Pepperpot 01 21 2018

See inside: Earning a living selling V ‘pointa’ brooms ► Page

The National Library, ‘The People’s University’ ► Page

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Arifa Mohamed

The brilliant mind behind

Guyana’s first ‘virtual doctor’ initiative ► Page

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Editor’s note PERHAPS it was mere coincidence, but this week’s Pepperpot Magazine focuses on stories promoting positivity.

When I looked at the mere collection of persons encouraging others not to give up regardless of their situation- a ‘pointa’ broom seller who is proud of her profession; women who were teenaged mothers but have fought against

the odds and are now living fulfilling lives, and many others- it brings to mind just how important these stories are in helping to mould the minds of the public. In a 2011 article on the Huffington Post, columnist Rachael Freed said this about the importance of storytelling: “Stories connect the past and present to the future. Our stories

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018 and our learning from them honour and respect our ancestors and us.

They can awaken future generations to their potential. They model a way to use their stories to release themselves as they connect to their history and to our values.” And so as you read the Pepperpot this week, and going forward, we urge that you pay more than just casual attention to the stories that these persons have to tell, as they may very well be responsible for changing someone’s life in a positive way.

More than Books Part 1 The National Library

“The People’s University”

By Gibron Rahim THE National Library is a familiar sight to the people of Georgetown. The institution, which will celebrate 110 years in existence in 2019, is the headquarters of Guyana’s public library service. The institution though, and indeed libraries in general, is more than a place to borrow books. The National Library plays numerous crucial roles in the community, even as it adjusts to today’s digital age.

The institution now known as the National Library of Guyana opened its doors in 1909. The Scottish-American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated £7,000 toward its construction. The library was a part of the family of Carnegie libraries that rose in the early 20th Century. The Pepperpot Magazine was able to sit down with the some of the staff of the library to learn more about the institution’s historical and evolving role in the community and Guyana.

The National Library, explained Chief Librarian, Emiley King, personifies the role of libraries as “the people’s university’. “We seek to provide books of all natures,” King said. “We are also moving toward technology, even though we’re not moving as fast as we would like to because of financial challenges, etc.”

the digital age, the library is moving in the direction of being more digital. In fact, the library hopes to begin offering e-books and e-journals as early as next year. “We, as a national library, are embracing technology,” she said.

Annis Craig, another professional librarian, noted that the library is trying to expand its role by acting as a community-based centre. The goal is to have programmes that include the entire community. She explained that they are currently trying to revamp the services offered at the library’s 21 centres, in terms of including the community. She noted that they are currently working on rolling out The library, she said, is growing, has grown and will continue to grow. She noted that the National Library is tasked with performing a dual role. As of 1972, the institution has been a national library. This role charges it with preserving our country’s literature for future generations. The other role is that of a public library which has a more recreational aspect.

While acknowledging that the National Library has lost membership in some instances over the years, the Chief Librarian, along with Deputy Chief Librarian Nadine Moore, noted that the institution has been embarking on extension programmes and activities that have been bringing back members and readers to the library. “Those activities stem from the juvenile, adult and the reference department,” Moore said. Among these activities is the Champion Readers Competition in the juvenile department. She also noted that the Preschool Literacy Programme, a collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protection, will soon be coming on board in that department.

Activities in the adult department include the Gillian Thompson Reading Challenge and the On the Road to Safety Essay Competition.

The National Library’s reference department is responsible for the annual debating competition, a spelling bee and, very shortly, a Smart Skills literacy programme for adults.

“The National Library is still, and will, continue working to improve literacy in Guyana,” Moore emphasised.

GOING THE DIGITAL ROUTE She acknowledged that, while persons may question the relevance of libraries given

pilots for three of the centres with a launch goal set for before the end of the first quarter of this year. “We are working toward continuous improvement of provided services to our Guyanese public,” said Craig.

Among the technological developments the National Library is working toward is the introduction of the Koha System. Developed in New Zealand, Koha is an open source online public access catalogue. King explained that funding had allowed the National Library to begin an online catalogue in 2012. Unfortunately, challenges presented themselves.

“With technology,” she said, “You need to have the human resource.” While the staff can input the data, there is the need for IT professionals when issues such as server and internet connection problems. She explained that the National Library is unable to pay enough to retain the services of a software engineer or a systems librarian. This has necessitated looking to the Diaspora for assistance.

“We’ve been actively looking at entities, such Turn to page IX ►►►

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

III

The brilliant mind behind

Guyana’s first ‘virtual doctor’ initiative

By Ravena Gildharie

iMed – Guyana’s first ‘virtual doctor’ initiative, an app that enables the end-consumer to access licensed healthcare practitioners in an affordable way,” she continued.

Explaining her motivation, Mohamed observed her friends and family members from Essequibo requiring specialised healthcare but were restricted by geography.

“More than that, I saw that even when you are able to make it to the clinic or hospital, there is often a lengthy wait or burdensome cost,” Mohamed noted.

ESSEQUIBO-born Arifa Mohamed earned herself a name as one of Guyana’s brightest young minds in 2009 when she emerged one of the country’s top six CSEC performers. An Anna Regina Multilateral School student then, she placed first for all of Essequibo and Junior Secondary Schools.

The performance won her much recognition and awards, both nationally and regionally.

To her, the achievement was “a signal” that she could achieve whatever she envi- AGAINST THE ODDS sioned once she applied “enough discipline and dedication.” After secondary school, she completed two years of Bio-Chemistry at the University of Guyana, in pursuance of becoming a medical doctor. She then proceeded to study Business Law and psychology through the University of Cambridge (via School of the Nations Guyana) and continued on to the University of Guyana to study Sociology, and later Law with a focus on Business Law. Eight years later, at age 25 and a University of Guyana Law student, Mohamed is a powerhouse of vibrancy and success; chartering a course as a digital entrepreneur; and driven by a new found love for law and entrepreneurship, which she entwined with her childhood passion for the medical field. Fueled with such dynamism, she founded “iMed Guyana”- an app geared to aid the healthcare system in Guyana, by confronting the challenges of hard-to-access geographic locations, limited human resources, lack of funding and outdated technology. While the app is under construction, Arifa aggressively engages relevant health bodies in Guyana and is also working with doctors to build a network of Arifa Mohamed with her parents ‘on-demand’ healthcare practitioners. at ARMS Graduation 2009 The goal she chases is to make iMed “an Uber for medicine.”

“Imagine visiting the doctor without ever The second phase of her project aims to leaving your house,” Mohamed outlined to use the app as a health tracker, pills reminder, the Pepperpot Magazine. “Imagine your and offline knowledge bank. The third phase medical prescription being delivered through seeks to develop mobile add-on medical your phone. Imagine having an on-demand devices that analyse blood, track health, and cardiologist, psychiatrist, primary care phy- do ultrasounds. The tech-savvy entrepreneur sician, or any specialist. This is the power of is hoping to complete the second and third Arifa Mohamed at SSEE Graduation 2002 as Valedictorian from Primary School

Arifa Mohamed being interviewed by Timesnow India at GES 2017. She was also interviewed by Entrepreneur India, Hindustan Times, The New India Express and Mahaa News

phases of operations throughout the Caribbean.

Not oblivious to the gamut task at hand, Mohamed is determined to make iMed a triumph. She recalled that at the beginning, naysayers cautioned her: “This is Guyana. It will never work.”

However, as the idea grew, others started joining, and there is now a fullfledged team developing the concept.

Looking ahead, Mohamed is optimistic about support from both private and public sector organisations as iMed moves closer to launch. She disclosed that the revenue model is similar to other apps in the ‘sharing economy’ where the platform will receive a small percentage to facilitate transactions between health care practitioners and patients. Totally self-funded thus far, the businesswoman is seeking to also raise capital for an awareness and sensitisation campaign.

It is this staunch discipline and determination that Mohamed attributes

her success, noting that while she wears many hats, her “I-can-do-it-all" approach/attitude enables her to successfully multitask and reap success in numerous facets at the same time.

Currently, a Business Development Officer at SocialRank Media, a digital marketing agency in Guyana, Arifa is tasked with building marketing strategies across all relevant media to support client's business objectives, market research, branding, new product development, and business development.

She has successfully raised visibility and increased customer engagement for hundreds of brands, including Bruster’s Ice Cream, Franklin Covey, Sheer Strength, Auberge Resorts, Parliament of Guyana, Ansa Mcal, Massy, Metro Guyana, and Bounty Farm Ltd. Her areas of expertise are branding, Google & Facebook ads analytics, reputation management, consumer research & insights, sales funnels & lead generation, and project management. She is also currently a part-time trainer at The Masterclass Institute (a training Turn to page IX ►►►

IV

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

Gone is the Golden Era of Cinemas in Guyana

By Francis Quamina Farrier AFTER almost a century of cinema and cinema-going in Guyana, that aspect of the Guyanese culture, has taken on the title of the best-selling American novel of 1936, "Gone With the Wind". That novel was made into an equally successful movie in 1939, in which the very first Black performer, Hettie McDaniel, won an Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) at the Academy Awards. Last year, with the demolition of the ASTOR Cinema which was located at the corner of Church and Waterloo Streets in Georgetown, the curtain finally came down and an aspect of Guyanese culture; cinema-going as we knew it, was "Gone with the Wind".

The very first cinema to have been built in British Guiana, was the posh GAIETY, which was constructed on the western side of Camp Street between Croal Street and Brickdam in the early 1920s. Unfortunately, like the burning down of Atlanta, in that movie "Gone with the Wind", the GAIETY was burnt down in 1926. Amazingly, another cinema with the name GAIETY and which was in New Amsterdam, also ended by fire.

The METROPOLE at the corner of Robb and Wellington Streets in Georgetown had a similar end.

Another Georgetown cinema which was burnt down was the DOREEN, located at the corner of Vlissengen Road and Garnett Street, Newtown. Replacing it was the LIBERTY, which was demolished some years ago - the plot is now empty. The DeLUXE at Diamond on the East Bank Demerara, also ended its existence because of a fire.

During that 20th Century Golden era of cinema in Guyana, there were cinemas at Line Path, Albion, New Amsterdam, Rosignol, De

Edward, Bath, Beterverwagting, Plaisance, Kitty, Diamond, Vreed-en-Hoop, Anna Catherina, Suddie, Anna Regina, Bartica, Linden and a few others. Charity on the Pomeroon should have been included in this list of cinemas since a cute little structure for a cinema was constructed there many years ago, but it was never used as a cinema.

The majority of the movies screened at our cinemas came primarily from the United States. But there were those that came from England, India and China. Fans turned out in their numbers to enjoy their favourite stars in

Born in Beterverwagting, Guyana, international movie star Cy Grant, was seen in cinemas in Guyana in a number of movies, including "Sea Wife", "At the Earth's Core" and "Shaft in Africa"

THE TEN COMMAND- The Strand De Luxe cinema is now used as a MENTS and the centu- church run by Brazilians (Photo by F.Q. Farrier) ry-old history stories such as The Tale of Robin Hood.

Then there were the Tarzan movies in which a white male character, was able to swing effortlessly from tree to tree in the African jungle, and even talk to and be in full control of the wild animals. Indian movies were also very popular, and some cinemas, such as the EMPIRE on Middle Street and the LIBERTY on Vlissengen Road in GeorgeSledge at the GLOBE. For a period of time, town, screened Indian movies exclusively. there used to be a live show at the GLOBE Going to the movies was as important as Cinema at Church and Waterloo Streets going to church, mandir and masjid for a high opposite the ASTOR. That live show was percentage of the populace. There were those broadcast on the Radio every Thursday night, who went to the movies now-and-then, those just before the 8.30 movie was screened. The who went every week, and those who went ASTOR and EMPIRE in Georgetown also almost every day. hosted live shows over the years.

