horses through the streets, but there are also other things. Carina’s relationship with another character, for instance, while revelatory, seems like way too much of a coincidence, especially since she is left to unearth this relationship through happenstance when she happens to look at a certain character’s tattoo at exactly the right moment. It just seems a bit too absurd that of all the people in the whole wide world, she would just coincidentally find the one she was looking for by chance. Then there are the zombie sharks. Yes, zombie sharks, which need no further explanation. There is also the fact that some parts of Dead Men Tell No Tales reminds one of Dead Man’s Chest: Jack Sparrow fights an undead captain and his crew, who cannot step foot on land, by journeying to various locales in order to find a mythical artifact that can save him. There are redeeming qualities to the film. The visuals of the sea, the exploding ships and the magic of the trident, are beautiful to watch. There are also some good jokes on occasion. In terms of performances, Geoffrey Rush and maybe Kaya Scodelario are the ones who stand out. Of course, the reappearance of Kiera Knightley as Elizabeth and her reunion with Will is one of the high-points of the film. But, overall, Dead Men Tell No Tales does not come close to the best in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
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Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
Environmental studies and action more impacting with uncovering of philosophical and spiritual aspects Tomorrow, June 5, is World Environmental Day. This Day is commemorated worldwide under the auspices of the United Nations. Every year, a new theme is given to the Day and Environmentalists and Governments are expected to keep that theme in focus. The theme for Environmental Day and Year 2017 is “Connecting people to Nature”. This theme is all-encompassing. In Guyana, environmental action and concern tend to be focused mainly on land, flora, fauna and to a lesser extent, air. The question is often asked as to why so much emphasis and concern is placed on the environment. The answer is that the environment is closely intertwined with the existence and survival of man as well as his general welfare. One example of how the misuse of the environment could negatively affect man can be seen in the misuse of land in the case of uncontrolled mining. Deep craters are created, entrapping little lakes of water in which dangerous insects such as malaria-bearing mosquitoes and snakes breed. The upheaval of huge quantities of earth and rocks blocks waterways such as rivers and creeks affecting the livelihood and welfare of populations which depend on them for travel and drainage and irrigation of
farming land. Food shortages are often the result of such destructive mining. Destruction of the Flora including the forests results in economic and social deprivation of human beings. Many of the plants destroyed may have medicinal uses or are awaiting research into their uses and many rare forest flowers such as certain orchids
would have been destroyed. The destruction of the Forests - deforestation - for short-term economic gains permanently impoverishes a country and has been the subject of much public debate in Guyana. Last year, the theme of World Environmental Day focused on the preservation and protection of wildlife and their export. This
theme is of great relevance to Africa but is also in reference to Guyana’s rare birds such as the Cock-of-the- rock and certain parrots and macaws as well as endangered species such as the jaguar. The symbiotic relationship between man and animal and man’s dependence upon the animal kingdom for his welfare and even existence is well-known. Air pollution, though fortunately not as great a problem to us as against the developed world, still exists in a few pockets such as the bauxite industry. One of Guyana’s potentially profitable industries is the Tourist Industry. Tourism saved the Caribbean islands from economic and social ruin on the demise of their sugar industry. Guyana’s Tourist Industry would be a non-starter if the land, the forests and the fauna are diminished or destroyed. The terms “nature” and “environment” could be synonymous and so the theme “Connecting People to Nature” could be interpreted as indicating the need of educating people on important aspects of the environment and how it is intertwined with man’s welfare and existence. Respect for and protection of the environment is a comparatively new concept in Western civilization and the depths and realities of its philosophical and spiritual aspects are now being slowly unfolded to Western intellectuals and people. In the ancient civilizations and cultures, most of which
are now extinct, there was always respect for and protection of the environment. The two ancient civilizations which have survived and continued from primeval times are the Hindu-Buddhists and the Taoist-Confucianists and in both, the environment is respected and protected reflecting man’s experience over the millennia of the practical ways in which the fate and destiny of man and environment were inextricably bound. Indeed, the environment in its various aspects was deified and worshiped. For example, Mother Earth was one of the most ubiquitous and popular of deities. Animals were accorded divine respect. It was recognised that all life, whether it be of man or animal, was the same. The metaphor of the flame of one candle lighting a thousand candles with the flame of them all being the same is sometimes used to illustrate the concept of all living beings sharing the same life. An example of this respect and protection of the animal kingdom could be seen in all Hindu ceremonies in Guyana. In the Shraad ceremonies, for instance, food is ceremonially offered to the deities. At the end of the ceremony, the Purohit (priest) divides the food into three portions. One portion is for the beasts and animals of the field; the second is for things which fly like birds and bats and the third portion is for fish life. Though the actual distribution is done in a small area around the home, it serves as a reminder of man’s duty to the animal kingdom. Accordingly, this year’s environmental theme -”Connecting people to Nature”opens a door for the philosophical and spiritual to be included and subsumed into environmental studies and action. If this could be achieved, environmental studies would be enriched and environmental action would be more meaningful and impacting.
Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
VII
Maximizing dental care at home
WHAT makes home-care efforts so vexing for the dentist, and so frustrating for their patients who find out their efforts aren’t working, is that many people think that state-of-the-art home care is basically just brushing well two or three times a day, and flossing at least once a day. Nowadays, most people are now encouraged to brush and floss after every meal, three times a day, and to floss thoroughly at least once a day. This is probably because this message has been drummed into their heads over the years in dental hygiene advertisements. Unfortunately, the public has been grievously misinformed about brushing, flossing, and using some advertised products; they all still fall short of what’s required for genuinely effective oral (systemic) health maintenance, by far, even though together they make up the current standard of oral care. Let us begin with the shortcomings of brushing. One should obey the Rule of Thoroughness. This Rule states that the total time spent cleaning the mouth during every 24 hours must be equal to the number of natural teeth expressed in minutes. For example, if a person has 20 teeth they should spend at least 20 minutes everyday brushing, flossing, etc. Compounding the frequently ineffectual home-care regimen is the notion that flossing somehow cleans under the gums. It does, but only so far as the soft tissue on the tongue
side and cheek of the tooth will let it. The depth below this level is where most of the disease occurs (gingivitis excepted). While flossing has definite benefits for many who perform this important task, it has been said that only two percent of the population flosses every day. Even doubling that to four percent still leaves 96 percent of the public not flossing even once a day. And those who do floss can’t clean the bacterial stew out from under the gums. In fact, although flossing does move the plaque and food debris that builds up between the teeth, and does dislodge some of it so it can be cleansed out of the mouth, the balance of the debris is forced into the sulcus (the crevice between tooth and gum). The pitfalls of home care can be made even worse if you use a toothpaste or mouthwash containing ingredients that carry warnings such as “seek professional help or contact a poison control centre immediately”. My professional advice is to stay away from them. Products containing ingredients that can kill people, induce oral cancer, cause allergic reactions, burning, itching, redness, and soft tissue sloughing, and degrade tooth-coloured fillings and cosmetic dental bonding agents cannot be of benefit to the user. People with gum disease already have enough problems without adding toxic products to their oral health programme. Oral health can best be accomplished by exclusively using healthy products and techniques. Obviously, I am all for brushing and flossing. Both these activities are fundamental oral health procedures, and both offer benefits if they are done frequently. Brushing and flossing must be done often enough to keep plaque and other debris away from the teeth. This should be done at sufficiently minimal levels to ensure that the gum tissue remains healthy. I especially want a patient’s brushing and flossing efforts to be effective and non-injurious. Unfortunately, I often see just the opposite. It is extremely common for dentists to see toothbrush abrasion at the necks of teeth caused by improper brushing, or the effects of the wrong kind of brush. As I said in previous articles, hard and medium brushes should only be used for cleaning small motor parts and boots, not teeth. As far as flossing is concerned, gingival clefts (cuts) due to carelessness can result in injury to the gums which not only allow germs into the
body but also cause gum and bone recession, and even occasional tooth loss. For some reason, I have seen moderate to severe flossing damage almost exclusively in women, some of it requiring surgery to repair the damage. These are very poor rewards for such vigorous efforts intended only to improve health. Brushing and flossing can both be performed effectively and without injury. The public’s perception of periodontal (gum) disease and its consequences is, unfortunately, still not yet in tune with the health consequences associated with what is, in fact, a systemic infection. Until those perceptions change on a widespread basis, the medical and dental professions as well
as in the public domain, we will continue to lose the battle. However, perceptions and concepts can occasionally change almost overnight, and I am encouraged that the public and the health professions may soon start viewing periodontal disease and its potentially lethal toll in a totally new light. Only then will any meaningful improvement occur. I don’t know if a person’s cause of death will ever be listed as gum disease since it was perhaps a heart attack or stroke that will ultimately be the cause of death, but I do know that it would certainly help elevate the public’s awareness of how serious this health problem is.
VIII
Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
Bad road hinders agricultural progress and education A man carrying his daughter while his other children follow, out of the dam
By Shauna Jemmott WHEN Emelda Degois went into labour, getting to the hospital proved to be a startling experience, as she was forced to traverse the dam which led from her house in Moleson Creek, to the main road on foot, due to the deplorable state of the road which made it impossible for vehicles to access. Recounting her experience, Degois said that with severe contractions, in a place where electricity is absent, she, in company of her husband, walked through deep muddy tractor-wheel pot holes for over a mile before getting to a place where she could catch a taxi. At a cost of GY$1,000, she was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital, miles away, where she safely gave birth to her last son. And this, Degois told the Guyana Chronicle, was the same experience she endured every time she went into labour with her other children. But more than just during this fragile period, Degois and her family has had to face this turmoil every day for as long as they have lived in that area. “You cannot avoid walking in that slush,” she lamented. It is the same dam that her children walk twice daily to get to the point of catching the David Granger ‘3B’ bus which takes them to and from school – from Moleson Creek to Crabwood Creek, Corentyne. Just months prior, residents in the area were also burdened with a lack of potable water, but this situation has since been remedied following the commissioning of the water distribution network by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), a project initiated by Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally. “We feel nice about the water that we are now getting. Seventeen years we live here and was bear punishment…but we are not happy yet with the road…In the morning time [our children] go to school their ordinary clothes. When they reach to the front here they have to bathe and put on their clothes to go school,” she said. Degois, a farmer along with her husband Gazi Munir Ibrahim, said the state of the road
has her travelling out of Moleson Creek once monthly, and the rest of her days are confined to home and the farm. “I buy my ration and then when I am finished I don’t come back until another month again. Is just like if we’re living in ‘the Bush’…” she said. What she calls “living ordinary” is a life many would run from. She said that after children leave for school, she goes into the backdam to farm and does not return until about 15:00hrs when her children return home. The predominantly East Indian community is filled with farmers. Another man, Anand Singh, who owns a cane field and a provision farm is counting daily expenses at the cost of a horribly damaged mud dam. He lives in an area where access to modern amenities and social services is easier, but travels to his farm every day. His farm employs over 40 men. An abandoned school and the state of the roads have caused several of his staff to migrate out of Moleson Creek and more of them are following. “When you supposed to work seven to four you meet there 11 o’clock, so four hours gone in travelling time. And you are carrying 30 to 40 persons, so 30 persons, 40 persons lose four hours… and then when you come out again 4 o’clock you meet till 8-9 o’clock in the night. Then the workers them meet late in the morning because it involves a whole day to do four hours’ work,” Singh told the media. The reason the dam has gotten to the state it is in is because the area accommodates large scale farming which includes thousands of acres dedicated to cane, rice, vegetable citrus and other types of farming. Singh said the area was developed specifically for sugar cane harvesting to supply the new factory nearby, with some 7000 acres of cultivated sugar cane land, harvested annually. “We harvest two crops a year from March to the end of April and from August to December. We will lose some purity of the cane, we will lose some like ten to fifteen percent. Cane is a very sturdy grass. It withstands weather… you will not get the maximum output that you could have but you will get in essence of about 80 percent,” he said. But what the community needs most is an asphalt road. “We need a road, one major road. This place employs over 250 persons permanently. We have in excess of 30 homes, and more people are moving out because of the dam... We can get much more. We get a lot of farms. We get citrus farms, cane farms, provision farmers, and rice farms. The place has full potential. In the dry weather people go back again because the land is very fertile and it gives you a lot of bountiful harvest. So although people are impeded by the dam, if you get a good access there, people will take full advantage there because the land is very fertile. And we have good drainage system. We have three sluices in here. The government made three sluices for us and we get good drainage,” Singh concluded.
Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
IX
Chasing a dream, building a dynasty – Henry Chase
By Rawle Toney CHASE’S Academic Foundation, has, especially within the past three years, become known for its achievements in Sports, just as it has continued to churn out some of the most gifted academic minds in Guyana. The school has built a dynasty based primarily on the ideologies of its Principal and owner Henry Chase; a man who considers himself a visionary, but more so, a man who is tired of the way our top athletes in the school system are treated. “I believe each individual has a gift from God, and God puts certain things inside of us that would be unique. For instance, the things that I do have a lot of bearing on my childhood days. There were a lot of people who were generous to me. My mom died when I was 14, my father died when I was 17, so I practically grew up alone with the help of some family members and other people,” Chase told the Guyana Chronicle in a recent sit-down. With a revelation he believes that comes from God, Chase brought together 44 students, gifted in different areas in Sports, and offered them full scholarships to his institution, which is one of the top private schools in Guyana. Annually, it costs Chase $7.92 million; a cost which excludes payment for some of the students’ Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) fees for his impoverished athletes and providing transportation and meals. “This is money I could use behind my children, it’s not something I can afford, but I don’t know how I’m doing it, despite all the criticism, so it has to be God. There are times that I almost stopped, but I would out of the blue get a message from some random person, telling me to keep going on, so this is an instruction from God,” said Chase. The veteran educator pointed out that, “On a money basis, I should not be doing this, there’s no other private school in this country that is doing what I am doing, and I don’t know [any] politician [who] is doing what I’m doing. We have a culture where people have billions and they give back nothing to society and that bothers me.” But how did it all start? What fueled Chase’s drive to give back, and more so, help the less fortunate student-athletes? Chase explained that it is in his nature to help those who, based on no fault of theirs, are unable to achieve certain things in life. A sports enthusiast all his life, Chase said that it was easy to fuse his charitable heart with athletes, since he also believes that just like the rest of the world, Guyana is filled with talented individuals who are yearning for a chance to be acknowledged. He said after losing his parents three years apart during his teens, it was close friends and family who nurtured him. Several top national junior athletes are beneficiaries of Chase’s generosity, but it is his football team that grabs the attention of the public. Boasting most of Guyana’s top youth players, his football squad is pitiless in their quest for titles; winning every tournament they featured. But despite his good deeds, Chase is still subjected to criticism from persons who feel like he is grouping the country’s most gifted athletes for fame. “A lot of the critics who believe that I take students, to get fame are mistaken. They don’t know my heart, they don’t understand,” said Chase. “I’m tired of everyone at the Olympics routing for Jamaica. The same genetics the Jamaicans have, we have it in Guyana but the difference is, we don’t have the nurturing culture, [we don’t have] the private sector who is investing
and [passionate] people in Government responsible for sport. I believe as a school, it’s my duty to start changing things and I started off as a pilot. I believe that we need to group the best athletes, find the best teachers, coaches and groom them. This type of development is not only for Guyana, but the Caribbean.” NO HELP Chase said his efforts often times present a heavy financial burden, and in an effort to help offset some of his expenses, he has approached private companies for assistance. “Last year I approached 15 companies and I was turned down by all. I then approach Dr. Van West Charles and I am grateful for his assistance; he helped me to pay some CSEC fees and I’m forever grateful to him,” he said. “What I’m hoping to do is get the government involved. Without the Government’s involvement in sports, there are no sports at all. My whole thing is to illuminate these issues so that government could come on board,” he said. “It frustrates me that we spend billions on failed programmes, but we don’t invest in the human resource of this country. We have a Ministry of Youth and Sports and I really don’t know what they’re doing. I’m not seeing evidence of success stories; we have to start investing in young people; we have to see that happen, they will become a bit more compassionate.” According to Chase, it would be impossible to help everyone, even though that’s his intention. But he thinks the absence of fathers from the lives of his athletes, forces him to fill that gap. “A lot of these athletes don’t have fathers; they don’t have no real father figure in their lives. They have a lot of social issues confronting them in their homes, and these are at-risk people,” said Chase. Meanwhile, Chase listed the likes of National U17 Captain Jeremy Garrett, CARIFTA Games Gold and Bronze Medallist, Claudrice McKoy, footballers Kelsey Benjamin, Curtez Kelman and Ralph Parris, as some examples of persons who have turned out to be success stories despite their background. He commented on how much they’ve transformed into model-student athletes that others can emulate. “I’m obviously elated, but it also proves what I’ve been saying over the years; if we can only invest in our athletes, we would become a proud country. They are children who will give us tremendous glory and fame, if we only believe in them, and give them the necessary support.” He continued, “It hurt me when I saw our CARIFTA Games athletes come back and everyone wanted to be associated with them, but nobody took the time to support them when they were preparing and heading to the games. Last year, I give all my athletes spending money, nobody invested anything in them, but everybody wants to celebrate them.” Chase vowed that as long
as he is blessed with life, he will continue to help and hopefully one day, others will follow and offer similar services at their learning institutions.
Junior Caribbean Table Tennis Champion Kaysan Ninvalle is benefiting from a full scholarship at Chase’s Academic Foundation
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Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
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Parkinson’s disease Last week I wrote about Alzheimer’s disease as well as the help available in Guyana. I received many emails requesting to speak of other illnesses that individuals and their family members are struggling to deal with. A few of those emails requested that information is brought to light on Parkinson’s disease. WHAT IS PARKINSON’S DISEASE? Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system which mainly affects movement. Progressive means that it starts off slowly and worsens over time. It is mainly caused by the damage of important neurons- which are nerve cells in the brain. It particularly damages parts of the brain that produce dopamine which is a chemical largely responsible for movement and coordination. Over time, this affects the individual’s ability to control overall body movement. Parkinson’s typically affects individuals over age 60. If it is developed in anyone younger, it is called Young-Onset Parkinson’s. It is more commonly diagnosed in males than females and sadly, the life expectancy of someone who is diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s is typically between 7- 14 years. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE? These can be physical or mental and largely depend on the progression of the disease. Parkinson’s typically begins with a small hand tremor. This leads to slow and (cause) rigid movements, called bradykinesia. Over time, this becomes constant and uncontrollable tremors which leads to impaired balance and coordination. The subsequent stiffness in the muscles may result in pain which also decreases movement in general. As the progression worsens, it becomes hard to do regular daily activities such as writing, brushing teeth or getting dressed. Eating becomes difficult due to lack of hand coordination as well as problems swallowing. Issues with digestion, bladder control and blood pressure/sugar are also common. All of these disruptions typically result in difficulty sleeping. Cognitive problems such as dementia, impaired perception and decreased attention and memory, also tend to occur when an individual develops Parkinson’s. Senses such as sight, smell and touch are also negatively affected. In rare and extreme cases, hallucinations and delusions can occur. Mentally, Parkinson’s increases the chances of stress, sadness, fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts and behaviours. The individual is still mentally aware of what is happening around him/her but control of bodily functions is lost. They become dependent on other people. They may feel like a burden on friends and family. There are facial symptoms which mini-
mize expressions. It will be difficult to see/understand what the individual is feeling. This tends to make them feel misunderstood or alone. Their speech will become slurred, quiet or non-existent. WHO IS AT RISK FOR DEVELOPING PARKINSON’S DISEASE? There are multiple causes for Parkinson’s. As mentioned, the two major risk factors being damage to certain areas of the brain (which are responsible for movement and coordination) as well as age. Like most other illnesses, there is a heredity factor at play. If you have a close relative with Parkinson’s, you are more likely to develop the disease yourself. The more affected relatives, the higher your chances of development, especially if you are male. There are mutations of several, specific genes which also makes development more likely. Research shows that head injuries of those prone to development increase the risk of the disease. There are some studies that also show the exposure to toxins such as pesticides and herbicides also increase the chances of developing the disease. HOW IS PARKINSON’S DISEASE TREATED? Parkinson’s disease cannot be cured but can be treated and managed with prescription medication and counseling. The appropriate medication will be prescribed by the diagnosing doctor. These will increase the production of dopamine in the brain and will, therefore, manage the tremors and movement issues. The user will see strong changes in the first stages of treatment. Unfortunately, over time, the benefits of the drug tends to become less consistent. Lifestyle changes such as improved diet and exercise are also highly recommended to slow progression of symptoms. Exercise can be anything from aerobic to yoga. A diet high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids is beneficial for those with Parkinson’s disease. Research also shows that caffeinated substances such as coffee or tea may reduce the possibility of developing Parkinson’s. Keep in mind that this not only helps the direct symptoms of Parkinson’s but also the secondary ones. For example, exercise and healthy diets help to lower depression and improve balance. Other recommendations are massages, acupuncture, meditation and music therapy. In extreme cases, surgery may be recommended. When our loved ones suffer, we tend to suffer along with them- all the while feeling helpless. There are a few simple things one can do to make this transition easier. One of the main causes of mental health issues that arise from illnesses like these is the feeling of helplessness and loss of independence. It would help if the individual is made to feel like he/she can do things on their own. Examples of this are simple things such as avoid shirts with buttons so they can still dress themselves, purchase electronic toothbrushes or cut their food into smaller bites. Pay attention to what is particularly hard for them to do
and come up with easier solutions. Do activities outside as research shows that vitamin D may slow down the progression of the disease. If you feel that you may be showing early signs of Parkinson’s, please visit your nearest health centre and share your concerns. If you are suffering from Parkinson’s, think about starting a support group. Do you know anyone else that is suffering from Parkinson’s? Find comfort, support and education in each other. If inpatient treatment is needed, there are options available within our community. These centres ease the stress of both the patient and family members. Mercy Hospital Resident Care. This means, the patient lives and is taken care of by people within the centre, who are specially trained in these areas. Address: Lot 3 Pere Street Kitty, Georgetown Contact: 227-1100, 225-3185 Demerara Paradise Inc. Nursing Home &
Medical Facility who provide direct nursing care, CCTV Camera Supervised Back Office Care, physicians, therapists, social workers and nutritionist visits. Address: 1 C Le Ressouvenir East Coast Demerara Contact: 220-2677, 220-2672. Thank you for reading and please send in any topics to caitlinvieira@ gmail.com. Also please remember when you can come see me. Georgetown Public Hospital: Monday- Friday – 8am- 12pm Woodlands Hospital: Outpatient Department Drug and Alcohol group meetings Mondays 4:00pm Good mental health group meetingsWednesdays 4:00pm Suicide Prevention Helpline Numbers: 223-0001, 223-0009, 623-4444, 600-7896 Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!
