Guyana Times -- Sunday, February 27, 2022

P15

Farida’s Journey: traveling across the world for success Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4933 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022

Guyana among OAS members supporting declaration condemning Russian …members call for invasion of Ukraine end to hostilities Page 3

“...strongly condemn the unlawful, unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and call for the immediate withdrawal of the military presence and cessation of any further military actions in that country” – OAS declaration

Guyanese students in Russia not in danger – Foreign Secretary

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

4 new COVID-19 deaths P9 recorded …10 in ICU

Emergency P27 Medical Services recording highest daily calls – Benn “I am getting to use my arm again” – teen adjusts to mechanical arm …recalls horrific 2019 smash-up P17

Page 9

Russian forces meeting "strong and wide" Ukraine resistance

Security P29 guard nabbed with ammo Vishal Mangra found his artistic touch after bicycle accident P13 Pearl farmer plagued with flooding due to poorlymaintained trenches P29

Page 33

Russian invasion

“It wasn’t in my wildest imagination” – Guyana-born Ukrainian Page 7

…wife, daughter stranded in warzone

Nabi/KCL joint venturers conduct job fair targeting hundreds Page 2

…partners to finish ExxonMobil’s HQ at Ogle

‘Operation Recovery’

Over 500 absent students from NGSA mock examination located …school supplies, other assistance being provided to students

2 NEWS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Nabi/KCL joint venturers conduct job fair targeting hundreds …partners to finish ExxonMobil’s HQ at Ogle

Some of the persons who turned out for the job fair

W

ith a view of providing employment for hundreds and fulfilling its commitment to local content, Nabi/KCL Oilfield Construction Services Guyana Joint Venture has carried out a job fair targeting hundreds of potential workers.

The job fair was held aback of Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), where Nabi/KCL is constructing new headquarters for ExxonMobil local subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL).

In fact, the fair was held right outside the construction site. In an interview with Project Director Steve Milner, he explained to this publication that they already have a sizeable Guyanese workforce working on site.

“We’ve already commenced construction.

We’re dealing with the foundation at the moment.

We’re gonna be building the superstructure. We’ve already got 250 people working on the project,” he said.

However, Milner explained that the joint venturers were looking to take on hundreds of staff, though this will be over a period of time. He explained that there will be other career opportunities opening up as they progress with the project.

Additionally, Milner noted that there will be job openings with the other sub-contractors working on the project.

“The idea of today is fair. It’s to ask people to register their interest and we’re looking for a full spectrum of skills, from the labouring skills to management skills. So we can develop the workforce, that we need to be increasing the workforce. And we want to ensure that we’re maximising local content, maximising opportunities for the Guyanese people.”

“We know there are more skills out there. The majority of the workers onsite and management are Guyanese nationals.

We’re about 80 per cent at the moment, of Guyanese nationals on site. So we’re going to maintain that, in-

crease that, to as maximum as we can,” Milner further explained.

According to Milner, they have had a very good response to the job fair since it opened. He explained that they will be using the responses from the job fair to build a database of skills to recruit persons from as the positions become available.

“We know that there are people living in Guyana who will meet the skills we need on the project. And we’ll also provide mentoring, training… we’ll be looking for, from the basic skilled people, we’ve got opportunities for engineering type people, supervision type people in the construction field. And administration as well, as well as safety.”

“Safety is our number one priority on the project. So we had a lot of people out earlier, people interesting in safety. So it’s very encouraging, the number of people interested. We’re going to be building up the workforce over the next few months,” Milner said. TURN TO PAGE 5

NEWS

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, Feb 27 – 01:00h – 02:30h and Monday, Feb 28 – No closure.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, Feb 27 – 14:00h – 15:30h and Monday, Feb 28 – 14:50h – 16:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily

WEATHER TODAY There will be light cloud and sunny intervals during the day. Expect partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to North NorthEasterly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 14:15h reaching a maximum height of 2.37 metres.

Low Tide: 07:45h and 20:25h reaching minimum heights of 1.02 metre and 0.77 metre.

Guyana among OAS members supporting declaration condemning Russian invasion of Ukraine …members call for end to hostilities

C

oming out of a Permanent Council meeting of the Organisation of American States (OAS) on Friday, Guyana was among 24 other member countries who supported a declaration on the Russian invasion of Ukraine that called for the cessation of hostilities.

Apart from Guyana, the declaration also features the Permanent Missions of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada,

The OAS Permanent Council

States. Venezuela was also listed among the countries supporting the declaration.

In the document, it states that the aforementioned

try”.

Calling for Russia to end hostilities, withdraw its troops and equipment from Ukraine and return to the

“The Russian Federation’s military operation in Ukraine is counter to the principles of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the prohibition on the threat or use of force and the peaceful resolution of disputes, which are enshrined in international law and in the Charter of the United Nations” – OAS declaration

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Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Peru.

Also throwing their support behind the declaration were Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, Canada and the United

countries “strongly condemn the unlawful, unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and call for the immediate withdrawal of the military presence and cessation of any further military actions in that coun-

path of dialogue and diplomacy, it also condemns Russia’s illegal recognition of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, as independent states.

“The Russian Federation’s military operation in Ukraine is counter to the

principles of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the prohibition on the threat or use of force and the peaceful resolution of disputes, which are enshrined in international law and in the Charter of the United Nations,” the declaration states.

The countries further reiterated the importance of the United Nations Charter, as well as respect for the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. It was also noted that all parties are expected to honour and respect the human rights of the population and also their respective obligations under international humanitarian law. This includes the protection of civilians who do not participate in hostilities.

The declaration also took note of declarations made by the Secretary General of the United Nations, calling for the Ukrainian conflict to be peacefully resolved, in accordance with the Minsk Agreements endorsed by the United Nations Security Council resolution 2202 of 2015.

Mention was also made of the Permanent Council granting Russia and Ukraine the status of Permanent Observers to the OAS. TURN ON PAGE 5

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Russian invasion cannot stand

T

he old African proverb, “When the elephants fight, the grass suffers”, might have become a cliché but that does not make it any less true. Russia invaded the Ukraine last Thursday, after President Putin doggedly denied the US President’s contention that they were planning to do so for weeks. After the fait accompli, we are witnessing the conflict escalating. Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that they immediately stop their attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops. The vote was 11 in favour, with Russia voting no, and China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstaining.

The reasons for Russia’s invasion, whatever they may be, do not justify the violation of international norms that have slowly been evolving since the end of WWII: to prevent the unilateral use of force by any country to settle cross-border issues. While Russia vetoed the UN Security Council, and will receive almost unanimous censure in the General Assembly, Putin will certainly brush that off. And that this might have a demonstrator effect is threatening to world peace.

Russia claims that Ukraine’s signalling its desire to become a member of NATO made it feel threatened, because that Cold War military alliance of former Western European nations was gradually being enlarged to encircle it in an era when the Cold War was putatively over. But Russia would know that the former Eastern European nations - including itself - had for centuries looked at their Western neighbours as their teleological end state. As sovereign states, they should all be free to join any organisation, including NATO, that exclusive club. Russia cannot have it both ways: on one hand, they cannot boast about their democratic credentials on self-determination to allow Ukraine and 13 other former Soviets to become independent, and on the other hand, place fetters on their sovereignty.

The manoeuvre of inveigling two contiguous Ukrainian provinces with substantial populations of ethnic Russians to “declare their independence” and then “invite” them in is a very cynical move. These revanchist moves simply make a mockery of international law, especially since Russia had already announced that the entire Ukraine is an integral part of Russia. The protestations that they are only seeking to neutralize “Nazi” elements that originated in the breakaway provinces and their siege of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev signal their aim to occupy the entire country.

What we are witnessing is an eerie repetition of Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler giving his “word” to England’s Neville Chamberlain and other European powers in 1938 at Munich, that all he wanted was for Czechoslovakia to cede their German-majority province of Sudetenland. They did, and we all know that Hitler took this for weakness and, within months, demanded and annexed the entire Czechoslovakia. He justified his annexation on the grounds that Germany needed “living space” - identical to Putin’s present claim that Russia now needs “security”.

The Munich Agreement has become a symbol of appeasement, and the US and the West must not allow history to repeat itself. Russia must be told in no uncertain terms that they must withdraw completely from the sovereign state of Ukraine. The present sanctions that have been imposed will prove to be ineffectual, unless broadened to include the “SWIFT” (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) financial-messaging infrastructure that links the world’s banks. The Belgiumbased system is run by its member banks, and handles millions of daily payment instructions across more than 200 countries and territories and 11,000 financial institutions.

While it is recognised that this move would also hurt some western interests, this is exactly the point that must be made to Putin, who believes that Biden and the West do not have the “belly” to defend their interests. No pain, no gain. The UK’s Boris Johnson has already called for this move, even though his City of London would be hardest hit.

This is not the time for appeasement, but for a line in the sand against international bullyism.

Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai on Saturday visited the Mon Repos Market, East Coast Demerara, where she interacted with vendors and shoppers while discussing President Dr Irfaan Ali’s “One Guyana” platform, which is intended to bring Guyanese closer together (DPI photo)

Is Putin’s gamble on Ukraine rational?

By Leonid Ragozin

E

arly in the morning of February 24, under the orders of President Vladimir Putin, Russia launched a full-out invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Air Force started striking military targets all around the country, and advanced occupation forces crossed the border to the north and the south.

What seemed unimaginable to many Russia experts, including me, just a day ago, is now a reality the world will need to accept and cope with.

On the face of it, Putin’s move appears irrational. It is a crime against Ukraine – a brazen violation of international law. It will mark a dark chapter in Russia’s history, and inflict costs on Russia that could prove to be heavy enough to turn the Russian people against their president.

The Kremlin’s rhetoric about Ukraine being a “brotherly nation” is widely mocked in the West, but this is indeed how most Russians see their neighbour – not for ideological reasons, but because almost all of them have either relatives or friends in this country.

Selling this war to Russians will be an uphill task for Putin – nothing like the occupation of Crimea, which was nearly bloodless, with a clear majority of the locals welcoming the change of flag. Today, Ukrainians seem poised to put up a real fight, which means a protracted conflict with multiple casualties on the Russian side.

Justifying the loss of income and savings Russians will experience because of the expected Western sanctions will be similarly difficult. This morning, people in Moscow were reported-

ly already queueing at cash machines dispensing foreign currency in anticipation of the rouble’s collapse.

Furthermore, inevitable isolation from the West is going to be a nightmare, not only for the liberal intelligentsia, but also for a large part of the political and business elite.

If all these predictions prove correct and this war results in Putin’s fall, many in Ukraine and in the West will say it was worth the sacrifice. But what if Putin is not being irrational?

What if those who continue to think that he is are naive idealists? What if Ukraine completely surrenders after a few days, the Russian economy sustains Western sanctions without breaking a sweat, and Russians continue to go about their daily lives?

If that turns out to be the case, we will find ourselves in a darker, much more sinister world, where aggression and cruelty are seen as a prerequisite for success in the international arena.

We will soon find out whether Putin was rational or not.

How will Zelenskyy’s gamble play out? We will also soon find out whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did the right thing when he chose to put up a fight rather than avoid collusion by accepting his country’s neutral status or agreeing to implement the Minsk Agreements, as Russia demanded prior to the invasion.

We do not yet know how all this will end, but we do know that the results of (a very likely) Ukrainian defeat will be infinitely more drastic than what Russian demands envisaged just a few days ago.

Zelenskyy definitely felt the support of Ukrainian so-

ciety when he made the call, but perhaps he also felt an urge to present himself as a truly tough politician in a situation where both the Kremlin and the domestic opposition pictured him, a former comedian, as a spineless political amateur.

That urge perhaps incentivised him to take an untenable risk.

We will also find out, albeit much later, when classified documents are put into the public domain, what role Ukraine’s Western allies played in him making this decision – whether they encouraged him to resist Putin with all the means available to him, or were nudging him towards compromise, but failed to overcome his stubborn resolve.

While only time will tell what this escalation will bring for Putin and Zelenskyy, there are also some immediate lessons that can be learned from today’s events.

Time to question Washington’s approach to Russia

The tragic events under way in Ukraine should reinvigorate the discussion on the wisdom of Western, and specifically American, policies regarding Russia and the remainder of the former USSR in the last 30 years.

How wise was it to expand NATO and the EU towards Russia’s borders, isolating Russia from its closest neighbours, and breaking the natural flow of post-Soviet societies with hard borders and trade barriers? The policy was aimed at preventing a new aggressive monster state, the USSR 2.0, from rising from the ruins of the Soviet Union. But isn’t this exactly what is happening now?

Wouldn’t it have been much wiser to prioritise integrating Russia – a huge nuclear power – into the West

when the country was ripe and ready for it, rather than brushing it off as a largely irrelevant declining power?

Various Russian officials warned the West back in the 1990s that the efforts to isolate and sideline Russia would result in the rise of nationalist and autocratic forces in the country. Indeed, Putin himself recalled in one of his latest speeches how he once asked President Bill Clinton whether Russia could also join NATO, but did not get an answer.

Back in 2000, when he was first elected in the still democratic elections, Putin was seen as a liberal, and was tacitly supported by the West against his more conservative rivals. A man without real political principles, just hungry for power, Putin could have become a perfect eurocrat. Hasn’t the West, with its perpetual fear of Russia, grown its own Frankenstein?

Even now, at the point of collision, the West does not have a vision for a post-Putin Russia which could motivate Russians to change the political regime in their country. Indeed, for many in the hawkish circles, an aggressive and isolated Russia is a milking cow that secures their salaries and lucrative contracts.

Russian society is responsible for Ukraine’s current tragedy, and for allowing Putin to usurp power.