While these cinemas were built to screen Part of cinemas and cinema-going in movies, many of them also hosted live stage Guyana, was the production of movies by performances, since the majority had a stage Guyanese; “OPERATION MAKONAIMA”, in front of the screen. Some of these live stage “AGGRO SEIZEMAN”, “ANMOL BANDshows were performed by local artistes and HAN” and “IF WISHES WERE HORSES” some with foreign performers. among others. The production of feature films In the 1940s and 1950s, there were some was intended to be a much bigger enterprise very popular Vaudeville shows at the OLYMin Guyana. The plan by then-President Forbes PIC cinema which was located on Lombard Burnham, was to establish Guyana as the Street in Georgetown. Artistes included, coHollywood of the Caribbean - 'Gullywood', medians Sam Chase and Jack Mellow, singer if you will. The construction of the complex and dancer Madam O'Lindy and the formative now known as NCN on Homestretch Avenue Muttoo Brothers Band whose musical style in Georgetown, was intended for the editing

a wide variety of movie genres, including the action-packed Westerns and the mesmerising Musicals. There were also the many movies which were stories from the Bible such as

The GLOBE at left with poster with the musical "CAROUSEL"and the ASTOR at right. Francis Quamina Farrier (in plaid shirt) is standing at the centre; Church and Waterloo Streets, 1956

was the forerunner of the now very popular Soca. The Vaudeville shows also included singers Doreen Gravesande and Monica Chopperfield (Lady Guymine), Midget Sam Dopie, Calypsonian Lord Cobra and many others. On a personal level, I can say that as a youngster participating in the British Guiana National Drama Festivals of the early 1960s, I performed in a play which was staged at the DeLUXE Cinema at Diamond on the East Bank Demerara.

Foreign artistes such as American Brook Benton performed at the Strand De Luxe Cinema on Charlotte and Wellington Streets in Georgetown and Mahalia Jackson and Percy

of locally shot films and those from the Caribbean. No need to mention that Burnham's vision, like the prize-winning American play and later movie, "A RAISIN IN THE SUN", simply dried up after his passing.

There were, however, occasions when movies involving Guyanese, were like Hollywood on Oscar night. All the stars were there; an example being the screening of the movie from the best-selling book, “TO SIR, WITH LOVE” by E.R Bratihwaite starring Sidney Poitier. It was held at the METROPOLE at Robb and Wellington Streets in Georgetown.

In attendance were President Forbes BurnTurn to page V ►►►

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

V

Earning a living selling ‘pointa’ brooms

By M Margaret Burke FOR over two decades Irene Kingston, 43, from the East Coast of Demerara has made ends meet by making and selling 'pointa’ brooms. She plies her trade mainly in Georgetown, but also does some of her business in other villages on the East Coast, though hardly in the village where she lives.

Her day begins at 05:30hrs, when offices have not yet opened their doors. “This is my ‘office’ and the job pays for all my expenses,” she says.

Irene Kingston prefers not to show her face as she replenishes her stock to go again

SINGLE PARENT "As a single parent, I start off by having my devotion with my three girls; have them start their little household chores… loose the fowls and feed them; water the plants in our little kitchen garden, as well as the plants for our home – I love plants; do what little household chores they have to do and then prepare for school,” Kingston told the Pepperpot Magazine . She went on to say that her girls are still in secondary school, and that she takes their education very seriously.

She says that nothing will stop her from doing everything possible to help her children since she feels as if she is both mother and father for them.

PLYING THE TRADE Kingston said that she would travel to Georgetown at least three times every week to sell the 'pointa’ brooms, which she makes herself, “by stripping off the leaves from the branches of the coconut trees, leaving the 'pointa' alone, which is then turned into brooms.”

She explained that even though sometimes she gets really tired she would still walk through street after street in selected areas to get her 'pointa’ brooms sold. “I feel very sad when I have to carry brooms back home – I rather reduce the price just to get them off my hand and not have to carry them back home,” Kingston said.

SOME CHALLENGES She explained that though it looks like simple work, sometimes it can become really hard because some branches are harder to “strip”, leaving your hands feeling sore and tender, with bruises and small cuts – so it is very painful at times.

“Then some branches do not have as much 'pointa' or they are very small or thin, so you have to use a whole set to get the desired amount to make a big enough broom for people to accept. They tell you plain: 'That small, small thing?' and they refuse to buy it or want to beat down your price,” Kingston explained.

She also said that the rainy season offers some further challenges since it is difficult to cut branches when they are wet and heavy with water. Again, stripping off the 'pointa' becomes a bit more difficult and somewhat discouraging to pursue.

“However, this is where my kitchen garden, as well as fowls come in. They help out greatly because I usually sell greens and ◄◄◄ From page IV

ham and everyone who was anyone in the society. Another gala-type screening was that of “THE RIGHT AND THE WRONG” at the GLOBE cinema starring the glorious Guyanese, Gloria David. President Arthur Chung was among those who attended.

There are too, Guyanese-born actors who were in international movies which were seen in our Guyanese cinemas.

Georgetown-born Robert Adams was the very first; he appeared in such movies as "Song of Freedom", "Men of Two Worlds" and "King Solomon's Mines". Beterverwagting-born Cy Grant appeared in movies such as "Sea Wife", "At the World's Core" and "Shaft in Africa". All of these movies which were produced in the 1940s and 1950s were well attended because of the Guyanese involvement.

It is apt to note that of all the cinemas of the 20th-century Guyana which have maintained their original structure, two of them are now used as houses of worship - they are the STRAND De LUXE and the HOLLYWOOD in Georgetown. Unlike the movie “LILIES OF THE FIELDS” which Sidney Poitier, the first black Hollywood actor to win Best Actor at the Hollywood Academy Awards, and which did not conclude with the graphic "The End", but instead "AMEN", there is really no "Amen" to cinema-going in Guyana, since a new high-tech type of cinema is now emerging. For while 20th Century cinema in Guyana has "Gone WithThe Wind", in this the 21st Century, our cinema is now on a "Star Trek (to the) Planet of the Titans".

eggs; sometimes I even sell a few fowls (chickens),” Kingston said.

GOOD BUSINESS “As simple as it is and with all the challenges, this business had enabled me to pay a rent for years, until I was able to get a piece of land from my grandfather and from this very business I worked even more hard and now have my own house,”

Kingston said.

She related that because her grandfather saw how hard she was working – making a lot of sacrifice- he called her one day and told her that he felt that she deserved a break in life and that he was giving her a piece of land at a good spot in the village, so that she could live a comfortable life.

“I cried and gave my grandfather a big hug. I really, really thanked him because this was the best thing anybody ever did for me in my whole life. Then I promised grandpa that I would not disappoint him; that I would continue to work hard and put up a decent house on the land, and so I did,” Kingston said.

INTRODUCED TO THE BUSINESS “I was introduced to this business by my aunt, who did it for many years. Though the idea was not appealing at first because my aunt did not do too well – living and dying in an old, dilapidated house that was never painted, I still gave it a try. I really had very little choice,” she said.

However, she says that she is now a happy woman and proud of what she was able to accomplish. She said that the business has been able to sustain her, as well as helped her to maintain her children and even provided a roof over their heads. Furthermore, I have now developed a network of customers who would take brooms from me regularly. At the same time, I also scout for new customers.

The woman explained that the business of making and selling 'pointa’ brooms – like many other businesses needs the determination to go from street to street calling out, “pointa broom!” In some places, you need to convince people (mostly ladies) to buy a broom. “However, over the years many have come to understand that it is the source of my daily bread and so they buy, even if they would put it up,” says Kingston.

She said that at the end of each day, most times she can look back with delight, knowing that her day was well spent; that while she is her own boss, she is also a ‘hard taskmaster’ to herself. “If you cannot discipline your own self, you will not get very far in life,” she assured.

'Just Cruising'

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

Musician reminisces on 14-year career on cruise ship

By Telesha Ramnarine

ABOUT 20 years ago, Mark Anthony Ferdinand was playing dominoes with some relatives at the home in Plaisance where he grew up, and today, he can still remember how he dashed from the table in excitement to take a phone call that would eventually change his life for good.

His brother and brother-in-law were quite noisy with the game, so he ran up the street, at the side of the cemetery where it was quieter, and took the call on his worn out mobile phone that he had had for ages.

It was Mr. Claymont Charles, an agent for a cruise ship who was about to offer Mark the job of his dreams–to be the band’s lead singer on the very ship! It was a moment filled with pure excitement and Mark was ecstatic. He was so happy that he questioned himself, “Is this really happening to me?”

Mark, 38, knew that singing was what he loved from a very early age and he grew to love it even more as he would sing in church and at school.

In an interview with The Pepperpot Magazine a few days ago, Mark recalled that at the time, although he was short and couldn’t meet the microphone, a bench would be provided for him in church. And at just age 10, he understood what tears of joy meant!

“It was as if I had a built-in amplifier because my voice was so heavy. So often tears would come down my face because everyone was so amazed at how I sing. You know that you can sing and people are so amazed every time you sing, and they want you to keep singing and seeing their response brought those tears of joy,” he said.

Mark attended Saint Paul’s Primary and finished his secondary education at Cummings Lodge Secondary School, both located

months, all he did was practice different genres of songs.

“My family went crazy with me sometimes because even in the nights I would be practicing. At that time it was the DVD player and I didn’t have headphones and those things.”

Although Mark wasn’t being paid for those three months, he never for a second thought about giving up the opportunity.

In the meantime, he was sent documents to help him secure a US visa and other official papers. I had to go to St. Lucia to rehearse with the band for 11 days and afterward, we left for Seattle, Washington. So that was an exciting start for me.”

Mark Anthony Ferdinand

on the East Coast of Demerara, thanks to the loving efforts of his single-parent mother, Alice Ferdinand. His dad, Reginald Henry, who was also a singer, died when Mark was just two years old.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Growing up with 10 siblings, Mark being the second to last, he knew exactly what it meant to be in want. He recalled that the family was very poor, and hence a job offer like this was plainly too good to be true for him.

“I was going through some serious blows [financially]. I had a phone and it was so old. The privileges on the ship were really nice compared to coming from a home in Plaisance where you grew up in poverty and your dad died leaving your mom with so many kids. So you have to pinch yourself, ‘Is this real, being on a cruise ship?’ When I leave my room, there are people coming to change my sheets and putting chocolates on my bed. And then it felt great to be entertaining the three to four thousand passengers on the ship,” Mark fondly recalled.

Singing on the cruise ship took Mark to many parts of the world and this he did for a total of 14 years.

DISCOVERY The day he turned up at the Plaisance Guinness Bar and did a song with the ‘One Man Band’, Mark hadn’t the slightest clue that this would lead him to the cruise ship job. The guy playing, known as ‘LT’, was so surprised with Mark’s talent that he took him to the Jerusalem band-room the next day and introduced him to the musicians there.

“They told me that I can really sing and they asked me to sing a song and I sang ‘Unchained Melody’ by ‘The Righteous Brothers.’ They were all shocked at the singing and the guitarist, Colwin, now living in the US, told me he’s working on cruise ships and that there’s a band in St. Lucia and that the agent needs a singer.”

Colwin linked Mark up with the guys in St. Lucia and they sent him all of the songs that he needed to learn. For the next three

NO PLACE LIKE HOME In August 2014, Mark decided he had enough of working on the cruise ship and so decided to return home. “I so much love Guyana. Even as I travelled around the world, there is no place I found food as good as in Guyana. I’ve had quite an experience travelling the world but I just want to be home and try my best to do music at home," he said.

Mark performs both religious and secular music with different bands at the Pegasus and Marriott hotels, and at his church. He writes his own music which is produced by Vijay from the Paradigm Studio.

Speaking about his lyrics, Mark said he makes an effort to write clean music based on life and love, so that it can appeal to every member of the family.

Not too long ago, he joined The Maxx

Mark on the cruise ship back in the days

Band that was launched by Chief Executive Officer of Giftland Mall, Mr. Roy Beepat.

“It’s a pleasure to be working with The Maxx Band. I see potential with the group of young people who are really excited about music. And I’m happy at the fact that Mr. Beepat took the initiative to invest in a band to help young musicians in Guyana,” he expressed.

Mark wants to be able to release an album this year, having already written a number of songs. To get them out is very costly, he noted, and it is the man on the street that ends up making more money on his songs.

“In Guyana, there are no copyright laws, so our music is not protected. The people on the road selling our music make more money than us.”

Mark has worked with Courts Guyana Limited, and the Guyana Police Force band-room. He now has a barbershop where he lives in Pouderoyen.

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

VII

Positive vibes make positive lives – Sage advice for living a happy life

By Naomi Marshall “I does try to show people every time something negative happen to you, take something positive out of it,” said Oswald Charles, a wellknown vendor in the mining town of Linden.

Charles better known as “Speedy” uses every opportunity he gets to counsel and encourage young people.

But where did his urge of counseling young people come from?

Charles grew up in a single-parent home where his mother was the breadwinner and society played the role of his father, causing him to be certain of society having a huge impact on the generation of today.

“My mother put the food on the table an suh and society use to bring me up. Society is very important because it get [good] society and it get negative, but you still have to know who you choose,” Charles noted.

