See inside: The making of a ‘Modern Guyana’ ► Page II
Let the Soiree live on! ► Page
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Nise-Akosua Oduyefo
The role of the Using African traditions to support women through pregnancy
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Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
The making of a ‘Modern Guyana’ l l a r o f n o i t a r b e l e c a s i n o i t Emancipa
By Lisa Hamilton LIBERATION EMANCIPATION Day, originally termed as ‘Freedom Day’ in Guyana is not an “African holiday” but rather one to be celebrated by all six races as it paved the way for not only one, but all peoples of Guyana to be free. This is the firm position of African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) Executive, Eric Phillips, who sat down with the Pepperpot Magazine for an interview ahead of the much-anticipated August 1, celebration. When freedom came to Guyana for the first time in 1838 after over 200 years of enslavement, Phillips said that this created a path for the same freedom to be assumed to the various ethnic groups which came after. He believes that had it not been for emancipation, Guyana would have been a nation of three peoples instead of six. “Freedom is very important to African Guyanese. It’s very important to the nation as a whole because with emancipation all other peoples came here free. “The Portuguese who came after in 1834, they came a freed people while the Indians who came in 1838 came as freed people, the Chinese who came here in 1853 came as freed people but had it not been for Emancipation they would not only not be here but Guyana would be a different country [than] it is today,” he positioned. This is why the African activist believes that Freedom Day is the most significant holiday in Guyana and should begin to be perceived as such. However, he pointed out that many Guyanese still seem to have the misguided perception that there is some exclusivity of the celebration to Afro-Guyanese. “We still seem to have an ethnic slant because it is called Emancipation Day and because emancipation is perceived as being just for African Guyanese but emancipation is the day that created a modern Guyana,” he said. Phillips nonetheless understands the special sacredness that many Africans place to the day both then and now. He reminded that it was the Emancipation Act, passed in the British Parliament, which made Africans no longer objects or chattel, but human beings, although they were always human and free, to begin with. “Africans are more focused on Emancipation Day as a day of freedom and that’s because they were enslaved for over 200 years. Whereas, others who are here didn’t come here as slaves, so they don’t feel it,” he explained. Phillips said that it is out of such disadvantages and many others in the past and present which led to negatives such as racism, self-hatred within the African-Guyanese community and other forms of ‘mental slavery’. “That created a stigma in the African community where people have been taught white is right…[still today], African Guyanese feel uncertain of themselves, they feel uncertain of their identity because the society is still very hierarchal,” he said.
But Phillips reminded that Africans have been on this earth for over three million years contributing many firsts in Infrastructure, Medicine, Mathematics, Science, Agriculture, Technology, Art and more, but many of these are not being taught today. “A lot of African Guyanese believe that their history started with slavery which is only a small window in our entire lifespan…we don’t tell people that Africans built Guyana; that 475,000 Africans died to build Guyana; that we move 100 million tons of earth to build Guyana; that we cleared nine million acres of land to build Guyana. No one tells us that.” ECONOMIC INCLUSION Speaking on behalf of the Afro-centered organisations he represents, Phillips said that, in Guyana they are calling for economic inclusion, cultural respect and a political system which includes everyone. These include calls for reparations in the form of 18 per cent of Guyana which translates to the 15,000 square miles cleared by Africans; equal access to procurement and all of Guyana’s resources; a bank for African Guyanese and for African history to be better taught in schools. Phillips, who also serves as the President of the African Business Roundtable (ABR), touched on the current banking system and some disadvantages that arise. He stated that the six banks existing in Guyana are all owned by non- Africans and many times Afro-Guyanese business ventures are overlooked. “You can’t build a society without having access to capital and what we are finding is that many of our African Guyanese go to banks with projects that are good projects, that get rejected and yet we see those projects being financed for other groups,” he said. CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS Phillips also said that cultural celebrations such as soiree, kwe kwe (queh queh) and libations, too, deserve to be honoured and not deemed as ‘obeah’ or any other form of negatives. “The Indians go to the river and plant flags and all of
African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) Executive, Eric Phillips, speaks on the significance of Emancipation Day (Samuel Maughn photo)
that and that’s a part of their culture. We go and do libations and they [generally speaking] call it obeah…Libation is a way of giving thanks to your ancestors, of saying thank you for being the shoulders on which we stood, it’s acknowledging our heritage,” he corrected. Phillips reiterated, then, that Emancipation Day, to him, is the most important holiday in Guyana because it marked the beginning of a nation of free people. “Culture and identity are interlinked. We have a Guyanese culture that is still evolving and our Guyanese culture will be a blend of six cultures because there are six races, six ethnicities. Emancipation is the unifying element of Guyana because without emancipation other races wouldn’t be here,” he said. “So, Emancipation should be celebrated by all races. Emancipation should be every body’s business because emancipation is also about freedom. Emancipation was about rights, about everyone getting their human rights. So if you believe in human rights and that all people are equal, then you will believe in emancipation and celebrate emancipation because that was the single most important occurrence in Guyanese history that made everyone free.”
Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
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By Gibron Rahim PREGNANCY is a time of challenges and blessings. Social support is undoubtedly crucial to the wellbeing of both mother and baby throughout the process. There has been a revival in recent times of an age-old role to strengthen the support systems of expectant mothers. The person who fulfils this role is called a doula. Nise-Akosua Oduyefo is a doula. She explained to the Pepperpot Magazine, “A doula is basically a supportive person during delivery, supportive to the mother, supportive to the father and the entire family.” She related that doulas give advice, prenatal training (in a sense) and essentially provide any form of support that a mother needs before and after delivery. A doula’s duties vary according to the needs of each client. Nise-Akosua’s most recent client desired prenatal yoga. This, she said, would last throughout the different stages of pregnancy. Prenatal yoga practice incorporates different types of postures and positions that are comfortable for someone who has extra weight in the front but needs to stretch their back and other areas of the body. “Especially with smaller body frames, women tend to need physical support when doing certain stretches,” said Nise-Akosua. In addition to being a supporting factor in her client’s prenatal yoga practice, Nise-Akosua helped her to prepare nutritious meals or checked in with her when she was not present. She explained that the overall goal is to make the client’s life easier. This is especially important given all the changes the body experiences during pregnancy and especially for firsttime mothers. Particularly in cases where clients might not
A sacred womb gathering
The role of the Using African traditions to support women through pregnancy value of sharing the knowledge she and SA-RA Yáwóada had gained. The knowledge they had gained strengthened their determination to deliver their future children in the smartest and most logical way. “And being that we’re not ready for our family yet we want to help other people to bring forth their family,” said Nise-Akosua.
have internet access or simply do not have answers to their questions, “My role is to get the answers to those questions,” said Nise-Akosua. ODUYEFO Nise-Akosua’s role as a doula is a part of her rites of passage as an oduyefo or “medicine-maker”. “As that rite of passage was revealed to me I knew that my purpose was to aid in creating a medicine, in a sense, for us as a people” she explained. “And medicine I realised doesn’t always come in the form of a pill or a plant, it could be whatever is good for the soul.” She noted that the role of oduyefo has guided her and given her purpose and perspective. Indeed, Oduyefo is Nise-Akosua and her partner SA-RA Yáwóada’s family and union name. “This is us carrying on the legacy of our ancestors, to be healers.” VILLAGE EFFORT The concept of a doula has a historical basis. Nise-Akosua related that communities have historically, especially in Africa, been built around the concept of “it takes a village”. “The concept was that if there’s one person going through something, the whole village is going through it,” she explained. Caring for mother and baby throughout pregnancy and during childbirth was the responsibility of the entire community. “Everyone wants to make sure that this child is happy, healthy and comes out with a destination and a purpose in life,” noted Nise-Akosua. “That’s what inspired me, that part of the history, knowing that that’s how our culture used to do it.” The catalyst for Nise-Akosua’s path as a doula was her and her partner’s own family planning for the future. “We’re very simple and natural with our choices of how we’re living our life,” she explained. Nise-Akosua quickly realised the
SKILLS OF THE DOULA Stepping into the role of doula meant that Nise-Akosua had to learn numerous new skills. However, she noted that much of the knowledge is common sense and is based on empathy, compassion and consideration for others. Essentially, “How you’d want to be treated in this chapter of your life, you give that [same treatment] to the person,” she said. Nise-Akosua has had to research extensively to find knowledge to help her clients with all the issues they have brought to her attention. “We found hundreds of alternatives to what they may prescribe in a regular hospital,” she related. She noted that sometimes the medical advice mothers receive from health care professionals are contradictory and incorrect. “A lot of the time the mothers have to go off on instinct, they can’t just take what the doctor or the nurse says,” she said. “It has to be what they feel.” She noted that some physicians, unfortunately, do not listen to their patients and this leads to a disconnect between medical recommendations and the actual symptoms experienced by patients. Nise-Akosua’s clients have usually already decided to choose a more natural pregnancy and childbirth. “Some of them may still want to give birth in a hospital and that’s the role of a doula – to aid the mother in whatever her choice is,” she made clear. The determination is the individual client’s to make. “My position is to also to share the knowledge and show the contrast between the two different options.” EMBRACING AFRICAN HERITAGE Fulfilling her purpose as a doula has brought Nise-Akosua closer to her African heritage. She said, “As an African woman I realise, in society, you can fall into the norm and, with falling into the norm, you can lose yourself.” She related that she had found herself experiencing that kind of dissociation from self at one point in her life. She did not know her next
step even though she had all the things that people would consider accomplishments. “I didn’t feel satisfied and the main thing I knew I was missing was my roots and my culture.” The African practices and lifestyles she learned from study resonated with Nise-Akosua and she found herself drawing ever closer to her roots and her culture. “That’s what made it much easier for me to share this as my work and my service,” she said, “because it’s something that I know I would have needed if I didn’t choose this path for myself.” She emphasised the importance of fulfilling observed needs in the community. “If your community doesn’t have something that you find important, you provide it to your community and all the blessings and rewards will flow in because of that.” The role of doula is one of many ways that Nise-Akosua and SA-RA Yáwóada stay connected to their African heritage. One of the important ways for Nise-Akosua is by wearing her crown that she creates by wrapping her head every time she leaves the house which she says signifies knowledge and wealth and acts as a form of protection. They have also turned their lifestyle into their businesses. SA-RA Yáwóada Oduyefo I is the founder of YogaSthenics which combines smai tawi (an African form of yoga) with calisthenics. The couple own the clothing brand Wrap Century with the aim of empowering everyone to crown themselves and wear headwraps as they see fit. A division of YogaSthenics is Nise-Akosua’s company ESIN which she said focuses on “all women’s holistic healing and wellness”. One of ESIN’s main focuses is sacred womb gatherings. “At these gatherings women come together,” said Nise-Akosua. “We do kemetic yoga, we talk about life, we talk about nutrition.” The gatherings give women the opportunity to talk about lifestyle aspects that they might not be able to talk about with female friends or relatives. “[It’s] just someplace more sacred and less biased that you could just come to and vibe.” These sacred womb gatherings take place every last Sunday of the month from 16:00hrs to 18:00hrs in the Promenade Gardens and Nise-Akosua said that they have been well received by women. “Women come just to be at peace and they notice that they can go home and do these things and feel more connected to themselves which, of course, makes you feel more connected to your culture and whatever came before you.”
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Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
‘Man, know thyself’ – Graphic Artist and Illustrator, Barrington Braithwaite By Lisa Hamilton AS the words written in ancient Egyptian temples state ‘Man know thyself’, wellknown graphic artist and illustrator, Barrington Braithwaite, reminds Afro-Guyanese to be conscious of their history, their present and where they are headed next. In a Pepperpot Magazine interview, Braithwaite told of the post emancipation period and the efforts of Africans, newly freed, to build a new nation for themselves. “Emancipation brought out the indelible fact of the resilience of African Guyanese in
that during slavery they were able to work and save money, had the trust between each other and the cooperation to buy villages,” he said. It was a time where there were low returns for sugar because of changes occurring in London and planters were eager to sell their plantations but, yet, not so eager to sell them to former slaves. Braithwaite said that the plantation owners, therefore, made it difficult for the Africans to purchase land by stipulating that they could only do so by buying entire plantations.