But this war, with its many dire consequences that will emerge in the coming days and weeks, is in itself a punishment for Russians.

Now all efforts should focus on finding a way to build a united Europe, with a democratic, post-Putinist Russia as an integral part.

(Al Jazeera) (Leonid Ragozin is a freelance journalist based in Riga)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

News

Guyana among OAS members supporting...

The purpose of the Permanent Observers to the OAS, it was explained, is to “promote cooperative relations among states form both the Americas and elsewhere that participate in the organisation’s programmes”.

Invasion

After months of tension between the two countries, Russia’s military invaded Ukraine on Thursday

morning local time, launching attacks by land, sea and air that targeted Ukrainian bases and several major cities including its capital – Kyiv. Initial reports from Ukrainian authorities are that over 100 civilians and miliary personnel were killed and dozens of others injured in air strikes and bombings during invasion attacks that have spread across the European country.

Day two of Russia’s invasion saw explosions in Kyiv’s skies in the wee hours of Friday, while shelling and gunfire were heard throughout the capital. Clashes were reported south and in the eastern suburb of Kyiv.

With some citizens continuing to take shelter in subways and bunkers, scores of others are rushing to borders to seek refuge in neighbouring coun-

Nabi/KCL joint venturers...

FROM PAGE 2

Nabi/KCL was awarded the contract to construct EEPGL’s headquarters back in April 2019. The project entails constructing two buildings, an outdoor pavilion, paving, landscaping, fill and storm drainage, site utilities and electrical works. Richard Price, the Project Manager, explained to this publication that the headquarters are expected to be completed by next year.

It was only days ago that the Government also operationalised two Local Content Registers, where Guyanese can register their available skills and services for the oil and gas sector through the Local Content Secretariat of the Natural Resources Ministry. These two registers, as proposed in the Bill, will deal specifically with the procurement of goods, and secondly, the provision of skills and employment.

According to the Local Content Act passed last year, oil and gas companies operating in Guyana, as well their contractors and sub-contractors must procure from Guyanese companies by the end of 2022, 90 per cent of office space rental and accommodation services; 90 per cent janitorial services, laundry and catering services; 95 per cent pest control services; 100 per cent local insurance services; 75 per cent local supply of food; and 90 per cent local accounting services. These are just some of the 40 different services outlined in the first schedule. (G3)

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From left: Project Manager Richard Price and Project Director Steve Milner

try such as Romania.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his top Government officials on Friday joined the fight in the streets.

In a late-night message on Friday, Zelenskyy said Russian forces are advancing on the capital city, adding that it will be a make-or-break moment for Ukraine.

“It was a difficult but courageous day. We are fighting for our country on all frontlines – in the south, east, north, in many cities of our beautiful country…

This night will be very difficult, and the enemy will use all available forces to break the resistance of

Ukrainians… The fact of Ukraine is being decided right now,” the President stated.

Meanwhile, as global condemnation and sanctions continue to roll out against Russian businesses and officials including its President, Vladimir Putin, some 50 countries have signed a joint statement saying Russia abused its veto power by blocking a United Nations Security Council resolution that condemns its invasion of Ukraine.

However, following that Security Council meeting, UN General Secretary António Guterres said “leaders need to turn to

FROM PAGE 3

the path of dialogue and peace… We must give peace another chance”.

Nevertheless, he noted that the UN is scaling up the delivery of life-saving support, adding that humanitarian needs are multiplying and spreading by the hour.

Individual countries have also been pledging support, with United States President Joe Biden authorising US$350 million to immediately support Ukraine’s military defence. Other countries who have signalled their intention to provide military support to Ukraine include Belgium and the Netherlands. (G3)

6 FEATURE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

F

inally, let us look today at some other actions that would help you to make an intelligent choice of pet from a shelter, or from a friend, or from a reliable breeder. I would suggest that you avoid making a rash and immediate decision. You may even put your choice on hold and go back on another day. It is helpful to see a dog on more than one occasion. Of course, you have to recognise that another person may be prepared to take the pet immediately. I would propose that you negotiate with the administrator of the shelter/pet owner a 24-hour “hold”.

The second time you visit, you may wish to bring a close friend, your spouse, and your children. I would strongly encourage that all your family members are engaged in the process of selecting your pet. You may even ask your veterinarian to accompany you.

He/she can be of assistance, especially if this is your first dog, or if you have had bad experiences with selecting the right dog in the past. A recommended caregiver with valuable experience on rearing of pets can also provide for guidance.

Use your head as well as your heart. Although your initial emotions and reactions to a dog are a good starting point in your selection process, please do not let these feelings be your only guide. Your new dog will be a part of your family for years to come, so base your decision on your objective observations of the dog’s physical and behavioural exhibitions, as well as whether it may be a source of allergic reactions to you or your family members. This is especially (but not only) true of cats.

If you did not find your ideal pet on your first visit to a shelter, do not give up! Several repeat visits may be necessary to find the pet which is compatible with you, your family, and other pets that you may have in your home.

A quick thought directed at young

people looking for a pet: Consider volunteering at the GSPCA shelter, or any other bona fide shelter. Dedicating some of you time to a shelter, especially during holidays, is a wonderful and gratifying experience. Once you have handled a wide variety of dogs/cats, you would have a much better idea as to which species/breed of animal best suits your needs. Eventually, one will steal your heart and fit perfectly into your household.

All of the above is important to comprehend. You want the trip from the shelter to your home to be one-way.

It is terrible for the pet and for your family if the animal has to be returned to the shelter. Serious Shelters would want to assess your reactions to the potential adoptee. They may even request that you allow adequately trained members of their staff to visit and assess the condition of the new home that would be accommodating the potential ward. Of course, no money (payment) is involved. You may make a donation to the shelter, but it is neither compulsory nor is it a prerequisite to ensure that you receive the pet of your choice.

Finally, and in a nutshell, the central issue in adoption is whether a new owner can provide a loving, safe, secure and permanent home for the pet.

Serious shelters obviously prefer to give the animal to a household which would afford the pet the necessary tender loving care. We call the new home a forever home. Inherent in that name is the tacit agreement by the individual/ family that the welfare of an ani-

mal taken from the shelter would be their responsibility for the rest of that animal’s life. If, perchance, the adopter can no longer keep the animal, the pet should be returned to the shelter from whence it came.

It would, of course, be of greater benefit to all concerned if the adopter, for whatever reason unable to keep the animal, finds a nurturing and happy home for the pet, making sure that the people of the new home would take good care of the pet for the rest of its life. Please ensure that the Shelter is informed of any decision to rehome the pet you adopted.

In closing off on the ‘Adoption’ theme, we would like to again refer to concerns that shelters in other countries have experienced, which might migrate down to Guyana. One such issue has to do with superstition. For example, beliefs that black cats, say, are harbingers of bad luck. Well, such myths are just that - nonsensical legends, with no truth to the stories.

In the USA, it has been reported that some shelters have introduced policies halting or limiting the adoption of black cats immediately prior to Halloween, for fear that the animals could be used in some evil exercise involving torture of the black cat. Also, shelters in Germany have been reported to ban the adoption of pets as Christmas gifts, in an attempt to reduce unwanted animals being dumped after the holidays.

Equally unacceptable is the adoption of cute, fluffy female dogs, which are then turned into “puppy factories” by uncaring owners who breed them relentlessly over and over without adequate care, until the mother dog dies of exhaustion.

It is therefore incumbent on serious shelters to assess the adopter and monitor the wellbeing of the adoptee in its new home.

Prayer to Shiva Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat

O

M, we worship the three-eyed Lord Shiva, who is the fragrance of Life and the nourisher of our health. O Lord, just as a ripe cucumber is freed from its vine, release us from attachment and death; grant us the nectar of immortality.

Above: The Shiva Nataraj that the Government of India gifted to CERN (European Center for Research in Particle Physics) in Geneva. photo credit: Giovanni Chierico

Fritzof Capra describes the Dance of Shiva as symbolic of the dancing universe with a ceaseless flow of energy, mingling and meandering into the infinite cosmic soul. It is the dance of subatomic particles—the building blocks of creation. He says ((https:// www.fritjofcapra.net/shivas-cosmic-dance-at-cern/), “Modern physics has shown that the rhythm of creation and destruction is not only manifest in the turn of the seasons and in the birth and death of all living creatures, but is also the very essence of inorganic matter,” and that, “For the modern physicists, then, Shiva’s dance is the dance of subatomic matter.”

He concluded that, “Hundreds of years ago, Indian artists created visual images of dancing Shivas in a beautiful series of bronzes.

In our time, physicists have used the most advanced technology to portray the patterns of the cosmic dance. The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art and modern physics.”

In the Hindu calendar, there are twelve Shivaratris (nights of Shiva) in every year – one per lunar month. There is one Great Shivaratri, called Maha Shivaratri, that falls somewhere between February and March, depending on the lunar calendar. It is a grand devotional event that celebrates the symbolic Dance of Shiva. The majority of Hindus in the Caribbean observe this most sacred day following a planned schedule of sadhana or personal spiritual exercises leading up to the great night of Shiva, called Shivaratri (Shiva = the One whose transformative power returns all of existence/creation to its original matter at the end of a cycle of existence/creation ; Ratri = Night; Maha=Great). So, it is Great Night of Shiva – once per year.

The Puranic Hindu traditions are rich in many sacred narratives of the emanation of the One Reality in Creation, Preservation and Dissolution of the universe in never-ending cycles of time. These rich narratives seek to lift the human mind from the concrete to the most abstract, subtle, and sublime. They span the realm of knowledge (material and cosmic), devotion, and rites and rituals in communing with the cosmic realities.

In one of the sacred narratives of Shiva, it is said that Parvati (his feminine half, or wife) once asked him which ritual of the devotee pleased him the most. And he said that “fasting” pleased him more than ceremonial offerings of flowers, sweets, ritual baths, etc. Devotees of Shiva observe strict rituals during the day, and worship Him in four different forms and in four periods (3hour periods) of the night.

Yogis especially connect with Shiva as the Adiyogi and the Adiguru – the first yogi and the first guru. He is portrayed as combining renunciation and family life. His various symbols point to knowledge, mysticism, kundalini shakti, descent of the Ganga, the eye of wisdom, the one who absorbs the poisons for the protection of the world. He represents the three qualities of nature (sattwa, rajas and tamas). In the Hindu tradition, there are varied media for communicating the sacred through sacred symbols, sounds, language, poetry, art, and so on. Those who are reared in the tradition can readily connect with the diversity and meanings.

Others who are new to the tradition need to spend some time to appreciate the Hindu aesthetic approaches to Divinity.

Shiva first passed on his wisdom to his Shakti, or wife, Parvati.

He taught yoga to the ancient ones. Followers of this tradition focus on liberation, or breaking the cycle of birth and death, and they usually follow a guru-discipline method of acquiring the wisdom of the ancients.

Swami Dayananda Saraswatti was an Indian yogi who felt that too many persons were focused on the rituals of worshipping Shiva.

He was motivated to recommend the path of nirguna Brahman, or God without form, as the highest understanding of that Highest Reality. He eventually formed the Arya Samaj as another way of seeing and communing with the Highest Reality.

At the end of the day, it is the direct perception through direct experience that makes the difference. And if the experience does not manifest in the external as a kinder, gentler person akin to divinity, then one would have failed to truly benefit from one’s worship. May all seek inspiration for reaching the Highest Divinity as per their path in the cosmic Dance of Shiva.

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

NEWS

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Russian invasion

“It wasn’t in my wildest imagination” – Guyana-born Ukrainian …wife, daughter stranded in warzone

U

kraine was transformed into a warzone overnight with the invasion of Russian troops since Thursday, leaving scores of persons concerned for relatives in the country.

One such individual who has been devastated by the recent turn of events is Shawn Parasram – a Guyanese-born man whose wife, Yuliya and seven-year-old daughter have been stranded in the country.

Parasram is an accountant attached to Royal Caribbean International and is currently in Miami, USA. He migrated from Guyana to Ukraine about eight years ago, and had settled in the port city of Odessa. His daughter and wife, both residents of Ukraine, are still there in the face of the growing tension with the airspace closed since Thursday.

He spoke with Guyana Times on Saturday, where he relayed his current predicament of being unable to return home and most importantly, rescue his family from the threaten-

ing situation.

“I was supposed to go home a few days ago but I had to work and extend.

Not being there to assist and manoeuvre and make decisions in terms of their lives is quite hard on my side currently. For me, to have them leave the country, I need to go there because although I am a resident, I’m also a foreigner.

My daughter cannot leave the country without my permission,” he expressed.

While he is unable to physically support his family, Parasram has been in close contact with his wife and daughter.

They remain safe with his in-laws, and he is able to reach them almost 20 times daily.

“They’re currently in Odessa; that’s my hometown. We speak very often on a daily basis, not just because of this situation, like 10 to 20 times per day.

Now it has increased to that amount because I just want to know what’s happening, feedback and how to do things.”

When Parasram left his country the last time

according to Ukrainian authorities, Russian warships shelled a Moldovanflagged chemical tanker and a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship due to load grain near Odessa port in the Black Sea on Friday. This was one day after Russia began its full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, in which three non-military vessels have since been hit.

On Thursday, regional authorities of Odessa region – the third most populous city – said that some 18 people were also killed in a missile attack. (G12) Shawn Parasram with his wife Yuliya and their daughter

for work, he said the possibility of such a situation was unimaginable in his sphere of thinking. The uncertainty which looms has exacerbated his concerns for his family’s safety.

The worried man told this publication, “It never crossed my mind. It wasn’t in my wildest imagination…As soon as I wake up or have an extra spare minute, I call. I would like my immediate family, my

wife and daughter, to be out of that situation. My hands are tied based on all these things.”