However, Charles feels fortunate knowing that he had two mothers, his biological mother and a spiritual mother who he did business with. “[She] teach me business and she was the talking one. My mother wasn’t the talking one but my mother was the one always sharing love and always don’t get no problem with nobody,” Charles explained.

He also stated that his mother’s father played a significant role in his life in which he is grateful for.

Charles can remember performing his responsibilities before attending school in the mornings, such as, selling newspaper and fetching water. He said, “Growing up was a little challenging but so wonderful. I enjoyed my playful days.”

Charles has been doing business since 1993 when he ventured into the interior looking for gold and diamond. After some time, he bought a bus and returned to his hometown. With his new bus, Charles started working public transportation on the Amelia’s Ward/Wismar bus park. He recalls that “children use to pay $10 and adults use to pay $20.” However, due to financial reasons in 2002, he was forced to sell his bus which led him to start ‘touting’ and driving other people’s vehicles.

“After then more vehicle and buses start come so I come up with an idea and I start thinking, okay I can start selling some cane juice,” explained Charles.

On October 10, 2013, Charles began his venture of selling fresh cane juice, orange juice, tamarind syrup, snow cone and plantain chips, just to name a few, under a tent on the Amelia’s Ward/ Wismar park.

“I like out here cause I does get to speak to more fathers, more delinquents and things like that and I enjoy speaking to them,” he said joyfully.

Charles highlighted that he tries to show people how to turn something negative into

Charles (white cap) having a good time with his friends back in the days

something positive.

“If you have to get finance you could work lil more hard. Do something lil more hard and be smart, be wise, respect people, respect every single soul. You might see a madman walking the street. Don’t watch at he as a madman, something is there inside of he…he may say something, would do something to you so show he that respect and respect every person that you come into

Charles attending to customers

Charles describes himself as multi-talented, pointing out that in 2002 he directed his first stage show by the name of ‘Agree to Disagree’, which brought Jumbie Jones, Chowpow, Henry Rodney among others, to Linden.

Despite being optimistic, this 50-year-old is faced with many challenges which he strives to surpass and be happy. “I am just enjoying myself right now. I gon be 50 next year. I enjoying my

Charles poses for the camera in his early days

contact with…and life would be easier for you,” advised Charles.

“There always have a way out,” are Charles’ words of encouragement to men who are struggling with domestic problems. He can recall taking 18 years after being married to end the marriage. “And out of that no children wasn’t coming and look today I start a next relationship and it’s like a brand new relationship, like this woman was just there for me. I had three boys, one pass away and I have two boys right now.

The last month or so I have a brand new baby boy,” he noted. Charles also has three foster children.

Aside from work, Charles would spend his spare time playing dominoes, making people laugh and putting on the funniest costumes.

“When I could make people laugh I feel that people happy because what I know, it takes 42 bones the good book say to crumble but it takes 17 bones to make people smile. Say things to empower them, stop dem from arguing,” he explained. Charles also thinks that an agreement can always be settled.

50 years and just feeling nice. Whatever happen to life right now I just feeling so great and so many things is happening so good for me that I just breathing the good breath of life and God is just seeing me through,” says Charles.

For the Christmas season, Charles hosted a Softball Cricket competition in collaboration with Esco beer and the Ministry of Social Protection.

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

Reflections...

How one family-owned business contributed to a community

AFTER having served for 56 years in the Petrol Filling Station Business, the owners of what was previously known as ROSS Service Station, have made a grand come back into the business. This time, with a modernised and more efficient outlook and as part of a network of 10 ‘Rubis Service Stations’ in Guyana. Commissioned last Wednesday, it is now known as the Ross Rubis Service Station.

This move has been lauded by members of the community who have pleasant memories of the way the business evolved over the years and how it impacted their lives – providing an impeccable service, as well as providing employment for people of the neighbourhood

and generally reaching out to help persons in need and who were willing to help themselves.

Persons who knew the proprietor, Mr. Coglan Ross and family personally attested to the fact that Ross Service Station was one of the top service stations around town and the management distinguished itself as being of probity and rectitude; service-oriented; and with the customer always in mind. Others told of management’s good relations with people; with the police nearby; their highly professional approach to business and essentially their resonant leadership style.

Among those sharing pleasant reflections of experiences with the Ross Service Station

Management and Staff of Ross Rubis Service Station at the commissioning of the service. Proprietors Mr. and Mrs Coglan and Alice Ross (second and third (front right). Third and fourth from right - their children: Caretta Ross Hopkinson and Robert Callendar and at extreme right is Caretta’s husband, Sean Hopkinson

down through its 56 years of operation, is Donna Bowen, who hails from neighbouring Hill Street, Albouystown, and who will tomorrow (Monday) turn 60.

Taking a trip down memory lane, Donna vividly recalls that she had been in contact with Ross Service Station ever since she was about six years old – buying kerosene for her mother.

“I was living on the Independence Boulevard side and so we used to walk all the way down Hogg Street; walk all the way to the gas station and buy kero,” she recalled. “At that time, kero was sold for eight cents per pint and that meant that one gallon cost 64 cents.

It came in two colours: blue flame and white (colourless) flame. Blue flame used to cook like gas – it used to burn clean. It never used to give soot and so, but with the white flame now, you used to get lil’ redness in the flames and so that would bring on black pot.”

She recalled that blue flame kero was the number one seller since it used to give a cleaner cook like gas. And there was also the Kerosene Refrigerator which used to be powered by the same blue flame kerosene oil so that sold a lot.

She also has memories of parents sending their children to the gas station with two-pint brown cider glass bottles to have them filled at the gas station for just 16 cents.

“It was fun going to the gas station to buy kero for our parents. We felt a sense of responsibility and would get the opportunity to meet our friends on the way. [But essentially] we knew that we had to be careful and couldn’t hold the bottle with wet hands or in any way to get it slippery, for that would have been the end of everything – kero, plus bottle,” Donna mused.

But what was funny, was that ever so often the kids would pray that the kero in the stove would finish fast, just to get an opportunity to head down to Ross Service Station and meet up with their friends.

After leaving Dolphin’s Government School, she secured employment as a waitress at the very popular “Village Gate’ - Ross’ Restaurant and Bar where she worked for

Donna Bowen, employee of Ross Rubis Service Station (Delano Williams Photos)

several years, finding the job very rewarding.

As time went by she became the proud mother of two children – girl and boy and, later on, even became a grandmother of one.

Positively influenced by the fuel business, in time, the boy accepted a job as a pump attendant at GUYOIL Gas Station where he continues to this day.

As for Donna, with the reopening of the Ross’ Gas Station in 2017, she was once again employed with the company, and this time around – as a cleaner under the newly-branded ROSS RUBIS Service Station.

“I would urge people, especially from around this neighbourhood to continue to support the ROSS Rubis Gas Station where the service is friendly, professional and quick. You don’t have to waste time here. Additionally, with the presence of the Ruimveldt Police just across the road, your security is assured, “ Donna modestly asserted.

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

IX

Teenage pregnancy is not the end of the world

By Vanessa Braithwaite JUDY (not her real name), sits on the stairway of her one bedroom home, gazing into the sky. With tears settled in her eyes and her hands propping her chin, she fights for words to tell the story of how she became pregnant at only 15 years old. It is not selective amnesia that is responsible for Judy’s difficulty to explain, but her worry on how she will provide for a life that will be in the world within the next six months has engulfed all her energies and so all she can do is sit and cry.

Silence continued to engulf the atmosphere until Judy’s mother, who is a janitor, broke it with these words of hope,” I told her ◄◄◄ From page III

institution focused on the development of nano, micro and small businesses in Guyana).

MAKING AN IMPACT GLOBALLY Last November, Mohamed joined over 1,700 well-seasoned and emerging entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders from 140 countries across the world, who participated in the eighth annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017. It took place in Hyderabad, India and Mohamed’s participation was sponsored by the United States government. The summit was centered on the theme ‘Woman First, Prosperity for All’ with major focuses on emerging industries, including Energy and Infrastructure, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Financial Technology and Digital Economy, and Media and Entertainment.

For Mohamed, it was an intense and life-changing experience that exposed her to a greater level of understanding of the current trends and innovative and disruptive industries that are flourishing and making international waves throughout the entrepreneurial community.

“It was an invaluable event where I was connected to not just entrepreneurs but to mentors from global tech compa-

not to worry, as long as there is life, there is hope; if we all have to eat salt and rice, we will eat it and we will survive. She not throwing away no baby, and she is not dropping out of school. Is a mistake she make, and it hurt me because I tried my best to not let this happen, but I am not putting her out, I am not putting out my good for anybody bad, is my daughter and I will see her through,” her mother lamented.

A speck of hope sprinkled down Judy’s spine and as she rose her head, she was strengthened by her mother’s words of assurance. She began to speak. “I had dreams of coming out of poverty, getting an education, and becoming a teacher. I wanted to be the one to help mommy, now I feel like I am nies, high-level executives and even investors…I've also connected with a team in Hyderabad who will be assisting me with iMed GY,” Mohamed stated. She was offered mentorship, collaborations, volunteer hours and guidance for her project and is currently in talks with an attendee from Europe who is willing to offer her software as an add-on application for iMed. Stemming from that exposure, Mohamed is also part of a core team executing the Digital Wealth Creation Summit 2018 at the Marriott Hotel, Guyana. Additionally, she is a working with a group of young start-up entrepreneurs that she met in India to help launch and grow their start-ups.

Her advice for others: “You can do it but you can’t/shouldn’t do it alone.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Starting something is hard, especially something that is a bit out of the norm. There are so many moving pieces and factors to take into account that it can become really overwhelming, so don't be afraid to ask for help. Also, it’s easy to get sucked into the daily whirlwind of tasks, errands and responsibilities; but be sure to carve out time for self-care — sleeping, eating well and relaxing are just as important as completing that ‘next task.’”

Arifa Mohamed at GES 2017 in India ◄◄◄ From page II

as the Peace Corps, to see whether we could acquire the services of a systems librarian,” King also noted.

A system librarian would go a long way toward assisting a greater integration of technology. Retaining those services for two or three years would enable the staff to really push the expansion of the library’s digital expansion.

OPEN TO PARTNERSHIPS She noted that the library has had a measure of support from the University of Guyana in terms of access to that institution’s software engineer. However, his duties have limited the amount of assistance the individ-

ual has been able to render. The National Library then is actively seeking partnerships, one whereby the staff can be trained.

The National Library faces numerous challenges in fulfilling its mandate. One of the major challenges to its role as a depository of Guyana’s literature is providing adequate conditions. King noted that the humidity of Guyana’s tropical climate affects the preservation of papers and the books in the Library’s rare book collection. Craig noted too that the Library’s activities are tempered by financial constraints. She noted that these constraints affect the institution’s ability to fully embrace technology.

Further challenges and more on the National Library’s enduring role in the community will continue next week.

a big disappointment. I am only 15, still in Form Four and no money and my boyfriend gone back to his village. He came up to do road work and we started talking and then things moved from there. I am just so scared,” Judy said.

Judy’s anecdote is one that has been recited by many young girls who have big dreams but felt that getting pregnant at an early age has smashed them all. It is a phenomenon that has been plaguing our society for far too long.

However, despite the numbers, there are many other young girls who have proven that they are not just another statistic and that getting pregnant as a teenager does not mean that the world has ended, with all hopes for a bright future lost and all dreams crushed.

Kristy Dazzel is one such young woman who has proven this and can be deemed a testimony for the many young girls who are wondering what their tomorrow will bring. At just 15 years old, Dazzel, who was a Fifth Form student at Mackenzie High School found herself pregnant with her first child. The initial feelings of shock, confusion and fear stepped in but only proved to be a little pothole on a thoroughfare of positives. “I just kept doing everything as normal, somehow my mom found out and she took me out and what was to be one big question, turned out to be hours and hours of us talking. She asked me what I wanted to do and said abortion wasn’t an Turn to page X ►►►

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

◄◄◄ From page IX

option,” Kristy related. With CSEC exams in a few months, Kristy was determined to sit her subjects and to be successful at them.