“Those Africans that were freed were able to put the money in wheelbarrows and pay for those plantations,” he said. “It was phenomena generally during the age of slavery that these people could have assembled the money, assembled the trust that is indicative of tribal people and amass themselves to purchase the first villages.” The greatest thing, he said emancipation permitted in Guyana, was its villages which saw the slaves receiving properties of their own where they could build and farm to survive. ACCESS TO INFORMATION Information such as this, on Guyana and the Caribbean’s rich history, is what Braithwaite hopes will become more readily available in schools He said that before taking office, President David Granger had published for some 17 years a publication called ‘Guyana Review and Emancipation Magazine’ which is the largest collection of information on emancipation. Although the publications ended a few years ago, Braithwaite said that there are considerations being made for it to resume and be made available in school systems. “The information is there but what is unfortunate is that he did it during the PPP time and they refused to buy it and put it in the schools although it was available,” he said. “The people need to know those stories; they need to know the details of it.” Telling more of Guyana’s history, he said that between post-emancipation to the 1940s is one of the most significant periods in the history of the country which marked the “genesis of modern Guyana.” “Africans in Guyana have passed the worse. What it needs now is a simulation of their talents towards expanding into new horizons,” said Braithwaite as he spoke of his vision for African Guyanese. He said, however, that for many years prior there were numerous hindrances to progress, where the death toll was a daily crisis; picketing was common and there was the mismanagement of education. “From 1996 to 2010 we went through a period under the previous Government when the state was criminalised, drugs became an industry and lawlessness…the promise was that you didn’t have to qualify to get rich on drugs,” he recalled. He spoke too of the ‘No Child Left Behind’ programme within the education system which was a failure as it saw many children, not only Afro-Guyanese, leaving school illiterate. “But we survived slavery so we will make good with this time,” he said positively. “This present Government is doing a lot
of training. They have a kind of obsession with training young people.” PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Still, Braithwaite said that Guyanese must begin to take into consideration the impact of technology on jobs and begin to prepare themselves to adapt, where needed, in new sectors. He added that he has noticed that efforts are being exhorted in this regard to ensure that young people can earn in the years to come. “People need to be trained in this time. There’s not much labour work available. So I think they are placing tremendous emphasis on training and I’ve been looking at the amount of money spent into training so that is kind of restoring life skills to young people. They are now interested in things like STEM and those initiatives are bringing young people into the fold,” he said. For a greater future for Afro-Guyanese and citizens altogether, Braithwaite encourages that more persons grow their own food like former President Linden Forbes Burnham had promoted. “At one time, Guyanese frowned on local fruits and vegetables. A lot of it was imported and we never bothered to expand growing areas because we didn’t feel it was going to be important, now it is,” he said. “Afro-Guyanese need to grow, everybody needs to grow and manage what they grow. That’s what kept us alive over the years.” COMFORT NOT PRIDE When asked what makes him proud to be of African heritage, Braithwaite corrected that it was not what made him proud but rather what makes him comfortable and aware of whom he is. “Pride is a false thing. I am comfortable with myself based on what my ancestors have done. You have to be comfortable with yourself, not proud. What pride does is prevent you from seeing your own errors when you commit them. When you’re comfortable with yourself you examine yourself…and you recognise that you’re subject, like any other creature to make mistakes,” he said. “I’m comfortable with their [African ancestors] efforts and that has empowered me and they persuaded me to learn my history so that nobody can tell you who you are. If you don’t know your history somebody’s going to tell you ‘your people are lazy and useless’. But people who are lazy and useless couldn’t buy villages while in slavery. They had to have courage and many of them died. So when you know these things nobody can tell you that because you understand who you are.”
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CRUNCHING
NUMBERS Director of Internal Audit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Pavita Ramkissoon (Delano Williams photo)
By Lisa Hamilton AT just 12 years old Pavita Ramkissoon, was ahead of her age group, sitting three CXC subjects privately and completing high school years later at just age 15. Today, Pavita is the Director of Internal Audit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and wants young Guyanese to know that they too can accomplish great things should they set their minds to it. However, before she could tell her own story of how she came to love accounting, she told of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ramkissoon, and how their lives helped to influence who she is today. As a child, Pavita recalled sitting in classes being taught by her mother, an accounts teacher who taught students preparing for the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. At just about seven years old, as Pavita awaited her mother after primary school, she would take it upon herself to draw lines for accounting ledgers even though nothing much made sense at the time. She later told the Pepperpot Magazine that it was just the fondness of ruling up ledgers that drew her closer to the accounting field. “I wasn’t being taught but I was always with her when she was in class. So after primary school, I would go there and she would have classes and extra classes for students. So I was there with her most of the time,” she explained. Added to this, Pavita’s late father was a well-known land surveyor, author of the book ‘Mathematics for You’ and principal of Shivita’s Business College, a school named by her dad after herself and brother, Dr. Shivasram Itwaru. Even with her parents both possessing careers in business, Pavita said: “They did not sit with me and say ‘you have to be in the business stream’ but because of the environment, I was influenced.” At age 12, not long after she completed Common Entrance exams at Cane Grove Primary, Pavita joined the Shivita’s Business College where she passed all three of the CXC subjects written with a Grade One in Principle of Business. “It was challenging but I wasn’t being pressured in any way that I had to study. As much as it was challenging, I had the self-discipline to pick up my books but I also did ordinary things that I think every student did at the age. I was still playing hide-and-seek, I was watching television, so it wasn’t very pressuring for me,” said the now 34-year old. By 15-years old, after graduating from high school gaining
Pavita Ramkissoon encourages youth to ‘reach for the sky’
passes at both the CXC and General Certificate of Education (GCE), Pavita then completed her LCCI Levels 1-3 which gained her passes with numerous distinctions in the various business subjects. SUDDEN SETBACK For her next mission, she had set her mind on studying for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) but this is when she encountered the disappointing setback that she did not meet the age requirement at the time. “I was disappointed because I’d always wanted to go study for the ACCA in England because other students in my parent’s school did that,” she explained. Looking back on the delay, Pavita said that she doesn’t believe that age should determine how fast a child moves ahead academically. “I think it’s up to students and their potential. Everybody has their individual potential and I don’t think that age should, at all, be a factor,” she said. However, despite the hindrance, Pavita did not sit idly by but proceeded to take a Diploma in Accounting at the University of Guyana (UG) and by the time she was completed, was accepted to study in the United Kingdom. NEW WORLD But being a young girl who grew up in the countryside village of Cane Grove on the East Coast Demerara, it took some time for the teen to adjust to the new, big city. “I got lost a few times during my first week but I quickly learned to use the public transportation, use the maps and I got around pretty okay,” she recollected. Battling flu symptoms for a month during exams due to the change in climate conditions, Pavita nonetheless completed the process of preparing for the exams in three months, two months earlier than many others. She later pursued an MBA in Financial Management and today, apart from her position
at the GPHC, Pavita sits on the board of Caribbean Containers Incorporated (CCI) as a non-Executive Director. In her message for young Guyanese, especially girls, Pavita said: “The sky is the limit and to reach there always remember that determination and hard work are the keys to success. Focus on education, uphold moral values, respect yourself as women at all times and be independent.” With her father’s dream in mind, her own experiences and Guyana’s emerging petroleum sector, Pavita sees the need for an educated population and, as such, intends to open a school geared towards accounting and auditing disciplines. She hopes to not only groom young minds but to clear the way for local content opportunities through strategic programmes one of which will involve business and accounting courses for students who missed out CSEC. “Nothing is impossible. Once you’re focused and once you’re determined to do something, you can get there,” she said, adding: “For those who don’t have supportive parents, the sky is still the limit, follow your dreams and make yourself proud.”
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Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
Let the Soiree live on! Keeping the age-old African celebration alive By Vanessa Braithwaite SOIREE is the celebration of Emancipation from slavery in 1838. It takes place on the eve of Emancipation Day and the celebration ends on the break of the new day. This cultural festivity has its roots in the 1800s and is indigenous to villages along the coast and banks of the main rivers that Africans bought when they were liberated from slavery. Villages that have embraced this tradition down to this day are Hopetown, Ithaca, Belladrum on the West Coast of Berbice; Buxton and Victoria on the East Coast of Demerara and Bagotville on the West Bank of Demerara. Soiree is a
of boom boxes which create a party atmosphere for the young people. Similar celebrations and ceremonies are held at Bagotville on the WCD. Bagotville’s first soiree was held in 1952 by Mr. Isaac Croker and it lasted for nine days or as they would traditionally call it, ‘nine night’. At 18:00 hrs, on July 31, there is a thanksgiving church service at the village’s traditional church. At 22:00 hrs, the villagers then head to the village koker for the libation ceremony. They dance and mimic the sounds of the drums and other musical instruments, awaking neighbouring villages as they
Soiree celebrations at Bagotville, WBD
mixture of libation ceremonies to evoke the spirits of the African ancestors, African drumming, chanting and shanto dancing. The village of Hopetown was bought by exslaves in the 1840s and the tradition of Soiree dates back since then. Drumming, marching and dancing would start around 18:00hrs on the eve of Emancipation in an area of the village called ‘Twenty Two’, and the large crowd would disperse into groups to keep their separate libation ceremonies, while the main road is Joy James flooded with hundreds Fonsie James
make their way to the koker. Upon arriving there, they sing to African rhythms as they “invite the ancestors to join the celebrations”. When it is certain that the ancestors are “within their midst”, the celebrants move over to the community centre for a grand enjoyment. At this time, the centre is filled with spectators, dancers, drummers and singers, as well as children. At about 06:00 hrs, the libation ends, but not the Emancipation celebrations! This continues throughout the day. A packed programme, prepared weeks in advance, is started at about noon. Turn to page VII ►►►
Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018 ◄◄◄ From page VI
The villagers gather at the centre once again to witness the traditional concert. This includes African dances and songs; skits; speeches; and most importantly, the storytelling. While the older folks are often the one to celebrate soirees, there are youths who have embraced the culture and encourage their friends to do the same. “It must not be a tradition that should die, it must be passed on. Our parents’ parents did it, our parents did it and we must do it as well,” Fonsie James, a 24-year-old of Hopetown, B erbice. James said that the youths have a responsibility to carry on the culture and it is indigenous to their villages and he will be advocating for same. He is unhappy with the way youths are transforming the culture into a mere party and believes that it should stick to what it is, a celebration of liberation from slavery and not a night of partying as is the case of every weekend. For that night alone, Fonsie is calling for youths to shun the boom boxes and embrace the drums, shun the millennium fashion garbs and embrace their African dashikis and head wraps, shun the barbeques and beers and embrace the traditional African drinks and food. “Apart from the small groups that try to keep the tradition, mostly
there is men sporting, women wining to the boom box music, the young people drinking and smoking, barbeque and all these fancy nowadays food selling and it is really sad,” James said. He admonished that it is not only about being present for the soiree but keeping it as a real soiree celebration. Similar sentiments were echoed by Llewelyn Cyrus of Bagotville Village. Cyrus said that in the emancipation celebrations held at the community centre on Emancipation day, the audience mostly consists of the older and middle age folks. “Where are the youths?” Cyrus asked. “We need to come out and support the celebrations more, we need to embrace the culture as did our ancestors and let the celebrations remain.” Joy James has her roots in Hopetown Berbice, alhough she was born in Linden. Her parents are both Berbicians but her father had travelled to Linden in search of employment and her mother soon followed. Despite being born and bred in Linden, Joy believes she is a true Berbician and journeys back to Hopetown every year to celebrate with her relatives who still live there. She also sometimes take her friends so that they too can get a feel of her village culture and when her teenage son was living in Guyana, he too was sure to attend Soiree so that the culture can be passed on from one generation to the other.
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Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
PERFECT SCORE
Young scholar aces Mathematics at NGSA By Vanessa Braithwaite
Shakina London
MATHEMATICS is always one of the hardest subjects in school; any child can attest to that. At the Grade Six level, many students just can’t keep up with the arithmetic, computations, word problems, fractions and so much more. For little Shakina London of the Watooka Day Primary School in Linden, however, Mathematics was no problem for the little number genius. She managed to cop a perfect score for mathematics and only lost 10 marks in the entire examination. She is the top student for her school, the second top student for Region 10 and gained a place at Queen’s college with 519 marks. Shakina is more than a mathematician, in fact minus her struggles she may have scored more marks and could have even topped the country. She was not a normal student who benefitted from six years of a curriculum preparing you for the NGSA, she also did not benefit from the accumulated marks from the National Grades Two and Four Assess-
ment. Shakina only migrated to Guyana during the last term of Grade Five. In fact, she was not even attending school before then, since her parents opted to home school her. For the little shy 11-year-old, with less than a year to prepare for the NGSA, she had to beat the odds of transitioning; had to adapt to a whole new school and social setting of learning; learn concepts of a local curriculum; make friends; deal with a plethora of challenges; deal with being homesick amongst other issues. The little timid 11-year-old said that she is still astonished about her overwhelmingly excellent performance as she reminisced on all the challenges she faced transitioning. “It was a little hard dealing with the curriculum, the hardest subject was Social Studies but what I did was at school study during any free time I have and when I was at home I would have read a lot,” she said. While her preference lies in being home schooled overseas, what she appreciates at school and her teachers here is that they push you to meet your pinnacle performance. It was the pushing of her teacher, Rhonda Rose, that she said played an integral role in her success.
Some of the challenges she faced were making friends and fitting in with the rest of the children. “I was scared that they won’t like me because I was different from them and then they were a few people that were a little mean but it didn’t bother me much,” she said. Speaking of the extra lessons she said that was another transitioning challenge since she spent most of her after-school time at lessons. Her mother Sinetta London said that with Shakina not being in a regular school setting prior, she was a little scared of how difficult it would have been for her to adapt. She is still surprised by her performance. “I was concerned in putting her in a regular school especially because of the Social Studies because she was not doing the local Social Studies and that was my biggest concern. It became a challenge actually. In fact, that was her lowest scoring subject, in Math, she got a perfect score, so I didn’t foresee her being at the top in terms of actually coming so late and making it, I didn’t foresee it at all,” London said. Her teacher, Rhonda Rose said that she was not too surprised about Shakina’s performance because she was a very smart girl.