Currently, it is a waiting game as he anticipates information on the availability of flights to the country, in order to safely remove them from Ukraine. Parasram noted that the fate of the entire population is quite worrying.

Reuters reports on Saturday informed that

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

War…

T

…and peace olstoy’s “War and Peace” - widely considered one of the best novels ever! - isn’t a quick read, at over a thousand pages! But with Russia just invading the Ukraine - and with COVID-19 still not being taken seriously by some - it might be worth ploughing through it. In case you missed (or avoided!) the masterpiece or didn’t even see the movie - it gives you an insightful take on the lives of three characters in Russia during Napoleon’s 1812 invasion in the middle of Russia’s brutal winter.

While the Russians suffered huge casualties, Napoleon’s half-a-million-man army was almost totally decimated, and he was forced to retreat in ignominy, never to regain his reputation for invincibility. But that’s the broad brushstroke: what about how the lives, loves, pains, betrayals, joy etc of the PEOPLE caught in the war? That’s where “War and Peace” comes in with one of your Eyewitness’s favourite lines: “If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.”

So, what are the “convictions” that’s driving this war, in which the situation is reversed and a Russian named Putin - who sees himself in the mould of a Napoleon - has decided to invade a neighbouring state that is consumed with nationalism. After being ruled by Russia from 1922 to 1991, the Ukrainians are a people who won’t easily roll over and play dead. Literally. As in War and Peace, it’ll come down to the people. Especially against Russians, whom they resent for having to play second fiddle to for so long. This is especially true in its western provinces, which are closer to Western Europe and feel they’re culturally superior to the “uncivilized” Russians.

Even if Putin’s Ruskies - joined by Chechnyan forces - are successful in their blitzkrieg (and Kyev isn’t going to fall like a ripe fruit) they’re in for a long haul. They should be reminded of their experience in Afghanistan, where they had to do a Napoleon and retreat. America at least have hopefully learnt that lesson - after their stint in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria - about not sending in troops into countries burning with nationalistic fervour!!

But Putin thinks he’s above all the lessons of history, and will prevail through sheer machismo and will. He’s in for a surprise. Who knows? Maybe the West played “rope-a-dope” with him and sucked him into a quicksand from which he and his troops can only sink into oblivion.

Of course, he can always withdraw his troops, which he might do after splitting the country and installing a friendly regime, as he did before. But that won’t last Ukrainian nationalism is too strong.

As Tolstoy said, “The strongest of all warriors are these two — Time and Patience.” …and the UN Your Eyewitness wants to know what’s the purpose of the UN, when countries can just march into other countries and install regimes just because they say it was theirs to begin with?? The UN Security Council is supposed to deal with this international bullyism, but is paralyzed by its archaic structure. Why should a veto power by five powers that emerged from WWII 77 years ago still be able to stymie a majority decision as Russia just did? And the General Assembly will just be issuing hot air - since only the Security Council has teeth.

And don’t think your Eyewitness is venting just about what’s going on in Europe. Hey…we have a personal stake here, if you don’t mind. Remember Venezuelans’ Border Controversy at the World Court - a UN institution.

Recommended by the UN Secretary General?? We know this is gonna be a slam dunk for us - but the question now is who’ll bell the Venezuelan cat?

Especially when Putin might just arm Venezuela - to thumb his nose at the Americans? …against racism Biden just nominated the first female AfricanAmerican, Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court.

She’d join the liberal bloc on an increasingly assertive right-wing court. But sadly, with its 6-3 conservative majority, Jackson will just be a footnote.

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

9 4 new COVID-19 deaths recorded …10 in ICU GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD F NEWS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

our more persons have been included in Guyana’s COVID deaths, raising the country’s death toll since the pandemic to 1220.

The Health Ministry informed on Saturday that three persons were from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) – an 89-year-old female, a 53-year-old male, and another 81-year-old male. The fourth individual is an 89-year-old female from Region Four. These deaths were reported between February 5 and 22, 2022, and three were unvaccinated.

Meanwhile, the daily dashboard showed an increase of 35 cases, resulting in 62,891 total infections to date.

Some 28,957 males contracted the virus along with 33,934 females.

There are 10 persons in the specialised Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 30 in institutional isolation, 702 in home isolation and 12 in institutional quarantine.

The number of recoveries now stands at 60,929, while 538,535 persons have been tested to date. Guyana’s active cases have decreased to 742.

Regionally, there were three new cases in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), 25 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), two in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), three in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and two in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

No increases were reported in Regions One (BarimaWaini), Two (PomeroonSupenaam), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Friday explained that countries are extending the interval between first and second doses for the Pfizer vaccine. Now, Guyana’s Technical Committee will meet and based on the information provided by the US-FDA, adjust-

ments will be made.

“On very rare occasions, persons especially males receiving the vaccine can develop myocarditis. That’s inflammation of the heart muscle.

Although it is rare, it is still there and so they have been trying to figure out what to do with this type of reaction. They found that if you increase the distance between first and second dose, that it reduces this impact on the myocardium of the heart. Therefore, the FDA recently would have recommended that the regimen between first and second dose be increased,” he shared.

Latest vaccination statistics indicate that 431,597 adults or 84.1 per cent have received a first dose while 326,867 or 63.7 per cent have returned for their second shot.

In the adolescent age group, 24,134 or 33.1 per cent are fully vaccinated. Booster doses stand at 49,742.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associ-

Guyanese students in Russia not in danger – Foreign Secretary

By Rupa Seenaraine

T

he Foreign Affairs Ministry continues to liaise with the Public Service Ministry to support Guyanese students in Russia amid the growing tension as a result of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud told Guyana Times on Saturday that all of the students are stationed in Moscow, Russia, and none is

in danger.

“The students are managed by the Public Service Ministry, and they have a network in which they are in touch with the students on a daily basis…We are working very closely with the Public Service Ministry with the support that they require. At this point in time, the students aren’t in danger. We know they’re in Moscow. We have no student in the Ukraine that

we know of,” said Persaud.

This publication had reported that 11 students are currently in Russia, and there was no report of any being in Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary had stated a few days ago that there is an established mechanism in place for Guyanese students who are affected by the crisis to reach out to the Guyana Government for help.

TURN TO PAGE 11

FEBRUARY 26, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

35

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

30

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

702 10 12

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

33,934

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

28,957

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

62,891

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

60,929

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

431,597

FULLY IMMUNISED

326,867

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

1216

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

2506

REGION 2

2458

REGION 3

8023

REGION 4

31,085

REGION 5

2360

REGION 6

5696

REGION 7

2418

REGION 8

887

REGION 9

3993

REGION 10

3465

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Wear a face mask.

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use hand-sanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181. ated with COVID-19 or needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.

gov.gy All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasise the need for correct and

consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand hygiene. (G12)

10

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11 Guyanese students in Russia not...

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM FROM PAGE 9

Memory warriors in Ukraine and Guyana

R

ussia’s invasion of the Ukraine has brought the ex-Soviet republics to the public’s attention, since Crimea, Belarus and Chechnya have also been dragged into the conflict.

But one of the causes and effects of the Soviet Union’s 1991 breakup and Russia’s subsequent incursions into the Ukraine in 2014, when they annexed Crimea and the western provinces, had been over the problematic of “national identity”. The “sovietization”, it was felt by large swathes in the exRavi Dev republics, had been dominated more by “Russification”, and set off counter-reactions.

Two scholars, Michael Bernhard and Jan Kubik, proposed a theoretical framework that provided the methodology for examining the nationalist thrust in seventeen ex-Soviets. It was issued in 2014 as “Twenty Years after Communism: The Politics of Memory and Commemoration”. I found their framework quite useful for examining more granularly the processes of “group comparison” and “group legitimacy” that had helped create our “politics of entitlement” in Guyana.

What Bernard and Kubik and the case investigators discerned was that while there were structural and cultural constraints, and cultural strategies that undergirded the conflict between the various “national” groups and Russia, quite critically, they were all embodied in narratives about the past that the leaders conveyed to the “peoples” as motivation for acting in the present. They made a distinction between “history” and “collective memory” in that while the authors of the former may be selective in their recordings and silencing, the latter is even more distorted, being what is “memorised” and “memorialised” by groups and their leaders. Extending the old adage about victors writing history, they identified four categories of narrative-creators by competing groups in plural societies. He called them “mnemonic actors”, but I went for the simpler “memory actors” when I used their framework, starting in 2020.

“Memory warriors” are insistent that only their narrative is the TRUTH, incontestable and non-negotiable, to the exclusion of all others. “Memory pluralists”, on the other hand, accept that there may be different takes on the past, and respect them as such in a “live and let live” manner. Then there are “memory abnegations” who dismiss the entire projects of memory politics to insist that “all-a-we-a-waan” and the focus on the past is misguided. Lastly, there are the “memory prospectives”. These accept that there are multiple narratives, but work towards the crafting of a common narrative that includes all. As one author suggests, “it might be useful to think in terms of different ‘memory communities’ within a given society. It is important to ask the question, ‘Who wants whom to remember what’, and why?’”

Our political system is driven by our two ethnically-based “Security Dilemmas”. These were ironically triggered by the introduction of democracy and the universal franchise in Guyana preceding independence, which was going to decide who was “going to rule” with the departure of the British. Elections still precipitate fears of domination. The Ethnic Dilemmas, however, are structural factors that have to be actuated by an ideology that impels individuals to act as they do. And this is where the memory warriors come in, to augment the lived experiences of the people.

Unfortunately, what predominates in Guyana are the onesided narratives of “memory warriors”. The leaders of African Guyanese argue for a greater legitimacy to the national patrimony – including, or especially, political power – because of prior arrival, greater acculturation to European values and practices, especially religion etc. And this is where the memory war is fought through a “politics of entitlement” by memory warriors, so that the group “winning the war” becomes “entitled” to have all its interests satisfied – especially at the expense of the other groups.

We have dubbed the politics of memory as a “war”, because even though it does not always lead to physical war, it is always accompanied by a psychic onslaught on the “other”, which destabilises the society. Our demographics have produced a nation of minorities in which any party has to obtain crossethnic support to form a Government. We once again call for a national conversation on race/ethnicity in the hope that the memory warriors can become memory prospectives, to integrate a common narrative and build a One Guyana that delivers justice, equity, dignity and respect to all groups in Guyana.

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

Russia’s military invaded Ukraine on Thursday, launching by land, sea and air attacks that targeted Ukrainian bases and several major cities, including its Capital – Kyiv. Latest reports on Saturday indicated that a curfew was instituted in Kyiv, with Ukrainian authorities ordering citizens to stay indoors until Monday morning.

Information from the BBC has indicated that Russian has fired more than 250 missiles, mostly shortrange, at Ukrainian targets.

Some of these hit civilian infrastructure.

In other developments, Ukraine has said it repulsed an attack on the city of Kharkiv after heavy fighting.

Casualties are on the rise, with 198 Ukrainians killed as at Saturday. Airports have been closed, but the UN estimates that 120,000 individuals have fled the country within two days.

Meanwhile, Russia has said that it managed to capture the southern city of Melitopol. It is estimated that Russia’s initial assault

involved about half of the more-than-150,000 troops it had massed on the border in the run-up to the invasion.

Condemning the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, Guyana’s Foreign Secretary added on Saturday that the country stands by its position that was shared on Thursday in condemning the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

A statement from the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration had expressed, “The Government of Guyana deplores the threat or use of force in the conduct of international relations, and urges a peaceful resolution of the differences that currently exist, in consonance with the rule of international law and the provisions of the United Nations Charter.”

The Organization of American States (OAS), of which Guyana is also a member, has also called for the immediate cessation of the hostilities that were irresponsibly initiated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Caricom has shared similar sentiments.

Russia’s act of aggression has been described by Western neighbours as “a dark day for Europe.” In response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, major global leaders have announced widespread sanctions against the Vladimir Putinheaded Russia.

Guyana, through the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry, has been engaging its hemispheric neighbours to discuss the stability of the

region in light of the current crisis.

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd held a series of teleconferences with his counterparts from South American nations. He spoke with Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Alberto Franco França, and the Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia, Marta Lucía Ramírez.

Russian Ambassador Alexander Kurmaz was also engaged.

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FEATURE

13

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Vishal Mangra with several of his paintings (Suresh Singh photo)

O

ne day in 2015, Vishal Mangra was riding his bicycle along the roadway at Enterprise, East Coast Demerara, when suddenly, another cyclist crashed into him. When he tried to stand, he realised that his right foot was “hanging on”. It was an experience which completely changed his life; one that also made him realise that he possesses an artistic touch.

Mangra, who is a father of one, discovered that he can paint and conceptualise high quality paintings while his foot healed and according to him, while the foot is still healing, his artistic skills are now being recognised.

Prior to the accident, he did various jobs, including a stint at Bakewell as well as a goldsmith. But

his family was involved in the food catering business and one day his mother decided to pass on the reigns of the business to him. “We would sell burgers and doubles and juices in the village,” he said.

Then came the 2015 accident. He remembers it like it was yesterday. He said he was heading on an errand when the other cyclist crashed into him.

“I get up and I said boy you break my foot,” he recalled, and according to him, it was a reality which he had to adapt to. “This thing painful, and right now it still would pain,” he said. Mangra suffered the fracture above the ankle, and at one point, steel was placed in his foot. He said he did three surgeries on the foot and a grafted procedure was undertaken on

Vishal Mangra putting the final touches on his painting of a Harley Davidson bike

the foot but he noted that there are two holes above the point of impact which has been paining him.