With plenty of support from her family, she braved the gossiping at school and all of the other challenges that came by, just to realise her goal. “I felt everyone looking at my tummy but I still tried to act normal, I was focused on doing well and proving to everyone that I may make mistakes but it doesn’t make me a stupid person. When I got my results, my mom was so proud of me; three ones, six twos and a three… I was even surprised at myself,” Kristy affirmed. Despite having to deal with all that comes with pregnancy; being sick, clinic visits, humiliation and 18 hrs of labour pain, her determination to be the best mom she could be surely paid off. Today Kristy is not only the mother of a beautiful baby girl, Chanel, but a dedicated and wonderful wife and mother of two other sons. She also landed a job as a Technical Services Department Data Clerk at Bosai Group Guyana. Kristy said that she is happy she didn’t allow that little pothole called teenage pregnancy to ruin her entire journey of life. “I have a wonderful husband and two more wonderful children, that’s what makes me happiest.” While she raised a daughter at the tender age of 15, the now nine-year-old Chanel, she said, is brilliant, well mannered, healthy and loves to sing.

Giving similar testimony on winning the battle of teenage pregnancy was Leshaun Datterdeen who was a 16-year-old Fifth Former at Mackenzie High when she got pregnant.

Feelings of depression and fear also stepped in but did not take her over. Despite the humiliation she faced at the hands of gossip and teasing by judgemental classmates, she was able to sit her CXC exams and was very successful passing with two grade ones, five grade twos and a grade three. Today, she looks back on all the challenges she faced including an unsupportive partner and seeing all of her class peers progress to the Sixth Form level, while she stayed home to mother her child. Though her dreams seemed to be on hold temporarily, they were not completely washed away. She was able to successfully complete Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) and is today a trained teacher. “I have no regrets, actually having her at a tender age made me become more responsible, I couldn’t be the stay-at-home mother because the father was not very supportive and my only help was my mother. I got into college and I always wanted to become a teacher so I got to pursue my dream. I thank God every day for my daughter. Having her made me push more to pursue my career,” she summed it all up As the old adage goes: “The race is not for the swift, but for those who endure to the end” and it can be very encouraging for all young mothers who may feel that being pregnant during their teens is the killer of all dreams. While time waits for no man, it never runs out and many such as Kristy and Leshaun can testify to success after the storm would have ended. Judy has been strengthened by these testimonies and has decided that the pursuit of her dream to become a teacher will not die. She is encouraging all other teenage mothers, to do the same.

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

XI

Emotional Acceptance AS WE move forward with the New Year, I would like to talk about emotional acceptance and how beneficial it is to our overall mental health.

Emotional acceptance is the willingness and ability to experience what we are told (and believe to be) negative emotions.

These can be stress, sadness, guilt, fear, anger etc.

Dreams, goals, plans and life, in general, comes with hardships and let downs so attempting to avoid these emotions are futile. These feelings are inevitable so we are better off relinquishing to them and instead be prepared to healthily deal with them.

Many of us tend to shy away from how we really feel. We may be embarrassed or become even more guilty or angry at ourselves for feeling the way we do. Although these emotions are considered negative, I believe just the opposite. They shouldn’t even be called negative emotions as they serve a great purpose in our lives.

For you to accept this advice, it would be beneficial that you know and understand the purpose of emotions in the first place.

They provide a platform for information

about what is happening around us, how we feel towards it and sometimes even how to behave in the particular situation.

Think about it – If we do not feel fear, we participate in recklessness. If we don’t feel guilt, we could never repent or practice redemption. If we don’t feel any stress, then are we really challenging ourselves as individuals? If we don’t feel bad or low sometimes, how would we know what areas in our life need special attention?

You see, sometimes in life, we could be doing everything that we feel is right and still feel bad; still feel like we aren’t doing anything right. However, it’s important to know that the more we fight these emotions, the worse we feel and the longer we experience them. My advice is to surrender to them.

Emotions such as sadness, guilt or anger allow us to determine what our individual wants, needs, desires and even personal boundaries are. Without these feelings, I

don’t think it is possible for us to truly know ourselves. I don’t think it is possible for others to properly know us either.

It would help us to view ‘negative emotions’ as motivators that are trying to send us a message. They are informing us that we feel a certain way because we aren’t satisfied with our current situation; that we still have somewhere to go. These ‘negative emotions’ are reminders that there are still things that we want or desire and more importantly that they are within our reach. It means that our journey is not quite finished yet. Therefore, these emotions should actually be providing hope as they have the ability to generate positive change.

We are often told to hide our feelings, to put on brave faces and smile even when we don’t feel like. I believe that is terrifically bad advice as it both forces and encourages people to feel guilty or ashamed of normal and essential emotions.

Instead of using our energy to fight off these emotions, we should use the energy to healthily and effectively deal with how we feel. This allows us to constantly build our coping skills and our ability to be resilient. This means that every time we feel sad, angry or any other ‘negative emotion’ and we effectively deal with it, we are building a more capable and resourceful self.

That is never something to be ashamed of.

PLEASE REMEMBER A FEW THINGS. 1. Accepting a ‘negative emotion’ actually forces it to lose its destructive power. Instead, we learn what is meaningful in our lives and practice personal growth.

2. If we don’t permit ourselves the lows, then we automatically reduce the satisfaction of the highs. The point of life isn’t to be happy all the time (as sadly, that’s impossible) but rather how to healthily deal with the times when we are not.

I’ve created a new life motto for my ‘bad days’ which I hope will help you all as well. It goes “I’ve had a bad day but that’s okay- let tomorrow come anyway!”

Thanking you for reading. Please keep sending any topics you’d like to talk about to caitlinvieira@gmail.com Or come in to see me at: Georgetown Public Hospital: Psychiatric Department: Monday- Friday – 08:00hrs-12:00hrs Woodlands Hospital: Outpatient Department Drug and Alcohol group meetings Mondays 16:15hrs Good mental health group meetingsWednesdays 16:15hrs

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 January 21, 2018

Starting February 4, the Pepperpot Magazine is encouraging everyone to take part in this fun activity which will encourage you to learn about your history and exercise our artistic skills!

Colour Your Heroes will be a weekly competition where we will provide one portrait depicting a historical Guyanese figure. Our readers are encouraged to colour the photograph and to guess who the subject of the photograph is, then submit it to the Guyana Chronicle for it to be judged. Each photograph will also come with a hint as to who the subject is. Persons who have guessed correctly and, in addition, whose image is neatly and attractively coloured will get the chance to win a handsome cash prize! So look out for the very first Colour Your Heroes Challenge!

Shanice Henry

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

XIII

Young Performing Arts Extraordinaire

IN the performing arts, it’s all about the cameras, the lights, the runways and the stages. The aim is to capture the hearts of your fans In cardiac electrophysiology, it’s all about monitors, operating rooms and surgeries. And the aim is to maintain the well-being of the hearts of your patients.

The two fields might appear to be worlds apart, but 16-year-old Shanice Henry is determined to wedge herself between both and create a name for herself.

She is an aspiring model, actress, dancer AND cardiac electrophysiologist.

“The reason I want to become a model/actress/ dancer or just technically a public figure is that these are forms of self-expression like I’ve never experienced before,” she related and added also that these forms of expression just come naturally for her.

But she’s in the Science Stream and is gunning to be a cardiac electrophysiologist, which is basically someone who deals with diagnosing and treating the electrical activities of the heart.

Henry is currently a Fifth Form student at Queen’s College.

This means that in a few short months she will be writing her 13 chosen subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations.

While she is in the Science stream, she borrowed a few subjects from the arts/humanities stream in an attempt to fulfill her insatiable desire to be part of the performing arts. Theatre Arts is one of her favourite borrowed subjects since,

according to her, it provides a platform and an outlet for her to express herself.

Life at Queen’s College has not been limited to sticking her head in her books most of the time and only stopping every now and then for theatre arts, but it has opened up many opportunities for her to ‘perform’.

“Being with my best friends every day, it always like there are lights, cameras and action- so it feels like I'm acting all the time,” she related.

Aside from that though, for the past few years, she highlighted that she has tried to involve herself in almost every activity that requires modelling, acting or dancing.

Participating in activities like the inter-schools’ Mashramani dance competitions and even closer to home at the Queen’s College Fashion Show (as one of the feature models) and at the school’s Christmas concert as the highlight dancer and major actress have allowed her to garner some exposure. She has also modelled several times privately and for her church.

Henry was also majorly involved in a full-length play called ‘Broken Chains’ (a plantation-era story), organised by the Renisons Creative Arts (RCA). The play comprised of an all-Berbician cast performing for their home audience.

For her, when she steps on the runway, it’s not just about looking pretty. With each strut, she radiates an enviable confidence and every pose, her poise must be perfect. She might be modelling in a Sonia Noel piece but in her own skin, she is a masterpiece.

And you might always catch her dancing in one of her many high-heeled shoes, never without elegance but always with her own flare.

While many would say that she has done a great job at juggling her academics and other love, she said, “I feel like people underestimate my abilities or I can’t develop myself as much as I want to, because

I’m limited to what people want for me.”

She explained that there is the perception or stereotype, that a profession in the performing arts is not as respectable as a profession in medicine or the sciences.

With Beyonce as her main inspiration and Gabrielle Union as her role model, Shanice aims to be an internationally recognised figure, garnering her fame abroad, but she also mentioned, “I plan to add to the development of the local industry.”

For her though, she is more comfortable with the creative arts and is just a

bit hesitant about being responsible for saving someone’s life, but she is striving to pursue both fields as she cannot choose one over the other.

While she is still striving for her goals, Henry stated, “I would like to encourage other aspiring actors and actresses, to build on their talents and abilities by joining the local industries… so that it can be transformed into a globally recognized platform.”

Doing what you love, she also said, is one of the keys to a healthy life.

Eyes on Guyana

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

Sachia Vickery ready to represent the ‘Land of Many Waters’

By Rawle Toney

PUTTING IN SOME WORK AT HOME! Guyana Chronicle’s Samuel Maughn was on hand at the GBTI Tennis Courts in Bel Air on Thursday to catch tennis star, Sachia Vickery during training

TENNIS is her life and her life is all about tennis; literally! At 22 years old, Sachia Vickery is considered by pundits as one of the game’s emerging talents that will take the world by storm.

Her diminutive stature can force first-timers to her game to be critical as to how good she is, but, after a few minutes

of seeing her execute and display her phenomenal speed, agility and power on the court, mouths open, jaws drop and applause follows.

Vickery, the daughter of former national footballer Rawle Vickery from Linden and Paula Liverpool from Kwakwani (a mining and logging town on the Berbice River in Region 10), departed Guyana on Saturday after a five-day stay here and it was a well-deserved rest for the now World 102 ranked tennis ace.

“This is pretty much all I do, and I’m very focused on achieving my goal, which is to reach the Top 50 and be a regular feature at Grand Slams,” Vickery told the Pepperpot Magazine.

At 22 and making her own money, the fast life could easily be had for Sachia, but as she pointed out, her mother’s discipline and her passion for the game keeps her away from the distractions of the world; something her brother Dominique Mitchell, who also serves as her manager confirms.

“She makes it easy for me because she’s

Sachia Vickery pays a courtesy call on Dr George Norton, Minister of Social Cohesion. Also in photo, Sachia’s mother Paula Liverpool (at left) and brother/manager Dominique Mitchell (extreme right)

always focused, you know, there’s not much that we have to tell her about her game from the standpoint of keeping away from controversy and all that usually goes down on Social Media,” said Mitchell, himself an accomplished music producer.

Mitchell recently brokered a deal that will see Sachia joining the ‘K-Swiss’ family – an American athletic shoe brand based in Westlake Village, California and currently owned

by Korean firm, E-Land World Limited and its creator Kevin Randall.

“Some young players who are caught up in the hype could easily say that they rather wait or go for the bigger brands like Nike, but Sachia understands that right now, this could be the best thing for her since she’s presently on the rise and this could eventually be huge,” the tennis player’s manager said.

REPRESENTING GUYANA “I currently play for the US but representing Guyana is something I definitely want to Turn to page XV ►►►

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

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Converting agricultural waste to energy – Part Five

Guyana’s solid waste can replace 41,846 barrels of LPG ENERGY recovery from waste is the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials into usable heat, electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes, including combustion, gasification, pyrolisation, anaerobic digestion and landfill gas recovery.

In Guyana, the solid waste load from the main urban and suburban areas of 405,255 persons was estimated to be 545.66 tonnes per day. Vegetables and putrescible materials account for 50.1 percent of the waste produced.

A study done by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI)’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr.’ Oudho Homenauth and Dr. Clairmont Clementson has found that if the waste is redirected to biogas production, the burden on landfills will be reduced.

Additionally, it will provide an environmentally friendly energy solution.