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Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
#SupportCreativity
– Shifting the discourse on creative practices in the region TILTING Axis, a traveling conference for creative and cultural leaders envisaged by ARC Magazine and the Fresh Milk Art Platform Inc., was born out of the need to strengthen regional and international connections that could facilitate the development of each sector of the Caribbean’s visual arts community. Since its first iteration in Barbados, Tilting Axis has grown significantly, transforming the way arts professionals and practitioners connect across the region. Old models of sustainability have been re-examined and reworked while newer models are constantly being nurtured to reflect the current climate of regional and international creative practices. In February of 2015, the Fresh Milk Art Platform Inc. hosted the inaugural event under
the theme “Within and Beyond the Caribbean - Shifting Models of Sustainability and Connectivity”. Over the course of two days, thirty-two arts professionals from the Anglophone, Francophone, Hispanic and Dutch Caribbean participated in four clinics held to address some of the larger concerns of creative practice within the region including art writing and scholarship; connectivity, challenges and dialogues; problems at home; and awareness and education. Together these clinics represented a comprehensive first step in re-examining existing models of sustainability while putting forward more effective alternatives tailored specifically for practitioners working in and around the region. Following the success of the inaugural conference, Tilting Axis 1.5 was launched
in São Paulo, Brazil in October of that same year, in what was described as a “mid-point meeting” between the Videobrasil community and the core organisations of Tilting Axis (the Fresh Milk Art Platform Inc., ARC Magazine and the Pérez Art Museum Miami). This meeting resulted in the group’s participation in the public programme at the 19th Contemporary Art Festival SESC_Videobrasil, where conversations regarding the region’s “peripheral position” continued and expanded to include ways in which cultural leaders in the region could become more sensitised about their role in the Caribbean as well as in the larger conversations happening further afield. In February of 2016 the Pérez Art Museum Miami took on the challenge of hosting Tilting Axis 2.0 with more than twice the number of participants since its initial launch just a year before. Working under the theme “Caribbean Strategies”, location quickly shot to the forefront of discussions since the city of Miami, in many ways, represented a kind of go-between space bridging practitioners from the Caribbean region with what the organisation referred to as the “Global North”. So although this iteration saw the conference move further out of the region, it was still very much connected to its place of birth because of Miami’s large Diaspora population. Presenters in this second edition emphasised the need for increased visibility and sustainability, both of which they recognised should always align with the lived experiences of persons from each Caribbean territory. The conference focused on three main components that emerged from the inaugural event back in 2015: exhibitions and programming; artists’ movement and mobility; and education. This year the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands hosted Tilting Axis 3 under the theme “Curating the Caribbean”, with special emphasis on the Latin root of the word “curare”, which means to take care. Working within this particular framework allowed presenters to examine the ways in which public and private cultural institutions, as well as artist-led initiatives (different as they may be), could work to nurture creative sectors across the region. After scrutinising the current state of cultural work in the Caribbean, members of the delegation proposed how networks could be fortified, administrative capacities increased, and knowledge and funding opportunities shared among
those working in the region. More specifically, presenters examined how exhibition spaces have increased and shifted over the years from museum and gallery spaces to include more non-traditional or alternative spaces; how those spaces function, the opportunities they provide and the challenges they face; and the degree of involvement/ support from government bodies, if any, in the development of creative sectors locally and regionally. The challenges curators practicing in the region face with regard to a lack of funding and resources that would facilitate development was another focal point of this year’s Tilting Axis conference. Presenters examined the ways in which a more collaborative engagement with peers in creative fields could bolster development whether through institutional exchange or informal partnerships and connections. These methodologies were considered with the hope that they could possibly decolonise places/practices and allow for impartial representation across the region and throughout the diaspora. One of the more direct outcomes of the conference is the Tilting Axis Fellowship, an initiative made possible by the British Council, CCA Glasgow, David Dale Gallery and Studios, Hospitalfield and the curatorial collective Mother Tongue. The yearlong fellowship, designed specifically for an emerging contemporary art practitioner living and working in the Caribbean, provides the recipient with the kind of support necessary to develop critical curatorial practices and deepen connections between the Caribbean region and Scotland. Nicole Smythe-Johnson, a Jamaican writer and independent curator was awarded the first fellowship and has since undertaken research visits to Scotland, Grenada, Barbados, Suriname and Puerto Rico. Tilting Axis 3 opened on May 18 and continued until May 20, 2017. The threeday conference was hosted by the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands and organised by ARC Inc., Fresh Milk Art Platform Inc. Members of its core committee included Holly Bynoe, Annalee Davis, Tobias Ostrander, Mario Caro and Natalie Urquhart. Sponsors of the event included Res Artis, Perez Art Museum Miami, the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, the British Council, Davidoff Art Initiative, and Susan Olde, OBE.
Members of the delegation in this year’s Tilting Axis 3 conference hosted by the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands. Photo by Roy Wallace
Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
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Onion Production THIS week, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) continues to share information on onion production with readers.
Irrigation: Onions require adequate water supply for healthy growth and development during the crop cycle. This crop requires approximately 500,000 gallons of water per acre for proper growth and development during a crop cycle of 110 days. Importantly, moisture stress should be avoided during germination/ emergence and bulbing and farmers should avoid overwatering. A tensiometer could be utilised to properly determine whether onions
are receiving optimum irrigation. The farmer should discontinue irrigation when 20 percent of the bulbs have broken necks.
Nutrition: The important nutrients for onion production are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, manganese, copper and molybdenum. Prior to any fertilizer application, a soil analysis (chemical, physical, biological) must be done to determine soil texture, pH, organic matter, nematode population, salinity, soil compaction and nutrient availability. Depending on soil analysis results, all phosphorus should be incorporated four to five days before planting. One-third potassi-
(Pt 2) um (if less than 100ppm by soil analysis) can be applied per plant along with nitrogen. Micronutrients, if required, may be incorporated at planting or by foliar application. When plants are 8.5cm tall, an additional one-third quantity of potassium is to be added, along with nitrogen, and the remainder three to five weeks later. The farmer needs to avoid excessive nitrogen application in the first early months as this can lead to bolting. Nitrogen fertilizers should never be ap-
plied after bulbing has started, as this can affect the quality of the bulbs. Sulphur should be applied whenever nitrogen us applied and must be in ratio of one part to 12 parts of nitrogen.
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Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
The independent traveler in Guyana Part 1
British Tourists take in the beauty of Guyana By Kerry Nicholas THIS is a three part series chronicling the experience of two British Tourists as they
encountered a new culture, new sights and certainly a whole new adventure in Guyana. We arrived in Guyana from the morning
ferry across the Corentyne River to Moleson Creek from Nickerie in Suriname. We were eager to discover all that Guyana has to offer. I was brimming with questions. I entered into a conversation with my fellow passenger, Colin on the bus to Georgetown. “So are there places to visit between here and Georgetown?” I asked. “Well this is Region Six,” he gestured out the window of the minibus as it sped along. “It goes all the way south to Brazil.” He was trying to be helpful but I was already
some vast properties with ornate fencing and magnificent curling staircases - were built on high stilts. Huge properties defying gravity were suspended in the air. I was shocked to find out that the coastal plain stretching east to west was mostly below sea level. Even Georgetown had to keep the sea locked behind concrete walls. I wondered whether houses continued to be built on pillars because of a real fear that the sea wall would fail, or whether it was simply an enduring attractive architectural style.
confused. “What happens in Region Six?” “Difficult to know what happens down there,” he said, waving to his left. “There aren’t any roads, just trees. People in Guyana like to live here on the coast.” I looked out of the bus window for a glimpse of the coast. We saw a large sign to No. 63 Beach but we did not stop. I was told it was a huge expanse of flat grey sand that nobody on the bus had visited. David and I love beaches, but this description did not entice us in the same way that the palm fringed white sand beaches of Brazil had earlier in our travels. The bus sped across the top of Region Five. We passed rice mills, sugar cane estates and coconut plantations, tractor and machinery stores. I was amazed to find out that it was not sand spread on the road right beside the vehicles, but rice drying in the sun! Using the road for anything but vehicles is illegal in the UK. And anyway, cars would drive over it straight away. It would be ruined in no time. In Guyana it would seem to me that the drivers show a respect for the farmers who share their road. They are the same with their loose animals. Horses with foals and goats with kids just nibbled the grass verges inches from the bus. Donkeys and chickens scooted across the road on a whim. Cattle took their time, chewing the cud and drumming their tails against car bumpers nonchalantly. But there was still no glimpse of the Atlantic. My first clue to why was the sunbleached Government posters reminding us all of the importance of the mangroves in protecting the coast from erosion. The second clue was that many of the houses - even
So that explains why Guyana is not blessed with the kind of magnificent coastlines which have tourists flying into Brazil and the islands of the Caribbean just a short hop north. It seems ironic that the white sands of Guyana’s hinterland are exported to beautify so many Caribbean beaches. We continued into Georgetown. We chose to stay in the SleepIn Guest House on Church Street because it was central. That evening, we shared a flavoursome but bony duck curry in a strange ornate triple counter restaurant with a shop piled high with exotic pastries in plastic containers that surely would still be on the shelves for sale the next day. David felt his tooth crack on a duck bone. We called it a night. Being independent travelers on a budget, our finances do not stretch up to the top hotels or those featured in tourist packages, so we looked in the Classified ads in the Guyana Chronicle and were delighted when we found an apartment in Craig Street we could rent for US$45 per night. It was newly decorated, had a new fridge, large shower and great air conditioning in the bedroom. We expected to stay a couple of nights before deciding where to travel next. We ended up staying six nights. That’s how long it took us to plan our next destination. Accepting that the coast was not for tourists, we focused on the rainforests of the interior. A very helpful Kenneth from Wilderness Explorers was extremely enlightening. He patiently picked through all his tours for me Turn to page XV ►►►
Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017 you on the Lethem Road but only as far as Linden. No other buses after that.” to conclude dejectedly just how expensive it Then he waved his arm nonchalantly in a was going to be to see the sights of Guyana. third direction “Oh there’s a bus to Lethem I could sense he knew he wasn’t going to get that leaves from a different place - over a sale from me, so he and his friendly staff that way.” David unfolded our map of the gave two recommendations for dentists. In- country and hunted. “Sorry how do you spell valuable! David made an appointment to see er... Lettem?” one of them at 09:00hrs the next morning. “So,” Andre smiled warmly, his gold We continued our research. Other travel teeth sparkling, and flicked the map over to agents had ominously similar prices. How the Georgetown side. “How about I show you about Guyana’s Number one tourist attrac- the sights of the city?” tion, Kaieteur Falls? Or Guyana’s flagship We asked The Guyana Tourism Authorenvironmental project at Iwokrama, for ity. The girl on reception tried to be helpful. example. Surely there must be public buses? “Be careful. Sometimes, these unofficial peoWe headed for the bus terminal at Sta- ple try to overcharge you too much,” she said. broek for information. Our senses were I held up a tour leaflet, pointed to the assaulted by the sheer frenzy of noise and price and smiled sweetly: “So is it better to be movement, street food mingling with open officially overcharged instead?” It was clear stagnant canals. Intertwined bumper-to- I was starting to lose patience. bumper numbered minibuses vied with She went to get her Manager. hooting taxis for our attention. The minibusKumrul confirmed that the public bus es were numbered but what was ‘C’ville and to the interior was actually a choice of two who was ‘Kitty’? We searched for an infor- or three private bus companies which went mation office. How about a bus route map? from Georgetown to Lethem, all leaving A poster even? But there was not even a bus about 5.30pm. stop. Just hundreds of minibuses squeezing “But why do they all leave at the same and beeping in front of the Stabroek Market. time?” I whined. In desperation, we found a nattily-dressed “Because that is the time Guyanese peotaxi driver - Andre - who, after accepting ple want to go” that we weren’t going to get in his cab that That shut me up. day, had the patience to explain with a warm He hesitated. “They stop overnight on the Guyanese smile. side of the road and wait for the first ferry at “Locals get to learn the numbers and the Kurupukari River Crossing at 06:00hrs. You routes as they need them, but tourists... well could ask to be dropped off by the turning for they take a taxi from outside their hotel” he Iwokrama. But that’s just after the crossing grinned, “That’s how it works.” so you have to wait until morning. It’s kind We persevered. Surely there must be a of adventurous” he added. cheaper way to get to a resort like Splashmins We decided to visit Iwokrama’s Head or Arrowpoint than with a tour operator? Office in 71 High Street. How about the He shook his head as if we’d asked to get bus coming the other way? With patience a bus to the lost city of El Dorado. and charm and a sparkling smile, Chauncy “How about Bartica? That’s a mining McCalmon confirmed our worst fears. The town, not a tourist destination,” I added buses from Lethem left in the evening and hopefully. Andre waved towards the Sta- stopped outside the park overnight too. I exbroek clock and laughed. “You want to go plained to Chauncey that as a tourist, I would to Region Seven...? Ok, the 32 bus goes as have wanted to travel during the day and get far as Parika then you get a boat.” over the river before the ferry stops running We asked about Iwokrama. “The 43 takes or into the Iwokrama Centre before dusk. ◄◄◄ From page XIV
“People don’t want to do that,” she explained. “It’s too hot in the day. And it’s a long bus journey. They need to stop overnight.” Fair enough. Three visits to Chauncy, five visits to Java coffee shop (free wifi) and three days later, we had a plan: We would fly to Lethem
XV and take the bus back to Georgetown. On the way down, we would stop off at Iwokrama. Join us next week to find out if Kerry and David finally made it to Iwokrama and how they managed to get to other destinations within this magical new place they had come to encounter, called Guyana!