He said the doctor is trying his best to ensure his foot heals and according to Mangra, while the foot may be hampering

him from normal physical activities, it has allowed him to develop his artistic skills. He said previously, he would do sketches but never followed up. Then in 2017, two years following the accident, he decided to give painting a try.

He works with oil and acrylic paints, painting some highly impressive pieces including replicas of the St George’s Cathedral, a scenic view of Paruima village and the Stabroek Market. Mangra said he started by painting on ply-

wood before graduating to canvas. He said he dabs in portraits but those can be challenging. The easier ones, in his words, are the landscape paintings.

According to Mangra, the size of his paintings ranges from two feet by two feet and 40 inches in length by 27 inches in width and the price for his paintings vary according to size. He said he only recently received some buzz when a pandit recognised his art and posted it on social media. Prior to this, he would hang his paintings at the snackette which he and his wife operates at a junction at Enterprise, ECD. TURN TO PAGE 17

14

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FEATURE

15

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By : S hane Marks

F

arida Deepa, an aspiring doctor, was born and raised in Bangladesh and grew up with her mother, father, and brother. Her family was fairly accomplished, owning several business ventures in the community in which they lived; providing an honest means of income for the family.

Growing up, Farida always wanted to work in the medical profession, with a keen focus on dental care. After completing a dental technician course in Bangladesh, Farida was given the opportunity to study in Russia, at one of their premier medical institutes. This was when tragedy struck.

Just an inch into the first semester of her studies, she received a call from home, bearing bad news. Her mother had been diagnosed with blood cancer and her health was slowly languishing. With the need to be near her mother in her time of sickness, Farida flew back home from Russia. To her dismay, her mother soon succumbed to cancer.

Having to start all over again; Farida did not know what to do next. But as faith would have it, she got the opportunity, upon advisory from one of the administrators from the Russian medical institute, to study at Texila

Nazar Mohamed and Farida Deepa at her graduation

American University in Guyana.

Over the moon that her life was somewhat getting back on track, Farida, with the encouragement of her older brother, packed the things she needed and left for Guyana.

Once again in a new country, thousands of miles away from her family, the memories of her mother locked away in her heart, Farida was ready to take on a new journey. With a partial scholarship and financial

aid from her family back home, things were coming around for young Farida.

Halfway through her first semester at Taxila American University, she received yet another call bearing bad news from home. It was her brother; he had gotten a stroke and at the time was currently being monitored by doctors and nurses in the hospital. At this time, Farida related that she had told her sister-in-law that she was going to fly back, that her studies didn’t matter. And she would’ve flown back home, if not for her brother.

Farida called him one day, and in a low, lifeless voice, he told her not to come home. He wanted her to stay, to continue her studies. She had already given up the opportunity to continue her studies in Russia due to her mother’s diagnosis, he wasn’t going to do the same for her.

Reluctantly, Farida agreed to stay in Guyana to continue her studies. But with her brother having to seek medical attention for his condition back home and her having to pay for her education, there was not enough money in the family to go around to fund both situations.

In the end, as Guyanese would say, Farida was left with the short end of the stick. Her family could no longer afford to pay her tuition. Farida was left

at what seemed like a dead-end, this time, no one was there to guide her to the light.

She told this publication in an interview that she decided to get a job so she could afford basic amenities. She found employment at a Bangladeshiowned hotel where she cleaned the rooms to make a living for herself.

However, Farida knew that there was no way she would be able to pay her tuition fee with a minimum wage job. She had to come up with another plan. With the help of an administrator at Texila American University, Farida wrote letters and sent them out to various organisations, seeking financial assistance.

She related that it took some time before she heard back from these organisations.

Assistance finally came

Then one day, Nazar Mohamed, the proprietor of Mohamed’s Enterprise reached out to her, offering his assistance.

Farida was elated. Things were finally going the way they were supposed to. Her brother had been discharged from the hospital and the burden of having to worry about tuition fees didn’t worry her anymore.

TURN TO PAGE 19

16

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FEATURE

17

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

of difficult to use but then I try using it daily and it is getting easier to use,” Jacobs told <<<Guyana Times>>> from her home in the remote village of Moraikobai in the Mahaicony Creek.

She said these days she does not always attach the arm but she uses it at critical times such as when she has to move around the home or in the village.

Jacobs said the bus was driving at a fast rate and at the time, she sat behind the conductor’s seat. She said when the bus neared the rice mill

at the village of Fairfield, she heard a loud noise, which she thought sounded like a tire bursting. She said she remembered seeing the truck

heading towards the bus and in that split second, the bus driver lost control of the vehicle.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 FROM PAGE 13

The accident

Angela Jacobs standing alongside Dr Jon Batzdorf of the California- based ProsthetiKa after the entity provided training to the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre

By Alva Solomon

I

n December 2019, young Angela Jacobs’ life took a dramatic turn when the minibus she was travelling in at Mahaicony, collided head-on with a truck. The accident, which resulted in the deaths of five persons, is still etched in Jacobs’ mind after her left arm, from the elbow down, was severed during the collision.

Today, the 17-year-old is still adjusting to life as she knew it and recently, she received a boost of confidence

after receiving a new mechanical arm, which was made possible through a collaborative effort between the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC) and a medical team from the Californiabased ProsthetiKa organisation. The two entities previously partnered in similar training exercises in 2018.

Jacobs, along with several other persons who are being treated by the centre, received support in the form of the new mechanical arms. “At first it was difficult, well kind

Jacobs, who spoke with the consent of her aunt, remembers the moments on December 18, 2019, when life changed for her. She said it was a day she will never forget. According to Jacobs, there were eight persons in the Route 50 minibus and at the time, she was heading to Mahaica from Mahaicony along with her father, David Jacobs. She said she lived with relatives at Mahaicony since she attended the Bygeval Secondary School and she was in Grade 10 at the time.

It was around midday and she and her father caught the bus to complete an errand at Mahaica.

While she is selling at the food business, he paints and he noted that he spends as much as 4 hours some days on a painting.

In addition, he noted that some paintings can take as much as 4 weeks to be completed but at the end of it, he is usually very satisfied with his work. “I had to do something to occupy myself and painting is what I enjoy,” he added.

He said that he has received rave reviews for his

paintings, and while he is not the boastful type, persons have noted the high quality of his paintings.

According to Mangra, he is a fan of Bob Ross, the famous American painter.

He sometimes tries mixing a few of his own skills with advice from Bob’s videos which he would peruse from time to time on YouTube.

As regards his injured foot, Mangra said he is currently following the ad-

vice of his doctor but he noted that if anyone or any organisation would like to offer additional advice to him on how to get back on his feet, he would be most grateful. “I thank the Almighty for showing me a light,” Mangra said of his newly discovered skill.

Anyone who wishes to contact Mangra can call him on mobile number 641-9949 or his landline on 229-6412.

18 FEATURE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FROM PAGE 17

“He started to panic and the truck appeared and then like we went in the other lane,” Jacobs said, noting that in those moments her life flashed before her eyes while she held on to the seat in front of her. Then, she vaguely remembered being transported in an ambulance as she slipped in and out of consciousness while she felt a searing pain in her hand.

Then the atmosphere went blank. “Everything just got dark,” she said. She then recalled awaking in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Jacobs said she regained consciousness while in the hospital and underwent surgery. “The doctors tried reattaching the arm but it could not work,” she said.

Then a decision was made to remove her elbow since that section of the limb was protruding and warranted surgery. “They decided to remove the elbow completely,” she said.

After a week in hospital, she was discharged and life as she knew it became a different experience. She said she went back to school for a week but mentally and physically, she was not able to continue. “After losing the hand I felt very discouraged because I could not

helping me,” she said.

Future plans

Angela Jacobs back home at Moraikobai, where she currently lives with her parents and siblings

do things as I used to,” she said.

She said she was directed to the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre by staff of the GPHC and she was added to a group of persons who received therapy.

But she soon travelled back to her home at Moraikobai and as such she lost contact with the centre. Then the COVID-19 pandemic enveloped the country’s medical system and this further stymied any plans Jacobs had of travelling back to the

city.

Jacobs, who is the youngest of eight children, said she travelled back to the coastland during the latter part of 2021 and re-established contact with the rehab centre. “They told me to go in and I was happy to see that I can get to use to arm again,” she said. Jacobs’ family was also ecstatic and according to her, even members of the community are grateful that she can use her arm once more. “They think it is okay because it is

Although she is still mentally traumatised by the accident, the young woman noted that she is determined to continue schooling and she hopes to sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. At the moment, an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) hub is being built in Moraikobai and she plans to utilise the facility’s services so that she can continue her studies. She said that she would be appreciative if anyone is willing to donate a laptop towards her cause.

The young woman noted that she is still undergoing therapy for the hand and at various times this year she will be travelling to and from Georgetown for treatment. “I can hold items and use the arm so it is helping me,” she said. Anyone who wishes to assist Angela Jacobs can call the numbers 678-7518 or 663-9613.

Rehabilitation Officer of the PRRC, Dr Mellisa Corlette-Sengwe said the centre benefitted from training provided by ProsthetiKa under a capacity-building programme which ran from January 24-28, 2022. The

2018 and 2022 prosthetic programmes were funded by the Pan-American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO).

Dr Corlette-Sengwe said that the PRRC is now able to fabricate better prostheses for persons with upper extremity amputations, which it was previously limited in doing. She said the training has significantly enhanced the skillset of the centre’s orthotic and prosthetic staff, and enables a much-needed extension in service provision including to persons who lost their

limbs following unfortunate circumstances such as accidents.

Dr Sengwe-Corlette noted that the PRRC provides the training and prostheses, including the mechanical arms, free of cost. She said once the materials are sourced from overseas, the centre undertakes its mandate to build the prosthesis.

As regards recent publicity, Dr Corlette-Sengwe said its efforts have been very receptive by the public and she noted that the young and the old have received assistance from the PRRC.

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FEATURE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM FROM PAGE 15

Despite suffering from an illness that doctors cannot prognose, she was determined to write the Caribbean Medical exams.

Again, she was successful and now awaits approval to start her internship.

Meanwhile, proprietor of Mohamed’s Enterprise, Nazar Mohamed said that when he saw Farida, he saw a sense of urgency in her. He saw that she was destined for greatness.

“I saw in her this ability. I saw in her this urgency to improve her life, and I

Nazar Mohamed and Farida Deepa at her graduation

But life works in mysterious ways. Days before writing her exams, Farida fell ill and was admitted to the St Joseph Mercy Hospital. Her condition seemed to be the side effect of an accident she had gotten in a few years back.

On bed rest, Farida was determined to write her ex-

ams. And she did so in a state that was less than her best. In the medical room of the university, Farida took her exams and passed with flying colours. She started to volunteer her time to several organisation where she gets a stipend which she used to maintain herself.

said, “Okay, I’ll assist you”.

I took care of all of her tuition fees for five years. But what impressed me about Farida is that she never took a cent for accommodation. She worked.

“She never accepted a cent, and that was really amazing. She worked hard.

She worked, she studied.

And by the permission of almighty God, when she wrote her exams, she was very successful,” Mohamed told Guyana Times in an interview.

Mohamed stated that

Farida has so much gratitude towards him that sometimes he would have to remind her that he was willing to help her because she deserved it. In fact, Farida said that she thinks of Mohamed as a father figure because of all that he’s done for her.

She is grateful to both senior sisters, at the St. Antieana (St. Barnadett’s in-charge) and St. Ann who took care of her during her illness. She further added that is was very difficult to get a chance to at-

tend CAMC exam as a Bangladeshi but after a long wait, she got the opportunity and as such, she was the first bangladeshi who was registered a doctor at CAMC. Mohamed also attended Farida’s graduation ceremony. This young resilient woman will soon start her internship at a hospital in Guyana as she stated that she needs to give back to the country that has given her so much. The aspiring doctor hopes to one day return to her native country.

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24 FEATURE

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HEALTH TIPS WARTS

D r. T ariq Jagnarine F amily M edicine, Endocrinology/D iabetes

W

arts, raised bumps on the skin, are caused by the human papilloma-

itals. These warts are called “genital warts.” If you have a cervix, genital warts can eventually lead to cervical cancer, a potentially fatal disease.

virus (HPV). Warts have plagued humans for thousands of years — they have been discovered on a 3,000-year-old mummy, and were mentioned

by Shakespeare. Although warts generally aren’t dangerous, they can be uncomfortable, potentially embarrassing, and contagious. They can also be painful. However, warts can be treated, either at home or by a medical professional.

TYPES OF WARTS

CAUSES

There are more than 100 types of HPV, the virus that causes warts.

Almost all types of HPV

cause relatively harmless warts that appear on the hands or feet. However,

there are a few strains of HPV that cause warts on, in, and around the gen-

There are five major types of warts. Each type appears on a different part of the body, and has a distinct appearance.

1. Common warts Common warts can develop on the palm of the hand. Common warts usually grow on the backs of the fingers and toes, and on the knees, but they can appear elsewhere. They can have a rough, thick,

grainy appearance and a rounded top. They may appear cauliflower-like.

Common warts are often grayer than the surrounding skin.

These warts are usually not serious or painful, and can go away on their own.

Signs and symptoms of common warts can include: * Small bumps that can be hard, rough, and grainy * Flesh-coloured bumps with small black spots of clotted blood vessels * Ability to spread to other areas through direct contact TURN TO PAGE 25

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Recovering key species for ecosystem

A

restoration

ccording to data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, over 8,400 species of wild fauna and flora are critically endangered, while close to 30,000 more are understood to be endangered or vulnerable. Based on these estimates, it is suggested that over a million species are threatened with extinction. This is an alarming statistic when we consider how important these species are to ensuring life on earth is maintained.