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The vendor popularly known as ‘Rastaman’ Serving up hot boxes of deliciousness for 36 years Food vendor Keith Hutchins has plied his trade as a vegetarian food vendor on Eping Avenue since 1982. (Samuel Maughn photo)
AT THE head of Eping Avenue near Vlissengen Road, “Rastaman” Keith Hutchins has been selling all things vegetarian at the same spot for over 30 years, much to the happiness of his customers. Hutchins sells out of a small minibus - his third vehicle since he started his profession – and although the others have rusted away overtime, the 61-year-old still remains vibrant in the food business. On the roadside in his bright pink vehicle, Hutchins’ operation sits snugly between the popular Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fast-food establishment and a Rubis Gas Station which also has a convenience store. Although the two businesses can be viewed as strong competition to his ‘roadside hustle’, Hutchins told the Pepperpot Magazine that many times his location works to his advantage rather than the other way around. “What I sell is different from everybody so I don’t really see it as a competition. It doesn’t really bother me. I’m glad, in a sense, that they deh bout because I get to see more people when the day comes,” he said. “You might get a car load of people come to KFC and somebody out of the car might come and buy something from me. They being around is a good thing, it’s good for my business,” he remarked positively. Hutchins recalled in 1982 when he first got permission to sell at the spot from the late owner of the gas station, veteran
petrol dealer Steve Chung, when it was known as Texaco Gas Station. Today, he comes out around 11:00hrs daily from Fourth Street, Alberttown to his spot and leaves around 16:00hrs, and sells every day except on Sundays and holidays. Hutchins averages that he gets some 100 customers per day so he utilises the help of five rotated staff as, on his own, he probably wouldn’t be able to handle the numbers. On any given day, should one pass by his location, it is not strange to see customers stopping by in cars and minibuses, on bicycles and donkey carts and many others through the good old fashion means, by foot. Apart from “Rastaman”, “Uncle Keith” is another name customers call out when they order from his many options of veggie burgers, doubles, potato balls, channa, macaroni and cheese, pizza, fry bake and chunks, juices and more. It’s through his livelihood on Eping Street that helped Hutchins to support his family and acquire his own place in Alberttown where he lives with
wife, daughter and granddaughter. “My daughter she works and my wife, together, we do the business. She looks over the girls [staff] at work and at home because everything [food items] come from home so I help to prepare and when I’m finished I go and sell,” he said. However, even out in the open Hutchins has had to deal with several issues at times such as stealing and dishonest customers. “There are people who come and take out drinks and put it in their bag. They have people who would come and ask for credit but then you never see them back. Right now I have a staff that now looks after giving out change because when I was alone, everybody would come around and the crowd is there but when she is there it doesn’t happen like before,” he said. But his approach to his business is still one of positivity as Hutchins said: “If the robbing man comes to rob, I show him respect. The policeman, I show him respect. Anybody who Turn to page XIII ►►►
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Outside of the classroom What do teachers do during the August holidays? By M Margaret Burke TEACHING can be a very rewarding profession. It gives the teacher a sense of completion and achievement like scarcely any other job can. However, teaching has many concrete benefits and possibly the most attractive is the ‘August/Summer’ holidays. This is a period when many teachers find that they are able to spend more quality time with their families – where they can plan vacation picnics, do some sightseeing, visit other relatives and generally do as they please with the time
available to them. Additionally, some teachers look forward to that time when they may be able to visit some of their friends, spend time hanging out in fun places and generally socialising much more. During this period teachers take time off to rest and be thankful that they are not in front of the classroom. TIME BEING TAKEN AWAY “I am talking not only for me but many of my friends too. For some years now some people have been making it a habit of ensuring that a lot of our summer holidays are taken back in
all sorts of activities – yes some of it is good, like workshops and seminars on teaching; getting children more involved; other forms of continued teacher education. However, many teachers feel that some of these things can be planned for other times during the year,” said Teacher Marcelle, only first named used. “I started teaching in the 80s and we used to have the time to rest, relax and take a breather for the next round. While teaching is a nice thing, I enjoy doing it, there are times when as a teacher you must get that rest,” she told the Pepperpot Magazine. BEING THERE EARLY Another teacher pointed out that for the nursery and primary schools, teachers are expected to be at work quite early – in some cases as early as 07:00hrs. This, she said is because many parents are working and need to drop off their children early so that they can be on time for their jobs. “But I am a parent too and I have secondary, primary and nursery schoolaged children. Therefore as a parent I have to care for my children too, and so while I appreciate the concerns for other children, people must also realise the sacrifices teachers must make to help other children be safe and comfortable,” she said. Some other teachers told this newspaper that the ‘August holidays’ really afford them some time to relax, to stretch out their feet; not having to hang them down all day as is done in the classrooms… “Teaching demands that teachers must stand up a whole lot or even walk around making sure that the children under their command carry out instructions; if not, teachers have to sit in the presence of the children to impart knowledge, while ensuring that attention is paid to what is being taught,” another teacher explained. TWO EXTRA WEEKS Many of the teachers spoken to during this time of summer vacation said that it is hardly possible for them to commence their vacation at the same time with the children, or even return to school at the same time as the children. “It is always that we are expected to be in school a week or two more after schools are closed and then return to school about two weeks before the commencement of the term.” This they explained is because there is always the straightening out of records that must be done, as well as other additional work; then prior to the opening of schools teachers have to be there to ensure that the classrooms are cleaned, fresh aids prepared and put up on the walls, and then there is registration of new pupils and students must be done. Turn to page XIII ►►►
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In addition to some amount of relaxation, many teachers take time off to reflect upon the previous year’s activities – in the classroom, as well as extracurricular activities, which help them to prepare for the year ahead. BEYOND THE LAST DAY Not only the teachers but the schoolchildren are also hardly able to contain this ‘excited’ moment. Some teachers explained that they are happy to see the children go, yet there is a part of them that also want to see them stay. “It’s really the last time we will be seeing some, some of them migrate – out of the country; some take transfers to other schools for one reason or another; others may simply go to another class…whatever it is, we miss ‘our’ children – some we see as our own and so sometimes we all hug and cry,” one teacher said to the agreement of others. After all is said and done, that bitter-sweet moment is gone, the bell rings for the conclusion of classes and then there is chaos; children are running everywhere, screaming, talking loudly as they run out of the room towards the doors. Teachers glance at each other, breeding a sigh of relief; after all, it is now summer break. Teachers have told of stories where some of them choose to carry on summer school during their break in an effort to earn some much-needed cash; others work as private tutors to make an extra dollar so as to ensure
that their needs and that of their children are met when schools reopen. Others provide voluntary services for their churches in vacation bible studies (VBS) and other social organisations. COMMITTED TO THE CLASSROOM Joyce Collins, one teacher who taught for many years and recently retired said: “While teachers spend a lot of their time and own money to buy some stationery needed for the efficient running of the classroom; also on school decorating supplies for their classrooms to make them look good and updated, they see these things more as pleasurable activities, for which they get job satisfaction – making the classrooms look good and their children feeling better.” At the same time, she said, time to recharge during the summer is very necessary for all teachers who are committed to the classroom. She pointed out that teachers would find it convenient to do these things in different ways – through some sort of vacation, possibly away from home; others recharge by getting involved in inspiring and specialised professional activities; while for some, just spending quality time with their immediate families in an undisturbed manner for a period of time means something to them. Collins posited that the fact is that every teacher has the need to be refreshed and recharged, especially during the summer and it is only that each may do it differently.
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comes, I show them respect.” Hutchins wants to expand his business very soon but says that insufficient finance is a big issue at the moment. “It gets to me at times because it’s 36 years I’ve been out there so sometimes I feel stagnated. Right now I’m thinking to upgrade to a canter because all the years I’ve been there on my own it’s like a one-man band,” he said. Hutchins is also worried that his age will be a deterrent to him receiving a loan at the bank to advance his trade and lamented that if Chung were alive, the kindly man would have assisted in any way he could. Rest is also on the agenda for “Rastaman” as he remarked: “Right now, too, I could use some rest. Because from 1982 to now I’ve been out there without a day leave…for more than half of my life,” he said. Despite his own troubles, Hutchins had much advice to give to others like himself
XIII who are looking to make a living through self-employment. “Don’t’ give up…sometimes there are discouragements but if you have the money, continue. And that’s what I do, I stay with all the good and the bad and made it into an establishment,” he said. “There are times when I don’t even have money to pay my staff but I have to keep going. Even if it’s bad you have to act on the bad and make it good for your customers and your workers.” He added that there is much joy in the work he does as anytime he skips a day customers usually notice and express a yearn for his food and snacks which is why he tries always to be present . Summing up why he has remained in the business for so many years, Hutchins said: “It’s an enjoyment. Knowing that you can keep some people happy by working and providing a salary and the customers, too, they encourage me.”
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What you need to know about coconuts? Part 1 INTRODUCTION THIS week NAREI in Focus begins a series on growing coconuts in Guyana. The coconut (Cocos nucifera) is an important commercial crop in Guyana, contributing significantly to the overall economy. Several cultivars of coconut palms are grown. The ‘Jamaican Tall’ and ‘Panama Tall’
cultivars are tall, robust with a large diameter crooked trunk, rapid growth rate, and either green or bronze-coloured fruit. The ‘Malayan Dwarf cultivar has three different selections that they vary in the colour of the immature fruit (green, yellow, or gold). It is smaller and slower-growing than the ‘Jamaican Tall’ and has a straight,
non-swollen trunk. The ‘Maypan’ is a hybrid between the ‘Malayan Dwarf and the ‘Panama Tall’. The coconut palm starts fruiting 3 to 5 years after planting, depending on the type. A normal-bearing, adult palm produces at least one mature ready-to-harvest bunch of coconuts every month. Depending on the variety, the number of nuts per bunch can vary from 5 to 15. Mature trees continue to produce fruit regularly throughout the year. The chief product is copra (dried kernel), the source of coconut oil used for making soap, shampoo, cosmetics, cooking oils and margarine. A significant quantity of fruit is also consumed fresh as a refreshing drink made from the water inside immature fruit. These fruit are often referred to as water coconuts. Water coconuts should be opened carefully, by chopping the blossom end, in order to preserve the uncontaminated drink. The jellylike endosperm is also typically eaten, by scooping out with a spoon.
HARVEST MATURITY INDICES Coconuts are harvested at two different stages of development, depending on the intended use. Coconuts intended to be consumed fresh for the water content and jelly-like meat should be harvested when the fruit have reached full size, but at an immature stage with soft inner white meat (endosperm). Fruit intended to be harvested for copra and further processed into oil should be harvested at a mature stage when the inner white meat has thickened and hardened. Several different indices can be used to determine coconut maturity. These include time from flowering, fruit size, external appearance, and amount and texture of the meat. Water coconuts should be harvested soon after the fruit has reached full size, but while it is still immature. This coincides with maximum water content and occurs about seven months after flowering. In immature coconuts, the skin surface around the cap on the top of the fruit is typically whitish-yellow. AIso, the short stem above the individual coconuts that originally contained the male flowers will have partially dried.
Coconuts intended for copra production should be harvested fully mature, which requires about 12 months from flowering. The skin will have turned mostly brown. The stem on top of the coconut is also brown at full maturity. At this stage, the coconuts will have their maximum copra content and oil recovery. At the fully mature stage, the meat is firm and is eaten without processing, or may be shredded, dried to produce copra, and then squeezed to produce coconut milk, a water-oil emulsion. Although the fully mature stage is ideal for copra-production, in practice, immature coconuts are sometimes included during harvest if the entire bunch is picked. Immature coconuts will produce rubbery copra with low oil recovery. Rubbery copra is also susceptible to insects and mould due to its high moisture content. External fruit appearance is an indicator of maturity. Depending on cultivar, coconut fruit are green, yellow, or gold in colour when immature. The fruit will turn a brownish colour as they become mature. Fruit size is also indicative of maturity. The fruit should be fully developed in size before being harvested, either as a water coconut or for copra. The amount and texture of the meat is a destructive index of harvest maturity. Several randomly selected fruit of different sizes are cut open to determine the amount and firmness of the meat. Other fruit of similar size from the same cultivar are assumed to be in the same stage of maturity. The meat of water coconuts should be thin, soft, and jellylike. The water content of immature fruit is higher but is gradually absorbed into the meat with increasing fruit maturity. The meat of coconuts harvested for copra should be thick and firm with limited water content.
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Just go outside! TODAY we are back on the topic of simple things that we can do to improve our mental health. Today is the simplest of all- just go outside! The Sun and the Vitamin D that it provides, have tremendous effects on both our mental and physical health. You don’t even necessarily have to be active in the sun to benefit from it. I think so many people view the hot sun as a negative thing but it actually increases so many positive hormones such as Vitamin D, serotonin and nitric oxide which are responsible for positivity, happiness and
three times per week. Sun on their arms, legs and face. If you’re going out for a short term, it is better to not put on sunblock. However, if you are going outside for more than 15 minutes, it is advised to protect the skin. There are even quite a few disorders that surface because of weather; the most common being Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This is a form of depression that describes the changes in our emotions, mood and behaviour during unwanted weather patterns. When it is not sunny, some people feel sad, lethargic and even
energy. We can actually feel the difference, can’t we? When we wake up and look outside, most of us feel gloomy and lazy if it’s raining, more so than if it wasn’t.
hopeless. Many studies in various other countries show that depression is higher during winter months than summer or spring. I’m sure many of you may feel this way when we experience our rainy season. SAD is different from regular depression in the sense where the individual will recover when the weather patterns change to brighter/sunnier days. Many studies have further proven that Vitamin D helps to reduce the onset of depression overall. We can imagine why as bad weather forces us to stay indoors and provides very little opportunity for our bodies to experience natural light. It’s important to understand that our bodies basically function by light. We sleep at night because a specific hormone, melatonin, is produced in our brains when it becomes dark, preparing our bodies for sleep. Light decreases the amount of melatonin produced which is why it is harder for us to sleep during the day but easier for us to sleep when it is raining and not very sunny. For those of you who work nights and sleep during the day, it is important for you to add in other healthy activities that may make up for the loss of Vitamin D and the daily influx of melatonin. These include exercising and eating a healthy and balanced diet. Exercise will release the positive endorphins that you would have received from the sun. Some studies show that exercise is even more beneficial than anti-depressant drugs in the cases of mild
THE SUN’S BENEFITS GO BEYOND FIGHTING STRESS The sun can even prevent a wide range of diseases as the Ultra Violets (UV) rays from it work as an anti-inflammatory which means it actually helps to kill infection in the body. While excess sun may cause some cancers (such as skin), studies show that moderate sunlight with the proper protection actually prevents some cancers such as colon, ovarian and prostate by up to 60 per cent. The extra sunlight even helps our bones to healthily grow as Vitamin D is associated with a decrease in osteoporosis. Sunlight also decreases skin conditions such as eczema and acne. Basically, skin cancer may happen when the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays penetrate the skin and damage cell DNA. There is no recommendation for how long someone should stay in the sun as it depends on individual skin type as well as how direct the sun’s rays are. My research showed a few things; that people with fairer skin will get a sunburn faster than those with darker skin and the sun’s rays are more direct (harsher) between 10:00hrs and 16:00hrs. According to the World Health Organistion (WHO), every individual should get an average of 15 minutes of sun more than
depression. Healthy food has an impact on our mood and even our ability to cope with stress. Fermented foods such as yoghurt as well as foods with high omega 3 fats, such as walnuts or salmon are ideal for good mental health. Remember that exposure to long periods of sun is dangerous, so it is important to use sunscreen which protects our skin from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, and from sunburn. This decreases our chances of developing various types of skin cancer. If you work nights and therefore must sleep during the day, I suggest you visit your nearest pharmacy and purchase some
Vitamin D and some melatonin to take during the day. However, natural would be best whenever you can. 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 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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Lions Club hosts 46th Installation THE Lions Club of Bel Air, on June 24 held its prestigious 46th Installation Ceremony and Annual Dinner Meeting at the Georgetown Club, Camp St. Georgetown. The highlight of the programme was the ceremonial installation of new officers for 2017-2018 by Lion Past District Governor 3-Star SMV Nasseer. Lion Naseer is the recipient of the Lions International Distinguished 50 year (Golden Anniversary) Charter Monarch Milestone Chevron Award, conferred on him by the President of the International Association of Lions Clubs.