Titled, “Investigation of Bioenergy utilisation in Guyana, including environmental and economic impacts", the study is aimed at compressing and disposing of waste, while attempting the generation of energy from them.

It has been found that landfill gases, carbon dioxide and methane, are contributors to climate change.

Methane is 25 times more detrimental in its influence on climate change than carbon dioxide. Anaerobic bacteria that thrive in landfills decompose organic waste to produce biogas. The biogas can be treated and sold or it can also be used to generate electricity.

According to the research, 50 normal cubic meter of methane can be generated per ton of MSW landfilled while 5800 normal cubic meter of such gas is equivalent to 27.4 milliwatts. Annually, the total waste has the potential to produce an average of 9,958,295 normal cubic meter of methane per year, replacing an average of 41,846 barrels of Liquefied Petroleum Gas annually.

While waste to energy conversion will be good for Guyana, there are some challenges involved. A manager at the Haags Bosch landfill site highlighted the hindrances to the utilisation of urban and suburban waste to produce biogas.

He pointed out that the waste collection system and absence of a gas collection system at the landfill are the major challenges. Additionally, Guyana’s waste collection system does not require citizens to sort waste by metals, biodegradables and plastics.

As such, waste is collected and landfilled in a commingled form. However, before biogas can be captured from landfills there need to be a system where waste is separated by type. Additionally, there are no facilities in place to capture landfill gas.

Furthermore, there would not be a significant volume of methane produced from the Haag Bosch landfill since the volume of waste is small due to the fact that only a fraction of the country’s waste reaches the site.

Presently, there is a study facilitated by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to capture biogas from the Haags

◄◄◄ From page XIV

2016 and Quebec City in 2017.

But in the very first week of the 2018 season, the 22-year-old Hollywood, Florida native surpassed all of those at the International-level ASB Classic, not dropping a set through three rounds of qualifying and another three rounds in the main draw – including upsets over No. 5 seed Lauren Davis and No. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska. She’d fallen to No. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-finals, 6-4, and 6-4.

Vickery’s win over the No.28-ranked Radwanska was the best victory of her career. Her previous-best win in terms of ranking came against No.30-ranked Zhang Shuai at Stanford back in 2014.

The run pushed Vickery from No.122 to No.105 on the new rankings, leapfrogging her previous career-high of No.108 in the world, which she had originally set the week of July 20, 2015.

Vickery has made two appearances at the US Open, featuring in the second round at the prestigious tournament twice (2013, 2017), while exiting in the first round of the Australian Open (2014), French Open (2016) and Wimbledon (2015).

“I truly hope to make as many main draw Grand Slam appearances, because that’s where the money is. But I know once you keep playing and winning the money will come but it’s not as easy as it seems,” Vickery said with an infectious smile.

do in the future and I’m passionate about it,” Sachia had told reporters while visiting Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton.

“I always represent Guyana at my tournaments or wherever I am so I would like to play for Guyana,” Vickery further highlighted.

Vickery proved that her interest is more than just lip service, and she met with the President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) Juman Yassin on the way forward.

“I’m open to representing Guyana at the Olympics. It’s my home country and that would be something that’s a dream of mine in the future. Even though I wasn’t born in Guyana, I still consider myself Guyanese. I embrace the whole culture and I always love going back, so I do consider myself Guyanese,” said the tennis player who has now grabbed the attention of the world.

Vickery is on the verge of breaking the WTA’s Top 100 for the first time after she had the best week of her career in Auckland, New Zealand recently. She not only reached the first WTA semi-final of her career but also set a brand new career-high of No. 102 in the world.

Before this year, Vickery’s best showings at the WTA level were four quarterfinals, one per year the last four years – Stanford in 2014, Nottingham in 2015, Bogota in

Bosch landfill. Although in its embryo stage, if implemented it can be a starting

point for the country to get the most out of urban and suburban waste.

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

City manager system could renew city

FOR many years now, the Guyana Consumers Association (GCA) has been advocating that the Georgetown City Council be replaced by a City Management System headed by a City Manager.

City Managers have been used in the United States with much success. Indeed, Washington D.C. the capital of the United States was not a municipality for most

of its existence and was run quite well by, in effect, a City Manager and paid officials. Since it had been converted into a Municipality with an elected Mayor and Councillors, the quality of administration in that city has fallen.

Georgetown once used to be a very well-run city. Taxes were paid and collected and the Town Council did not venture

into questionable schemes to raise money. They would sometimes issue bonds which were much in demand. The various services the Council provided to the city were of a high quality and citizens did not complain as they do today.

The streets were clean and the trees of the city were well-tended and the drains and canals were always kept flowing and never clogged and the city was known as the "Garden City of the West Indies. The Town Hall was one of the main attractions of the city and was always kept in an immaculate condition. It used to be the main concert hall of Georgetown and regular concerts of classical music were performed there on Sunday afternoons. It was also used as the lecture hall where visiting academics and dignitaries would speak. The Town Council itself did the waste disposal from its earliest days in the 19th Century by animal-drawn carts succeeded by motorised vehicles. The Stabroek Market was wellkept and orderly and from the time of its construction in the 1880's until its decline in the 1960's and 1970's, it was one of the major tourist attractions of the Caribbean.

During these halcyon days of the Council, the men who served as councillors were prominent businessmen and professionals and many of them served in the legislature and even held ministerial rank, such as Mr. L.F.S Burnham. It was an honour and prestige to serve on the Council and it was unthinkable that accusations of theft and corruption could ever be made against them.

From the 1970's, prominent businessmen and professional ceased to serve on the Council because party politics had taken over the Council and most of such persons were not politically affiliated.

During this time also, without any proper legal and administrative arrangements, the boundaries of the city were extended along the East Coast and East Bank Demerara. The city's population and geographical expanse were far greater than the old city but the same 19th-Century statute was applicable to the extended city.

With these handicaps and others, it is

not surprising that the city began its decline.

The causes of the decline have been covered in articles and comments in the media over many years and we will not reiterate them. But mention of a few manifestations of that decline will illustrate the urgency for action: The City Hall, one of the country's main heritage buildings is rotting and becoming unsafe; the drainage and sewer systems of the city have all but collapsed; Stabroek Market, once the city's showpiece, is now a chaotic slum; and the remaining trees of the Garden City are struggling to survive.

The City Council and city administration are overwhelmed by the enormity of the task facing them and are quite aware of their inability to renew the city. In their attempts to barely keep the city afloat, they have resorted to adhocism. Some of the gauche schemes to extract money from the citizens fall into this category. City officials keep talking of their insatiable need for money, but citizens are convinced that however much money the Council collects, things will remain the same way.

For example, the property tax has been increased by 10 percent and there have been enormous increases in fees and imposition of new ones, but this large injection of money of tens of millions of dollars has not been publicly accounted for, nor has it resulted in any change for the better.

Another solution must be found to renew the City, and the Committee of the GCA has long felt that a City Manager should be used. The City Manager would run the city strictly along business lines, He should have powers of recruitment and dismissal, as well as disciplinary powers, He would be the city's Financial Officer and should be a person of the highest integrity and of course very well paid. His work should be subject to a rigorous annual appraisal and if he fails to meet the standard set, he must demit office.

A City Manager System could be used for a minimum of 10 years and when the city would have been renewed, a reformed City Council under new statutes and procedures could be reinstituted.

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HELLO readers, last week in our feature, we introduced you to one of the methods utilised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to foster public participation in the decision-making process for the authorisation of developmental projects – public scoping meetings.

We highlighted that public scoping meetings are utilised for projects where an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required because the impacts of the project may be either significant or unknown. This essentially gives the public the opportunity to have their say in the project.

This week’s article will further explore the features of these meetings so that you can be fully equipped to participate and make meaningful contributions.

meetings are usually held during this period. Notices for these meetings are also advertised in local newspapers, other print and publication media, EPA’s website and social media sites.

Notices and flyers are also posted at public offices in your communities to inform you of upcoming meetings.

Who organises public scoping meetings and where are they held?

The developer or the project proponent is responsible for organising all logistics for such a meeting.

The EPA, however, may assist the developer in organising these meetings.

In most instances, public scoping meetings are held in central locations of the communities or regions where the proposed project is expected to have the greatest impact. This is done so that residents of the surrounding communities can attend to learn more about the project and help to identify some of the potential impacts in the

preliminary stages of the project.

HOW MANY PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS IS THE DEVELOPER EXPECTED TO KEEP? The number of public scoping meetings vary depending on the scale and nature of the project. However, it is the discretion of the EPA to suggest the number of meetings and possible locations for these meetings based on the project. Remember this process needs your input, hence your participation is necessary.

How will I know of such a meeting?

After it has been decided

that a project requires an EIA, a notice is published via the newspapers, inviting comments from the public within 28 days. Scoping

WHY SHOULD I ATTEND SUCH A MEETING AND HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE?

PART 2

Public Participation and Environmental Protection

Besides having an important role to play in the development of your community and country at large, your input is necessary to ensure the project is sustainable. Additionally, you can help identify the potential impacts to your community since you can provide a wealth of traditional knowledge and information, e.g., on historic sites, past and current land use and biodiversity in the area etc. MoreTurn to page XXVII ►►►

FILES E S A C COURT

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Court of Appeal, negative Magistrate & Full Court rulings

Found agreements between mother & putative father enforceable A mother, seeking maintenance from the putative father of her child was induced by the father not to attend court and to rely on an oral agreement for the payment of $10 per month, which he dishonoured.

The resulting effect was that neither of them attended court on the day of hearing, causing the magistrate to dismiss the summons.

The mother, Nora Williams, instituted new proceedings against the putative father, Sedial Persaud, claiming $110,

representing 11 months payment for the child as per agreement, but the magistrate dismissed the claim as illegal and unenforceable.

The woman appealed to the Full Court, which upheld the magistrate’s decision.

She then resorted to the highest court in the land - the Guyana Court of Appeal – which court was constituted by Chancellor E. V. Luckhoo & Justices of Appeal Persaud and Victor Crane.

The Appellate Court found that the agreement was enforceable and valid and set aside the decisions of the Magistrate and the Full Court.

The appellant was granted the sum claimed as well as costs for the courts below and the Court of Appeal.

The facts of the case disclosed that on the 9th October 1964, the appellant gave birth to a child, of whom she alleged that the respondent, Sedial Persaud was the father. On her application a summons was issued and served on the respondent, requiring him to attend court on the 1st April, 1965.

On that day he denied paternity, and the matter was adjourned to the 29th April. Neither party appeared on that date, as the respondent had asked her to settle the matter and promised to give her $10.00 per month “for the child”. The magistrate struck out the summons for non-appearance.

On the 6th May 1965, the parties entered into a written agreement purporting to record what they had orally agreed to.

In the agreement the respondent promised to pay to the appellant on or before the 12th of each month a sum of $10.00 per month, ‘from the month of May 1965 to assist her to maintain one of her children” The appellant, in turn, pledged and agreed that, “as long as this amount is paid to her, she will not proceed by way of Court for its recovery”. However, nowhere in agreement was it stated that it was because of the oral agreement that the parties did not appear at court on the 29th April.

Despite frequent demands by the appellant, no money was paid by the respondent under the agreement, and in April, 1966, she instituted proceedings in the magistrate’s court for $110.00, representing payments for 11 months under the agreement. The defence was a denial of the indebtedness and in the alternative a plea that the agreement was void and/or illegal and/or enforceable. Only the appellant gave evidence.

The magistrate dismissed the claim and on appeal, the Full Court upheld his (magistrate’s)

decision. On further appeal to the Court of

By George Barclay Appeal, that court held:(i) an agreement between a mother and putative father of her child for its support in consideration for a forbearing to continue affiliation proceedings is recognised by the law, as valid and enforceable; (ii) the fact that no consideration was expressly stated in the agreement is no bar to a successful suit , if there is evidence of a collateral oral agreement which embodies consideration; (iii) collateral agreement apart, there is nothing to prevent the court from looking at the history of the transaction which led to the making of the document for the purpose of determining whether there is consideration; (iv) from the evidence the appellant refrained from attending court on the 29th April, to proceed with her cause because of the respondent’s promise, and this constituted sufficient consideration; (v) the fact that her forbearance preceded the agreement did not constitute it a part consideration., The appeal was allowed. Attorney-at-law, M. S.E. Brotherson represented the appellant while Dr. F.W.H. Ramsahoye appeared for the respondent.