Wildlife and their habitats contribute to ecosystem services that make it possible for us to get materials for food and medicine, clean water, clean air and also assist in regulation

of climate.

Millions of people depend on wildlife resources to meet their everyday needs, from food, to fuel, medicines, housing, and clothing. Additionally, many people rely on wildlife for their livelihoods and economic opportunities. These include hunters, trappers, middlemen, forest dwellers, miners, and fishermen.

However, activities such as poaching, unregulated forestry and mining, and agricultural expansion threaten the survival of these key species.

Since they are so important, the continued loss of species, habitats and ecosystems threatens all life on Earth, including ours. It is therefore imperative that action be taken to protect and conserve these species, especially those that are in danger of extinction.

To this end, the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC) implements numerous strategies in a bid to protect wildlife. These include: (i) The declaration of species classified as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered as protected species under

the Wildlife Conservation, Management and Sustainable Use Regulations (2019). It is an offence to collect, hold in captivity, kill, hunt, or otherwise molest a protected species. Some of these species are the jaguar, puma, ocelot, giant anteater, leatherback turtle, giant river otter, sun parakeet, black caiman, harpy eagle, bush dog and many others. (ii) Establishment of Closed seasons during which time it is forbidden to hunt, collect, or sell specific species. (iii) Quotas – persons engaged in the trade of wildlife are only allowed to extract and trade a certain of the number species they are allowed to trade (iv) Managing the local trade of wildlife – From March 2022, the GWCMC will be implementing the domestic licensing system.

Under this system there are six categories of licences which will apply to persons who engage in the trade of wildlife locally. It would apply to such wildlife users as trappers, middlemen, wildmeat vendors, researchers, recreational hunters, pet shops, etc. This system will ensure that there is a record of how, when, where, which and by whom our wildlife is being utilised. These and other records will come in handy for the proper management and conservation of our wildlife in Guyana, ensuring the preservation of wildlife.

Every year on March 3, World Wildlife Day is celebrated. This date marks the signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). As the designated CITES Management Authority for Guyana, part of the GWCMC’s functions is to oversee all international wildlife trade and execute activities to observe World Wildlife Day. The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

HEALTH TIPS WARTS

2. Plantar warts Plantar warts occur on the sole of the foot. Unlike other warts, plantar warts grow into the skin, not out of it. It appears at the bottom of the foot as a small hole that is surrounded by hardened skin. Plantar warts can make walking uncomfortable.

There are two types of plantar warts that can appear on the sole of the foot.

FROM PAGE 24

* Myrmecial-type plantar warts These warts are caused by HPV type 1. Signs and symptoms can include: * Deep, tender warts that grow inward due to standing or walking * Pain with direct pressure * Feeling like stepping on pebbles * Yellowish skin that appears callus-like CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

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HEALTH TIPS WARTS

* Can have black dots *Mosaic-type plantar warts These warts are caused by HPV type 2. Signs and symptoms can include: * Small surface-level warts * A mosaic pattern of multiple warts appearing in clusters * Less painful than myrmecial-type plantar warts 3. Flat warts Flat warts, also known as juvenile warts, can develop on fingers, but usually grow on the face, thighs, or arms. They are often caused by HPV types 3, 10, and 28. They are small, and are not immediately noticeable.

Flat warts have a flat top, as if they’ve been scrapped. They can be flesh-coloured, pink, brownish, or slightly yellow. Flat warts are not typically painful, and tend to appear in areas where there is a cut or break in the skin, such as from shaving the face or legs.

Signs and symptoms of flat warts can include: * Small, flat, round or oval marks on the skin * Flesh-coloured marks * Usually not painful 4. Filiform warts Filiform warts can occur on the eyelids, around the mouth or nose, and sometimes on the neck or under the chin. They are contagious, and can also spread to other parts of the body. Filiform warts are

small and shaped like a tiny flap or tag of skin. They can project off of the skin is thin, finger-like strands.

Filiform warts are the same colour as the skin. They are typically painless, unless they occur in a sensitive area, like a fold in the skin.

Signs and symptoms of filiform warts can include: * Small growth that extends off of the skin * Flesh-coloured flap * Quick growth * Usually not painful 5. Periungual warts Periungual warts occur around the fingernails or toenails. They can be painful and affect nail growth. They start small — about the size of a pinprick — but can

FROM PAGE 25

grow larger and spread to other areas through direct contact. They may be rough to the touch, and have a cauliflower-like appearance.

Signs and symptoms of periungual warts can include: * Rough growth around or under the nail * Painful when size increases * Split skin around the nail * Appearance of nail and cuticle may be affected

TREATMENT

* At-home treatment Although warts usually go away on their own, they may be embarrassing or uncomfortable.

Many warts respond well to treatments available at the drugstore.

* Freezing treatments Some over-the-counter treatments spray concentrated cold air (a mixture of dimethyl ether and propane) onto the wart. This kills the skin and allows persons to scrape away the surface of the wart. These treatments are a good choice when trying to remove a wart quickly, but they aren’t strong enough to remove all warts. * Treatments and patches containing salicylic acid.

These products may be used every day, often for a few weeks.

They’ll work best if the wart is soaked in water for about 15 minutes before applying the treatment, and the directions on the package must be followed. * Duct tape Some people have had success treating warts with duct tape. The process involves: * Covering the wart with a small piece of duct tape for several days * Soaking the wart * Rubbing the wart to remove the dead skin This approach can take several rounds of treatments to work.

However, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), research conflicts on whether this approach is effective.

Medical Treatment * Liquid nitrogen

Freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen. This can be a bit painful, but usually works well. More than one treatment may be required.

Freezing causes a blister to form under and around the wart. This lifts the wart away from the skin within about a week. * Surgery Surgery is usually only considered if a wart hasn’t responded to other treatments. This is done by cutting away the wart with a surgical knife, or burning it with electricity. Surgery may also cause scarring.

Prevention There are ways to prevent warts, or to keep them from spreading to other parts of the body. Follow these simple guidelines: * Wash the hands regularly * Don’t pick at warts. * Cover warts with a bandage. * Keep the hands and feet dry. * Wear shower shoes (flip-flops) when in a locker room or communal bathing facility.

Warts generally aren’t dangerous, but they can be uncomfortable, and sometimes painful.

Many types respond to over-thecounter treatment, but it is best to make an appointment with a doctor if the wart changes in colour, becomes painful, or is suspect to be not a wart. Warts are contagious.

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Emergency Medical Services recording highest daily calls – Benn

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he Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has been recording the highest traffic in daily calls, and first responders have been highly successful in providing such assistance onsite.

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn on Friday expressed his satisfaction with the level of services provided by the EMS, which has been reporting about 20 calls every day. For this, he announced an expansion to cater adequately to the country’s demand.

“One of the successes we’ve been having in the operations of the Emergency Medical Services, the ambulance service has the most calls on a daily basis in respect to callouts. Eighteen to 20 calls per day relate to the ambulance services.

We’re expanding that service along with the new fire stations we’re building.”

“They carry people to the hospitals for the medical interventions to be done and they have been fairly well successful and we have to upgrade their training to the point where they can provide more efficacious services on site when they arrive,” the Minister shared at an event.

He pointed out that they are seeking to expand all areas of response under the ambit of the Guyana Fire Service, given the devastation that usually follows such incidents. As of last year, there was a decline in the number of fires when compared to 2020.

As of October 2021, the GFS had responded to over 830 reports of fire for the year – a 43 per cent decline when compared to the same period for 2020. Calls were pegged at 1469 within that reporting period.

“We’ve had a reduction in fires overall last year…

We’re proud about those things but we want to improve further and we want to move forward on all fronts to have a better and safer environment in Guyana, not only for the way we live and relate to each other but to develop the country. When the fires come, they are of no respect to race, religion, ethnicity or anything.

Everybody is affected.”

Last year, calls to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system increased by over 50 per cent, after 5488 calls were made to the unit.

Since the launch of the EMS Division in 2016, data as of this month indicates that 30 babies have been delivered at the hands of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), 15 of whom were delivered in 2021.

In the coming months, persons will be trained

by EMS and physician instructors from the USA and Guyana before completing the course and becoming certified EMTs. The Advanced EMT programme will increase our local EMTs’ educational level from basic to advanced, providing them with life-supporting skills to better serve the Guyanese population.

Upon successful completion of the training, the new advanced EMTs will be able to train other junior technicians which will increase human resources in the field.

In Guyana, 912 is the emergency number to reach the Guyana Fire Service and EMS programme where trained dispatchers will determine the nature of the call and then dispatch the proper response unit. Some of the services provided by our EMTs include CPR, basic life support, prehospital trauma life support, bleeding control, baby deliveries and breathing control. (G12)

28 NEWS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Private Sector lauds operationalisation of Local Content Secretariat …Govt outlines steps for companies to benefit

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he Private Sector C o m m i s s i o n has lauded the Government’s move to operationalise the Local Content Secretariat and put measures in place for its functioning.

The PSC, in a statement, said it has named President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Timothy Tucker, as its nominee to the important Multi-Stakeholder Committee. Tucker also chairs the PSC’s SubCommittee on Economics and Finance.

The Commission has also established a Local Content Advisory Group, which is being chaired

by Shyam Nokta and includes PSC Chair Paul Cheong, Tucker, GCCI Executive Director Richard

Rambarran; Chairman of the AMCHAM Local Content Committee, Joel Bhagwandin; and Mellissa Varswyk, Director at AMCHAM and Director at Women in Oil & Gas Guyana.

The Advisory Group would coordinate and advance the local content efforts of the PSC and its member organisations and businesses.

PSC has said it would continue to work with the

Government and related entities to educate stakeholders on how to capitalise on opportunities being offered.

Meanwhile, the Government, in announcing the operationalisation of the Local Content Registry, outlined the steps for persons to take in order to benefit. It noted that the Local Content Act mandates the creation of a Local Content Register of Guyanese nationals for employment, and a register of Guyanese nationals and companies from which goods and services may be procured. In keeping with this mandate, two registration options are available; namely, supplier registration and employment registration.

Government has explained that, by using

the Supplier Registration Portal, a Guyanese national or Guyanese company can apply for, and be issued with, a Certificate of Registration from the Secretariat for the supply of goods and/or the provision of services for petroleum operations in Guyana.

There are five steps for applicants to take in order to register, and those include the submission of applications by either electronic or hardcopy, which is then followed by acknowledgement of receipt along with a reference number for the application, and the review process would be initiated.

Step three would see the relevant checks and balances conducted to either approve or deny the application.

If approval is granted, step four kicks in, which would see the issuance of a Certificate of Registration from the Local Content Secretariat for the provision of goods and/or services within the petroleum sector. The fifth step of the registration process would see the companies or individuals being granted access to the Supplier Registration Portal or the Employment Portal, to be able to access the available opportunities within the sector.

The certificate is renewed annually on the date of its issuance.

The Local Content Bill lays out 40 different services that oil and gas companies and their subcontractors must procure from Guyanese companies by the end of 2022.

For instance, these companies must procure from Guyanese companies 90% of office space rental and accommodation services; 90% janitorial services, laundry and catering services; 95% pest control services; 100% local insurance services; 75% local supply of food; and 90% local accounting services.

These are just a few of the services highlighted in the first schedule of the Local Content Act. The Local Content Act mandates penalties for oil and gas companies and their sub-contractors who fail to meet the minimum targets of the legislation, as well as those who are in breach of the Act. These fines range from as low as $5 million to as high as $50 million.

29 Pearl farmer plagued with flooding due to poorly-maintained trenches SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By : Amar Persaud

K

hemraj Puran, a 48-year-old farmer of Pearl, East Bank Demerara (EBD), has suffered major losses due to flooding in the area, caused by improper drainage and maintenance of trenches.

T h e Hydrometeorological Service had issued an extreme rainfall advisory on Wednesday, after they received reports from a number of its rainfall stations across the country.

The rainfall, which began on Wednesday, led to the flooding of Puran’s farm which is located about 3 quarters of a mile behind the man’s home at Lot 18 Pearl North, EBD. Flooded were three acres of the man’s crops which included plantain, coconut, cassava, pepper and fruits and vegetables, totalling around $600,000 in damages.

Puran noted that this is not the first time he has faced major damages due to flooding of his farm.

He explained that the area where he is currently farming was bought by his parents in the 1980s, which he later took over after his father passed away.

Since taking over, according to Puran, whenever it rains, he experiences flooding; when heavy rainfall occurs, flood waters can reach 2 ft in height.

“My father and mother buy the land since in the early 80s; since I completed secondary, I took up the farming,” Puran said, adding, “I had 3 shade houses at the back there and every time you plant it, the rain, and it flood everything.”

He went on to say, “You [know] how much time I report to the NDC and all that they say they gone

look into it. I keep reporting it for couple well year now”.

Puran said that he even complained to the Ministry of Agriculture at one time in 2018, and they sent an excavator to clean the trenches that were clogged that led to the flooding.

“I went into Ministry of Agriculture two time in 2018. In 2017, 2018 a Hymac was to go and dig and the place did soft, but then he cross and dig a piece by me pond, but that can’t take out all the water because the main drainage canal totally blocked.”

Since then, the farmer explained that no attempts were made again to clean the said trenches.

“I does take people how I get money lil bit, lil bit to clean deh, right where the trench block off,” he said.

“Manually I trying to clean the trench, hoping the trench gone deepen but everything breaching inside the whole place, even from the conservancy the water coming in,” Puran

Security guard nabbed with ammo

P

olice on the East Coast of Demerara on Saturday arrested a security guard after he was found in possession of a quantity of ammunition.