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Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
– The story of 38-year-old Reena Sultan By Vishani Ragobeer
fistula, which becomes integrated into the body, since it is made from the blood vessels. It has been eight months since Reena got the catheter, two months after its usage should technically be discontinued. A correspondence from her current local doctor, shown to the Guyana Chronicle, indicates that Reena’s health is rapidly deteriorating
Despite receiving a kidney transplant 10 years ago, 38-year-old Reena Sultan is in need of another urgent kidney transplant to remedy her ailing condition and save her life. Reena received medical treatment in the year 2007 in India, after her brother donated one of his kidneys to her. The transplant was done in India since at the time that level of medical care was not offered locally. After receiving the treatment years ago, Reena was once again able to return to her normal, everyday activities. She became employed once again and could take care of herself without much assistance from others. But in October last year, Rena said, that she began feeling ill again. When she visited local hospitals she was informed that kidney she acquired from her brother in 2007 had begun to fail and she needed treatment to remedy her ailments. Her treatment involved hemodialysis (or as it is more commonly called dialysis) thrice weekly to purify her blood and engage in the extracorporeal removal of some of the body’s waste products. Reena and her husband, Fazil however, said that they can barely afford the 38 year old Reena Sultan who is pleading for assistance dialysis. to help save her life This dialysis treatment involves removing blood from the body and and she is in need of urgent medical attention. passing through a ‘dialyzer’, a two-part filter Reena has already secured another suitable that acts like an artificial kidney. The unwanted and compatible kidney donor, her 24-year-old particles are filtered out and removed from the nephew Rayad. The woman is currently seekbody and the filtered the blood returns to the ing public assistance to aid her in acquiring the body. GY$5 million required to pay for her treatment The process is ideally done three times a and fund her trip to India along with her husweek and usually lasts about three to five hours band and her nephew. per session. “It takes long and when I’m done, Though Sultan can get the treatment right for days after I feel weak,” Reena said. here in Guyana at the Dr. Balwant Singh’s HosFor the dialysis treatment, Reena had an pital, it is more costly to undergo the treatment intravenous catheter inserted into the superior locally. She also noted that the nephrologist who vena cava of her heart through the internal treated her the last time in India is very familiar jugular vein on the right side of her neck. A with her and her condition and both Sultan and catheter is a thin tube inserted in the body her doctor would correspond regularly about temporarily for medical treatment and this was her condition. used for Reena’s dialysis treatment instead of Reena and Fazil are appealing to busithe preferred arteriovenous fistula, which is a nesses, other organisations and the general direct connection of an artery to a vein usually public to render assistance to save her life. inserted in the forearm. Anyone desirous of rendering assistance can Fazil noted that since his wife is petite, local contact the couple on their telephone or cell doctors were unable to attach the fistula to the numbers: 227-4167 or 693-1191 or visit them small blood vessels in Reena’s forearm. Thus, at Lot 199 Charlotte Street, Georgetown. doctors had to insert the catheter which is more Funds can also be deposited to their Republic likely to become infected as opposed to the Bank account #298-935-8.
Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
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The Blue Mountains
Jamaica of
Ambiance, food and coffee
By Vanessa Braithwaite AS A little girl, I always had a passion for African history which led me to an extensive study of the lives of slaves living in the various Caribbean Islands. I was always somewhat intrigued by Jamaica’s African history and the stories of the Blue Mountains of the island. As history has it, the slaves took the mountains as an escape route from their inhumane treatment on the plantations, and it became their home, with the establishment of maroon settlements. I always wondered how the slaves made it into the Blue Mountains and how they survived in such rugged and undeveloped terrain. While I may never know, my first visit to the Blue Mountains of Jamaica was nothing that I expected. In fact, it was my first visit to any mountain at all, since the mountains in Guyana are all located in the hinterland region, which is a bit out of reach. How fortunate it is for the Jamaicans to readily be able to experience such beautiful creations of green natural towers which scale to the beam of the sun, giving the mist of the atmosphere a standing ovation all day long. It was indeed an intriguing and fascinating experience for me. When I was informed of my visit to the mountains, I thought it was going to be an up close look from its base and maybe an attempt to climb; how silly I was. What was more intriguing to me as I tried to get my imagination intact, was that I was actually driving to its peak. The winding road gave me the opportunity to take in every moment as we went up. While I became a little nauseated at times, this lasted only a few minutes as the ambiance, the breath-taking scenery and the picturesque scenes of Kingston, Jamaica nestled comfortably below us was all the medicine I needed. It was a sight to die for! The scenery was like a moment of therapy, a stilt in time from all of the mundane things of life. As the van comfortably trotted every foot of the Blue Mountains, the temperature became cooler
and cooler, and for a while, I forgot I was actually on a Caribbean island. With no jacket, I faced the consequences, but the excitement of just experiencing something I read about for years, warmed my freezing body. THE PEAK, AND ALL ITS GLORY After an hour of winding up the Blue Mountains, we finally reached our destination, which was a little cottage on the Old Tavern Coffee Estate, at Green Hills, Portland. It was the first coffee plantation on Blue Mountains. It was as if I was sitting in a plane with its window wide open staring with my naked eyes into literal clouds and mists, dancing joyfully around the mountain’s peaks. Not even my camera lens could capture its true majesty. I guessed that while the slaves may have found it hard to build their lives in the mountains, the clean air and the beautiful ambiance was enough for them to not return to the flats of Kingston. At the plantation cottage, the view of the coffee farm a few feet down was the first time I saw coffee plants. In the cottage, were also the quality control room and the mills and so the aroma of fresh coffee coupled with the smell of the clean air and the cool temperature cumulated to create a fragrant paradise. A serving of freshly brewed coffee and a slice of bun and cheese made me want to make that little cottage my permanent home. Irene Pamsy, the employer at the cottage who has worked there for over 20 years seems quite comfortable in that little paradise. I found out that she also lives up the Mountains and walks two hours in the morning to get there and two hours in the afternoon to return home. A tiring task, this may seem, to many; but to her, the scenery and beauty of Blue Mountains make it seem like mere minutes. She explained that the coffee beans are picked when ripe, and then hulled. Owner of the Estate, David Twyman then takes them to Kingston to dry, where it is left for six weeks before it is returned to the Estate for further processing. As the quality controller, Irene
sorts the beans, takes out the defected ones and then places it to grind in the mills. The defected beans, however, are not discarded but are sold at a lesser price. The peaberry, which is a whole coffee bean, is sold at a higher price because it takes more time to sort. Irene has done almost every task on the Estate and so is able to multitask at any given time. She has planted, picked, sorted and packaged over the past 20 years. She believes that the Old Tavern Coffee is the best of Blue Mountains and that Mr. Twyman’s coffee may be among the best in the world. Mr. Twyman corroborated her belief with authority. “It’s the Blue Mountains, the Blue Mountains of Jamaica that just make a remarkable coffee and this has been known for 250 years and they didn’t know then and we still really don’t know why the Blue Mountains make this good coffee,” he said. Twyman related that his parents started the estate in the 1960s as a weekend hobby and it then became their retirement project which he took over when his father died 10 years ago. “We became the first single estate of coffee in the Blue Mountains, what that means is that we don’t take any coffee outside of our boundaries and we process it completely from the seed all the way to the complete packaged product,” he said. The cottage was built in the 1930s along with the few others which served as a getaway for Kingston residents who wanted to escape the summer’s heat. Presently, Blue Mountains, which is 25 degrees cooler than Kingston, is entirely populated with several communities, an army base, restaurants and
even a Bed and Breakfast. Blue Mountains coffee, however, remains the hallmark of the area as it is said to produce one of the best qualities of coffee in the world which cannot be replicated. While Twyman has had some challenges over the past few years as a result of the climate- these include hurricanes and a disease called coffee rust fungus which took 50 percent of his production- he continues to brave the storm knowing that his product is highly demanded. Currently, he is growing about 100 acres of Arabica coffee and sells about 10, 000 pounds on average though he hopes to produce more. He believes, however, in doing things the old fashioned way rather than to produce in mass quantity which may allow for a lower quality. “One thing I guarantee is the coffee you get from me is coffee grown on that spot and in that niche of climate and also processed by my method. He described his Blue Mountains Coffee as ‘a beautifully, aromatic, chocolaty, almost sometimes fruity taste and very distinct to many other coffees’.” Twyman is hoping to soon establish a coffee shop and an official tour of the estate which will be added to the many more options Blue Mountains has for tourists. He is also hoping to develop other products using the waste material from the coffee. So a visit to Jamaica must include a visit to Blue Mountains. The experience of the coffee estates, the scenery, food and hospitality make it clear that Jamaica has much more to offer than beaches and reggae.
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Accountability and transparency the keys to good governance – Part Two TRANSPARENCY and accountability cannot be achieved without a robust legislative agenda, which establishes a strong regulatory framework that is administered by an independent judiciary. Accountability in public office, as well as the establishment and strengthening of relevant agencies and bodies, is part of Government’s overall policy position on stamping out corruption. In addition, new legislation to ensure the protection of state assets and at a wider scale, the incidence of financial crimes is another measure being employed by the Coalition Government to remove the scourge from public offices. LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS CORRUPTION In its quest to reverse the lawlessness that permeated the Guyanese Society, the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) Act was passed in the National Assembly on April 13, 2017. Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Basil Williams, M.P, S.C. said that the State Assets Recovery Bill was Government’s reaffirmation of its commitment to stamp out corruption. He made clear the Administration’s stance that there would be no “safe haven for those guilty of corrupt and criminal acts” as it is the Government’s vision to build institutions based on justice and integrity. The passage of this particular piece of legislation means that public officials would be held accountable for their criminal actions. The passage of this legislation also saw the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) becoming the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA). The Act also deals with the establishment of the Recovery of State Assets Fund, civil recovery, and preservation of state property obtained through unlawful conduct and orders to assist investigation and international co-operation. The need to combat corruption, Mr. Williams said, has resulted in Government embarking on a vigorous campaign to ensure that there is no safe place for corrupt persons
to hide. He further noted that the legislation will, “send a strong message that corruption at any level will not be tolerated by this Government. Those who plunder stolen assets must not be allowed to profit from them.” On May 26, 2015 the Anti-money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill was passed. This brought Guyana into compliance with the requirements set out by the
President David Granger with Court of Appeal Judges Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire (Right) and Justice Dawn Gregory (Left)
oversight body, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). “Under the remit of the Legal Affairs came the AML/CFT and we were engaged in trying to get Guyana out of that black hole of both CFATF and FATF both of which we were able to do,” Minister Williams said.