The newly-installed Executives of Be Air Lions Club. Seated (from left): Master of Ceremonies Lion SMV Nasseer (Past District Governor 3-Star); President Mark Persaud; District Governor, Ln. Sean Noel and Lion Ramchand Ragbeer
The new Executive installed for the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 is as follows: • President: Lion Mark Anthony Persaud • Immediate Past President: Ln. Taramattie Naraine • 1st Vice President: Ln. Alicia Young
• 2nd Vice President: Ln. Orlando James • 3rd Vice President: Ln. Vickram Balli • Secretary: Ln. Karen Anthony • Treasurer: Ln. Eulanie Nurse
• Tail Twister: Ln. Matthew Langevine • Tamer: Ln. Shondelle Gray Turn to page XVII ►►►
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Two-Year Directors: Ln. Candace Ford, Ln. Natalia Azeez, Ln. Raulston Dowlin and Ln Duean Boston. One-Year Directors: Ln. Bonica Sam, Ln. Maxine Graham, Ln. Amanda Hermonstine and Ln. Colin Boyce Following their installation, Ln. President-elect, Mark Anthony Persaud and Leo President-elect Waynace Forde formally accepted their elevation to the respective high offices, after which Past Ln. President Taramattee Naraine also expressed appreciation to District Governor Ln. Sean Noel; Past District Governor 3-Stars Ln. Vic Nasseer; the Board; the General Membership and Fellow Lions and Leos Clubs for their guidance and support. She noted that collectively, their service has made a positive impact on the community served by the clubs. Lion Naraine expressed sincere congratulations to the new president of the Bel Air Lions Club, Ln. Mark Persaud; Leo President, Waynace Ford and all Club Officers for the Fiscal Year 2018-2019. She gratefully acknowledged the support of all the club’s sponsors and the general public for their contribution and support. And of the Leos, Ln. Persaud declared, “They are a vibrant group, hearty and hardworking leaders.” She congratulated the Leos, 13 of whom were
initiated this year, and expressed pride in their achievements so far. “Our Leos are new in the world, but already they are making themselves known,” Ln. Persaud proudly stated. She looks forward to working more closely with them in the future. Impressive annual reports highlighting the work done and achievements scored for the Year 2017-2018 by the Lions Club of Bel Air and the Leo Club were delivered by Presidents Ln. Taramattie Naraine and Ln. Waynace Ford respectively. Another feature on the programme was “Presentations” during which members of the Lions and Leos Clubs of Bel Air were awarded certificates and tokens of appreciation for outstanding work done within the club. There were also two ‘Special Guest’ Appreciation tokens in recognition of support rendered to the club. The first was presented to Optician Dr. Yohan Da Silva of Modern Optical, for his sterling contribution to the Lions Club of Bel Air’s ‘Sight Preservation Project, by way of providing free eye tests and spectacles at a reduced cost for students who were part of the project. The other was a Certificate of Appreciation awarded to Ms. Shirley Thomas, Journalist, Guyana Chronicle, for her commitment to supporting the Public Relations Unit of the Bel Air Lions Club. Meanwhile, part of the opening segment of the programme was the Observance of ‘One Minute’s Silence’ for Peace of the World.
Immediate Past President of the Bel Air Lions Club presents Certificate of Appreciation to Journalist Shirley Thomas of the Guyana Chronicle for committed support to the Public Relations Unit of the Bel Air Lions Club. At the podium is Past District Governor 3-Stars Ln SMV Nasseer
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THE BIRD CALL AND THE SCARED MINER By Abdool A. Aziz THIS is one of the stories my late grandfather told me, fished out of his memory as a veteran pork-knocker (miner). Gabby, known as ‘Dribble Mouth’ decided to try his luck at gold mining. With no experience (a tender foot) he found it hard to join a camp, so he went solo. He heard of the wild animals and bush spirits. He was afraid. During the night he heard the growl of a jaguar and he raced to the tent’s flaps and tightened the strings. He kept the machete by his side and cowered in fear. Then the howler monkeys went on the rampage. It shattered his ears. He corked it and went to sleep. The next night, he heard someone asked, “Ah who you?” He sat you and held his cutlass. The voice came again. Gabby peered out of the tent. There was no one there. Again, the question came. Gabby stormed out, “It’s me, Gabby man from Haslington. They call me ‘Dribble Mouth’. Me come to ketch me hand as a pork-knocker.” Silence… He retreated to his camp. Just as he lay down the question came again, “Ah who you?” He got angry. He bolted out of the canopy “Ah tell you, me ah who. Me nah come to rob anybody. Me got right to be hey.” “Ah who you?” “Why you want to know? Me trespass hey? Man go way. Mind you business, you see this weapon? Ah go chap you in pieces if you ask one more question.” Silence again then the voice came closer. Gabby’s eyed pulped out and the voice came closer. Gabby’s heart pounded in fear. He stared into the nearby bushes. No one there yet there was the irritating voice. “Oh my God! Oh my God! It’s the bush jumbie!” Gabby galloped to the nearest camp, petrified. My grandfather, the camp leader asked, “What’s de matter fella?” Another camper said, “He look like he see bald-head ghost.” Another said, “Perhaps he see himself!” The entire camp laughed. Gabby was the image of a gargoyle. “Jumbie man, Jumbie! All night he asking ‘ah who me?” “And wah you tell he?” Mocked the men, swinging in their hammocks. “Ah tell he everything, yet he keep asking, he can’t mind he business!” “Oh yeah, he is in charge, you got to appease him!” “Ap….ap… wha you mean?” “Kill an animal and give he the blood to drink.” Gabby stared at my grandpa. “Man, me ah Christian… me nah go do dah tomarra me gone from here, dis place haunted.” The next day the men drafted Gabby into their workforce and found the bird that drove him to fear. It was the Hoatzin bird calling its mate. Gabby exclaimed, “A bird!” “Yes countryman” “Ah used to sleep in a cemetery. Me never frighten dem spirits. Now a bird chase me? Me shame man, ow ah you nah anybody.” “That bird is one of our National pride, he voice can scare anyone, almost sound like a man.” Just then the call was heard. Gabby smiled, “Me nah ansa you dis time.” Many “tender foot’ go to the bush got scared by the weird sound. Take note prospectors. It’s just a bush bird but respect it. Answer the question, don’t run. Gabby remained in the bush until he died from malaria.
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Bright, Beautiful and Buoyant CARICOM Youth Ambassador Samantha Sheoprashad on a visit to the USA, June/July 2018 (Photo by Francis Q Farrier)
By Francis Quamina Farrier “I WAS born at the Georgetown Public Hospital on July 22, 1990.” So says CARICOM Youth Ambassador Samantha Sheoprashad, the brilliant daughter of Rajendra and Beena Sheoprashad. The former student of the Annandale Secondary School and the University of Guyana, is now back in Guyana, after spending a few weeks in the United States of America, where she was engaged in many projects and workshops dealing with mental health stigma and youth unemployment. In an interview with her in the USA, she revealed some of the early challenges in her young life; “I had experienced a period of depression …which had led me to become suicidal at one point,” she explained. “However, with the right type of counselling and therapy, I recovered. I took the opportunity to devote my life to
As it is already known by many Guyanese, the World Health Organisation (WHO) research publicised that Guyana is one of the highest suicide ranking countries in the world. And according to a report from the Borgen Project, roughly 43 per cent of Guyana’s population lives below the poverty line, the youth unemployment rate is over 30 per cent but the current estimates are closer to 40 per cent. Our playwrights have the opportunity, even responsibility, to write the kinds of plays which can be a source of inspiration to those in our society who are suffering like Samantha did in the past, instead of feeding the beast. Continuing our discourse, Samantha stated, “My innovative side has allowed me to merge technology, strategies, and people to create solutions to solve social issues such as our high unemployment rate, mental health challenges and the high failure rates for Mathematics in Guyana.” It must
Dr. Sonia Noel and Wesley Kirton look on as Samantha Seoprashad addresses an audience at the Guyana Embassy in Washington, DC (Photo by Francis Q Farrier)
create mental health awareness and help individuals with mental health conditions. My experiences revealed how broken my society is.” Samantha’s story is one which our current upcoming playwrights can draw inspiration from, instead of their characters caving in and committing suicide.