The discovery was made at about 13:00h when ranks from Regional Division 4C, led by a Gazetted Officer, conducted an intelligence-led operation in the vicinity of the GuyOil Gas Station at Buxton, ECD. During the operation, the

Police contacted the 31-yearold security guard from Barnwell Street, Buxton.

A search was carried out and the ranks found 37 suspected 7.62x39 rounds of ammunition stashed in a cigarette box and a juice container.

The suspect was then arrested and taken to the Vigilance Police Station where he was placed into custody.

added.

Puran stated that he is not asking for any flood relief or any financial aid, just for the trenches in the area that drain water off the land to be cleaned and maintained.

“Me ain really ask-

ing for flood relief and all them thing, all that I asking for is drainage.”

“If we could get a machine and dig back these

things [trenches] them proppa me don’t mind maintaining it because I know the drainage is important,” he added.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) for the area were futile.

30 NEWS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Operation Recovery”

Over 500 absent students from NGSA mock examination located …school supplies, other assistance being provided to students

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he first day of Operation Recovery saw Education Officers making contact and engaging over 500 students across the country, who were absent from the recent National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) mock examination.

On Saturday the Education Ministry said that the visits were conducted across 538 homes in Regions One (Barima-Waini); Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The Ministry said that officers in Regions Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) are in the fields and have not yet submitted the requested data.

Some of the reasons for

absenteeism included financial constraints, unstable families, illness, babysitting younger children, migration to the workforce and requirement of school supplies among others.

For those students, the Ministry said it has undertaken to provide the reMinister within the Housing Ministry, Susan Education Minister Priya Manickchand speaking to a child quired assistance Rodrigues, in Sophia assisting with locating and her mother and access to Welfare students who have been absent from school Officers in some casattending school. underway, adddent’s life. es while those who were ill Education Minister Priya ing that as horrible as the “Primary education is a have since returned to the Manickchand expressed COVID-19 pandemic has fundamental level, that is classrooms. gratitude to individuals, been, it has also brought an education that is a reIn other cases, a number religious organisations, opportunities, one of which quirement by law and we of students have migrated, non-governmental organ- will be addressing the issue want to ensure that we find some have been transferred isations and other bodies of drop outs that has dogged our children so we’re doing to other schools where they that have reached out to the the system for many years. everything within our powhave written the NGSA Ministry to help in achievMeanwhile, Chief mock examination and oth- ing its goal of getting every Education Officer Dr Marcel er and we’re applying all of our resources, whether we ers are being home schooled. student back into schools.

Hutson noted that the inihave to use boats, whether In addition to locating The Minister noted that tiative is important now the Grade Six pupils, the ex- this will be an ongoing exer- since dropping out of school we have to use ATVs, cars, ercise is also finding other cise and organised partner- at such a young age can whether we have to walk – children who have not been ships with said bodies are have lasting effects on a stu- sun or shine we’re going to

find these children,” he said.

Further, he emphasised that the exercise does not seek to target parents but to provide remediation to those in need ahead of the NGSA in June.

“I just want parents to know that this is not an attack on parents, it is not an attack on anybody, we want to find out why they’re not in school and maybe what kind of help that they may need to get into the school system because we have to face that some people have serious problems because of the pandemic,” the CEO said.

In some regions, required assistance has already been provided to the parents to ensure that the students can restart school in the new week.

Operation Recovery is an ongoing process which will be extended to the other grades as the Education Ministry seeks to ensure every child is educated.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mental health webinars for journalists begin

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he Media Institute of the Caribbean (MIC) with support from the Guyana Press Association and British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller, kicked off a three-day virtual webinar – Journalism and Mental Health in the Time of COVID. The webinar was organised to specifically tackle the effects the pandemic had on journalists' mental health, not only in Guyana but throughout the Caribbean region.

On the first day, Editor at Caribbean Media Corporation in Barbados, Peter Richards gave tips on how journalists can master conducting Zoom interviews and meetings in a time where technology is

evolving.

He said that with the constant advancement of technology, “gatekeeping” as journalists know it will be no more. In his presentation, he stated that the knowledge of technology and its use can equip journalists with the skills they need to navigate modern-day journalism, and that would greatly reduce the time and effort that one would have to put into doing their job.

President of the Media Institute of the Caribbean, Kiran Maharaj led the discussion on handling misinformation and disinforma-

tion as journalists and how it affects mental health.

“So, how can people

help fight against the infodemic, and as I said, the infodemic is going to stay for a while. It starts with media literacy, that’s what I believe it starts with and how we source information, how we tell the information we receive. Now, as journalists we may know that but I think that our job has also become to ensure that our readers, viewers, and listeners are also aware of that,” Maharaj said.

It was discussed that journalists feel the pres-

sure of having to be responsible for the spread of misinformation, or responsible for the clean-up of misinformation, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussions also centred around this sense of pressure or added responsibility which contributes to frustration and leads to a decrease in mental health capacity over time.

On the second day of the webinar, Clinical Psychologist Kelly McFarlane in her presentation shared tips on how to create a balanced environment to promote good mental health well-being.

She summarised that the well-being of the environment can significantly affect a journalist's health and productivity over time,

even at home.

Consulting Psychologist of the University of Guyana, Dr Katija Khan advised that journalists must associate wisely: set boundaries, don’t inhabit other peoples’ negative emotions, beware of social media; exercise, a critical factor for well-being; manage emotions, deliberate then act; and most importantly, she advised that journalists practice self-care.

During day two discussions, it was raised that management of respective media houses should be a part of the webinar in the future as journalists are not responsible for providing or setting acceptable work environments that promote healthy mental health.

32 AROUND THE WORLD SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Despite Bolsonaro’s reluctance, Brazil Afghan public universities reopen votes against Russia on UN resolution with gender-segregated classes

B

razil voted stopped short of on Friday condemning the for a draft invasion.

UN Security Just days beCouncil resolufore the invation that would sion, standing have deplored the alongside Putin Russian invasion at the Kremlin, of Ukraine, deBolsonaro said spite some reluche was “in soltance by Brazilian idarity with President Jair Russia,” without Bolsonaro to con- Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro looks elaborating. He on during the launching ceremony of the demn Russia. later told reportThe South National Identity Card at the Planalto Palace ers Putin had American coun- in Brasilia, Brazil February 23, 2022 peaceful intentry was among the tions. president.

11 council members that The US State Bolsonaro, who revoted in favour of the cently met with President Department deplored resolution, while China, Vladimir comments Putin in Bolsonaro’s India and the United Moscow, on Thursday and said they underArab Emirates abstained scolded his Vice President mined diplomatic efforts from the vote on the US- Hamilton Mourao for con- to avert a disaster as well drafted text. demning the Russian in- as Brazil’s own calls for a The draft was vetoed vasion, saying it was not peaceful resolution.

by Russia and is now ex- Mourao’s job to speak Ukraine’s diplomatpected to be taken up about the crisis in east- ic representative in by the 193-member UN ern Europe.

Brasilia, Anatoliy Tkach, General Assembly.

Brazil’s Foreign called again on Friday for Reuters reported ear- Ministry on Thursday a strong Brazilian conlier on Friday that Brazil expressed concern about demnation of Russia’s would vote in favour of Russia’s military oper- “aggression” against his the resolution despite ations and urged a dip- country. (Excerpt from doubts of its far-right lomatic solution, but Reuters)

A

fghanistan’s main universities have reopened six months after the Taliban returned to power, but only a trickle of women have returned to now-segregated classes.

Most secondary schools for girls and all public universities were shuttered following the Taliban’s August 15 takeover, sparking fears women would be barred from education – as happened during the first rule of the Taliban, from 19962001.

The Taliban insist they will allow girls and women to be educated this time around – but only in segregated classes and according to an Islamic curric-

ulum. The classes for male and female students will be conducted at different times, according to the ToloNews.

“I am happy that the university resumed … we want to continue our studies,” said an English major who asked to be identified only as Basira.

But she said there was a shortage of lecturers, adding, “Maybe because some have left the country.”

Tens of thousands of Afghans left the country, among them teachers, after the collapse of the West-backed Government of Prime Minister Ashraf Ghani following the march of Taliban fighters on the capital Kabul in mid-August.

Some public tertiary institutions in the south of the country resumed last month, but on Saturday Kabul University, the oldest and biggest with a student body of about 25,000 last year, re-opened without fanfare – and few students in attendance.

At least 19 universities and educational institutes were reopened, reported the Kabulbased ToloNews quoting the Ministry of Higher Education.

No country has yet recognised the new Taliban regime, which has imposed several restrictions on women – including banning them from many government jobs. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Venezuela reopens border with Brazil after 2 years

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enezuela re-opened its land border with Brazil on Thursday, nearly two years after the Government of President Nicolas Maduro shuttered crossings over COVID-19 concerns, local Venezuelan authorities said on Friday.

Maduro closed crossings in March 2020 amid a nationwide quarantine, allowing only cargo

transport.

The closure stopped dozens of students from attending classes in Pacaraima, on the Brazilian side, and forced Venezuelans seeking scarce food and gasoline to use illegal crossings, local human rights activists say.

“President Nicolas Maduro has instructed that this crossing be normalised. We have a

brotherhood of many years with Brazil,” said Angel Marcano, the Governor of Venezuela’s southern Bolivar state, in a statement published on state television.

Brazilian tourists were already booking tours to Venezuela’s Canaima National Park, the head of Bolivar’s tourism chamber Odimar Lopez told Reuters. (Excerpt from Reuters)

33 Russian forces meeting "strong and wide" Ukraine resistance NEWS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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kraine forces are reportedly putting up strong resistance to invading Russian forces as they surround and bomb the capital Kyiv on Sunday.

According to United States military information, Russia now has at least 50 percent of its estimated 150,000-strong invasion force inside Ukraine.

Analysts interviewed suggested the Russian military may have been caught off-guard by the level of pushback by Ukrainian fighters, and more troops would likely enter the fray in the coming days.

“Russia is clearly facing setbacks that it did not expect. It’s taking casualties and Ukraine is taking prisoners, including some quite senior, at least one, possibly two, brigade commanders,” said Nigel Gould-Davies from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

“So Russia will be motivated now to accelerate the forces that it brings to this conflict. So far, it’s been using about half of the forces it has mobilised and prepared for this so in numerical terms.

Russian soldiers on an armoured vehicle move towards mainland Ukraine on a road near Armiansk, Crimea, on Friday [EPA-EFE]

“It’s quite clear that Russia has a very significant advantage. But the really impressive aspect of Ukraine’s resistance so far is how strong and how wide it has been,” said GouldDavis, a former United Kingdom ambassador to Belarus.

Tom Bullock, an open source intelligence analyst for intelligence information firm Janes, said Russian

US, UK, Europe, Canada to block Swift access for some Russian banks

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he EU, US and their allies have agreed to cut off a number of Russian banks from the main international payment system, Swift.

"This is intended to cut off these institutions from international financial flows, which will massively restrict their global operations," a German government spokesman said.

Russia is heavily reliant on the Swift system for its oil and gas exports.

But the move could also harm Western businesses doing business with Russia.

Swift, or the "Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication", is a secure messaging system that makes fast, cross-border payments possible, enabling international trade.

Based in Belgium, it facilitates transactions between more than 11,000 banks and financial institutions across the globe.

It plays a pivotal role in supporting the global economy, but it has no authority to make sanction decisions.

The banks affected are "all those already sanctioned by the international community, as well as other institutions, if necessary", the German spokesman said.

Ursula von der Leyen,

president of the European Commission, said the allies would stop Russia from "using its war chest," by paralysing the assets of its central bank. They also agreed to freezing its transactions and prevent the central bank from liquidating its assets.

She added there would be a crackdown on so-called "golden passports" that "let wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government become citizens of our countries and gain access to our financial systems".

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain had taken "decisive action", tweeting: "We will keep working together to ensure Putin pays the price for his aggression."

The measures were agreed by the US, UK, Europe and Canada.

It is the latest round of sanctions to hit Russia since it launched an invasion of Ukraine this week.

Removing banks from Swift is deemed to be a severe curb because almost all banks use the system.

Russian banks frequently use Swift to facilitate oil and gas export transactions, a key part of the country's economy.

The country's transactions account for 1.5% of all of Swift's global transactions. (Reuters)

forces so far have not been able to capitalise on their vastly superior military advantage.

He said fighting has slowed around major cities after Russian troops and equipment stormed the country on Thursday.

“The trend we are seeing is that the Russians are incurring losses, they are losing equipment and definitely losing soldiers. But so are the Ukrainians. In some places such as the south it appears the losses are heavier on the Ukrainian side.

“It does appear as though the Russians were expecting less resistance from the Ukrainians when they entered. That clearly hasn’t been the case,” Bullock told Al Jazeera.

‘Lack of momentum’ Troops and equipment are making slow progress on Moscow’s original threefront thrust because of “very determined resistance”, an American defence official told reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss in-

of Ukraine,” the official said.

Al Jazeera was not able to independently verify the

In Moscow on Saturday, the defence ministry said the Russian army had been ordered to broaden its offensive.

“Today all units were given orders to develop the advance from all directions in accordance with the operation’s plans,” Russian Army Spokesperson Igor Konashenkov announced.

Russia has so far not succeeded in fully taking any Ukrainian city, although its forces have been bearing down on Kyiv as well as Kharkiv, which lies close to the Russian border.

Russia has claimed control of southern urban centres, including Melitopol and Kherson, north of the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, but this has not been confirmed.

The conflict has been marked by radically differ-

Ukrainian servicemen inspect a damaged vehicle, at the site of fighting with Russian troops, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 26, 2022 REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

claim.