The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) had developed an Action Plan with identified target dates to address the strategic deficiencies that existed in Guyana’s national architecture to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Some of the requirements included enhanced due diligence measures; introducing enhanced reporting mechanisms or systematic reporting of financial transactions, among others, all of which the Government was able to address, bringing the country into full compliance. A blacklist for Guyana would have meant imposed hardships on the population, with the halting of financial transactions with international financial institutions, which would not have augured well for the country’s economy. THE ROLE OF COMMISSIONS OF INQUIRY Another important measure used by the Government of Guyana to ensure transparency and accountability is the setting up of Commissions and Boards of Inquiry, not only to weed out corrupt practices but to assist the Government of Guyana in improving the lives of workers and Guyanese as a whole. To this end, a Commission of Inquiry into the Public Service was established in September 2015 to inquire into, report on and make recommendations on the role, functions, recruitment process, remuneration, conditions and other matters pertaining to the personnel employed in the Guyana Public Service. The COI provided recommendations on the measures to improve the efficiency of the public service. This was also in keeping with President Granger’s call for a more efficient and satisfactory public service. On March 10, 2017, recognising the importance of resolving land rights issues, President Granger established a Commission of Inquiry to examine and make recommendations to resolve issues and uncertainties surrounding the individual, joint or communal ownership of lands, along with Amerindian land titling issues. This matter had been a cause for concern for many years and Government recognising the importance of land to the people of Guyana established the COI to efficiently and formally address the concerns of all stakeholders. The President said that “they have almost a sacred duty, not only to the Amerindians and Africans but to all Guyanese for generations to come to ensure that we go forward into the future without disputing what God has given us bountifully, the lands of this great country.” A Commission of Inquiry had also been set up by the Ministry of Education to bring it up-to-date with the state of the current education system. The COI aimed to determine what is lacking and recommend measures that could be implemented to improve the education sector for persons countrywide. Apart from those Commissions of Inquiry that sought to develop the lives of Guyanese, there were several established aimed an identifying irregularities in the certain public offices, for instance, following allegations of drug procurement fraud in the Public Health Ministry, a Board of Inquiry was sworn in by the Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon to investigate, examine and report on the procurement and management processes by which the Ministry
Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
President David Granger with members of the Land Rights Commission which was sworn in on March 10, 2017
of Public Health awards contracts for the procurement of pharmaceuticals, services and supplies to bidders. JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE President Granger has expressed the sentiment that the supremacy of the Constitution, the legitimacy of Government, the efficacy of political democracy and the safety and felicity of Guyanese would be impossible without the existence of an independent judicature. Speaking at the May 17, 2017 swearing-in ceremony of the Court of Appeal Judges, the President said that Guyana is a parliamentary democracy, committed to the rule of law
Retired Justice Patterson, Guyana’s Ombudsman taking the Oath of Office during the swearing in ceremony on May 17, 2017
and to the protection of the people’s rights and freedoms. He noted that the judicature is fundamental to good governance because it protects the people’s rights and prevents the emergence of autocracy. The Head of State noted further that the judiciary has a vital role to play in maintaining its independence. Judicial officers, he said must demonstrate the highest standards of impartiality. “The Executive branch of Government of Guyana has no interest in interfering in the adjudicatory role of the judiciary. The Executive has taken steps to ensure that the judiciary does not feel beholden to the government of the day. The enactment of the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act of 2015 provided, for the first time, for the financial autonomy of the judiciary in accordance with the Constitution. Judicial independence means that the judiciary must be protected from both private and partisan interests, such as from persons or pressure groups, and from the influence and control of the other branches of government,” he said. President Granger said that “they must be rigorous in their research, conscientious in consideration of matters brought before them and cogent in their judgments.” He noted too that “it is an ineffable principle of justice that decisions should be based only on objective criteria, rather than on the
basis of bias, betraying improper preference for one person or one group of persons over others.” Reminding of the role of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), the President pointed out that it “is expected to be the fearless custodian of the highest standards of judges’ personal conduct. He noted that “the people of Guyana expect that those recommendations will emerge only from a dispassionate and objective process. Judges and magistrates are expected to be exemplars of high moral standards and personal propriety.” The Government of Guyana remains committed to ensuring that Constitutional Offices are filled so that the rule of law can be effectively administered. Retired Justice Winston Patterson was sworn-in on May 17, 2017 as the new Ombudsman, a role which has been described as a protector and defender of citizens against injustices caused by maladministration, providing an important service to the public. Justice Patterson assured that he will serve in the interest of the public. CODE OF CONDUCT The Government of Guyana does not only hold public officials and the members of other sectors to the standard of accountability and transparency. Those two values, along with dignity, diligence, duty, honour and integrity combined make up the expectations that the current Government has set for itself. In recognition of their roles as public officials and in keeping with the Government of Guyana’s promise a Code of Conduct was developed. The purpose of the Code of Conduct is to assist Ministers and Members of Parliament and Public office holders in the discharge of their obligations to their constituents and the public at large. It provides guidance on the values; the moral qualities that should govern the conduct of Ministers and Members in discharging their Parliamentary and Public duties. It is also meant to reinforce public confidence in the way in which Ministers and public office holders perform those duties. Prime Minister, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo, during an interview with the Press and Publicity Unit of the Ministry of the Presidency on May 31, 2017, said that the Code of Conduct is currently under review after several suggestions were made
XIX regarding the guidelines. Once this process is completed, the Prime Minister said that the next step would be for all public officials to declare their assets. He noted that “the requirement goes beyond the declaration of assets; it is that they conduct themselves while in public office and even in their private capacity in a manner that has decorum and integrity and that conduct should be guided by the need for accountability and transparency.” He noted that the declaration of assets is a demonstration to members of the public that these officials do not live above their means and it commands respect and leads the public to believe that the Government of Guyana has removed itself from the corruption that has been attached to Guyana for many years. A proper Code and Integrity Legislation, the Prime Minister said, is intended to protect the public’s purse from theft, misappropriation and misspending of monies intended for the public good. He said that “we are cheating the people of their social benefits of their own contributions, by way of taxation, by way of production, by way of investment, we are robbing the people of their entitlements and the entitlements are what we are trying to protect. The Prime Minister expressed hope that all public officials would be guided by the seven Nolan Principles of public life, which forms part of the Code of Conduct. These principles include selflessness, integrity, accountability, objectivity, openness, honesty and leadership. “One may ask whether the code of conduct is a hammer over the heads of those who hold high office, I think there is no coercion that I would want to place as a function of the Code of Conduct, it should be more or less a guide, it should be a light that is cast upon the role of persons holding public office,” the Prime Minister pointed out. He discredited those persons who may think that the Government of Guyana’s goal of corrupt-free officials is unattainable since he believes that the Coalition can deliver incrementally. Corruption in any form stifles a country and depletes the moral fabric. A corrupt society is marred by criminality and becomes a hazard to its citizens, therefore the Government of Guyana; cognisant of this fact and with the commitment from President Granger and his Cabinet have embarked on a journey to ensure the country is governed in accordance with the rule of law.
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Meet the beauties of
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By Sherah Alleyne MISS World Guyana announced its Top 10 Finalists at an official public ceremony held last Friday, May 26th, 2017 at the entertainment strip located in the Giftland Mall. As customary, the Top 10 Finalists were appointed Regional Ambassadors to represent Guyana’s 10 administrative regions throughout the competition. The event debuted Luxurious Bloom, a new collection by designer Marcie De Santos, which the Miss World Guyana semi-finalists showcased at the event. These are the ten beautiful young ladies who will be vying for the title of Miss World Guyana 2017 which is
slated to be held on June 25. At the end of this competition, the crowned queen will go on to represent Guyana at the Miss World Pageant which will be staged in China in December. The Miss World Guyana pageant serves as a platform to enable personal and professional growth of young women in addition to their promotion of beauty and talent. The event affords the young women the opportunity to raise awareness on social issues affecting their communities. However, every young woman vying for the Miss World Guyana title is expected to compete against herself in an effort to become her best self: a well-rounded youth leader and role model.
Region 1
Region 2
Beauty with a Purpose Platform: Sexual Abuse Delisha decided to enter the Pageant because, she said, it embodies the qualities that can push her beyond her limits to bring out her strength and the best version of herself. Delisha said that her experience so far has allowed her to developed great communication skills, adding that her public speaking skills have improved since she has commenced training. Additionally, Wright said that she has also learned how to organize and plan properly for short term and long term and developed proper scheduling skills, etiquette and many other self-improvement traits. This beauty said she plans on using her platform to educate her community and country, to empower, to inspire and to motivate people. Her Beauty with a Purpose project, “Sexual Abuse” is not one that can be dealt with alone, neither is it an issue that can be solved in a day, she added. She plans to reach out to her community and country, and join forces with them to curb the issue of sexual abuse to create a safer Guyana for us all.
Beauty with a Purpose Platform: Domestic Violence against Women. Sharda chose the Miss World Competition over all other competitions because of the unique Beauty with a Purpose project which allows young ladies to showcase not just their beauty but also their intellectual, decision making and management skills. She believes that there is nothing more attractive than a person who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others. During the training, she has developed many skills which, most importantly include supporting and loving the very girls she is competing against. Additionally, she has learned to carry herself with extra confidence, accepting criticism from others and is now able to be more self-aware. Domestic violence is not a new epidemic, Sharda said, however, every day one in four women is abused but not much is done about it. In order to further develop her community and by extension, her country, she plans on raising awareness through her Domestic Violence campaign “Stop The Violence” through a multi-faced campaign. She also intends to host fundraising activities which will contribute to, Rafieya’s International Vision And Hope (RIVAH) which was founded by Miss World Guyana 2014, Rafieya Hussain. She has also collaborated with the Ministry of Social Protection in their Cut It Out campaign which aims to stop the abuse of women in Guyana.
Region 3
Region 4
Beauty with a Purpose Platform: Education for underprivileged children Her drive to join the competition stemmed from many reasons, including the wish to build her self-confidence, to be a role model in society, assist the underprivileged children of Guyana in securing an education and to have the exposure and support to undertake humanitarian work on a larger scale. Hemwantie said that over the past months, her participation in the Miss World Guyana competition has seen her practicing dining etiquette, the art of public speaking and trying to be more organized. She added that from the training has allowed her groomed into respectable young women of society who will persevere, and use our knowledge to better the lives of others. She said that her Beauty with a Purpose project allows her to assist children by paying CSEC fees, distribute school supplies, and giving children lessons and being of help whenever she can. She plans on working to ensure that there is a qualified person in different geographic locations of Guyana. This will ensure that in each community, there is someone to help the children, just like she did. “I will continue doing my humanitarian work even after this competition because, at the end of the day, I will feel satisfied that I am doing the best I can to better someone else’s life just as I was helped. This way, I believe, my community and the country at large can benefit from my platform,” she stated.
Beauty with a Purpose Platform: Promoting Physical Fitness and Nutrition vis-à-vis the prevention of chronic disease Vena told Pepperpot that she decided to enter the Miss World Guyana competition because she saw this pageant as the perfect opportunity to build her self-confidence. She said that she chose her Beauty with a Purpose Project, having realized that the two major chronic diseases that Guyana is faced with are Cardiovascular and Diabetes and they account for the top one and four causes of death in Guyana. Her project specifically focuses on developing a healthy diet and physical lifestyle in order to prevent these diseases. She has already started and promises to continue executing events and bring about awareness to her purpose in order to benefit her community and country as a whole. Her aim is to reduce the number of persons with chronic diseases in Guyana.
Region 5
Region 6
Beauty with a Purpose Platform: Strengthening Families: Nurturing Parent-Child Relationships Joelly said that she saw the Miss World Guyana Pageant as a vital stage that can be used to start a national dialogue about her Beauty with a Purpose Platform and help to create programmes aimed at fostering this cause nationally. Joelly said that while researching her Platform, she found that families are the smallest yet the most influential unit within society and that parents remain the anchor of this group and their input in many instances determine who their child/children are. She said that research has proven that good parenting produces stable, well-rounded children while in contrast, the results of bad parenting are poor mental and emotional state in children. “My campaign seeks to promote positive parenting styles in an effort to minimize social issues that stem from a weak family structure, focusing mainly on the parent-child relationship. I have collaborated with the Childcare and Protection Agency and will be hosting workshops, conferences and distributing literature on positive parenting throughout the country,” she said.
Beauty with a Purpose Platform: Prevention of Teen Suicide in Guyana Thamesha believes that being a part of the Miss World Guyana Competition opens a window of opportunities and provides a forum in which will allow her to build new relationships and form strategic alliances with others. She said that she has since developed her public speaking skills, and enhanced her fundraising capabilities. When asked how she would use her platform for the development of her community and her country, she said that by creating extensive awareness on the issue and by implementing effective measures to help curb the intensity of teen suicide, she is sure that she will be able to positively contribute to the reduction of the number of suicide victims and suicide attempts. Watson added that she would use her platform to learn more about issues affecting teenagers in Guyana, speak out about these issues and her purpose, form networks and conduct creative community activities that would be beneficial to all.
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Region 7
Region 8
Beauty with a Purpose Platform: Alleviation of Child Hunger in Underprivileged Regions of Guyana The name of Ariell’s campaign is “Feed the Future” with the message being “Hunger is not an issue of charity, it is an issue of justice”. Ariell said that being part of the pageant was not a decision made overnight. “It was a dream of mine for many years now and I have been preparing since then. I didn’t to enter this competition to hear I am beautiful and wear fancy clothes, but to make friendships that will last a lifetime and to be able to make a difference since this is the only pageant with the Beauty with a Purpose segment”, Ghanie said. Ariell said that according to the UNICEF Situation Analysis of Women and Children in Guyana October 2016, 47.5% of Children 16 years and Younger are living in Poverty in Guyana. As such, she believes that it is her duty as a humanitarian to reduce this number by feeding children and assisting adults in acquiring a skill that will help them to provide for their families. Without the right nutrients, the brain cannot develop resulting in longterm effects on learning abilities.