be noted that this brilliant Guyanese is not passive as things in her country present opportunities for action. In fact, she is, like the financiers on the world famous Wall Street in downtown Manhattan, New York, very buoyant in dealing with those chalTurn to page XXIX ►►►
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A generational occupation becomes easy By M Margaret Burke “AT the age of 47, I can safely say that I have been in farming for almost all of my life,” says Charles Richmond, who explained to the Pepperpot Magazine that for a long as he can remember he has
been farming and does not ever see it as difficult or burdensome. A resident of the Perth-Mahaicony Village, Region Five, who is full of zeal and determination, Richmond sees himself as being one with the soil: tilling and harvesting from the soil, while using it as a connection The tenderness of a mother with her young ones, even when it is the pig
to rear his pigs and poultry. Richmond, who is involved in rice, as well as cash crop planting, finds himself very good at rearing pigs and poultry also. JACK OF MANY TRADES This farmer has been described by some of his co-farmers as a very pleasant man and a ‘jack of many trades’. The Pepperpot Magazine was told that he is a good carpenter, mason, plumber and fits well into other vocations and because of these qualities, he is well able to prepare the settings for his pigs, poultry and other aspects of his farm. He surmises that he strives to make farming a profitable and hopeful means of
Mendonca, IICA (Guyana) Sustainable Rural Development Specialist, through a case study done on the Perth-Mahaicony Farmers’ Association stated: “The effects of climate change, irregular rainfall patterns, flooding and market forces, are collective challenges faced by the farmers in Perth Mahaicony Village, Region Five, Guyana. To overcome these climate effects, rural farmers have been desperately seeking to diversify their production bases in multiple areas, in order to spread their risk. One diversification effort, pig farming, despite initially showing low profitability from primary production sales, is now evolving into a profitable value-added activity through the improvement of the val-
Some of the young broilers not yet ready for commerce
livelihood, which can serve to encourage young men. Starting with farming from an early age and taking it more seriously as the years went by, could have only come about because of the level of harvest and market access that were made available, through vision, keen insight and willpower, he posited. DEVELOPMENTAL INSTITUTIONS Studies have shown that like many other professions, farming is not only becoming a more attractive and dynamic enterprise for young people to get involved in, but that it can also break the bonds of unemployment and poverty while getting rid of some of the social problems and hopelessness within the society. In the Journal of the Caribbean Economic Agro-Economic Society (2017), Arnold
ue chain for the production of pork products namely hams and sausages.” FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Many farmers in this area have benefitted from financial and technical assistance; training interventions of organisational strengthening, agro-processing and marketing through the Ministry of Agriculture and other developmental institutions, promoting sustainable improvement to the value chain for pork production as one of the major products. “These actions have afforded farmers the continual ability to produce and market pork products in an excellent way, while Turn to page XXI ►►►
Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
A MEMORABLE CULTURAL EVENT THE UNIVERSAL consumer motto is “Value for Money” which indicates that the consumer must be made to receive the full value of the goods and services for which he would have paid. This implies that the main concern of the consumer is to be treated fairly in the process of buying and selling. Such an understanding of consumerism is erroneous, since consumers are interested in maintaining a healthy environment in education and culture and in anything else which would enrich the quality of life. Last week there was one such memorable cultural and educational event when there was the launching of Professor McGowan’s newest book “A Survey of Guyanese History”. Dr. McGowan, a native of Georgetown, had a distinguished academic career. He attended St Rose’s Roman Catholic School and then Queen’s College. Thereafter, he went to the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica, where he graduated with the Special Honours Degree in History. He then went on to the prestigious School of African and Oriental Studies of the University of London where he was awarded his Doctorate in West African History. Unlike so many brilliant Guyanese who choose to pursue their careers in Europe, North America or other parts of the world, Dr. McGowan decided to return and serve his country. He joined the University of Guyana in 1970 and over the next 40 years did valuable research and taught generations of students. He reached the pinnacle of an academic career when he was appointed Professor and spent the last six years as the occupant of the prestigious Walter Rodney Chair in History. He was appointed Emeritus Professor in 2009. Professor McGowan was recognised and honoured by the State with the Golden Arrow of Achievement (AA) and the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH) for his valuable service to the Nation. He serves as a Minister of the Full Gospel Fellowship, a home-grown Pentecostal church. “A Survey of Guyanese History” is a collection of essays and articles on subjects covering the gamut of Guyanese history. The book is arranged into 11 parts and each part deals with a number of subjects. The parts or themes are respectively titled: General Historical Description; Demography; The
Slave Trade, Slavery and Abolition; Economic History; Church History; Education; Cricket; Labour and Trade Unionism; Biography; Nationalism and Movement towards Independence; and Miscellany. The topics covered under these themes are varied and always present an individual and new orientation. Some essays like those on the history of the various churches, that on the origins of the fishing industry, and those on cricket have made new knowledge and new perceptions available to the reader. The Slave Trade, Slavery and Abolition is the theme which has more essays than any of the others, and is particularly strong and valuable since this is an area of research and study which is one of Dr. McGowan’s specialities. At the end of the book, there is a chapter on “Milestones: Significant Dates and Developments in Guyanese History, 1498 – 2016,” where the important dates and events of Guyanese History are outlined. This is a very useful precis of the Guyanese history and provides an easy reference. Publishing a book in Guyana has never been easy and this achievement was Mr. Vic Insanally’s Guyenterprise. In Professor McGowan’s words: “My greatest human debt, however, is to my former classmate and long-standing friend, Victor Insanally, for agreeing to undertake the publication of the book, including raising funds to make it possible”. The book is a delight to read and one could spend hours of continuous reading. It is the kind of gift which parents could well present their children at Christmas or other anniversaries. The book-launching itself was a memorable event. It was done under the patronage of President David Granger and took place at the Baridi Benab in the grounds of State House. It was well attended with an audience which was multicultural, multiracial, appreciative and friendly to each other. It was reminiscent of such events in Old Georgetown where there was a closeness and almost familial ambience. Dr. James Rose gave an interesting survey of the book and Mr. Tota Mangar spoke of Dr. McGowan. Dr. Rose, Mr. Mangar and Dr. McGowan were colleagues at the University of Guyana and their presentations had a professorial flavour. They all paid homage to Professor Sis. Mary Noel Menezies as being a great scholar,
◄◄◄ From page XX
with the constant rainfall that is now being experienced. Rice and other crops such as vegetables and root crops can suffer from too little water or too much water and the latter seems to be the problem in some cases. Even the rearing of poultry, pigs, sheep and goats; fishing and hunting; as well as other labour-related activities can be affected by adverse weather conditions. Richmond experiences his fair share of these conditions; however, he was quick to say that he was not complaining since he has been developing ways of working around these natural situations, especially because of the unpredictability of the weather. Access to ready markets or the right price for his produce does pose a problem from time to time, but Richmond explained that even though he suffers losses at times, he is aware that agriculture like many other occupations have some fallouts, but that he is never daunted since he is always able to find a way out. (mercilinburke2017@gmail.com)
generating added income from the realisation of larger profits, compared to previous profits gained from the sales of fresh pork meat previously sold,” the study disclosed. Richmond is very much a part of the realisation process. The Perth Mahaicony Farmers Association is made up several villages on the East Coast and Region 5 (Mahaica-Berbice). The economic activities in these villages include rice farming, as well as fruit, vegetable and root crop; the rearing of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, poultry rearing, fishing, hunting and other labour-related activities. THE WEATHER A NATURAL CHALLENGE Meanwhile, Richmond, who can be considered a man of the soil and enjoys farming – at all levels, has his own challenges too, some of which may be out of his control at times. With all the drainage and irrigation available in the Perth-Mahaicony community, flooding can pose a problem especially
researcher, teacher and the mainstay of the History Department of the University of Guyana, for many years. The final remarks were made by His Excellency President David Granger who was a brilliant student of history and was responsible for several educational and historical publications. Several members of the audience who knew President Granger only as a General in the Armed Forces were pleasantly surprised to learn of his brilliant
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academic record. In his remarks, the President spoke spontaneously from his heart recalling his early days at Queen’s College when he studied Caribbean History which had been introduced to the school by Pat Dial and taught by him. He recollected the time when politics in Guyana had no racist undertones. He awakened a sense of Guyanese nationality in all those present and manifested his warm egalitarianism when he freely circulated among the audience.
folklore
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NOW YOU SEE ME… ORLANDO was a gambler, con-man and a celebrated drunk. He gambled daily and spent most of his takings at night. Money never seemed to stay in his hands for long. He was slick with cards and many found his game hard to beat. He was a three-card expert. He lived in a backward community named Lickerish. The people were contented with a mundane existence but that was not for him. He always dreamed of living in the city but was unable to do so because the cost of living there was very high. He resigned himself to working in the small rural community, fleecing all those who fell for his con-game. You would be surprised to see the number of people
Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
By Neil Primus
that fell for it over and over. Old men and the young, old ladies and the middle-aged housewives on their way to and from the market; children and even the differently abled. He showed no mercy. The only people who ever won at his gig were those he allowed to win in order to encourage them to go deeper into his web. Once you lost, you could not reclaim your money. Some days things were slow, others it was hectic and exciting. As a rule, he never worked alone. He had an accomplice, a young woman named Betty. She would usually be the first to bet and win. This encouraged those who were either hesitant or suspicious. As soon as they began to place bets they were hooked.
Orlando had been arrested for gambling on more than one occasion. A few dollars here and there and he was back on the street again His family implored him to use his talents for a more honest purpose. He ignored them because the gains were often very substantial. Even when his grandfather died he did not take the day off to attend the old man’s funeral. He hated his granddad because he had publicly condemned Orlando’s trade of choice. The gambler just kept doing his thing. The night after his grandfather’s funeral Orlando took a few drinks. He often did this so as to relax a bit. He was high as he headed for home. While passing a calabash patch along the road, he saw a man sitting alone. He stopped and began chatting with the fellow. “What’s up, bro?” He said. “Just cooling,” the man replied quietly. “My name is Orlando.” “I am Stanley,” the man replied. “I’m a card specialist,” Orlando declared. “You mean a card sharp, a cheat and a con!” The old man spoke in the same casual way. “NO! I DON’T CHEAT!” Orlando bellowed in denial. “Look, I’ll show you. I’ll give you a fair chance.” “Really? You would?” “I always give people a fair chance,” Orlando contended. “You do?” Again there was calm cynicism. “Yes! See these cards?” He held up his three cards. The first was 10 of hearts, the second was Jack of spades and the third was five of diamonds. “I allow them to see everything and they still get it wrong,” he urged. “Cheat!” The old man said. “It’s not my problem if their eyes are bad.” “Show me,” was the calm response from the stranger. Orlando launched into his well-rehearsed routine. “Now you seem e, now you don’t.” He moved the card swiftly making it impossible to tell where the Jack was. “It’s this one,” the man said and pointed at the card. Orlando turned it up and said. “Wow! You’re good. Now you see me, now you don’t.” This time he moved much faster. He smiled with the knowledge that no one could ever find the Jack at that speed. “This one,” the old man said, pointing again. “Wow! How can you tell? Are you an artist too?” “Kind of,” was the smug reply. “Ok! Let’s see your gig then!” Orlando challenged, sure he would find out where the Jack was. The man ignored the offer of the cards and began his pitch. “Now you see me, now you don’t.” And he meant every word. No cards were needed for his gig. He just simply disappeared and re-appeared right before the astonished eyes of a petrified Orlando. Orlando gasped, gawked and galloped all the way home. He left in his wake cards spewed all over the dam. Orlando has now decided that it would be safer being a magician. It seems like the disappearing and re-appearing had gone straight to his head.
Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
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Life in the watery wilderness SOME ‘Krauss’ had the audacity to insinuate that Guyana is an inept country characterised by stunted development with people who live seemingly primitive lifestyles, and I’m never going to be okay with that. Clifford Krauss is an international energy business correspondent for the New York Times and because of the massive oil finds offshore Guyana by oil giant Exxon Mobil, Mr. Krauss decided to visit the Land of Many Waters- or as he calls it, the “vast watery wilderness with only three paved highways”. The correspondent touched base with many of the key persons in Guyana’s emerging oil and gas sector and the result was his exposition: “The $20 Billion Question for Guyana.” To cut a long story short, he basically presented Guyana as a country ill-prepared to be the next great global oil producer but yet desperately in need of the oil revenues to foster development. I will, however, concede that his analysis on the developing oil and gas industry was quite comprehensive and highlighted several evident deficiencies en route to
preparing Guyana for its unavoidable transformation.The Ministry of Finance released a statement deeming the article erroneous, effectively debunking some of the points made, but what irks me is Krauss’ presentation of Guyana as a widely underdeveloped nation. He cherry-picked information to promote his poor Cinderella narrative. I won’t doubt that there are rural communities where children go to school in dugout canoes- I visited a few of these areas and I didn’t see it for myself, but even I won’t rule out the possibility. Krauss, however, makes it seem as though every child and their second cousin use canoes. And then, he mentions the brain drain phenomenon-fair enough, it happens but also says: “...while those who stay behind experience high rates of H.I.V. infection, crime and suicide.” Fine, I’ll accept that crime is a concern (as it is in most, if not all, places) and our suicide rates are high (but also decreasing), but his mention of our susceptibility to HIV baffles me. A blog about the love story between Exxon and Guyana addresses this
better than me by saying: “My top priority when I leave the house every day for work is dodging H.I.V. infection. You just never know where it may leap out at you, you know? After all, we have a prevalence of HIV of just over one per cent.” You see, this is why education is crucial. Without education- or at least some basic awareness- we’ll have more Krausses coming here and exaggerating all our shortcomings and we’ll take it as the gospel truth. Why? Because you don’t know any better. At the recently concluded National Toshaos Council, the indigenous leaders called for there to be more inclusion in the talks on oil and gas. I couldn’t agree more; the road to first oil must be paved with the inclusion of all Guyanese. The xenophobia and hesitancy will prevail lest there is education. All in all, what Krauss has shown us is that little ol’ Guyana, forgotten by most of the folks in Uncle Sam’s country- save for the few still reeling from the horrific Jonestown events- will be receiving the most attention and more importantly, skepticism.
This could be a great blessing because it could force accountability. At the same time, however, this could also mean that Guyana can be used and abused once more by the imperialists and their ‘expertise’. And history speaks for itself in this regard. But maybe, more importantly, Krauss challenges Guyana to get oil right. The underlying tone of his entire story was that Guyana is another developing country that is hastily grasping at the lump sum of cash that will be available. It is the ‘rags to riches’ classic of Prince Charming (Exxon) saving Cinderella (Guyana) from her poor life. GHK Lall, in a letter published in the Stabroek News, contended that Krauss is being tried for pointing out obvious truths, and as xenophobic as it sounds, we don’t ever want foreigners to expose our deficiencies. And because Krauss is correct in some (or even many) aspects, this is why we have got to get oil right. The future of Guyana is undoubtedly bright, but we must start the refining now. I believe we’ll try our best to get this right, I know better must come. I mean, do we really want more Krausses?
An advocate for youth empowerment
Dennis Glasgow
EMPOWERED young people make tremendous contributions to the development of a country. More and more, young people have become involved in ways that prepare them for the great task of becoming the leaders of the future. Meet Dennis Anthony Glasgow. This 20-year-old firepower is a Caribbean Youth Advocate for the advancements of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of young people. Glasgow serves on a few Region-
al Committees that deal with various SRHR issues; these include the Youth Advocacy Steering Committee f o r PANCAP, the Caribbean Right Here Right Now Platform, the PAHO Technical Working Group for the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV & Syphilis, Women Deliver Young Leaders Programme, The Youth Coalition for Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Bold Leader. He holds a Diploma in Communication Studies from the University of Guyana, where he is approaching his final year
pursuing the same degree. At the prime of his career, he sees himself as a Caribbean Cultural and Social Anthropologist working in the area of Youth Development through Education and Health. Dennis is passionate about positive social change. He’s passionate about youth development and youth participation in leadership and wishes to work towards seeing that youth are included in the planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of all areas of interest that addresses them. That is why he aspires to be a Cultural Anthropologist, dealing in the area of health and education of young people across Guyana. “Given Guyana’s rich cultural diversity and the fact that we share so many social issues, each with its own challenges; I
strongly believe that we need trained professionals to address these issues in a culturally sensitive way. The way you address something like education or even health in a country like this can never have a one size fits all approach. Cultural Anthropology affords you to see these issues and solutions through cultural lenses and that I want to say I can help with,” the youth advocate said In his message to young people, Dennis said “I want people to know that each and every one of us has the capacity to change something and to change someone. It firsts starts with building self-enough, so that self can afford to be self-
less,” he said. “Each and every one of us should want to say at the end of our lives, whenever it is; that ‘I DID something, rather than I SHOULD HAVE done something.’ I want to contribute towards making my country, and region the best it can be by ensuring this generation and those to come, have a conducive environment for prosperity.”
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Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
Empowering people through Local Government Elections
President David Granger, Ministers of the Government and officials of the ten administrative regions at the inaugural National Conference of Local Democratic Organs (NCDLO)
ENSURING that democracy is maintained is paramount to ensuring that a country is run in the best interest of all its peoples, ensuring that all citizens have equal access to the nation’s resources and services offered by the state. With the quest for the ‘good life’ at the foundation of the
current Administration’s mandate, Government is committed to ensuring the tenets of democracy are secured and maintained. Government has pledged to ensure the regular holding of Local Government Elections (LGEs), which were restored after a 23-year absence under the People’s Progressive Party. LGEs will be held on November 12 this year and will be the second such elections since President David Granger restored local democracy to the people by ensuring that local government elections are held as required by the Constitution. In this week’s Government in Action, we will take a look at the preparations being put in place by the Guyana Elections Commission and the Ministry of Communities for the holding of Local Government Elections this year.