In delivering his judgment, Chancellor Luckhoo said, ”The appellant, a single woman (whom I shall refer to as ‘the promissee,’) gave birth to a bastard child “Seenauth” on the 9th October, 1964. She alleged that the respondent (whom I shall refer to as ‘the promiss or), was the father of that child, and that she made an application on oath on the 4th of March, 1965, for a summons to be served on him to appear before the magistrate to answer her complaint (he having contributed to the support of the said child within 12 months next after birth) as provided for under section 3 of the Bastardy Ordinance, Chapter 40.

“The promissor was duly summoned to appear before the magistrate on the 1st April, 1965, when paternity was denied and the matter was put down for the 29th April, 1965.

“The promissee did not attend court on the 29th April, 1965, as she ought to have done, for the reason that the promissor had asked her “to settle the matter”, and promised to give her $10 per month “for the child.” When the matter was called up before the magistrate on that day, both parties were absent, no doubt in compliance with the oral agreement reached, and the matter was struck out by the magistrate.

“On the 6th May, both parties entered into an agreement in writing which purported to record what was orally agreed upon., That agreement showed that the promissor had agreed to pay to the promissee “the sum of $10 per month commencing from the month of May 1965 to assist her to maintain one of her children”. Further, it was stipulated that “this amount must be paid on or before the 20th day of each month “and the promissee specifically agreed to accept the said sum from the promissor and further agreed and pledged “ that as long as this amount is paid to her she will not proceed by way of court for its recovery”. But it was not there as stated, and that the non-appearance of the parties at court on the 29th April was because of an oral agreement to contribute specified sum for the support of the child.

“The promissor paid no money under this written agreement despite demands made by the promissee, who consequently in April 1966 sued him for $110 under that agreement being the sum due for the months of June, 1965 to March, 1966, 11 months at $10 per month.

“The defence on this claim before the magistrate was a general denial of indebtedness. In the alternative it was said that if an agreement was entered into as alleged “such agreement is void and/or unenforceable”.

“The promisee gave evidence in the course of which she tendered the agreement and, by consent, a certified copy of the case jacket in the bastardy proceedings accompanied by her application on oath. She testified that the child mentioned in the document is the child mentioned in the affidavit. Under cross-examination she denied the suggestion put to her that the Turn to page XIX ►►►

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#SupportCreativity

By Subraj Singh

Writers and the Power of Loneliness “ALONE one is never lonely: the spirit adventures, waking…” - May Sarton MAY Sarton’s wonderful poem on being alone, known mostly as “Canticle 6”, is a beautiful piece that highlights loneliness – that ever pervasive demon that walks hand in hand with misery and depression, affecting all writers and creative people at some point in their lives. But the poem raises the question, is loneliness really a bad thing?

Is loneliness really a harbinger of pain or sorrow or, as the opening lines of Sarton’s poem implies, a sort of awakening that may lead to an experience in one’s life that may engender a kind of awareness that can lead to the creation of art?

The answer to these questions, in my opinion, will differ from individual to individual, as no artist is the same as any other. Any artist who is, is probably not a very good artist. I really mean to say that artists, as opposed to many other occupations, rely heavily on individuality, not only when it comes to their work but also the environment in which they work and what inspires them. As an example, I once met a young man, an artist who drew the most beautiful images using only pencil and paper, who says that, unlike others, including myself, he can only indulge in his art when he is happy.

He cheekily went on to add that since he met me he had not drawn anything.

Joke aside, an artist’s reaction to loneliness would be similar. Isn’t literary history filled with a number of recluses (J.D. Salinger, Emily Dickinson, etc.) whose works are still read and studied today? Similarly, isn’t history filled with a number of authors who relished the company of others (F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, for example)?

As one of the writers who is often forced to convert loneliness into time and matter that can be used as fuel for creative writing, I can say that enveloping oneself in the blank canvas that is loneliness can be beneficial in the way that it allows you, the writer, to mark that canvas with your words.Everything else in the world is blotted out from view and my most creative periods, so far, were from 2011 – 2013 and 2015 – 2016, spaces of time when I was studying and, therefore, very detached from family, friends, meaningful relationships or anything else that would remove loneliness from my life. I was able to focus on my writing because there was nothing else to do, no one to go home to, no one to hang out with, no distractions. The writing, therefore, may have been an escape mechanism of sorts, a way in which I could escape the loneliness. It was productive, but, ◄◄◄ From page XVIII

agreement was made because the promisor was “sorry” for her as she had nine children to maintain. She also denied another suggestion that she had summoned the promisor” as he had some worth”.

“Her simple and straightforward evidence remained unchallenged, as the promisor led no evidence, and no objection was taken to any of the evidence which she had led.

“The magistrate dismissed the claim for reasons, which I find nebulous and almost incomprehensible.

“On appeal to the Full Court, it was con-

who may have come the closest to highlighting the need for the darkness that is loneliness that affects our world when he said that “the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease

Writer, May Sarton (1912-1995) Image via: Biography.com

perhaps, it was certainly not healthy. These days I try to compromise by reconciling the two halves of myself.

I can only imagine what it must be like for the writer who does not need to shut him/ herself away. The kind of writers who finds parties to be extremely inspiring because there are so many different personalities to be used in the writing. The kind of writer who can keep up small talk for extended periods of time. The kind of writer who can maintain strong and stable family connections while writing his/her book. I imagine it must be a process whereby the world is synthesised into the writing process rather than shutting out to the world and giving your writing all of the attention. I imagine that these writers must be extremely good at time management. I imagine that they enjoy the rush of a hectic schedule, of never-stopping, of being outgoing and confident. I imagine it to be the exact opposite of my process. There is also a group of writers within this group – a subset who despite managing to engage and multitask still suffer from a loneliness deep within. Perhaps, in one way or another, it catches up with us in some way eventually.

The truth is that loneliness has long been a phenomenon that has affected writers and raised important questions. Amy Tan once said, “Our uniqueness makes us special, makes perception valuable – but it can also make us lonely.” Maya Angelou said that for her, music was a refuge that she could use against loneliness: “I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” Then there’s Kurt Vonnegut tended on behalf of the promisee that the written agreement “ was a binding enforceable contract,” and for the promisor the document did not disclose any consideration, and if it did, such consideration was past consideration”, Chancellor Luckhoo explained.

In giving judgment for the appellant, the Chancellor also noted that the Full Court had given no reason or advanced any authority in support of its conclusion in upholding the decision of the magistrate.

Other judges of the Court of appeal concurred with the judgment of the Chancellor.

of loneliness can be cured.” I suppose there is a kind of morbid joy for a writer to read these quotes and know that he/she is not the only one in the world to have experienced the pain of, and be inspired by, loneliness.

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Burning Mouth Syndrome A BURNING feeling on the tongue or roof of the mouth can usually be traced to a steaming cup of tea, or maybe to a hot bake or piece of fish just out of the frying pan. But for some people, particularly postmenopausal women, a debilitating burning sensation in the mouth can develop out of the blue. And then it never leaves. This condition was once considered one of the many symptoms "nervous" older women invented for themselves. But

new research now suggests that it is linked to taste changes in the mouth.

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is defined as a constant burning sensation in the mouth that's usually present in the tongue and often on the palate, but it can be anywhere. It often starts suddenly and then it can continue for months or years. People complain that their mouth feels as though they had been burnt with hot coffee, or had just eaten pepper except it just does not go

away.

The burning sensation usually gets worse over the day. It is not too bad in the morning, then it gets worse after the first meal of the day and then it peaks in the late afternoon or by early evening. Once people go to sleep, the pain usually disappears. And then when they wake up in the morning, they feel fine. And the cycle keeps repeating itself. Very commonly, BMS is associated with a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth that also gets worse over the day. A lot of people complain about dry mouth. But when you look in the mouth and check the flow of saliva it's normal. These symptoms are often very severe. There have been a lot of studies looking at the psychological impact and if burning mouth syndrome is severe and ongoing, it can cause a lot of depression and anxiety. The pattern of changes is very similar to what's seen in other people who have chronic pain.

Until recently, the diagnosis of BMS was typically based on the clinical symptoms.

It has been a diagnosis of exclusion so that people were tested to see if they had an oral yeast infection or a vitamin deficiency

or diabetes. And if they had none of those changes and their mouth looked normal and they had the typical pattern of burning, they ended up with a diagnosis of burning mouth.

But more recent studies show the association between burning mouth and taste changes.

Remarkably, there is almost a footprint of the disorder—a loss of bitter taste at the tip of the tongue. We can check the ability to taste sweet, sour, salt and bitter flavours at the front and then at the back of the tongue using a spatial taste-test. So someone with burning mouth syndrome may have normal tastes or somewhat reduced tastes for sour, sweet and salty flavours but the ability to taste bitter flavours, which is located at the tip of the tongue, is often gone.

The theory is that the taste inhibits pain and, if there's a problem with taste (like loss Turn to page XXI ►►►

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018 ◄◄◄ From page XX

of bitter taste at the tip of the tongue), there's a loss of inhibition of the pain fibres, so someone spontaneously begins to produce pain. And the pain is interpreted as burning mouth pain. Another test is performed using a local anaesthetic.

When a local anaesthetic is applied to the tip of their tongue where they have the burning, the pain often gets worse instead of getting better.

The disease is most common in women after menopause.

One of the reasons that this problem is found in older women relates to the loss of estrogen that occurs during the menopausal period and that causes a loss of bitter taste buds.

We do see men with burning mouth, but it's less common.

Sometimes I see younger people with it or even men, but it is usually associated with a benign condition called geographic tongue. Geographic tongue causes inflammation on the surface of the tongue causing red patches that come and go and move around. That might affect the taste buds which then leads to the loss of pain inhibition and burning mouth.

When the bitter taste is lost within the taste bud, the pain fibres surrounding that bud are the ones that experience a loss of inhibition and start becoming painful. An infection, a nutritional deficiency of B12, folate or iron can also damage taste buds.

And just to make it a little bit more complex, the people who are most at risk of developing burning mouth are called super-tasters—people who have the greatest number of taste buds on the tip of the tongue. This is a genetic difference: some people are non-tasters, some are medium tasters and some are supertasters. Flavours are much more intense for super-tasters, and they have different taste preferences than non-tasters and medium-tasters. Women are much more likely to be supertasters than men. So, most people with burning mouth syndrome are supertasters who have had a taste loss for some reason.

People who do a lot of clenching are at increased risk. They keep their tongue pressed tightly against

their teeth at night and they end up with their tongue scalloped. When the clenching is controlled, through medication or the use of mouth guards, they often feel better. In addition, certain conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disease and liver dysfunction have been associated with burning mouth syndrome. While there is no specific drug to treat BMS several medications used for other diseases have been found to give relief.

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Women in Business EXPO 2018

PRESS FOR PROGRESS WE are planning our Women in Business Expo with great enthusiasm even with challenges.

The Sonia Noel Foundation for Creative Arts (SNFCA) in collaboration with the Women’s Association for Sustainable Development will be hosting the Third Annual ‘Women in Business Expo’ on March 10-11, 2018 at the Pegasus Hotel, to mark International Women’s Day.

This day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women worldwide.

I was reflecting on the genesis of the event and it is a testimony that with discipline, focus, determination and faith, anything is possible. When you have an idea it is vital to take action for it to be a reality when I think about the lives that have been transformed because this event was created.

A few days ago, Leisa Gibson joined me on

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

Channel 93.1 Real FM for an interview and I was looking at her with great admiration. In 2015 for the inaugural EXPO, I met this beautiful introverted beautician that just started a hair product that she was not so sure of, but in 2018 she has several natural products in other outlets other than her salon and is working on a skincare line now. That is a WOW story of exponential growth.

“Women in Business was the beginning for my hair product line. It has grown and I now have the products in outlets. My business has gone to a higher level. This expo raised my confidence as a businesswoman to a next level,” she ... Inspiring lives through fashion said. Thanks again Leisa! personal growth and mindset change. This There are many of those journey encourages one to do more and be stories and I will share some testimonials. more to achieve their full potential.

The month of March will be very excitRAVE DESIGNS-DEBORAH MATHIAS “Other than the wonderful interaction ing and we are inviting you all to join us in with some very strong and amazingly fo- this important celebration.

Beyond the Runway with Dr. Sonia Noel

cused women, it encouraged me to renew my commitment to my business and at a personal level I came to understand that I am a very important part of my brand.”