Beauty with a Purpose Platform: Child sexual abuse Crystal admits that she had been following pageantry for years and has particularly had an interest in the Miss World Pageant. She said that seeing so many beautiful young ladies do great things, show off their talent and doing things they love has always inspired her. Speaking about her Beauty with a Purpose Platform, Crystal said that child sexual abuse is more rampant in society than many may think and this actually damages the lives of many persons. She said that she is going to use her beauty with a purpose platform to develop her community and country, by first educating people about this issue and this will help them to be more aware of it. Secondly, she said that she will work towards healing and protecting people that suffer from this social ill. “This way, they will be able to actually move forward and begin to do great things. Hence, we would have better people in society and people that are free and not scared to make their country a more child-friendly, free and safer place,” Crystal said.
Region 9
Region 10
Beauty with a Purpose Platform: Alleviating Hunger and Malnutrition, focusing on children in impoverished/under developed communities of Guyana. Manisha plans to use the Miss World Guyana platform to raise awareness on the issue of Hunger and Malnutrition in children living in impoverished communities. She has chosen Agriculture as the weapon to combat these issues. Currently, she is working on a community project in Region 9 to generate a farm; the crops produced on this farm will be used to create food hampers that will be distributed through selected primary schools on a monthly basis. She hopes to help her community be a model for other communities, showing that through this initiative people can begin to promote health and wellness, combat poverty, eradicate hunger and promote community cohesiveness to aid our nation’s future and asset their families in caring for them. Most importantly, she wishes to create a movement that aims to promote youth empowerment. These goals, she said, are directly in line with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations for developing countries.
Beauty with a Purpose Platform: Sexual Abuse. The Miss World Guyana 2017 competition, has taught Nitifah the importance of time management and self-love, and has also introduced her to the teachings of various philosophers as well as the importance of applying philosophy to her daily life. She said that she also got to learn about some classical music which has now become part of her life. Nitifah said that she will use her campaign to create awareness, empowerment, and education and also provide counseling for children who suffered from sexual abuse. She believes that this will serve as a realization in her community and people will know the importance of reporting and protecting their children. “It will aid in stopping sexual abuse in the country and the world in general. The smaller the number of children that are being abused sexually, then there will be a smaller amount of children being diagnosed with psychological illnesses, and fewer children will commit suicide or run away from their homes. This will develop our community because children will know how to protect themselves, they will be heard and justice will prevail,” she said.
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Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
Women welders plying their trade in a ‘man’s domain’ By Ravena Gildharie “WHEN I’m dressed in my romper with my shield, gloves and cover, I would hear the men remark ‘wow this little youth welding really good,’ and I totally enjoy the expression on their faces when I take off my shield and then they see ‘It’s a girl!’” This reaction, Netasha James describes as the “juice that drives” her expertise in welding, a field that is still essentially dominated by males. Over the past 10 years, James, a mother of four, from Wisroc, has been training student welders at the Linden Technical Institute (LTI), the same facility where she gained the skill almost two decades earlier. Since teaching, she
also graduated a handful of female welders, who now practice the trade. James was born in Buxton, in Region Four, but grew up in Blueberry Hill, Linden. She was inspired to become a welder at age 16 while watching a television advertisement with a female welder. At the time, she was a student at the Christiansburg Community High School and after graduating, she enrolled at LTI. She then took up apprenticeship training in welding at the Bauxite Company. “I fell more in love with welding as I got to do more and more of it practically. People still feel that there are some jobs like welding which girls are not to do but, to me, if we Turn to page XXIII ►►►
Netasha James teaching welding at Linden Technical Institute
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have the ability to do it and want to do, why not do it?” James exclaimed. She recalled being taunted by her male peers who held the view that she wasn’t skilled enough to perform on par with them. “As a woman, I’ve always had to do extra; women are usually expected to be [neater], and I’ve had to do a bit more work to be precise and to show the men that I am skilled,” the welder related. “Men don’t expect women in certain fields and when I’m done and they admire my work, I feel achieved knowing that I am at a place where nobody expects me to be.” ‘LET YOUR ACTIONS SPEAK’ James’ own mother had reservations when she first embarked on her career path as a welder. “My mother wasn’t happy; she thought I could have found something else to do. At first, she was worried about the risks in terms of safety, but then she stated the real issue, that ‘welding was not a thing for women to do.’ Call it stubbornness if you may, but, that actually motivated me because if you cannot give me good reasons why I shouldn’t be doing this, then I am out to prove you wrong,” she said. As the bauxite industry downsized, James worked in the canteen and felt she didn’t fit in. She pursued teachers’ training at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) and later taught Industrial Arts and Electricity at the Linden Multilateral School for several years before she started lecturing.
Netasha James doing what she loves
One of her younger female students, Sherlyn Knox, encouraged James to help others learn the skill. Knox is currently employed in the Aurora Gold Mines where she recently told local media operatives that welding allows her to be creative and she encouraged other women to learn a skill. She has been a welder for over 16 years since being trained by James. And while the females have since welcomed James’ instruction, the lecturer has had to prove her skills to her male students. “I once had a young man in my class who say to me, ‘Miss, I told my mom that my teacher is a woman and she said well I won’t learn anything in class.’ I decided to let actions speak and that young man did well and graduated. His mom was surprised at how much he had learned,” James revealed. She observed that welding is a downtrodden trade in Guyana because people don’t totally understand the level of craftsmanship required. She stressed the importance of having the right tools and protective gear to practice. At LTI, James is challenged to teach in a constrained facility with limited gear but does her best to ensure her students are well rounded. Her classes usually include 25-30 students. In one of her batches, two females, Michelle Phillips and Christine Dainty, after graduating, moved on to operate their own private welding and steel fabricating practice situated at Block 22, Wismar. They specialise in the fabrication of steel grills supplied mainly to customers in Linden and surrounding areas as well as Lethem. ‘DOING A MAN’S JOB’ Phillips, age 23, and a mother of one hails from Wakapoa in the Pomeroon River. She dropped out of secondary school in her teenage years and relocated to Linden with an older sister. She enrolled at LTI to “learn a trade” and entered the welding class. “I had always enjoyed being among the males and learning to do things that they did so I signed up for welding,” Phillips
explained. She noted that while some of the boys encouraged her to pursue the skill, some doubted her ability and she had to work hard to prove herself. She noted that while they have been gradually earning the respect of customers, jobs are still slow. Dainty worked with Linden’s popular welding contractor, Paul Jones after she graduated from LTI but later purchased her own welding plant and other equipment to start her private practice. Ruth Mitchell of Blueberry Hill is another student of LTI who currently welds with Jones. She developed a passion for welding during a Mechanical Technology class she took at the Christiansburg/Wismar Secondary School while in the
XXIII Technical Building Stream. After completing her Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), she pursued training at LTI and initially wanted to be in the electricity class but the intake was filled. “I ended up in the welding class but I have never regretted it. I love welding because there is so much to learn…I have been taunted and provoked but I’ve had to grow tough skin and push myself to prove that I am a woman and I can do a man’s job,” Mitchell stated. Now 26, Mitchell spends most of her days fabricating steel grills but also works on trucks. She is hopeful of doing an advanced welding course and to later pursue engineering studies at the University of Guyana.
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GT not sinking By M Margaret Burke MANY people in Guyana have been thinking aloud about the condition of the Capital City in Guyana. They ask if Georgetown is sinking, mainly because of the way places are flooding and it is being touted about that places which never flooded before are now going under water. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Mr Frederick Flatts, in a recent interview with Guyana Chronicle said, “There are still a number of clogged drains. Many of the outfall channels are not cleared, people continue to use some drains as receptacles of solid waste, some drains just cannot be cleaned because there are people living alongside the drains, such as is the case in Front Road, Ruimveldt. So there are a number of reasons for the flooding. He added that another reason is that people who have the financial means, tend to raise their yards, some of which have concrete, which tends to cause water to flow off
from their yards and into others’ or onto the public road. “Also compared with what is happening in Georgetown now, in terms of flooding, with what obtained, perhaps with 50 or 60 years ago, there are a number of drains that we had in Georgetown- places like Main Street, Carmichael Street, Waterloo Street and Camp Street- where there are avenues. Those used to be channels, which were not filled. And so, whereas in times past, where they were used to store water in heavy rainfall, now there is no such storage,” he explained, saying that those are some of the reasons why we are having a lot of flooding in Georgetown. THE LIGHT HOUSE The issue of concern is whether or not Georgetown is sinking or whether Georgetown is getting lower, Mr Flatts said. “I don’t know and I am not aware that anyone really knows. The problem is that the levels in Georgetown are measured from a benchmark, which is the Light House; all the levels within
Georgetown are governed from one level, which is the Light House. “So if you were to take levels at various points and by every year check the level to see what is happening, then it will be difficult if you are using the mark in the Light House because the Light House itself is in Georgetown, so Georgetown is sinking then the Light House itself is sinking, so you cannot use the Light House as a benchmark to check on Georgetown,” he said. Flatts suggested that if persons really want to know whether Georgetown is sinking, then this would have to be done via satellites. “There are programmes that can be used to do that, where you decide that you want to take the level every six months – from fixed points around Georgetown and you do that over a number of years, then you could know whether or not Georgetown is sinking.” The NDIA CEO asserted that the levels of land in Georgetown cannot be measured from the Light House to know whether there is any change because the Light House is in Georgetown and if the latter is sinking the Light House is also sinking. “It will reflect
the same. In other words, if a particular part of Georgetown has gone down by three inches, the Light House itself would have also gone down by three inches, but there are ways to go around such checks. The most popular way is by way of satellite, which is outside the land,” Flatts offered. In addition, the CEO said, Georgetown starts off with a limitation when there is a flood, in terms of draining the water, because there are two high tides and two low tides on a daily basis. “Unless you supplement the gravity area with a pump then you are not going to pump as much water as you want to. HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS He said too that even when flood water remains on the land for lengthy periods of time, all that will happen is that the water will infiltrate and percolate through the earth. “And even where there are concerns of heavy piles being driven down in the earth, especially in Georgetown for the construction of several Turn to page XXV ►►►
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storey buildings, it will not cause any drop in the city; where there is sandy soil and those piles are driven then there will be some small changes, but going through clay would not be a problem. Those buildings are supported on piles so as not even on the higher levels of the earth, except way down at the lower level,” he said. HOUSING PROGRAMME AND THE CONSERVANCY “In terms of the housing schemes, what we try to do in some cases, in Herstelling, Providence, Farm and so on, this year and next year we plan to do extensive drainage works. As a matter of fact, we have already started. We want to ensure that the people who go to live in those areas enjoy good drainage. So that’s what we are doing; we have contracts, not just for the housing areas, but at the back of those areas where there are farm lands, but of course people are living in front and we have to ensure their water is properly drained,” Mr Flatts assured. The CEO, in his own modesty, said, “I am the officer-in-charge of the Conservancy and I want to ensure that there is no breach, so we don’t foresee any imminent breach of the Conservancy… Right now at the back of the Conservancy, there are about 12 excavators; three pontoons with excavators…we have
enough equipment, even if there were to be a breach to stop it within a few hours – within four, five hours,” he said. “And a breach doesn’t start large, it starts with a small part and gets bigger and bigger, so there is the imminent threat of that. As a matter of fact, we have a project going on there right now, where we are raising the level of the dam under the Flood Risk Management Programme, as well as the NDIA. We are covering a number of kilometres of the dam, which is making it safer. However, he said that if there is a lot of rain like there was in 2005, then there can be some amount of pressure. However, it is nothing that the NDIA is not prepared to handle, Mr Flatts assured. “In the area right now as we speak, there are 12 excavators just working on it every day, so we are just getting safer every day…we are better prepared! Apart from having the Hope Canal right now, where we have pumps that can discharge millions of gallons of water from the Conservancy and on the East Coast, we have pumps at paradise; we have pumps at Plaisance, which
are going to help; we have a lot of mobile pumps and we are simply better prepared,” the CEO declared. “There is no need to fear. The East Demerara Water Conservancy embankment, which is parallel to the Demerara River, is far
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stronger than what it used to be. Historically, I think that there has only been one breach on the East Bank of Demerara. All that we have had was on the East Coast and this is being strengthened daily,” said Mr Flatts. (mercilinburke2017@gmail.com)
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Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
‘Chill’ Options for the hard worker
By Michel Outridge For a typical employee, after a five-day work week, some of us try to go out for a bit and unwind, but what we find is that the options for the nearest ‘watering hole’ are somewhat limited. CHILL SPOT For some, a ‘chill spot’ is easy to find, like the Fridays after work lime at Sweet Point Bar in Orange Walk, Bourda- known colloquially as Bam-Bam Alley. For others, Seeta’s Bar is the ideal spot for that deserving drink. But some of us avoid the usual large gathering of patrons and prefer a quieter setting with less noise. Some would opt for the Hotel setting at places like Marriot, Pegasus, Tower. Or maybe places like OMG Restaurant or the Midtown Chariot Bar among others.Others
tend to go with the flow of going to the ‘regular’ places of the popular bars in the city with friends and coworkers. However, this Friday after work lime is not limited to any group of people, most folks like to go out on Fridays to have a bit of relaxation and indulge in their favourite alcoholic beverages and foods. People go to places of their choice and taste and it varies from person to person. For instance, Sweet Point bar is the place to be for a mature crowd but the younger crowd may want to go elsewhere. COMMUNITY LIME Some communities are known for having their hot spots as well and it is often these locations that provide quite a good bit of entertainment. East and West Ruimveldt, La Penitence and Meadow Brook are some of those areas. And while the mainstream crowd
may not clamour to those destinations, they do attract their fair share of patrons. These locations also sometimes offer the most comfortable atmosphere. You get to have your drinks at your own pace and at the same time you get the opportunity to play friendly games of dominoes and cards. In fact, many think that apart from just sitting and drinking, it is these bar games and activities that help to sharpen your skills both in the game and while socializing. Regardless of what your taste is, you may find it useful to weed out your options- as limited as they may be- and visit one of these places for a bit if relaxation. After all, three days later, and the work week begins again, bringing its own challenges. It’s always best to sit back and reflect on the
past week’s difficulties before moving ahead into the next.