Flashback: Then Leader of the Opposition, President Granger, now Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Mr. Keith Scott and others protesting at the then Office of the President calling for Local Government Elections to be held.
RESTORING LOCAL DEMOCRACY This year’s LGEs will mark the first time in Guyana’s history that successive local Government elections have been held. In fact, one of the
damning charges against the PPP administration was that they showed little interest in empowering people to enable them to exercise greater control of their daily lives. The PPP was more concerned with concentrating power in the hands of its appointed Minister of Local and Regional Government. Then Leader of the Opposition, President David Granger led a picketing exercise from September 2014 to December 2014, a period of four months, in front of what was then the Office of the President, calling on the Government to hold LGEs. “I patrolled the streets of Georgetown. I picketed Mr. Donald Ramotar’s office demanding Local Government Elections and now that I am where he was, I will give you Local Government Elections. We changed places,” President Granger said at the commissioning of two buses at Rose Hall in February 2016. The then Opposition parties had favoured a system in which less power was concentrated in the hands of the subject Minister and more power is given to the people, while the People’s Progressive Party Government preferred maintenance of the status quo. The President of the day, Mr. Donald Ramotar had used his veto powers to frustrate the enactment of legislation passed by the Parliament. Upon entering office in 2015, the present Government quickly pushed through the delayed legislation and moved towards making good on its promise to hold local elections sooner rather than later. The Opposition had vigorously argued that the elections could not be held since the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) did not have the necessary
Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
Minister of Communities, Mr. Ronald Bulkan
infrastructure in place but GECOM, for its part, contended that it was ready. Minister of Communities, Mr. Ronald Bulkan, in an invited comment with the Public Information and Press Services Unit of the Ministry of the Presidency, said that it was the lack of political will from the previous administration and the need for control that hindered local government empowerment for over two decades. “It has taken a long time for us to have the political will to implement and institute the Constitutional provisions for Local Government elections but with the ascension of President David Granger following the May 2015 elections, what it brought is that political will to ensure that the system of Local Government is accorded its rightful place in the governance architecture according to Constitutional provisions. So, at the time of our ascension to office that heavy hand of the Government that existed for decades and decades was removed and it has been replaced by the hand of cooperation,” Minister Bulkan said. CITIZENS’ EMPOWERMENT President Granger has said that this important process, which was neglected for decades, has led to a democratic renewal that has sparked hope and enlivened communities that were slowly becoming mere dormitories. Speaking at the opening of the National Conference of Local Democratic Organs at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre on July 26, 2018, the Head of State said that the conduct of regular elections reflects government’s sincere commitment to promoting democratic renewal and community development where they count first and most – from the bottom-up. It is a manifestation of government’s resolve to empower citizens to take control of their own communities, he noted. Local democracy is an appropriate approximation of Abraham Lincoln’s adage about “…government of the people, by the people and for the people.” “Local government is central to fostering democratic decision-making and community development. The Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana states clearly at Article 71(1): Local Government is a vital aspect of democracy and shall be organised as to involve as many people as possible in the task of managing and developing the communities in which they live,” he said. At the commissioning ceremony of buses at Rose Hall Town February 27, 2016, President Granger said that his Government will ensure that the local government system continues to function in the interest of the people and empowers ordinary citizens to become more involved in the administration of their own communities. “Everything that happens to you, as soon as you put your foot out your door is about local government. Whether you getting bite by mosquito, Zika, Chikungunya, big foot, ma-
laria, dengue, all these diseases are brought by mosquitoes; if your neighbourhood is unsanitary, if you don’t have the ability to remove solid waste you are going to suffer and that is why we need strong NDCs, strong municipalities, and that is why this Government has struggled to ensure that we put power back into your hands in the form of Local Government Elections. Since 1994 we have not had elections, but in 30 days’ time, we will have elections. You will elect your own councillors because you will have the power, we will empower you and if they don’t perform, move them and put people who are concerned about your welfare,” President Granger said. With LGEs just months away, preparations are ongoing to ensure that citizens can exercise their franchise in a fair and transparent way. The Guyana Elections Commission has commenced the process of registration across the country to ensure that every eligible citizen is registered and given the opportunity to exercise their democratic right. The process commenced on May 21 and ran until July 15, 2018. In an interview with the Public Information and Press Services Unit of the Ministry of the Presidency, Chairman of GECOM, Justice James Patterson said that the Commission began its work months ago as it is cognisant of the fact that every system must be in place to ensure a free, fair and transparent election, whether local government or general and regional. “We started preparations ages ago because there are stages and we are at the stage now where everybody is doing something that the Statutes of the Constitution say to do. We have reports coming in daily from all of our positions throughout the country. I think most of the people come at least weekly with reports so we have everything ship shape in that regard. We have more registrants as we speak, far more than when we began and that gives me some comfort,” Justice Patterson said. Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan said that he is confident in the assurance given by GECOM that its preparations are on target. He noted that from the Ministry’s end, preparations have been made for the town of Mahdia, as well as eight other Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) to be included in this year’s elections. “Nine new local government authority areas are expected to be announced. It allows for one new township, which would be Mahdia, eight new NDCs, three of these being in the Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two), two in the Demerara-Mahaica area (Region Four) along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, two in the East Berbice-Corentyne area (Region Six) and one in the Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo area (Region Nine), which will be the village of Aranaputa. So we are not only deepening the scope of Local Government but we are also widening it with the creation of new local government areas when these elections are held,” he said. EDUCATE TO EMPOWER GECOM Chairman, Justice Patterson noted that the Commission has already started its voter education campaign countrywide in an effort to educate citizens on their rights and what the process entails. “Voter education is important. We have a voter Education Department right here and a very responsible person is doing that job at the moment and you can count on us to do what we can to educate people on the need to vote. How to vote and who to vote for is out of my pay grade. That is for the particular party contenders whoever they may be… It’s an ongoing process, we don’t stop working. GECOM is either out of an election or we are going into one and I have an excellent staff very excellent staff,” the GECOM Chairman noted. On this note, Minister Bulkan said that the Ministry of Communities has launched its Local Government Public Awareness Education Project with the aim of empowering the Guyanese public to become more involved in community and regional leadership. The countrywide project is expected to run for 18 months. Minister Bulkan said that while the turnout at the 2016 LGEs was slightly in excess of 43 per cent, one of the Ministry’s immediate goals for the public awareness campaign is to increase voter turnout to a minimum 50 per cent. “What is required to accompany this empowerment is that people must begin to take ownership of their communities. I believe the first step of ownership requires citizens’ participation. Persons must participate in these elections, which is an
XXV opportunity that is being afforded to them to elect candidates from their communities who will become councillors who in turn will be entrusted with the significant authority and responsibility to manage and develop their respective areas. I think that is the key element of ownership,” the Minister of Communities said. Given the fact that before 2015 LGEs had not been held in decades, many citizens are still unaware of the enormous functions, responsibilities, and authority of local councils. This is why he noted, the Ministry has commenced work to fill the information deficit to ensure that persons understand the importance of their own participation in the process. He noted that it is the Government’s responsibility to set up the governance architecture of the country and LGE’s form a major part of democratic governance. “The sum of about $2.9 billion was allocated in the 2018 budget to fund the work of GECOM. This is in addition to $500 million that they had in their coffers; so, it’s approximately $3.5 billion that has been allocated by this administration to GECOM to ensure that these elections will be held. Many are questioning this investment. The Administration, however, is not second-guessing itself. It’s an investment in democratic governance. It’s an investment to ensure that our
Chairman of GECOM, Justice (Retired) James Patterson
citizen’s wherever they reside are allowed to exercise their democratic right to elect persons to manage and develop their own administration. So, it is to say that this administration is committed and we have no intention of being distracted or diverted from delivering on this commitment that we made. Ultimately the hope is that the system is entrenched to the point that there is no danger that any succeeding administration will want to return to the model that obtained for the greater part of our post-independent history,” he said. Justice Patterson also echoed these sentiments as he noted that the right to vote is not one to be taken lightly. “I want to encourage the Guyanese public not to be apathetic about it. We have put a lot of human and material resources in our efforts and this Chairman doesn’t want to see all those efforts go down in vain and people need to know. The Guyana Elections Commission is an independent body and that independence is embodied in its Chairman. I see no faces, I know neither names, I have no or any interest political, economic or otherwise in the outcome of the elections and I wish everybody to know that and to be at peace,” the GECOM’s Chairman noted. Government has fulfilled its commitment and has returned Local Government elections and power to the people. It is now up to every citizen to take advantage of the opportunities presented and exercise their right to vote and elect the leaders that can best serve their interests.
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Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
FILES E S A C COURT
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Court of Appeal refused to reverse its decision…
‘No jurisdiction to reverse in instant case’ - CCJ IN June 2006, the Guyana Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal from the Land Commissioner on a preliminary point, which turned out to be a ‘mistaken view of the law’. Later when it was learnt that a higher court had decided what was the law in the related case, the Court of Appeal by motion from the applicants, was asked to reverse its decision. That court dismissed the motion by the applicants, Mukhtiyar and another vs Sukhu and others, - resulting in their approaching the CCJ for special leave to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal. The CCJ after hearing the parties involved, dismissed the application for special leave to appeal, “as we do not consider that the appeal which they sought to bring is arguable”. The application for leave to appeal was dismissed and the applicants were ordered to pay costs in the sum of $200, 000.00. The facts disclosed that in June 2006, the Court of Appeal Guyana dismissed an appeal from the Land Commissioner on a preliminary point, namely that the attorney who had signed the notice of appeal from the Commissioner’s decision, on the petition for a declaration of ownership filed by the applicants had not been properly authorised. At that time, the law in Guyana was thought to be that for an attorney to have authority to sign a notice of appeal, and appear in the Court of Appeal for the appellant. It was necessary for his client to have given him an authorisation in writing which had to be filed in the High Court. However, in the case of Watson v Fernandes [2007] CCJ 1 (AJ, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), by judgment delivered on March 19, 2007 held that that was a mistaken view of the law, and that there were no formalities attached to the giving of authority by a party to an attorney for the purpose of filing an appeal. Shortly, following that decision the applicants filed a motion in the Court of Appeal seeking to have that court’s earlier decision reversed. The Court of Appeal dismissed the applicants’ motion and the applicants applied to the Caribbean Court of Justice for special leave to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal. The CCJ had held that the Court of Appeal of Guyana did not in the instant case have jurisdiction to reverse the decision it had earlier given, in June 2006, dismissing the appeal from the Land Commissioner on a preliminary point. There were no exceptional circumstances in the instant case which would justify the Court of Appeal assuming and exercising, a highly unusual jurisdiction to reverse itself on an issue which it had already decided, not only between the same parties but in the same proceedings. Further, there was no basis in logic or authority for attributing the facility to reverse its own decision enjoyed by the Privy Council as a final court, to an intermediate court such as the Court of Appeal. It followed that the Court of Appeal had been right to refuse the application and dismiss the motion and accordingly the application would be dismissed. The applicants, Chamanlall Mukhtiyar and Dhandai Mukhtiyar, applied to the Caribbean
Court of Justice (CCJ) in 2007, for special leave to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal of Guyana of June 10, 2008, dismissing the applicants motion seeking reversal of the decision of the Court of Appeal to dismiss their appeal on the basis of a preliminary objection, in the matter of a petition by the applicants for a declaration of title. The respondents to the application were Poonardai Sukhu, Hardeo Balgobin, Rajendra Balgobin and Rohan Balgobin. Mr. K.A, Juman-Yasin, had appeared for the appellants while Mr. Rajendra Poonai and Roopnarine Satram represented the respondents. The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) was constituted by de la Bastide P. Nelson, Pollard Hayton and Wit U. Delivering the CCJ judgment, President of the Court de la BASTIDE P. said “The application to this court for special leave to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal, which was given on the 10th June, 2008, dismissing the applicant’s motion is dismissed, and the applicants must pay the cost of that application. “It also follows that the application for leave to appeal as a poor person must also be dismissed, again with costs. The reason for the dismissal of the application for special leave to appeal is that we do not consider that the appeal which it sought to bring is arguable. “It is manifest that the court of Appeal did not have jurisdiction to reverse the decision it had earlier given in June, 2006, dismissing the appeal from the Land Commissioner on a preliminary point. “The preliminary point which was taken was that the attorney who signed the notice of appeal from the Commissioner’s decision on the petition for a declaration of ownership filed by the applicants, was not properly authorised. “At the time the Law in Guyana was thought to be that for an attorney to have authority to sign a notice of appeal and to appear in the Court of Appeal for the appellant, it was necessary for his client to have given him an authorisation in writing which had to be filed in the High Court. In the case of Watson v Fernandes, however, this court in a judgment which was delivered on 19th March, 2007, held that that was a mistaken view of the law and that there were no formalities attached to the giving of authority by a party to an attorney for the purpose of filing an appeal. “Of course, that decision was made in a case in which what was considered counsel authorising counsel to represent a party in an appeal, was applied by the Court of Appeal. “Some three months after our decision in Watson v Fernandes, that is, on 15 June, 2007, the applicants filed their motion in the Court of Appeal seeking to have the Court of Appeal reverse the decision which it had earlier made dismissing their appeal on the basis of the preliminary objection. “We have heard counsel’s submissions to the effect that the Court of Appeal had the power to accede to that application and to reverse, in effect, its own decision, and reinstate the appeal which it had dismissed. But the authorities that were cited in support of that submission in fact, in our view, tended rather to negate it.