BOWJAY AND MORE-JENELL PIERRE “Women in Business Expo was an ingenious initiative. It brought together women not only on a business level but created a sisterhood of women supporting women.

Sonia Noel was the ideal woman to bring the WIBE to fruition, thanks to her fervent, and no-nonsense deportment.”

MELBA LAGAUDE –INTRICATE CREATION “Women in Business Expo has brought me out of my comfort zone which allowed me and my business [to grow]. I have no regrets and sometimes I wonder where was that box I was in.”

Let me emphasise the fact that one of the reasons the business grew is as a result of the

Exhibition on March 10-11: Health, Business and Technology Forum. Charting Your Course (Networking Event), Inspire You (Motivational event), An Evening with Sherry Dixon, Tea Party and Fashion Show, Book Signing, Leadership Conference and motivational session at the Berbice Prison.

The registration for exhibitors closes on January 29 and we are encouraging you to visit our FB pages Women in Business Expo for more details. We are inviting partners from various sectors to come onboard to assist us to press for progress (2018 International Women’s Day theme). Last year we saw the theme ‘Be Bold for a Change’ in action by women of all walks of life.

What are some of the things you would like to see happening for the advancement of women?

Send your comments to beyondtherunway1@gmail.com and visit our FB page Beyond the Runway we continue to enjoy this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.

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Attempts at synergy in Guyana's agricultural sector RECENTLY, I spoke about volunteering at ‘Redeeming Soles’, a not-for-profit organisation that distributes clean footwear to people who need them.

That experience necessitated my understanding that volunteering isn’t simply about helping another in some way, it’s also about showing compassion and respect to the people you are seeking to help.

My second experience was at the ACRS Food Bank, in Chinatown. Asian and Pacific Islanders (among others, of course) residing in the area regularly benefit from the distribution of food products from here.

I was among a batch of five youth ambassadors and two adult facilitators who spent a few hours at the food bank, pitching in however we could. Maybe I thought it would be a boring, taxing exercise but in retrospect, it was perhaps one of the better informal learning experiences of my entire trip.

Synergy was the first takeaway from this exercise. Vehicles came from local farms with produce to supply the bank. Fresh produce. Entirely free of cost. All to distribute to the community.

Given our touted agricultural prowess, creating a network like this in Guyana is undoubtedly plausible. We have been dependent upon agriculture since practically the creation of this nation and more than 400 years later, agriculture still accounts for about 15 percent of our gross domestic product (GO-Invest 2017).

Though I will concede that there are ramifications to consider before initiating such a network, I don’t see why it isn’t a reality.

English economist of the 18th century, Thomas Malthus had forecast that one day the world population would not be sustained adequately since population growth would overtake the global ability to feed the population. Malthus linked this phenomenon of food security (or lack thereof) to poverty, something quite present in Guyana.

The principle of synergy between the food bank and the Seattle farmers is what really grasped my attention though.

The Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for Region Four recently hosted a Regional, Agricultural and Commercial Exhibition (RACE) aiming to promote the region's producers and create markets for them.

President David Granger addressed the opening of this exhibition and I listened to him urge the region to ‘lead the way’ in developing the sustainable industry. I’ve been in the media for just over a year and I’ve kept abreast with the news for as long as I can remember, so I have heard these charismatic sentiments purported over and over.

But what I had possibly never heard (or maybe I just missed it before) was his call for the end of regional parochialism within the industry.

He was cognisant of the abundance of resources on the coast versus the lack of the same in the hinterland regions. And no matter what level of development takes place in Guyana, I will always remember him bemoaning that the five largest administrative regions in Guyana happen to also be the five poorest.

Trust me, that realisation hit me hard.

What he called for was for his synergy on a national levelbetween regions- sharing resources to bridge disparities and augment production. Development is not insular; it is multidimensional. Development at this national level needs all hands on deck.

I’ve been a huge fan of all of the Ministry of Public Telecommunications (MoPT)’s tech events and one stellar initiative was having youth develop a tech platform to provide a nexus between traditional agricultural marketing and modern solutions.

Through the inaugural CODESPRINT, an online platform was created to connect agro-producers to buyers. Coincidentally, this platform was initiated at the very same RACE. The young creators of the app, members from Team Innosys, spent some of their time at the exhibition chatting with the farmers who were more than eager to work along with the ministry to boost their markets through the online platform.

While this isn’t the same synergy I saw in Seattle, cross-sector synergy was birthed right here. And really, this synergy was not only extended to the agricultural field, but the Telecommu-

nications Ministry has been extending its reach to the health and education sectors as well.

I tend to overuse the phrase ‘domino effect’ because I believe in Douglas Adams’s “fundamental interconnected-

ness of all things”. But I’ve seen synergy in my country and I’ve seen it work. Though this ‘e-agriculture’ isn’t going to solve all of Guyana’s outdated and mundane agricultural practices, it’s an indication that better will come.

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over, your inputs can determine whether or not the project is granted an Environmental Authorisation.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THESE MEETINGS? From this kind of meeting you can expect the developer to provide and present important information on: ● a description of the proposed project inclusive of site, design and size; ● possible effects on the environment; ● the duration of the project; ● a non-technical explanation of the project; and ● any other information the EPA deems relevant.

WILL MY CONTRIBUTION BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION? Most definitely! All comments/ concerns/ suggestions/recommendation and questions raised at these meetings will be used to guide both the EPA and the developer to develop ‘Terms of Reference’ (ToR). The ToR will guide the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The goal of the EIA is to protect and enhance the quality of human life as well as protect the environment, all to ensure development is conducted in a sustainable manner and in keeping with Guyana’s green developmental path. It is important to note that even if you don’t attend these meetings, you can still send written submissions to the Agency.

UPCOMING PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS ► Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. EEPGL, Phase Two Development Cotton Field Secondary School, Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast - 16:00 hrs January 24, 2018 ► Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. EEPGL, Phase 2 Development DN&R Enterprise, Charity, Essequibo Coast - 09:30 hrs January 25, 2018

XXVII ► Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. EEPGL, Phase 2 Development Leonora Technical Institute, West Coast Demerara -15:00 hrs January 26, 2018 You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, Georgetown, or email us at eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Choosing a Career

Should parents decide for children?

By Marinella Glasgow

A Career is the progress and actions taken by a person throughout a lifetime, especially those related to that person's occupations. A career is often composed of the jobs held, titles earned and work accomplished over a long period of time.

Each day we hear the lamentations of youth who are forced to engage in particular occupations which are contradictory to their desires. They state that parents try to overrule and to take control. Should parents decide what their child should become?

A career is very important and many youth desire to obtain the best of careers.

However, parents play a great role in their

children’s career choice. But many young people conclude that parents should never decide what career a child should embark upon.

Virlyn Gibson, a young athlete of Queen’s College stated, parents should never decide on a career for a child. “A child’s career may be based on experiences he/she may have had. In my case, since I was a child and playing with my animals, I knew I wanted to be an animal doctor. At that time, I didn’t know it was called a Veterinarian but I still have and will pursue that passion,” she said. “When parents decide what children should do then they are making their children unhappy and at the end of the day the child will do as he or she pleases.” She

alluded to the fact that many persons render half-hearted service because they embark on careers that they really do not like. Thus, she encourages that persons should “do what they like.”

Another young Queen’s College student, Yosarra Jordon, related, parents should never ever decide what they’re children should become. “Many parents try to impose their missed opportunities upon their children but that might not be the child’s passion. Parents may also steer their children in a particular direction so that they can achieve a lot of money.” However, Jordon stated that money cannot take the place of happiness. She firmly believes that once someone is happy with their career money would never be an issue.

She contested, that many children become rebellious because they are not allowed to follow their desired career.

One young man, Ijaz Mursalin contested that every child is not academically inclined and as such, parents should not dominate but guide their children into a job. Everyone will never have a career, some persons are good with their hands while others are good with the books. Parents need to recognise or know their children and embrace which ever path their child/children is/are heading.

Conversely, one adult, Ms. Jack, contested that sometimes young people need to be told what to do. “Some of these young peoTurn to page XXXIII ►►►

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Wine and Art!

RED Entertainment switches it up

By Lisa Hamilton THE combination of individuals sipping wine while painting with free strokes on white canvases was not to be seen regularly in Guyanese culture until just a few years ago.

This relaxing activity, called ART Glass, was the brainchild of RED Entertainment co-owners: Kristina King, Chelsea Fung and Saskia Wyngaarde, with the aim of diversifying the entertainment sector in Guyana.

Now, once every month, amateur artists and creative people who love wine and love to paint can visit one of the two

designated venues -- the Publik or the 704 Sports Bar, Club and Sky Lounge --to indulge.

At the event’s most recent occurrence on Thursday, at the Publik, the Pepperpot Magazine met with co-owner, Saskia Wyngaarde, who revealed much about how the art class began.

Speaking with regard to RED Entertainment, she said: “We kind of started on a whim because we noticed that there was a lack of entertainment and activities and things that are different for Guyanese culture,” Wyngaarde explained She added: “So we started off with a Jazz show and it spiraled to people saying ‘Why don’t you do your own stuff

and get hired?’”

After the promptings, the three started to plan and organise small weddings from which their business evolved.

When it comes to the ART Glass painting class, the co-owner says that they drew the idea from countries which had similar events and coupled it with the primary intention to bring out the creativity in Guyanese.

“We were trying to think of ideas that would bring out the creative side of Guyanese and also something different to do that wasn’t just like going to a party,” she told.

“In other countries, they do something similar where they have wine and art, so we came up with the idea where people can relax, have a drink and paint,” she explained. “And, as we know, the Guyanese culture is the drinking culture so we were able to add in that part along with the art. It kind of loosens people up."

Throughout the evening, the visitors for the night, who were tasked with painting a colourful unicorn, could be heard laughing and interacting with each other as they tried to make their work as identical as the artist’s as possible.

Guiding them step by step was 27-year-old artist, Shimuel Jones, who told the Pepperpot Magazine that although many persons begin the class with preconceived doubts about their abilities, they most times emerge very proud of themselves.

“It’s been good, most of the time when people come, they’re like: ‘Oh, I can’t do this, this looks challenging’ but at the end of the class, when we go through the stuff together, they achieve it and they have a smile on their face. So it’s nice to see that working together we can accomplish it,” Jones expressed.

He further said that seeing guests happy makes him feel happy in turn and his job is something he looks forward to every month.

The company’s Executive Assistant, Shonta Noel, who is always there to help out at the events, says that the occasion Turn to page XXXIII ►►►

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018 ◄◄◄ From page XXIX

ple, don’t know what they want. Yuh ask them today wuh they want and they don’t know. Yuh ask them tomorrow and dem still don’t know. So da is why parents does gat to decide fuh them because if you 'low dem they would never know,”she said.

Young Keawana Mosely rebutted that “If parents guide their children they would know what they want. You see many parents fail to take the time to ask their children questions about their future. They take it for granted and just hope for the best. But it is important that parents find out from their children about their interests and support them in that particular field.”

Steve Jobs stated, “Young people are supposed to have a chance to make their own decisions and to live its consequences even if it means failure because life is not about passing or failing, it’s about learning from our mistakes and try not to repeat them. After all we are humans and all humans make mistakes.”

Whether a child decides to be a pilot, a teacher, a doctor or even an environmental engineer, parents should be willing to accept their choice. Each career is important and aids in the development of our country Guyana. Most times parents evade the choices of their children and conclude that they are too inexperienced to decide their destiny but parents should never forget that every job is important. Once a child knows that their parents are supporting that child aspires to be the best that they can be.

Parents need to be understanding instead of ordering, they need to have patience instead of overconfidence, they should not play a decisive role but an active and supportive role. They should not compare their child with others as their child is theirs and others have their own. ◄◄◄ From page XXXII

is usually a jovial one and told of the time persons were comparing ‘fatness’ of their owls against how it was actually supposed to look.

Also part of the last class was Nalini Vieira who said that she had been coming to the class consecutively which helps to improve her skills and on that night, she brought her daughter to share in the experience.

“I love painting, I think it relaxes me and I love coming to every class they have…I think it [my skills] has improved but every painting is different so when you try a different one you realise you don’t have a certain technique,” she expressed.

Among the challenges, Wyngaarde says the team faces, however, is the difficulty of obtaining a lot of canvases for the visitors.

In addition, because the class is held only once a month, there is usually a waiting list but the co-owner nonetheless, encourages persons to try the class as it is not impossible to get in and it helps to relax the mind.