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The iconic
Kaieteur Falls It must be preserved, and its grandeur must be honoured - Gouveia
By Shauna Jemmott Our majestic Kaieteur Falls; a mighty body of water located on the Potaro River in the Kaieteur National Park. It is, perhaps, the most famous feature of our country, with a 741-foot drop that ranks it among the highest single drop waterfalls in the world. Many are aware of its splendor, and it continues to be a strong pull for Guyana’s Tourism industry and is also home to a vast amount of rare flora and fauna. As a result, this natural wonder and its surroundings remain a highly protected area. Chief Executive Officer of Roraima, Gerald Gouveia, who is also a key player in Guyana’s tourism industry said that the Kaieteur has a uniqueness to it that must be preserved at all costs to prevent man-made activities from blemishing the beauty of the matchless destination. And whether in ignorance or consciously, gold miners must desist from breaking the law and bringing destruction to the divinely constructed masterpiece. Last week several porknockers and gold miners were arrested after they were found mining within the Kaieteur National Park area. Charges against the miners had been dropped after a meeting with Government, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) and the National Toushao’s Council (NTC). However, Gouveia in an invited comment at Roraima Duke Lodge Friday made a call to all Guyanese to “obey and comply with the laws of Guyana.” He is pleased, however, with the decision made by President David Granger to pardon the arrested miners.“Government’s action was humane and it would serve as a warning to others not to mine at the Kaieteur National Park,” he said. Mining there creates pollution and can damage the treasured 62,680 hectares of land, which, according to wwfguianas.org, is the oldest and most iconic Protected Area of Guyana. “I do not subscribe to mining in the Kaieteur National Park. It has been des-
ignated what it is and people must obey and comply with the laws of Guyana. If people are mining in the National Park, they need to stop! I would have expected and I hope that people have been warned beforehand to stop their illegal operations in the Kaieteur National Park area,” Gouveia said. Roraima is one of the key players in the tourism industry in Guyana and has several flights to Kaieteur every week. And for Captain Gouveia, every sighting of Kaieteur is a treasured experience. It’s not just another nice-looking place for him, but a place to which his own spirit has a beautiful connection. “Kaieteur Falls is the heartbeat of our tourism and let me just tell you, there’s no other natural wonder of the world like Kaieteur Falls!” As he spoke to Pepperpot Magazine on the majesty of Kaieteur, a look of peace softened his face as his eyelids met into a gentle wink, confirming his sincere love for Kaieteur. “When you go to Kaieteur Falls, the way God created that rock formation and that waterfall is a novelty for Guyana, and we must treasure it and take care of it. There’s nothing else like it in the world. It’s one of the things that distinguishes (us) from the rest of the world. The Kaieteur National Park is very precious to Guyana and we want every Guyanese to respect that National Park,” he said. Gouveia said the fact that the area has been designated a ‘National Park’, every individual must give it its recognition as what it is. “People that go to the area expect to see particular levels of conservation and biodiversity.” Roraima flies tourists to Kaieteur four to five days weekly into the area while other tour and aviation companies also regularly fly the destination. During the peak season – May to August – flights are increased to every day with the company’s 3-engine British Norman Tri-lander. “A lot of times we see the Potaro River that flows in the Kaieteur National
Gerald Gouveia absorbing the wealth of the air at Kaieteur
Park discoloured, and that bothers me. I see the water going over the falls sometimes discoloured and it’s obviously coming from people mining in the area, and that must stop. When the water is low, you actually see the discolouration of the water sometimes,” Gouveia said.
“The Kaieteur National Park must be kept pristine, the water must be pure and black, the rainforest in that area must be preserved and everything we do in that National Park must comply with the rules and regulations that govern a National Park,” is his preservation call.
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Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
Disaster Preparedness By M Margaret Burke PREPARING for any form of disaster, natural or unnatural is never something that people would feel good doing.
Though Guyana is a highly religious community, regardless of what else the people of the country practice, there are clear indications that most, if not all of the people, are uncomfortable addressing the topic of disaster prepared-
ness… they prefer to believe that, ‘with God in-charge, ‘it’ will not happen’, even in spite of the 2005 floods. THE PUBLIC SPEAKS According to one person from the Essequibo Coast, who was interviewed by the Guyana Chronicle and preferred to remain anonymous, “Guyana is a blessed country, we are people with religious freedom and we pray a lot. Don’t matter how some people behave, we are blessed and even though we are below sea level and can get floods, God would protect and take care of us. We don’t need to be afraid. I am a Christian and I am not afraid, however, God expects us to use wisdom and be always prepared – and not be like the five foolish virgins who did not get oil in their lamps. We must be prepared, but we must trust God also, because regardless of how much we are prepared, if God’s mercy does not prevail on us, then it might simply be that all of us can be wiped away. I shudder to give it thought… but because of my faith in the Almighty God, I believe it will not happen.” An active member of one of the municipalities in the Ancient County of Berbice also told this newspaper that he is very much concerned about the situation of flooding in some of the communities there. “The thing is that while some areas look like rivers when there is flooding, many of the people have gotten so accustomed to what is going on that they seem not to care too much; they don’t know about disaster preparedness and all they would do is complain when they lose a whole lot of livestock, produce from their farms and the like; then they have to start all over again. Since this newspaper has opened up this topic with me I am going to do much more to make my people aware of things they need to do in their homes and other preparatory work they should put in place.” Here is what some other persons had to say: Danielle Marshall “I understand disaster preparedness to mean that people must be prepared, in the event of a disaster, especially floods, which we get a lot in Guyana, but I have not put anything in place as yet. However, I will try to put things in place before anything should happen- some food stuff, my torchlight with batteries, lamp and so on. In the meantime, though, I am trusting that God’s mercy will be extended to this nation of Guyana so that we will not experience another flood like the 2005 or even worse.” Patricia Smith “I believe that people need to be prepared financially; that they should have money put away in the event of a flood and many of your things are destroyed by the water….On the other hand, people should be told that they cannot build a house less than five feet from the ground… well, if the water gets so high then we will be in a lot of trouble. At the same time, people who live low should consider building their cupboards over their dressers and not on the floor because if you wake up under water you should not have to worry about all your goods being wet. Also, people should have a medicine press with essential medicines, as well as some canned food stuff, dried peas, and other essential food items such as sugar, salt, rice, old, flour and the like. They must also get drinking water on standby.” Stephen Rogers “I experienced the 2005 flood and would not like to have it happen again; it is a serious matter. But I recovered from it quickly because I had made some provision before. And as a taxi driver, I saw so many things that people experienced, I hope to be much more prepared if it should ever happen again.” CIVIL DEFENCE COMMISSION WORKING TO ENSURE GUYANA’S DISASTER PREPAREDNESS MAJOR KESTER CRAIG, CDC’S DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL CDC’s Deputy Director General, Major Kester Craig, in an invited comment told the Guyana Chronicle that from May 2015 through May 2017, the CDC has been busy planning and implementing many of its programmes, outlined under the Disaster Risk Management Mechanism in Guyana and stated that much work has already been done in relation to disaster preparedness by the Commission. PLANS FOR ‘CARE FACILITIES’ In 2015 the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), in partTurn to page XXIX ►►►
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nership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Social Protection reviewed, tested and operationalised the Ministry of Social Protection Preparedness and Response Plan. Further, in 2017, an Evacuation Plan, as well as a Checklist were developed and implemented, safety procedures were erected and safety equipment procured and installed at the Mahaica Children’s Home to improve the safety of the home in the case of fire, floods, and other hazards. An evacuation plan, as well as a checklist, were also designed and handed over to the Ministry to be implemented in the remaining care facilities in the country. Representatives of the Ministry and the Homes were trained on the use of the safety procedures, as well as evacuation plans. NATIONAL EMERGENCY PLANS The CDC has stated that nationally, the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Structure to manage risk and effectively respond to hazard impacts has been strengthened through a number of initiatives, such as the National Disaster Risk Reduction Coordination Platform (NDRRCP), which was non-functional for several years. This Platform was reviewed and re-activated with an expanded mandate and IS now chaired quarterly by the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who has responsibility for DRM. Two Sub-Committees to the NDRRCP were formed to support and improve the work of the Platform. The Early Warning System Sub-Committee is chaired by the Hydrometeorological Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, and has the overall aim of improving the country’s early warning system in order to improve response time and efforts, reduce fatalities and damage to properties and infrastructure. Habitat for Humanity Guyana, chairs the Monitoring and Evaluation Sub-Committee, which has responsibility for monitoring and evaluating all disaster risk management activities in the country and make recommendations for improvement. NATIONAL EMERGENCY MONITORING SYSTEM (NEMS) The Deputy Director General also released information on a National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) which was established in 2015, at the Headquarters of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). This, he said is a 24-hour system that monitors social media, telephones, radio communications and television stations for incidents across the entire country and triggers individual agency responses, and if the need arises, activates the National Emergency Operations Centre for a multi-agency coordinated response. NATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE COMMITTEE Further, in 2016, the National Search and Rescue Committee, chaired by the Director General of the CDC, was re-established. This Committee meets monthly and continues to develop plans, policies and standing operations procedures for land, maritime and air search and rescue. The Committee also solicits resources, provide training and conducts exercises for its members and response agencies. COMMUNITIES The CDC, Major Craig pointed out, has been working at the community level in several communities across the country, developing and implementing systems to improve their resilience to the impact of dangers. These systems are necessary since communities are the first to be impacted and it often takes a long time to mobilise external resources. As such, Community Based Disaster Risk Management Systems were established in communities. The systems include risk assessments and mappings of community hazard and vulnerabilities, Community-Based Disaster Risk Management Committees and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), as well as the development of Risk Management Plans. The Deputy Director General said that even as the CDC works towards training community leaders in areas of disaster risk management and emergency responses, the expectation is that they impart the knowledge received to their communities. At the same time, he noted that plans are in the pipeline to do expanded training. THE REGIONAL LEVEL In collaboration with the CDC, the Ministry of Communities has implemented the Regional Disaster Risk Management Systems in six of the 10 Administrative Regions. According to the CDC, implementation is on-going in three Regions and by the first quarter of 2018, all the Regions will be completed. These systems are designed to decentralise the management of DRM and to give Regions the tools, training, other relevant resources to manage risk and respond to disas-
ters affecting the Regions, taking into consideration their peculiarities. The CDC states that the completed system includes detailed disaster risk assessments, which outlines the dangers and vulnerabilities affecting each region with associated maps and the development of preparedness and response plans. VOLUNTEERING WITH CDC The CDC has also established a Volunteer Corp in
XXIX an effort to expand the work of the Commission. It commenced with branches in Regions Four, Six and Nine, but by January 2017 it was expanded and there are now volunteers in all ten Regions of Guyana. These volunteers are trained and available to support disaster response, risk reduction and management activities at the community, regional and national levels. The CDC continues to invite volunteers to join and be a part of the work being done. (mercilinburke2017@gmail.com)