“There were to cases in particular that were relied upon. The most apposite was the case of Arnold v National Westminister Bank which dealt with the question whether the rule of res judicata estopped is an absolute one, or is subject to exceptions. Without going into the facts of that case in depth, it is clearly distinguishable from the instant case. In the course of the judgment delivered in that case it was made clear that the usual course to be adopted in order to challenge a decision which is subsequently shown to have been wrong in law is by way of an appeal rather than by resort to the court which made the decision. It was held that there may be exceptional circumstances which would permit a court to decide a point in issue differently from the way in which it had decided previously between the same parties.” After considering a number of pertinent cases the President of the CCJ said, “Hav-
ing considered By George Barclay the authorities which were cited to us, we are satisfied that the Court of Appeal lacked the power to do that which the applicants were asking it to do by their motion, and therefore the Court of Appeal was right to refuse the application and dismiss the motion. “In those circumstances, there is absolutely no reason to even consider granting special leave to appeal. In the course of counsel’s submissions to us, we did indicate to him that the better course might have been for the applicants to have sought to challenge the 2000 decision of the Court of appeal by applying to this court for special leave to appeal against that decision and for an extension of time for doing so.’
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Benefits of the chew stick IN general, every country has and should have its own system to prevent and cure its nation of diseases according to the resources and culture. Dentists trained in the Western Scientific System usually have views on the prevention of oral disease that differ basically from those of local communities Why is it that despite the fact that in most of the countries in the Middle East
there is no significant water fluoridation or comprehensive preventive programme, yet the populations enjoy relatively good oral health? The answer to that question involves a practice which most of the world probably considers as primitive. Dental caries and gum disease determine the level of oral health status of a person. Unfortunately, such diseases are so common that eventually, every adult
in the world has one or both. Therefore, these two diseases can be considered a real public health problem. In general, every country has and should have its own system to prevent and cure its nation of diseases according to the resources and culture. Dentists trained in the Western Scientific System usually have views on the prevention of oral disease that differ basically from those of local communities. Surprisingly, instead of focusing on and knowing the real causes of these two diseases (which are simply dirt and diet), and instead of directing all the efforts to invent and encourage the use of effective tools to prevent and control these two diseases effectively, the profession has fallen in treatment which consumes too much time, effort and money. Chewing sticks are commonly used in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates for oral hygiene, religious and social purposes.The Ancient Egyptians were concerned about dental hygiene. We know this today because they also had a habit of being entombed with their treasures. So we were able to discover that tombs from 3 000 years before Christ, contain small tree twigs whose ends had been frayed into soft fibres. Here at home, some years ago, especially in the rural areas the chew stick was popular. Black sage and neem stalks were commonly used to clean one’s teeth. It has been determined that chewsticks from 13 different plants not only contain substances that possess antibacterial properties but have astringent, detergent and abrasive properties as well. These properties have encouraged some toothpaste laboratories to incorporate powdered stems and/or root material in their products. The
chemical constituents of Salvadora Persica, for example, include trimethylamines, alkaloids, chlorides, high amounts of fluoride and silica, sulphur, vitamin C and small amounts of tannin, saponins, flavonoids and sterols. The most studied chew sticks are the Miswak, Fagara Zanthoxyloides, Serindea Wernicki, Neem, Paku and Acacia Arabica. Research was conducted mainly in Nigeria where 90 per cent of the population uses chew sticks. Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended and encouraged the use of these sticks as an effective tool for oral hygiene. It was confirmed by the experts that the toothbrush is not superior to the chew stick as regards its capacity to remove dental plaque. The use of the chew sticks is entirely consistent with the Primary Health Care Approach (PHCA) principles and in particular that of a focus on prevention, community participation technology. By using it, the notion of self-reliance can be encouraged and implemented in poor countries where it is available locally and does not need technology or expertise or extra resources to manufacture it. It can be used by both children and adults, thus it is appropriate for all societies. The use of chew sticks is catching on in industrialised countries. Recently, I personally purchased in New York a pound packet of peppermint flavoured African/Jamaican chewsticks. Ironically, many years ago when Dr. Cheddi Jagan was Prime Minister, as a dentist he mooted the idea of introducing chewsticks on a national basis. The extent to which he was ridiculed is well known.
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lenges. “I have created several campaigns, outreaches and videos highlighting youths’ views on mental health in Guyana, self-care work training and counselling services to help individuals. Some of my most popular contributions are, Mental Health Matters, Stay Alive app and a mental health article published on the Leading Change website.” Samantha’s forcefulness in business and other pursuits has led her to be on the go for years now. “I co-founded a Digital Marketing and Software Company called Trifinity Solution,” she said. “This business has sustained me to complete my university degree in Computer Science. In 2016, I participated in my first international engagement at the Global Entrepreneur and Innovations Programme, held at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA.”
That brought her international recognition. “My innovation in the area of depression was recognised and placed third in the pitch competition. My problem-solving model is utilising the community to add value to humanity by bringing together social workers, politicians, technologists and engineers to craft solutions which are inclusive of all target audiences at a greater magnitude.” Here is a person not yet 30 years of age, but achieving so much by dint of hard work and a belief in herself. The “Eco-naire’s sustainability module will create more entrepreneurs who will grow our economy, solve problems and create jobs for individuals across Guyana and around the world. I see these entrepreneurs as the ones who will drive progress and prosperity in every sector and industry in all nations globally,” she stated. In her native Guyana, Samantha saw
a lot of young potentials we are yet to harvest. “My personal struggles to find a job still exist even though I have all those fancy titles and qualification to my name,” she pointed out. “Bottom line is I still cannot find the job or work. Every time I went for an interview and didn’t get through it pushed me into a situation where I felt more passionate about solving this problem.” Yet, she has come out as a winner and someone who intends to fight the good fight with all her might and get things done not only for herself but also for others. “A win for me is a win for those who
XXIX are currently a statistic of the high unemployment issue. After winning one must be grateful for the opportunities and to be part of such supportive network,” she stated. “I felt very much encouraged and recognised as an innovator throughout the Caribbean Region. Not only have I gotten an award but I was given support by people in the room including donors and fellow contestants to continue to develop Eco-naire.” Samantha said that her plans for the future is to continue to seek support, investors and partnership to develop Guyana’s and the Caribbean’s First DIGITAL ECO-SYSTEM - Eco-naire.
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WINNING IS AN INSIDE JOB SOME weeks writing this column is a breeze and sometimes it could be a bit challenging. This week reminded me of when I was writing my first book. Those of you who have been following me on my recent journey would know LIVING WITH INTENTION was not supposed to be my first book. I am in Clermont (referred to as the home of champions because many Olympians train here) where I was last year when I was trying to overcome writer’s block. What is creepy is
I was experiencing the same emotions as I was preparing for my event in Orlando. Orlando event brings my US Tour to a climax. The difference is that this time the editor was waiting on this piece of writing for the Sunday Pepperpot. I sent her a message that I was working on the article and I went to have breakfast at the lake with my friend, Phillipa. Water calms me everywhere I go. I looked across the lake and the scenery reminded me of the view while approaching my hometown Bartica by boat. I said to Phil I have a responsibility to the commitment I made to write a column every week. Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are but we are responsible for who we become. Too often we don’t win ... Inspiring lives through fashion because we beat ourselves up. I recalled listening to one of the lessons from my favourite mentor, Dr. John Maxwell. Winning is an inside job and to win from the inside out there are a few things we need to possess and RESPONSIBILITY is one. It is easier to blame others for all the things that go wrong in our lives because it gets us off the hook. Listen and learn from other successful people. Some of the things we look for while doing that are commitment, integrity, excellence, time management, attitude, relationships, solid family values, energy and peace. Confucius said, “Love what you do and keep doing it.” He also said, “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Find something you like so much that you gladly do it for nothing, then, learn to do it so well people are happy to pay you for it. Learn from your mistakes. Try then, stop to think and try again. I do believe in trying even
Beyond the Runway with Dr. Sonia Noel
if I fail, rather than fail to try. I will share a personal story with you. A few years ago I started a magazine called Makin’ Style with some friends and colleagues. We were all excited about the project which overshadowed some of the things that were necessary for the success of that publication. Great content but it took more. There were many things we overlooked after the second issue. The challenges were obviously overwhelming and the financial challenge was number one. We still have some of the magazines at F&H Printing to collect when we pay the outstanding balance. Did that make us failures because this project did not succeed? Not at all! We have to fail forward and use it as fertiliser. Failure is a price we pay to achieve success. We had to access where we went wrong and implement the process for the next level. We made a commitment to pay off the balance and produce an online magazine in the future. Maxwell always says: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AVERAGE PEOPLE AND ACHIEVING PEOPLE IS THEIR PERCEPTION OF AND RESPONSE TO FAILURE. Don’t try to be perfect. If you are looking for perfection we will be disappointed because it is not attainable. Someone once said, “Nothing will get done if we waited until we can do something so well that no one can find fault.” Perfection keeps us from getting started, distracts us from our purpose and reduces our creative energies. Change now before you must. Change equals either growth if we do it readily or grieve if we do it reluctantly. We have to intentionally want to grow and understand that change happens with or without us. At some point, we have to take control of our lives. If we manage our time it is easier to manage our lives. We all have 24 hours and we need not wish more but concentrate on using it wisely. Plan, prioritise and raise our standards – these habits are vital to a winning attitude. Things that matter most never be at the mercy of things that matters less. Send us your experience who you manage to wine from the inside out to beyondtherunway1@gmail.com as we continue to celebrate this journey call life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.
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#SupportCreativity
By Subraj Singh
The Ramleela, Nature and Community IN THE modern era of technology and individuality, the important nature and the communal aspect of ritual and worship are two elements are often not appreciated enough when it comes to our history and our religion, particularly when expressed through cultural forms, such as theatre. These two elements exist in everything from Queh Queh, to Phagwah, to unwrapping presents under the Christmas tree, and yet nature (the natural environment) and the community (the social environment) are often taken for granted when it comes to such celebrations. Enough attention is not being paid to the importance of these two aspects of Guyanese culture
Rama and Sita in a Performance of the Ramleela – Image courtesy of Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha
and yet, we know that they are important because they have existed since prehistoric times and have managed to retain a presence in contemporary Guyana, having survived slavery, indentureship, and other elements of colonisation that attempted to erase the various cultures of those who came to these shores as enslaved and indentured peoples. Regardless of whether the people have noticed it or not, the nature and communal aspects of ritual/worship/theatre/culture was on full display during the Ramleela presentation put on by the Ayodhya Research Institute in conjunction with the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, which was held on the 23rd July at the Groenveldt Mandir on the West Coast of Demerara. The Ramleela tells the story of Rama, with particular emphasis on his exile from the kingdom of Ayodhya, the abduction of his wife, Sita, by the demon-king Raavan, and Rama’s rescue of Sita and the slaying of Raavan with the help of the monkey-god, Hanuman. It is an epic tale that is rooted in Hinduism to such an extent that Rama remains a principal deity in the religion and is revered by Hindus all across the world. Diwali, the festival of lights, commemorates Rama’s return to Ayodhya, and for centuries, the story of Rama has been played out as a form of folk theatre called the Ramleela (Rama’s Story or the Story of Rama) as part of the Diwali celebrations. The Ramleela is regarded as one of the longest plays in the world, running for several nights leading up to Diwali, incorporating dance, song, music, elaborate costumes, masks, mime and other elements of Indian theatre, all culminating in the burning of giant effigies of Raavan. The Ramleela once formed an important part of the folk theatre landscape in Guyana, but it has since mostly faded away. Ramleela, however, remains an important cultural practice in other countries, such as Trinidad and Tobago. Because Ramleela performances are hardly held in Guy-
ana anymore, it was indeed quite a big deal to witness this particular performance put on by the Ayodhya Research Insitute, even though it was only one scene from the play, and even though we are nowhere near to the date for the observation of Diwali. The event was an important reminder of all that can be achieved with such performances. Firstly, there was a rather impressive turnout of people, giving that Groenveldt itself is a small community. Some
observers who turned out to view the performance included those who were not necessarily Hindu or from a Hindu background. So while the performance fostered a coming together of the people in the community, it also highlights the potential for folk performances to bring in those who might be far removed from the event, or those who may Turn to page XXXVI ►►►
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WE are sure, most of you are of the view that Guyana has abundant water sources and you are certainly correct! However, many of these sources are being polluted by activities which make them unclean and unhealthy. Here is where the EPA comes in, in order to ensure the
Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
Setting Limits to Protect Guyana’s Many Waters preservation of our water resources and to prevent pollution developers are required to manage their effluent (waste released). For this to be possible, there need to be standards or parameter limits set to assist in guiding them on the quality of effluent they are allowed to discharge,
which will not have a major impact on our waters. Under the Environmental Protection Act, Cap. 20:05, Laws of Guyana, more specifically, the Environmental Protection (Water Quality) Regulations 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandated to set
these limits.
BASELINE SAMPLING Recently, the diligent staff of the Water Quality Management Programme Area conducted baseline sampling at several of our rivers in order to test them to develop a national industrial effluent discharge limit. The collection of this data will be useful in improving the existing standards which are interim guidelines to control discharge. The project is funded by the Canadian Funds for Local Initiatives (CFLI). The rivers where tests were conducted are the Ireng, Pomeroon, Mahaicony, Mahaica, Abary, Canje and Barima Rivers. Additionally, tests were carried out in the Demerara Watershed. These water bodies were chosen since they are; surrounded by economic activities that have high effluent discharge.