“It’s something different to do, it opens your mind and some people might even realise that they enjoy this and pursue being an artist for the long run,” she said. “It’s for families, it’s for children, it’s a nice time to come together.”

Artist, of ART Glass, Shimuel Jones, puts the finishing touches on the beautiful unicorn

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

China's AI ambitions

On this week's Tech Tent we hear why China's determination to be a leading player in artificial intelligence could lead to tensions with the United States.

We have two other reports on this week's programme. In a compelling interview with Jane Wakefield, YouTube star Chrissy Chambers talks about her court battle against a former boyfriend who uploaded explicit videos featuring her to a pornography website. Her vic-

tory is being seen as a key moment in the battle against the internet scourge known as revenge porn.

And in a report from Rahul Tandon in Kolkata, we find out why India's new Aadhaar biometric identity card scheme has become mired in controversy. For millions of people who have struggled to open a bank account or get access to Turn to page XXXIII ►►►

On AI, China is catching up with the US very quickly, said Mr Lee

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018

Coconut Ice Cream Ingredients 2 coconuts, grated 4 pt milk 2 oz custard powder 4 eggs sugar to taste 1 tsp almond essence Method 1 Heat 1 1/2 pints milk, pour it over the coconut and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

2 Squeeze thoroughly to extract flavour, strain.

3 Blend custard powder with 4 tbsp of plain milk.

4 Heat the remaining milk in a saucepan.

Remove from heat and add custard powder.

5 Blend well, return to pan and stir constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

6 Whisk eggs lightly with sugar, add essence, pour hot custard on and whisk well.

7 Add coconut milk and mix well.

8 Cool and freeze as usual.

Serves 10-12 Note: Milk which has been flavoured with coconut should not be heated.

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government services without proof of identity, it has proved life-changing. But now reports of a data leak, with individuals' personal details put up for sale, have undermined public confidence in the scheme.

Just as in China, there's that trade-off between con-

venience and privacy. But, in the case of the Aadhaar card, Indian campaigners say citizens are getting a poor bargain.

TECH TRADE-OFF It’s hard to think of anyone better qualified to

Chronicle Pepperpot January 21, 2018 comment on China’s AI ambitions than Kai Fu Lee. Born in Taiwan, he was educated in the US and worked as a scientist for both Apple and Microsoft before running Google’s China operation. These days he’s a Beijing-based venture capitalist investing in Chinese artificial intelligence research.

He tells Tech Tent that China is still behind the United States in areas like autonomous vehicles but is catching up fast - and a more relaxed attitude to regulation may help. He thinks the Chinese government may be less concerned than others about issues such as insurance liability - “cutting through that debate can accelerate the launch of the products”.

We have seen China make rapid progress in facial recognition, technology which has caused all sorts of controversy in other countries where privacy is a greater concern. Dr Lee says privacy is always a trade-off with users willing to sacrifice it if they get enough in return: “Chinese consumers are more willing to trade privacy for safety or convenience.”

But as the competition over the future of technology hots up there are signs of tension between China and the United States - it’s thought that US lawmakers warned mobile operators against allowing Huawei smartphones into the American market.

“That event does not bode well for US tech companies going to China or Chinese companies going to the United States,” says Mr Lee, He tells us that as a globalist he is worried by growing protectionism and nationalism, particularly from the Trump administration, which he thinks is causing the world to contract: “I think there is going to be increasing expectation of country alliance and allegiance by both Chinese and American companies.”

So far, the trade war between the US and China that many feared when Donald Trump was elected has failed to materialise, But maybe the battle over AI could provide the spark.

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English THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who has a low opinion of himself.

ANTHONY TROLLOPE (1815-1852) Orley Farm, (1862), ch. 22 STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, There are wide differences in people’s ability to work effectively late at night or in the early morning hours. If you are a typical student, three or four hours of work in an evening is likely to be as much as you can effectively tackle. It would certainly be unadvisable to work very late or long the night before an examination. An effective self-monitoring system would enable you to decide under what conditions you work efficiently, and utilise them wisely.

Love you THE SHORT STORY Good style The use of a good STYLE results in short stories that do the following: ► Touch the minds and emotions of their readers by letting them: ○ feel and see the characters, ○ feel and see the setting, and ○ participate in the action. ► Have good reader-reaction because of:

○ a deliberate programming by overall good use of language, ○ a deliberate steering away from using difficult and unnecessary words, and ○ writers really knowing what they are writing about: the people, events, and passions among other aspects of short story. ► Attract readers by: ○ using simple, orderly and sincere opening sentences, ○ being selective about the items described, and ○ telling just enough to provoke a mental picture What to Do Re-read the opening of a short story you wrote a short while back, and then faithfully do the following: 1. Have a serious consideration about pieces of description you’ve used: How have descriptions been used? Were they: i) wellplaced and well-worded, and ii) given at the right time?

2. Have you added words or phrases to help the reader imagine what you first imagined when you wrote?

3. Have you checked to see if some descriptive pieces needed crossing out, and then crossed them out?

4. Have you retained pieces of description that served the

purpose?

5. Have you made jottings of those descriptions you liked particularly in your notebook for future reference?

Planting questions in the reader’s mind Look at the many ways in which questions can be planted in the reader’s mind.

(1) A bit of action: Unexpected and probably never experienced before by the reader.

(2) An intriguing bit of dialogue that sends the thought that something out of the usual is going to happen.

(3) A telling statement that dictates the further participation of the reader.

(4) Some amount of suspense.

What to Do Think about and try out new beginnings and other bits of facelift you can very well give to ONE of your recently written short stories. How much does each strategy improve your story?

Point of view in short story writing What is story point of view? Do you have the meaning of this term at the tip of your tongue, and before your eyes? If so, that is good.

Now check one of your recently written short stories to see if it is told from the best possible point of view.

Could you have used the “I” narrator approach instead of the third person, or is it the other way round? Could you have used the omniscient point of view?

What point of view is about?

First Person: One of the characters tells the story.

The story is told through the eyes, ears, and other senses of this “I” narrator.

I had tasted the bitter of revenge once before….

Third Person: The writer tells the story as one of the characters tells the story. The writing is characterised by words like: Mary saw what mischief Tom was up to. She called the parents of the little girl. Then she called the police.

Omniscient: The writer tells the story from an all-seeing, all-knowing platform. All the characters are given an opportunity to input the story: When Simon was telling killer whale tales, Mamma Mary was silently contemplating where to get her baby supplies. What each of them did not know was that Jeanette, their volunteer housekeeper, was recording every word in her quick-thinking mind….

Something to Do 1) Look at the sentences below. They have been taken from stories.

Tell whether the story is of the first person, third person, or of omniscient point of view. (i) Mummy Cynthia saw that Neighbour Sandy was peeved over some news brought by the newcomer. “Why has this evil-looking man come to disturb good people’s spirit?” she thought long and hard. (ii) I had never seen a crowd like that since Ma Jo was put to rest! (iii) “You are going to see who is man here, Tonia!” thought Sheila. “Just wait until Marko comes home…”

2) Use the plot below to write a sentence or two to exemplify each of the three points of view given below.

Simon Steele, a dentist, is seeing Sonia Sallie, a beautiful buck teeth model, in his surgery. He is the only one who can improve her public image at this time.

(You may add examples of each point of view below.)

First Person: . . . .

Third Person: . . . .

Omniscient: . . . .

3) You can now rewrite one of your recent short stories and ask a knowledgeable study partner to give comments.

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Bollywood news

The Bollywood film breaking the taboo around periods The world's first feature film on periods is set to be released in the UK. Can a comedy help break the taboo of female menstruation?

It's a scene that captures the 20-year struggle by a poor school drop-out from southern India to buy sanitary pads for his wife - and ended up changing the lives of millions of women around the world.

Arunachalam Muruganantham - played by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar - cycles through his local village waving cheerfully.

Unbeknown to his neighbours, he is testing the effectiveness of his new invention by wearing pink pants and a home-made sanitary pad which is slowly filling with goat's blood from a football bladder tied around his waist.

But behind the laughter of the comedy- Pad Man - is the true story of how Muruganantham invented a low-cost machine that revolutionised women's healthcare.

It started in 1998 when newly married Muruganantham noticed his wife Shanti hiding something.

"It was a nasty rag cloth - she was going to use it during her menstruation. I wouldn't even use it to clean my vehicle," he tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.

"So I decided to gift her a sanitary pad. The shopkeeper gave it to me as a smuggled product. Out of curiosity I opened the packet. The cotton product was sold for four rupees (4p) - 40 times what it cost to make."

Muruganantham, now 55, threw himself into researching a cheaper alternative.

Period poverty leaves an estimated 300 million women in India without access to sanitary products - making them vulnerable to disease, infertility and even death.

He began analysing pads from Western companies, canvassing opinions - and used napkins - of female medical students and, finally, tested his inventions out himself.

“I wanted volunteers to try my new pads and give me feedback - but not even my wife was ready.”

It all came at a cost.

“My wife left, mother left. The whole village thought I had a sexual disease,” he explains.

But he persevered, and in 2006 launched not-forprofit Jayaashree Industries, which supplies machines making Muruganantham’s sanitary pads at cost-price to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and women’s organisations across India.

Today it reaches an estimated 40 million Indian women, and there are plans to take the machines to Kenya, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Bangladesh.

Twinkle Khanna, Pad Man’s co-producer, spotted his story online and says she was immediately gripped by the magnitude of what he had achieved.

“I thought this was a remarkable story which really needed to reach every household in India, and globally, because I think the taboo around menstruation is not just in India, it’s a global problem.”

Khanna’s husband, actor Akshay Kumar, immediately signed on to play Muruganantham.

The 50-year-old, who is a popular and powerful role model in India, has a history of political message projects and is calling for sanitary pads to be made free for all women in India.

“Tackling the taboo is very important to me, because I am only now learning about the extent of the crises that countries around the world have been suffering with,” he tells the programme.

“I’m ashamed to say how little of all this I knew, which is why this issue has become so close to my heart.

“The conversation is starting though - I’ve seen men talking about pads on my social media account.

“After Pad Man starts the conversation, it will be up

to audiences to take it forward and help to end all of the taboos around periods worldwide.”

But period poverty is not only a problem affecting women in India.

In the UK, one in 10 disadvantaged girls below the age of 21 cannot afford sanitary products, according to charity Plan International UK. Manjit Gill, who co-runs London based charity Binti - which campaigns against period poverty - says the

film is a watershed moment for “smashing shame around periods”.

“We have worked with Muruganantham for a few years now - we use one of his machines in India - and he really does have a halo,” she says.

“The conversation has definitely been started around this film - the words ‘pad’ and ‘periods’ have been used more in the last month than in the last 10 years.”

Entertainment

Chicago West: Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West name daughter Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West have named their new-born daughter, delivered by surrogate on Monday,

Chicago West.

Kardashian West said that not carrying the child herself

was "so hard", but that the couple had an instant connection with her.

West was raised in the US city Chicago.

Kardashian West carried and gave birth to her older children but was advised against getting pregnant again because of possible medical complications.

Her daughter North is now four years old and her son Saint is two.

But she suffered from pre-eclampsia and placenta accreta on those occasions.

Pre-eclampsia is a condition that usually occurs in the second half of pregnancy and can cause serious complications including seizures and death if not monitored and treated.

Placenta accreta is when the placenta attaches itself too deeply into the wall of the uterus and remains attached after childbirth.

Kardashian West, a reality TV star, said in a post on her app that “doctors said that it wasn’t safe for my, or the baby’s, health to carry my own”.

The 37-year-old said she and her rapper husband decided to use a “gestational carrier”, meaning the baby is “biologically mine and Kanye’s”.

She wrote: “Having a gestational carrier is definitely different, but anyone who says or thinks it’s the easy way out is completely wrong.

“People assume it’s better because you don’t have to deal with the physical changes, pain or complications with delivery, but for me it was so hard to not carry my own child, especially after I carried North and Saint.”

Kardashian West’s surrogate was discussed on her reality show Keeping up with the Kardashians, but her identity was not revealed.

A ‘SPECIAL’ EXPERIENCE The star said she had a “great” relationship with the surrogate, and “trusted her completely throughout the entire process”.

She added: “I’m so grateful for modern technology and that this is even possible. It’s not for everyone, but I absolutely love my gestational carrier and this was the best experience I’ve ever had.

“Having a gestational carrier was so special for us and she made our dreams of expanding our family come true.”

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star announced that her daughter was born at 12.47am on Monday and weighed 7lb 6oz.