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English THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“A little learning is a dang’rous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, And drinking largely sobers us again.” ALEXANDER POPE (1688-1744) Pope’s poem An Essay on Criticism, composed in 1709 STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, To be good at English Language study, you need to develop the ability to use well all words new to you. Some of them will take a seat in your vocabulary without any effort. Some others can be gained by deliberate use in context soon after you meet them. List those new words which you feel are of particular importance to you and determine which ones to begin to use in the near future. Love you. IMPROVING YOUR WRITING The Yeehats were dancing about the wreckage of the spruce-bough lodge when they heard a fearful roaring and saw rushing upon them an animal the like of which they had never seen before. It was Buck, a live hurricane of fury, hurling himself upon them in a frenzy to destroy. He sprang at the foremost man (It was the chief of the Yeehats), ripping the throat wide open until the rent jugular spouted a fountain of blood. He did not pause to worry the victim but ripped in passing, with the next bound tearing wide the throat of a second man. There was no withstanding him. He plunged about in their very midst, tearing, rending, destroying, in constant and terrific motion which defied the arrows which they discharged at him. In fact, so inconceivably rapid were his movements, and so closely were the Indians tangled together, that they shot one another with the arrows; and one young hunter, hurling a spear at Buck in mid-air, drove it through the chest of another hunter with such force that the point broke through the skin of the back and stood out beyond. Then a panic seized the Yeehats, and they fled in terror to the woods, proclaiming as they fled the advent of the Evil Spirit. The Evil Spirit was Buck the Fiend incarnate. (Jack London’s “The Call of The Wild) Something to Do 1. Read the passage with study partners and then discuss its splendid points of description. An appreciation of this writer’s style can help you improve your presentations by and by. Start now to put words together in beautiful and meaningful ways to reveal characters, action, and your own developing
unique writing prowess. 2. Comment on the following phrases used for vivid description: a). fearful roaring b). an animal the like of which they had never seen before c). a live hurricane of fury d). ripping the throat wide open until the rent jugular spouted a fountain of blood e). Indians tangled together 3. Pretend you were a writer of adventure, something like London. Jot down some adventures you anticipate developing in the near future. 4. As you read the passage, you will realise it is carefully chosen to improve your background experience; place it for reference in a Story Ideas booklet. Try to get the book (The Call of the Wild) and similarly written ones to help broaden and brighten your writing ego. GRAMMAR A. These words are often confused: intense, intents; insoluble, insolvable, insolvent. a) Get hold of a good dictionary and use it to find the meaning of each. Use a study partner to figure out the differences. b) Explain the differences to the group. c) Show how each can appear in meaningful sentences. B. Use either raise or rise to complete each of the following sentences. (Some sentences require the past tense or present participle forms.) 1. No matter what I propose, my manager will ______ objections to it. 2. If our costs continue to _____, our prices for the homes will follow. 3. The prices of raw materials have _____ dramatically since the project started. 4. The technician _____ the top of the apparatus to service it. 5. The cost of living _____ steadily last year. C. Which of the following frequently used words are misspelled? Spell each correctly for your group to hear the word,
Amazing Facts
imagine its shape, and assign its correct meaning. 1. application 4. necessary 7. sincerely 2. apointment 5. lisence 8. unconcious 3. akward 6. posess 9. privlege D. Change the present tense forms of the verbs within brackets to the past tense forms. The concept of tense in English is a method that we use to refer to time - past, present and future. 1. The teacher (tear) the child’s birth certificate by mistake. 2. We (see) the new range of hamburgers in our canteen last week. 3. She (begin) the meeting on time. 4. The rest of our study group (catch) the last plane to Mabaruma yesterday. 5. Our vice-principal (send) invitations to all our loyal partners. 6. Vanessa (write) a report that explained the delay. E. Select from among the pronouns within the brackets the one that is correct in each sentence. Remember that a pronoun is used to replace a noun. 1. Is Joan as qualified as (he, him)? 2. The producer was (she, her). 3. No invitations will be issued to (whosoever, whomsoever) is willing to go to see the talking donkey. 4. Hanna asked that the sensitive documents be sent only to (myself, me) and the Hamilton’s clique. 5. Everyone got the gist of it but (they, them). F. Indicate the prepositions that should be used in these sentences. Remember that a preposition precedes a noun (or a pronoun) to show the noun's (or the pronoun's) relationship to another word in the sentence. One of the undying myths of English grammar is that you may not end a sentence with a preposition. 1. Our uniform and safety gear allowance increases are retroactive ….. January 2017. 2. The feed the monster ….. an opening ….. the wall. 3. The owners were unsatisfied ….. the last shipment of dressed lumber. 4. The way one teacher would mark an essay would inevitably be different ….. the way another would mark it.
The future of STEM in Guyana Chronicle Pepperpot June 4, 2017
24-year-old Farnaz Baksh By Vishani Ragobeer AS the number of young girls entering the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) continued to grow, Team Manager for STEM Guyana, Farnaz Baksh is one among the lot who is actively making her mark in this broad field by plunging into robotics. The 21 year-old Farnaz is currently a First Year Computer Science student at the University of Guyana (UG) but she began these formal studies only after taking her own online courses for two years. The student acknowledged that there is global attention being placed on Computer Science, and thus chose to become involved in this field.
Farnaz Baksh and other members of STEM Guyana showing how they build a robot at the launch of the Youth Innovation Project of Guyana (YIPoG) in May
“It’s the 21st Century, it’s all about technological development,” Farnaz told the Pepperpot. She intends on studying Mechanical and Electrical Engineering too, since knowledge in these three fields are a prerequisite for building and working with robots. Despite her obvious interest in ICT, Farnaz is still interested with garnering as much knowledge as she possibly can in various fields. She expressed that learning about everything from culture to outer space is a hobby of hers, though she has a vested interest in the areas of science and technology. “I love coming up with new innovative ideas and bringing them to reality,” she said. Farnaz studied business at the Al -Ghazali Islamic Academy for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations where she wrote eight subjects. She then took a Commercial Computer-Aided Design (AutoCAD) course at Global Technology before writing an additional two subjects Chemistry and Physics- at the CSEC examination level privately. Farnaz said that she was actually fascinated with motor racing initially, especially MotoGP and Formula One, since they all seemed to be at the “pinnacle of technology”. It was here where she believes her love for robotics began. It was this love for robotics that led her to become involved in the Robotics Camps held last year, which were spearheaded by overseas based Guyanese, Karen Abrams. “I attended the Robotics Camp in July of 2016,” Farnaz recalled and as faith would have it, she was placed in the same group as Ricky Chan, the adult mentor/coach from STEM Guyana. Later in September, Farnaz highlighted that Chan invited her to volunteer with youths at the Brickdam Police Station on Saturdays. It was around this time that she began her Computer Science studies at the UG. With the knowledge and skills in robotics she acquired from the Robotics Camp fuelling the flame for robotics she already possessed, she decided to approach her lecturers at UG about establishing Computer Science clubs at the University. One club conceptualized by Farnaz was the UG Robotics Club. Through the club, Farnaz, along with other robotics enthusiasts from the Robotics camps held during the summer, introduced how to build and programme the LEGO Mindstorm EV3 Robots. Even at this point Farnaz was not satisfied and sought to participate in the ‘Hour of Code’ event held last December and continued sharing her acquired knowledge of Robotics with persons form the St. Ann’s Orphanage and the Lusignan Educational Learning Centre. These camps provided her with an opportunity to actually plunge into robotics and after showing much enthusiasm and
ability to lead in subsequent activities, she was selected by Karen Abrams, earlier this year, to become the Team Manager for STEM Guyana. Farnaz and her team, which comprises of youths aged 15-19, along with an adult coach/mentor (Ricky Chan), will be representing Guyana at the inaugural Robot Olympics in Washington D.C., in July of this year. The team will be competing against novice to advanced skilled teams from across 150 different countries. “As team manager, I act as the bridge between the students, coach, sponsors and everyone else,” Farnaz said. Her other responsibilities include keeping the team in check by ensuring
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they complete all tasks in time, always motivating the team and working alongside Ms.Abrams in the registering processes for the team. In fact however, Farnaz admitted that there was once a time when she felt as though she didn’t have the qualities to be a leader, but she owes a lot to Ms. Abrams who placed a lot of confidence in her and allowed her to break out of her shell. “I once asked Ms. Abrams [how come I was selected], and her response was that I’m smart, I show great leadership and many other words which I didn’t think of myself,” Baksh related. Seeking to inspire other young girls, Farnaz advised: “Stop feeling scared and intimidated by others and start questioning and learning about any and everything.” She also expressed that especially in this field, there will be times where people might doubt your abilities but she believes that that is the perfect time to prove them wrong.
Entertainment
Despacito breaks UK singles chart record Bieber also held the number two position with I'm The One - his collaboration with DJ Khaled, Quavo and Chance the Rapper. Captain Ska's Liar Liar, which criticises Prime Minister Theresa May, landed at number four - this week's highest new entry. Liam Payne's Strip That Down stayed at number three while Shawn Mendes's There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back dropped to five. Album chart It's not often that a group climbs 83 places
Not content with topping the charts, being impossibly catchy and featuring Justin Bieber on the remix, Despacito has now also broken a chart record. Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi's single has become the longest-running foreign language number one in UK chart history. The song notched up 129,000 combined sales this week to secure its fourth week at top of the singles chart.
Despacito is sung in Spanish, although many of Bieber's lines are in English. Only nine other foreign-language songs, such as Gangnam Style and The Ketchup Song, have ever topped the UK singles chart. Until Despacito came along, Chanson D'Amour by vocal jazz group Manhattan Transfer held the record for the longest foreign-language stay at number one, spending three weeks at the top in 1977.
Manchester One Love concert: 'Thousands make false ticket claims' More than 10,000 "unscrupulous" people have falsely claimed they were at the scene of the Manchester attack in order to get free tickets for Sunday's benefit concert, Ticketmaster has said. The agency said "opportunists or touts" had tried to take advantage of its offer for those who were at the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena. It has said fans at the original show can get into Sunday's event for free. Some 25,000 people applied - but just 14,200 were at the concert on 22 May. Twenty-two people died and 116 were injured in a suicide bombing at the end of Grande's show. Sunday's concert - One Love Manchester - is expected to raise £2m for the victims and their families. Grande will be joined by stars including Robbie Williams, Little Mix, Take That, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber. The deadline for fans who were at the original concert to apply for free tickets for Sunday was extended twice, eventually
closing at 14:00 BST on Thursday. In a statement, Ticketmaster said: "We have set aside tickets for the 14,200 people who were at the Ariana Grande concert to attend One Love Manchester for free. "More than 25,000 people applied for them. Sadly, over 10,000 unscrupulous applications have been made. "At Ticketmaster we are doing everything we can - including extending today's deadline - to ensure that tickets go to the actual fans and not the opportunists or touts who have also been applying for free tickets." As well as offering free tickets to those at the original concert, the company put around 35,000 further tickets on general sale on Thursday for £40 each. They sold out in less than 20 minutes. But some have appeared on eBay for up to £200 each, leading fans on social media to vent their anger at the "absolutely sickening" sellers who were trying to cash in. The auction site said it was removing them as fast as it could.
to reach the top of the chart, but of course The Beatles are no ordinary group. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, an album almost as famous for its front cover as its music, has raced back up the chart on the week of its 50th birthday. Ed Sheeran and Rag'n'Bone Man continued to linger in the top five, at number two and three respectively. The Charlatans claimed the highest new entry at number four, with Different Day.
Guyana Rice Treat Ingredients 1 lb prawns 2 tbsp oil 1 bundle bora beans cut into ¼ inch lengths 2 tomatoes ¼ lb cabbage, shredded 2 onions, chopped Piece of pumpkin, diced 1 green pepper, chopped 6 slices pineapple, diced 1 pt rice, cooked Salt and pepper Eschallot, chopped Pineapple shell for serving Parsley Preparation • Sauté the prawns in fat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. • Add the vegetables and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. • Add the rice, pepper, salt and diced pineapple. Mix well together. Allow to become quite hot. • Spoon lightly into pineapple shell. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.