WHAT DO WE TEST FOR? The agency recognises the importance of conducting this project since there are many new industrial activities that are taking place in Guyana which are not catered for in the present parameter limits. The parameters tested included; the levels of pH, phosphate, sulphates, coliform, suspended solids, oil and grease, biological oxygen demand (BOD), ammonia, nitrate, turbidity, potassium, mercury, copper, iron and lead. These are dangerous at certain levels and would lead to poor water quality. The water samples that were taken are currently being tested so as to assess the levels of these parameters. After attaining the results, they will be interpreted by the EPA in collaboration with the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS). As
part of this interpretation, the data collected as well as the existing data, will be reviewed and analysed to inform the setting of interim standards. The data will also be used to update the State of the environment report. To this end, the EPA continues to take the necessary steps to protect Guyana’s many waters. The agency understands the need to set these parameter limits to ensure the control of water pollution by economic activities and other activities. This project will allow for the enforcement of the agency’s mandate to manage the water quality. You can share your ideas and questions by sending your letters to: “The Earth Our Environment”, C/O EIT Division. Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN or email us at eit.epaguyana@ gmail.com.
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LENOVO SMART DISPLAY REVIEW: THE GOOGLE APPLIANCE The basic idea behind the new Google-powered Smart Displays that are coming this summer is simple: take a Google Home smart speaker and put a screen on it, just like Amazon’s Echo Show. Really if that’s all you take away from this review, you’ve got the basics. The Lenovo Smart Display is the first of these new devices on the market. LG, Sony, and JBL have also signed on to make them. Lenovo’s version goes on sale July 27th, priced at $199 for a model with an 8-inch screen and $249 for the model I tested, which has a 10-inch display. There’s something more going on here than just a screen for the Google Assistant, though. These Smart Displays run Android Things, a newish operating system based on Android and designed for Internet of Things devices. That means Google has a new canvas for its virtual Assistant to work with, unencumbered with the need to support any of the cruft that would come along with
running full Android or Chrome. With that blank slate comes an opportunity for Google to make exactly the thing it wants to make. And the result is something I wasn’t really expecting: a Google appliance. As a piece of hardware, Lenovo’s take on the Smart Display is elegant — especially when compared to the Echo Show. It has a large, flat screen that sits to the right of a white speaker grille. It’s thin across most of the screen, with the back curving out behind the speaker. The larger, more expensive version has bamboo on the back, while the smaller one has a much more boring gray plastic. It’s designed to work sitting horizontally, but Lenovo put rubber feet on the end so it can sit vertically. Well, the hardware can, but the software hasn’t been designed to work when the Smart Display is in portrait mode (except for Duo video calls), which is a bummer. This thing would be much more likely to fit on my crowded kitchen counter if I could stand it upright. Both versions of the Lenovo Smart Display have a 10-watt speaker with two passive tweeters. I’ve only tested the larger 10inch version and the sound quality is passable at best — about on par with the Google Home or entry-level Amazon Echo. It can get plenty loud at max volume, but also plenty distorted. It’s fine as a smart speaker for basic stuff, but nowhere near as good as a Sonos One or HomePod. The touchscreen display is visible even in direct sunlight but doesn’t overwhelm the room in the dark — it has a large brightness range, basically, and good auto-brightness settings. But oddly enough, my favorite feature isn’t the screen, it’s the little hardware switch that moves a shutter to block out the 5-megapixel wide-angle camera. It’s true that Google Duo doesn’t support the disconcerting “Drop In” feature like the Echo Show and Spot, but I still feel more comfortable putting a smart speaker in my bedroom or bathroom if I know the camera is covered. There are just two microphones for recognizing your voice, but they seem to do their job quite well until you crank the music volume up to the max. One of the benefits of Google-based speakers is that they do a good job of recognizing the sound of
your specific voice and delivering your personal Google content to you. With this device, I found it seemed to have a slightly
harder time identifying my voice than the Google Home did, but only by a little.
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Huawei is reportedly planning foldable phone launch ahead of Samsung A Nikkei report out of China this week has revealed Huawei’s efforts to build and release a foldable smartphone ahead of Android archrival Samsung. Samsung has long held the display innovation lead thanks to its subsidiary Samsung Display, which just announced that its upcoming “unbreakable” flexible phone screen has been certified for being extra tough and durable. But Huawei, making use of flexible OLED panels from Chinese supplier BOE, is apparently planning to do a very limited run of foldable handsets, with analysts estimating they could come as soon as early next year. BOE, which was dubbed Beijing Oriental Electronics at its outset back in 1993, won’t be a familiar name to most tech
observers. Its display business has been rapidly improving in recent times, however, and the company has already secured some of Apple’s iPhone LCD business. BOE’s next foray is to push further into OLED production and innovation, which is where the flexible OLED panels that Huawei is mooted to be using come in. Some rather crude foldable phone-tablet hybrid prototypes have already been shown off by BOE, and you can see an example of them in the video below. For Huawei, rushing ahead of the competition to grab the title of being first is an established practice. In 2014, amid rumors of an iPhone set to use a sapphire crystal display, Huawei went ahead and issued a limited edition Huawei Ascend P7 Sapphire, hurrying it out in time to beat the iPhone that ended up not using the technology. A year later in 2015, Huawei also beat Apple to the punch by implementing Force Touch in a special edition of its Huawei Mate S. The same pattern is apparent with Huawei’s reported pursuit of a foldable phone: using a hyper-accelerated development cycle to issue a limited production run of a new phone with a headline-grabbing feature. The benefits of foldable phones — beside the obvious cool factor — are far from obvious today, whereas the reasons for skepticism are numerous. On the hardware front, any sort of folding mechanism or design will inevitably make the phone thicker, simultaneously allowing less space for a battery and making larger power demands by virue of its larger screen. It’s difficult to imagine a first-generation foldable device being anywhere near as refined as modern smartphone flagships with conventional displays. Then there’s the massive issue of software: a foldable phone will require an adaptable user interface that responds quickly to changes in screen size and also provides some tailored experiences unavailable on other phones. Can we really trust Huawei or Samsung, whose expertise lies in hardware, to craft such sophisticated software? When reached for comment by The Verge, a Huawei spokesperson responded in a predictably boilerplate fashion, saying “We don’t comment on rumors, speculation or future roadmaps.”
Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
Telegram Passport lets users log into services that need real-world IDs Telegram is introducing a new feature called Passport, a single sign-on option for services that need actual real-world IDs or documents. Passport will let users store their files and data in Telegram’s cloud and pass it directly on to services that need that information (via Neowin). The company envisions users using Telegram Passport logins for signing up for things like financial services or ICOs, which tend to need real-world ID cards, passports, or other documentation. With Passport, you’ll be able to upload your documents and personal information, which users will be able to pass along to supported services with a single tap. Obviously security is a big concern here, given that any document that you’d be using to legally prove your ID is probably the sort of thing you’d like to keep safe, but Telegram says that any data uploaded are stored in its cloud with endto-end encryption. Additionally, all of your data is encrypted with a password, with Telegram claiming it has no way to access the data on its end — only you and the companies you choose to share it with will be able to see your documents and information. Of course, for Passport to be useful, it’ll need companies to actually support it, and right now there’s only one: ePayments.com, an online payments system (although Telegram has also set up a test page if you’d like to see how it works for yourself.) Telegram is offering Passport to developers free of charge, with additional details on how to integrate it available over at its developer site.
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be interested and intrigued by the other elements besides the religious (whether the artistic or academic) on display. This attraction of people from various sections of society is essential to conversations, debates, and cultural contact that can lead to important understandings and developments within a country that is as diverse as Guyana. Secondly, the outdoor was wonderfully conducive to
the event. Being in the night air, feeling the wind around you, with a canal and a koker bordering the audience on one side was a rare experience, and it definitely instilled a feeling of the necessity for more outdoor theatre, far away from the stuffiness and the formal nature of the two major theatre-houses in Guyana. Perhaps an initiative similar to “Shakespeare in the Park” can be one way of getting the young people to spend more time outdoors. Alternatively, it might be a better idea to just bring back the Ramleela
Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018 and other kinds of folk theatre not only to have children and teenagers experience nature but also as a way of using the outdoors to propel culture and cultural thoughts and experiences. The performance itself was quite good. The travelling troupe did well, especially with their use of dance and music. Although it was not exactly the same as the Ramleela as experienced by our ancestors, the performance of the Swayamvara scene (where Rama lifts Shiva’s bow and thus wins the right to marry Sita) was entertaining and educational, and might even be an indicator of what is to come with regards to Indian theatre in Guyana. The Ayodhya Research Institute went on to present shows in Tain, Black Bush Polder, and at the Bath Community Centre, and also conducted a Ramleela workshop at the Sabha’s East Berbice Praant. While it is true that Indian theatre remains a rarity in the country, organisations such as the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha continue to ensure that a presence is at least maintained. Hopefully, in the near future, Indian theatre will rise in popularity and will once again have a more stable and vibrant presence on the local stage.
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English THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
STUDY SUCCESS Dear Students, Another procedure that enhances reading time beside the consideration of visual and verbal signposts is recall. Spend half your reading time applying the learning principle of feedback by self-testing. Recall at the end of each section and again at the end of the text. Recalling each section entails writing down what points you can recollect. Compare these with the text and fill in any missing but important points. Compile your summary points on note cards. Be wise.
Wisdom is often times nearer when we stoop than when we soar. WILLIAM WORDSWORTH (1770-1850)
Love you THE PASSAGE Using information contained in a text to solve a problem This exercise will help you read a text to find the solution to a problem. The several given questions will gradually lead you to the solution. You will notice that each question forces you to study the text and think about its implications. The skill involved can prove to be very useful to you under examination. After the cycling competition that had taken place in Winchester, the jury didn’t know what to do. The fog had ben so thick that they couldn’t possibly tell who was first. So, they decided to ask three of the cyclists, Alan, Bertie, and Cedric what they had seen. Each of them made two statements but unfortunately one of the three lied in his statements. The other two told the truth. Here is what each of them said. Can you help the jury find who the first three cyclists were? Alan said, “I was first, the last one was Cedric.” Bertie said, “Alan wasn’t first. The second was Cedric.” Cedric said, “I was just before Alan. Bertie wasn’t second.” The following questions should help you solve the problem. 1. Can both Alan and Bertie tell the truth about Cedric? 2. Therefore, can you tell whether Cedric lies or tells the truth? 3. Now that you know whether Cedric tells the truth or not, consider his statement and compare it to what Alan and Bertie said. Who told the truth: Alan or Bertie? 4. Now consider the information in the two statements of the persons who tell the truth. Who was second? ---------------Who was after him? --------------Therefore, who must have been first? --------------Extension: Write about an occurrence where there was some uncertainty involved. Find a way to weave-in evidence to lead your readers toward a fool-proof solution. GRAMMAR Past participle and present participle The past participle can be used as a main verb with a helper or helpers, as in has been, have been, had been, should have been, will have been, could have been, might have been, and so on. In addition, been can be used as a helper in a verb phrase – but only with other helpers. Note that a verb phrase is not considered a being verb unless the main verb is the “being’ verb. Daisy should have been here hours ago. (Been is the main verb; should and have are helpers. Therefore, this verb phrase is a “being” verb.) Daisy should have called hours ago. (Called is the main verb; should have been are helpers. Therefore, this verb phrase is not a “being” verb.) Likewise, the present participle being can be used as a main verb, as in am being, is being, are being, was being, and were being. It can also be used as one of two or more helping verbs, as in is being prepared, are being recorded, was being dissected, and so on. Again, to find out whether being is the main verb in a verb phrase, be sure to isolate the entire phrase; then see whether being is the last word on the phrase. Our directors are being extremely cautious. (The main verb is being; are is a helping verb.) The directors are being cautioned by the shareholders. (The last verb, cautioned, is the main verb; are and being are helping verbs. This verb phrase is not a “being” verb.) Are the directors now being cautioned by the shareholders? (Do not be tricked by inverted sentences. He verb phrase here is the same as in the previous example.) Be. The last form is the word be itself. Be can be used as helper or as a main verb. Tomorrow will be our last day at college. (Be is the main verb; will is the helper.) Each driver will be checked for his documents. (Checked is the main verb; will and be are helpers.) Something to Do In each of the following sentences, identify the verb or the verb phrase. Then determine whether that verb or verb phrase is a “being” verb. (HINT: Remember that a verb phrase is a “being” verb only when the last word in the phrase is a “being” verb.) 1. Yes, Mr Groundhog, this ice cream machine can be very efficient in our parlour. 2. In twenty years our company will be the largest seller of exotic ice cream flavours. 3. No, Mr Grant, we are not expecting a large container today. 4. All these enquiries from loyal customers must be answered within two days. 5. Of course, Hazel should have been at that meeting. 6. Sandella Halley might be chosen as our next marketing director. LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS Supplying commas where they are needed 1. Each man, woman and child in the community is asked to contribute ideas for the development project. 2. He spoke of a forest project “of the settlement, by the settlement and for the settlement.” 3. This new message, by the way, arrived at seven, did it not? 4. The stage lighting, under the huge tarpaulin, was brilliant and the coloured costumes were shimmering. 5. “I doubt,” her lawyer replied gravely, “that there is sufficient evidence for a conviction.” 6. Long after leaving Guyana, land of his birth, he remembered the riverside with nostalgia, a deep intense but unreasonable longing.
Chronicle Pepperpot July 29, 2018
Conkie Ingredients: 1 lb cornmeal 1 lb pumpkin 1 oz lard 1 tsp black pepper ½ pt water 1 grated coconut 1 oz margarine 2 tsp salt Sugar to taste 4 oz dried fruit Twine Banana leaves
Instructions: • Grate the coconut and pumpkin, and add all the other ingredients. • Stir in enough water to make a mixture of dropping consistency. • Wipe the banana leaves clean and heat them to make them pliable. Cut them into 8 x 8 inch squares, and wrap around lumps of filling, tying the bundles with the twine. • Place in boiling water and boil for about 20 – 30 minutes. Note: If banana leaves are not available, mixture may be steamed in a greased bowl instead.
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