Russia said its forces pursued their advance after claiming to have paused their assault on Ukraine following an order from President Vladimir Putin.

ent versions of events from both sides.

Ukraine’s health minister said on Saturday 198 civilians, including three children, have been killed so far

by Russian forces.

Ukrainian servicemen walk by a damaged vehicle, at the site of a fighting with Russian troops, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 26, 2022 REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

ternal US assessments.

“We have indications that the Russians are increasingly frustrated by their lack of momentum over the last 24 hours, particularly in the north parts

days of fierce fighting looms for control of Kyiv with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has insisted on staying in the capital, in physical danger.

‘Repelling enemy attacks’ The bulk of the Russian troops reportedly remained 30km (18 miles) outside of Kyiv.

A defiant Zelenskyy said his forces were repelling Russian troops advancing on the capital.

“We have withstood and are successfully repelling enemy attacks. The fighting goes on,” Zelenskyy said in a video message from the streets of Kyiv posted on his social media.

“Our main goal is to end this bloodbath. The enemy is suffering heavy losses – hundreds of soldiers

The Russian president subsequently ordered the attack to resume after Kyiv ignored Moscow’s call for negotiations. A Ukrainian official denied Kyiv had rejected talks.

Russia has not said how many of its soldiers have been killed in the invasion, which it calls a “special military operation”. Moscow has said its goal is to “de-Nazify” Ukraine.

Western sources agree

killed who crossed our border and entered our land.

Unfortunately, we are also suffering losses. Ukrainians are courageously resisting the aggression,” said Zelenskyy.

The US and Western allies are still able to deliver arms into the country to bolster the Ukraine military, and Washington plans to send more in the coming days to help them fight both Russian armour on the ground and assaults from the air, the US official said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Saturday that Washington will provide $350m in additional military equipment to Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine, a democratic nation of 44 million people, won independence from Moscow in 1991 and wants to join NATO and the EU – goals Russia opposes.

Putin has said the West failed to take seriously Russia’s security concerns about NATO. But he has also expressed scorn about Ukraine’s right to exist as an independent state. (Al Jazeera)

34 India seal T20I series against Sri Lanka GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022

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athum Nissanka struck 75 off 53 balls, and Dasun Shanaka smashed an unbeaten 47 off 19 balls to power Sri Lanka to 183 for 5 in the second T20I in Dharamsala. But Shreyas Iyer, with 74 not-out off 44, and Ravindra Jadeja, with 45 not-out off 18, outshone them as India chased down the target with 17 balls and seven wickets to spare, to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

After being put in, Sri Lanka were only 111 for 4 after 16 overs, but Nissanka and Shanaka plundered 72 off the last four overs. Nissanka hit 11 fours during his stay, while Shanaka, who preferred the aerial route, struck two fours and five sixes, two of them on the last two balls of the innings, to propel Sri Lanka to a formidable total.

India lost Rohit Sharma in the first over of the chase, and were 56 for 2 after eight overs, needing another 128 from the last 12. Initially, Shreyas seemed uncertain, shuffling around the crease, but once he began connecting with his shots, the Sri Lankan bowlers looked helpless against his power and timing.

Sanju Samson also began scratchily, but he took 23 off the 13th over, bowled by Lahiru Kumara, leaving India needing 56 off 42 when Jadeja walked in. He did the bulk of the scoring from there on, and handed India a comfortable win in the end.

Sri Lanka’s sedate start Bowling first, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit

Bumrah made good use of the moisture in the surface. Both seamers got the ball to jag around, with Bumrah slipping in a few yorkers as well.

Openers Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka tried to counter that by showing attacking intent, but they struggled to connect their shots. In the first four overs, Sri Lanka only scored 15 runs, and hit just one boundary.

The step up With the ball still moving around, there was a case to give Bhuvneshwar a third over in the powerplay, but Rohit went to Harshal Patel.

Harshal tried his slower one with mixed results: there were a couple of plays-and-misses in the fifth over, but also two boundaries. The next three overs featured a boundary each, as Sri Lanka went past 50 in the eighth over.

Gunathilaka then smashed Jadeja for six, four, and six off the first three balls of the ninth over, with both sixes coming via slog-sweeps. Off the fourth ball, he went for another slog-sweep, but this time Jadeja shortened his length a touch and bowled it further away from his arc to induce a top-edge, which Venkatesh Iyer gobbled up, running in from long-on.

Nissanka, Shanaka launch onslaught The next two overs produced two more wickets - Yuzvendra Chahal trapped Charith Asalanka lbw, and Harshal had Kamil Mishara caught in the covers with a slower one - but Nissanka kept the scoreboard ticking with a couple of fours off

Bhuvneshwar in the 13th over.

In the 15th, Dinesh Chandimal brought up Sri Lanka’s 100 with a straight four off Bumrah, but the bowler dismissed him off the very next ball with an offcutter.

Nissanka reached his fifty off 43 balls with a boundary off Chahal, before he and Shanaka went all-out. Shanaka launched Harshal for two sixes in a 19-run 17th over, while Nissanka used the lap and the reverse lap to help take 14 off Bumrah in the 18th.

Bhuvneshwar was the next to bear the brunt, as Shanaka hit successive balls for six and four.

Bhuvneshwar dismissed Nissanka with the last ball of his spell, but Shanaka wasn’t done yet. He smashed Harshal for two sixes and a four in the 20th over, which also featured four leg-byes and went for 23 in all.

Pace like fire If Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah tested the Sri Lanka openers with swing, Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara troubled Indian with raw pace. Rohit played on to Chameera in the first over; it was the fifth time Chameera had dismissed him in T20Is, the most for any bowlerbatter combination.

Kumara began his spell with a 146.7kph thunderbolt. With his second ball, he rattled Ishan Kishan by hitting him on the helmet.

In the fifth over, Shreyas hit Binura Fernando for three successive fours, but Kumara got rid

of Kishan with the first ball of the next over. The batter tried to whip one towards midwicket, but ended up lobbing it towards mid-on.

Shreyas breaks the shackles, Samson joins in belatedly India managed just 12 runs from overs six to eight, before Shreyas stepped out to left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama and launched him for back-to-back sixes. At the halfway stage, India were 80 for 2, needing 104 from the last ten overs.

Shreyas hit two more sixes in the next two overs, the first one bringing up his half-century off just 30 balls.

Samson was on 17 off 19 balls before hitting three sixes and a four in Kumara’s third over. He fell off the final ball of the over in trying to fetch another boundary, but the 23 runs from it had brought the equation down to 56 required from seven overs.

Jadeja applies finishing touches For the second match in a row, Jadeja was sent in ahead of Venkatesh. He opened his account by creaming Chamika Karunaratne through extracover, and hit three boundaries off the first six balls he faced. Soon India needed only 31 from 30 balls.

In the 16th over, Jadeja got stuck into Chameera, hitting him for three fours and a six to all but seal the deal. (ESPNcricinfo) SEE SCOREBOARD ON NEXT PAGE

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022

SCOREBOARD SRI LANKA INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Pathum Nissanka lbw b Kumar 75 Danushka Gunathilaka c VR Iyer b Jadeja 38 Charith Asalanka lbw b Chahal 2 Kamil Mishara c SS Iyer b Patel 1 Dinesh Chandimal † c Sharma b Bumrah 9 Dasun Shanaka (c) not out 47 Chamika Karunaratne not out 0 Extras (lb 7, w 4) 11 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 9.15) 183/5 Did not bat: Dushmantha Chameera, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lahiru Kumara, Binura Fernando Fall of wickets: 1-67 (Danushka Gunathilaka, 8.4 ov), 2-71 (Charith

Asalanka, 9.5 ov), 3-76 (Kamil Mishara, 10.6 ov), 4-102 (Dinesh Chandimal, 14.4 ov), 5-160 (Pathum Nissanka, 18.6 ov) BOWLING O M R W Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4 0 36 1 Jasprit Bumrah 4 0 24 1 Harshal Patel 4 0 52 1 Yuzvendra Chahal 4 0 27 1 Ravindra Jadeja 4 0 37 1 INDIA INNINGS (TARGET: 184 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Rohit Sharma (c) b Chameera 1 Ishan Kishan † c Shanaka b Kumara 16 Shreyas Iyer not out 74 Sanju Samson c Fernando b Kumara 39 Ravindra Jadeja not out 45

Extras (lb 2, nb 1, w 8) 11 TOTAL (17.1 Ov, RR: 10.83) 186/3 Did not bat: Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Rohit Sharma, 0.6 ov), 2-44 (Ishan Kishan, 5.1 ov), 3-128 (Sanju Samson, 12.6 ov) BOWLING O M R W Dushmantha Chameera 3.1 0 39 1 Binura Fernando 4 0 47 0 Lahiru Kumara 3 0 31 2 Praveen Jayawickrama 2 0 19 0 Chamika Karunaratne 3 0 24 0 Dasun Shanaka 2 0 24 0

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022

est Indies women’s captain Stafanie Taylor has said her team’s approach at the 2022 International Cricket Council Women’s World Cup is to take one game at a time, and not think too far ahead.

West Indies will play host country New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament on Thursday from 9 pm TT time. The other teams battling for the crown are Australia, England, South Africa, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The teams will compete in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the semifinals.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday night, Taylor said the West Indies aim to

WI focused on ODI improvement, not World Cup Trophy – says women’s Captain Stafanie Taylor play consistent cricket. “I think it is for us to be as consistent as best as we can in the 50-over format. We know it is not always the best for us, and I think we are making strides. For us, it is more about improving every time, and getting better at that,” she said.

Taylor does not want her players to think about lifting the title yet. “(We are trying) not to look too far ahead, but try to take each game step by step,” she disclosed.

Asked what she would consider a successful tournament, Taylor said, “We have not even talked about success, to be fair. What we have mostly talked about is what we need to do as a team. We try not to stress too much on what we need to be successful in this World Cup, but just try to focus on our game and what we need to improve on to get better.”

With their ability and experience, Taylor and outstanding players Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews are expected to lead the Windies’ batting. Dottin has been in scintillating form of late, hitting an unbeaten 150 in a no-result against South Africa in Johannesburg last month.

Taylor has said, “We are very pleased with Deandra’s form. It has been really good…we hope that form continues here.”

West Indies off spinner Anisa Mohammed will play in her fifth World Cup, and is one wicket away from grabbing 300 international wickets. She would become the first spinner to take 300 wickets in international women’s cricket.

Taylor believes there would be a level playing field in the race for the title. “I think all the teams are going to be tough.

Some of the teams we have not played in a while, haven’t seen them. We are not underestimating any team, and I think all the

teams (are) going to be tough, so we just have to go out there and play hard cricket.”

At the last tournament, in 2017, England lifted the title after defeating India in the final in England. The tournament was scheduled to be held last year, but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taylor knows it’s challenging playing the host country to open the tournament, but she is relishing the opportunity.

“We are pretty excited about that.

Probably would not want to play the host first game, but it is what it is. I think, for us, we have to go out there and play to the best of our abilities.”

Taylor has said New Zealand have been playing impressive cricket of late.

West Indies have never won the 50-over World Cup. Their best performance came in a finals defeat to Australia in 2013. (TT Newsday)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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BFA boss impressed with young talents at Bartica Mashramani Cup

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the ceiling of uncertainty. We he Bartica Football just had our clubs properly Association (BFA) registered, and now we look braved the inclement to the future through a dark weather from 18th to 23rd glass, with much expectaFebruary as the 2022 edition tions nevertheless. Maybe we of the Bartica Mashramani will have a Bartica Regatta Cup was hosted at the Bartica Competition on the cards” the Community Centre Ground.

BFA boss has posited.

Now with some minor setMarslowe has reiterated backs, the action will continue that Bartica needs to regain with Rivers View and Potaro its sporting activities, as it Strikers confronting each othis of utmost importance that er in the final.

Rivers View team In the semifinals, Rivers Potaro Strikers team that community have a return to play as soon as possiView defeated Lazio 5-nil and Potaro Strikers itive football is back, because it BFA President Alden Marslowe pressed by the many young ble. overcame AK Galaxy 1–nil. With the end of is not. talents that are produced in “We are merely trying to He clarified that most of the resourcthe tournament approaching, BFA President Bartica.

He relayed that the BFA would need es needed for the game of football are alhave some activities for our players, but we Alden Marslowe was asked his view on the ready available via the Guyana Football games played thus far, and he said, “It is are still awaiting word from the National to channel that talent in the right direction.

Coming out of a long rest from the game, Federation, and once the BFA receives the always a wonderful feeling to have foot- COVID-19 Task Force for a return to play; support of its corporate friends, things would ball where it belongs - on the field of play. and when that happens, then competitive he said, they still put on a good show.

“I wish I could give you a calendar of ac- be “up and running” in no time.

However, I caution the thought that compet- football will truly be back!” he declared.

Marslowe also noted that he is highly im- tivities here, but we are still hanging under

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022

GTTA donates equipment and lends support to Queen’s College Table Tennis Club

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he Queen’s College Table Tennis Club is extending heartfelt gratitude to the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) for readily answering the call it sounded for assistance.

The GTTA has donated two (2) tables, along with paddles and tennis balls, for use by that club, and would be providing coaches to support the club’s development.

The club was revived last Tuesday after being put in a comatose state by the COVID pandemic. When the aforesaid equipment was formally handed over to the club, those present were GTTA President Godfrey Munroe, two coaches from the GTA; Queen’s College Principal (ag) Candaice CaveStephen; Physical Education Teacher Mr Moore, executives and members of Queen’s

Members of the QC Table Tennis Club

College Table Tennis Club; and QC-OSA Sports Advisor alumnus Shen Fung.

Queen’s College has a long and proud history of being involved with table tennis, having produced many national and Caribbean champions, and being the holder of the record of having won nine (9) consecutive Inter-School Championships in the 1990s.

Queen’s College continues to be a hub of table tennis excellence today, with a current national player being 6th Form student Thuraia Thomas.

This club wishes to again say ‘thank you’ to the GTTA for its support, which would ensure the continued nurturing of table tennis talent and skill at Queen’s College.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022

GBA drops Allicock from AMBC Championship team O

lympian Keevin Allicock has been removed from Guyana’s team preparing for the American Boxing Confederation (AMBC) Elite Continental Championships, set to be staged in Guayaquil, Ecuador from, March 22 to April 2.

Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) president Steve Ninvalle made this disclosure when contacted to speak on the preparedness of the team.

National Coach Lennox Daniels has said the decision, which was handed down by the GBA Coaches Committee, stemmed from Allicock’s lack of commitment to training.

“Honestly, if he came (to training) seven days in total in a month, that’s a lot. We cannot accept that from any boxer, especially someone like Allicock,” Daniels has said.

Daniels has also said that while Allicock has accepted the decision, his non-participation should not be considered a loss for the team.

“I’m disappointed, because I was giving him personal attention to help correct some of his flaws. He’s an exceptional talent but, of course, some corrections had to be made to his form and technique. He was remorseful after we told him of our decision, and he has promised to do better in the future,” Daniels explained.

This is not the first time that Allicock’s commitment has been placed under the microscope. The GBA had, in 2019, suspended Allicock from national duties following similar instances of refusing and/or neglecting to report for training.

“Talent must be accompanied by discipline, and for anyone to reach their goal, they have to embrace those qualities,” Ninvalle has said.

The GBA president, who also sits as a Vice President of the AMBC, reasoned that “there’s a new National Coach, Mr. Lennox Daniels, and Mr. Daniels alone did not make that de-

GBA President Steve Ninvalle

cision; it was made by the Coaches Commission. As a matter of fact, that decision came from most coaches on the Commission.

“We have put in the hands of the Coaches Commission the right to select teams. In the past it was that the executives were selecting the teams, but we do not do that now.

We accept that decision that has been made, and we do hope that all other boxers will understand that you must put your shoulders to the wheel,” Ninvalle has said.

Allicock is considered the ‘darling’ of amateur boxing in Guyana. The 22-year-old is a Commonwealth Youth Games silver medalist, and recently became the first boxer since John Douglas in the 1990s to represent Guyana at the Olympic Games.

However, although Allicock is sitting in boxing’s preferred position in the English-speaking Caribbean, Ninvalle has pointed out, “there are no sacred cows in the GBA, and if we do not put in 100%, then we can’t expect to extract 100%.”

…Atwell elated at return of sport

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Keevin Allicock

National Coach Lennox Daniels

Mike Parris/Pepsi U16 championships start with a bang he two-year wait being finally over for boxers and their supporters alike, the first boxing tournament since February 2020 was hosted on Saturday at the Andrew ‘Six-Head’ Lewis Gym in Albouystown.

Although no spectators were allowed, fellow boxers ensured their colleagues were cheered on well as the Mike Parris/Pepsi Under-16 Championships began, following an announcement from the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) earlier this week.

After the first bell rang, Vergenoegen Boxing Gym’s (VBG) Daniel Alleyne got the tournament started with a resounding victory over Jewel Griffith of

39

Young Achievers Boxing Gym. An all-Young Achievers bout resulted in Ezekiel Bancroft getting the upper hand over Adele Peters, while VBG enjoyed another win when Markel Blue destabilised Curtis McDonald of Berbice Jammers Boxing Gym. Former boxing power- A glimpse of the action between Ezekiel Bancroft and Adele Peters house Clive Atwell, who was present to watch the year, two years, for compe- to continue to reach higher proceedings, commended tition, and this now is just a heights here in Guyana.” the GBA for making efforts moment of relief for them,” Also responding to questo restart the sport.

Atwell shared. tions about the readiness of “I must say it is a brave Atwell went on to share the older age groups, Atwell move and a good move by his expectation of the box- divulged that every facet of the Association to seek to ers being rusty, but said he the fraternity is ready to return the sport, given the admires their dedication to get back into the ring. situation we are faced with. the sport.

“I was just speaking The youngsters, they would The boxer-turned-coach with some of the older guys. have been training for a explained to this publica- ‘Coach, when we going to tion, “As get some playing?’ So, you you can know, the older folks are see, most ready, even the profesof them are sional arena that has been still rusty, down for some while,” he but demon- related. strate the Atwell went on to add, art, which “The boxers are hungry; the is import- coaches are hungry; and ant; the will- to some degree, corporate ingness and Guyana is hungry! Like I the desire to said, it’s a good move, slowtake boxing ly bringing back the sport to the next through the guidelines, level from a safety measures, and the young age. protocols. It definitely will They have be a plus to the spirits and demonstrat- the sport.”

The Mike Parris/Pepsi ed their commitment U16 tournament will see from a young participation from apage in order proximately 40 boxers.

Markel Blue and Curtis McDonald jabbing each other for the sport (Jemima Holmes)

According to Ninvalle, “As President of the GBA, I’m personally concerned at the turn of developments. We have to understand that we have given the Coaches Commission the right to do their job, and we will have to accept the decisions that have been made.”

Ninvalle has said he had met with Allicock following the decision, to have him suspended from training with the team, and the GBA president noted, “We would’ve had a discussion, and I do hope that this will be the last time we would have something like that while he remains in the amateur ranks.

“We know that he has tremendous talent, but talent alone does not get you to your goal. You need to make sure that talent has a companion in discipline. The other members of the team will go ahead preparing.”

The medalists in each of 13 men and 12 women weight categories in Ecuador, according to the AMBC, would receive prize money in US dollars: $10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second and $2,500 for third.

Guyana, China to host table tennis tournament in celebration of diplomatic relations

GTTA president Godfrey Munroe and Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Guyana, Guo Haiyan

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uyana, China to host table tennis tournament in celebration of diplomatic relations The Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the People’s Republic of China will be celebrating fifty (50) years of diplomatic relations in June 2022.

To mark this significant achievement, the Guyana Table Tennis Association, in collaboration with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, will be hosting a “Guyana-China Friendship Table Tennis Tournament” to “commemorate and celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between our peoples”.

This friendly competition will involve three mixed teams’ matches combining amateur players from the Chinese side and the Guyanese side. The event is scheduled to be held today, Sunday 27th February 2022, from 1pm to 4pm at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown, Guyana.

The event would also see the unveiling of the 50th Anniversary Logo jointly by personnel from the Chinese Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Guyana.

Relations between Guyana and China have, over the years, been characterised by mutual respect and cooperation in the areas of culture, public health, infrastructure, economics and sports. Among other key developmental areas, table tennis has played a significant role in development of these bonds of friendship and diplomacy, with China supporting Guyana’s table tennis development for several decades.

It is for this reason that the two sides have decided to host a friendship table tennis tournament as one of the key activities to celebrate the significant milestone of the attainment of the 50th anniversary of their relationship.

Another feature of this afternoon’s proceedings would be some table tennis demonstration by members of the Guyana national team.

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

Romario Shepherd has played 10 ODIs and 17 T20Is for West Indies

Million-dollar-man Shepherd working to become world-class all-rounder Shepherd was the leading wicket-taker in the 2021 CPL and he scored 109 runs with the bat

Flashback! Shepherd being interviewed by Journalist Brandon Corlette

By Brandon Corlette

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reams don’t come true, unless you put in the hard work to make that happen.

Romario Shepherd has always dreamt of playing cricket at the highest possible levels, and playing in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) next month is a testimony of the action or hard work he has had to put in over the years in order to make his dream a reality.

During an exclusive interview with this publication, Shepherd relived the IPL auction, wherein he was picked up by SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for US$1,030,750, and spoke about what he is looking forward to at the IPL. The 27-year-old also said that he is working on becoming a world-class all-rounder, and playing Test cricket is still on his agenda.

“It was a great feeling! Just being in the league and being in a great franchise like SunRisers Hyderabad is a great feeling! Being among lads like Brian Lara is a great feeling. I was watching the draft, and I knew I was coming out on the second day, because of the number I was at. I was not keen on the first day, (but) I was paying attention on the second day,” he said.

“I was going to training when my name came up, so I just came out the shower, ten minutes to go, and I spent five minutes watch-

ing everyone bid for me, and then I had five minutes to run out the room. It was a great feeling while heading to practice and everyone telling me about it,” Shepherd said.

The SRH coaching staff includes two legends of the game in Lara and Muttiah Muralitharan; Shepherd will certainly learn a lot. The all-rounder has said he is eager to go out there and do his best on the big franchise stage.

“My first tournament, so I have to go out there and show. That is my first objective, to go out there and announce myself. With that being said, I am looking forward for my first game, and giving it my best shot and, hopefully, get a great start and build on a start,” Shepherd said.

Reflecting on the CPL and the start to international cricket, Shepherd has said that having played in 10 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 17 T20 Internationals for the West Indies, he considers his start in the maroon colours as not great, but decent.

“In ODIs, it has been good for me; not great, but decent. Also, in T20s, I am a bit up and down, and it is just for me to find a balance.

The more games you play, you learn more stuff, so every game is a new experience, it is just for me to build on that start,” the all-rounder has disclosed.

In the 2021 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), where he played for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, Shepherd was the tournament’s joint leading wicket-taker with 19 wickets, and he also scored 109 runs.

“For me, in that tournament, my goal was to be the best bowler in that tournament, and whenever I got the chance to bat, show that I am capable with the bat. When you got a good start, it’s easy to kick-on from there. I did well in my first and second game, and that gave me a really good foundation. My bowling was going good, so my batting got confidence,” Shepherd explained.

Starting his cricketing career as a batsman at Tucber Park, Shepherd has said he is working very hard on his batting.

“My goal is to be a world-class all-rounder, not just be the best all-rounder in the West Indies. I try to be one of the best all-rounders in the world. For me, you have to work hard for that, you cannot set the goal and not work for it. I am really working hard on it. Hopefully, one day I will be in the conversation on who is the best all-rounder in the world. Hopefully, my name can come up in that conversation.”

Intends to play Test cricket, learning from India series

wants to play Test cricket, Shepherd has said the longest format is still on his radar. The right-hander has 25 First-class matches under his belt, with 74 wickets at an average of 24.62.

“Test cricket is the highest level of cricket for me. I have been doing well in First-class cricket, and it has been a while since I played a First-class game, so I have to go back there and get back in that groove. For this season, I do not think I will be available. Hopefully, I have to wait until I get that opportunity again in Firstclass cricket,” Shepherd disclosed.

Fresh from a series’ defeat in India, Shepherd has said he has learnt a lot from the opposition, and it was difficult to beat India in India. “Even when I as on the bench in the ODIs, I learnt a lot. When I had the opportunities in the T20s, I tried and did some stuff I think that will work in that condition.

“The last game, it did not work out for me as I would have wanted to. But it is T20 cricket, and when you playing against good players on good wickets, it is really tough. It is just for me to go out there and do the things I practise,” Shepherd explained.

The 2022 IPL is set for March 26, and Shepherd will be among the 17 West Indians playing on the biggest franchise stage.

Sharing his sentiments on whether he

Guyana ease past Honduras 2-0

in CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championships

G

uyana’s under-20 women’s team the U20 Lady Jags got their CONCACAF Women’s Under 20 Championship campaign off to a stellar start with a 2-0victory over Honduras on Saturday afternoon.

Out of Guyana’s 18-woman squad, Head Coach Paul DeAbreu opted for a starting lineup which comprised Captain Jenea Knight, Arden La Rose (Goalkeeper), Jessica Myers, Hasha Holder, Savannah Mordesir-Singh, Rory Scott, Samantha Banfield, Kiana Khedoo, Jessica Jagdeo, Shamya Daniels and Audrey Narine.

Make no mistake, Guyana’s win surely did not come easy, especially with Honduras approaching the encounter with a heavy midfield and defense. However, Guyana was tactical enough to stay afloat in the high-paced encounter.

For much of the first half, Honduras controlled possession, and had quite a few opportunities to find the back of the net; however, offside positioning and off-target shots were their enemies, as they went goalless.

It was Samantha Banfield who really got the party started when she took a calculated shot from well outside the 18-yard box, directing it at the goal. Banfield’s shot glided over the head of the defense and the Honduran goalkeeper Ashley Fonseca, who leaped backwards in an attempt to get her hands on the ball. It was not to be, as Banfield’s shot signalled Guyana’s first goal in the 45th+4, giving the Lady Jags the lead heading into the second half.

When the action recommenced, Guyana’s goalie Arden La Rose worked overtime to keep the scores at 1-0. One of her most notable saves came in the 70th, as she dived to her right to keep a Larissa Arias shot out of the goal.

A confusing mix-up in the 88th almost brought the scores even, when La Rose lost her footing while trying to save another shot. A foul on La Rose eventually saved the day for Guyana in that instance.

In the dying minutes of the game, Audrey Narine took a kick of faith to increase Guyana’s winning margin when she

embraced a golden opportunity.

Thinking her defense had the ball under control, Honduran goalkeeper Fonseca rushed out of her goal area to collect a pass. However, Narine was quick enough to get to the ball first, aiming it at and guard-less goal. With three defenders and Fonseca giving chase, the ball eventually made it to its destination for Guyana’s second goal.

The 2-0 victory for the Guyanese Under-20 Women will do well to assist them in moving past the group stage of the Championships. The Lady Jags will next come up against Mexico on Monday, February 28th, at 7pm local time.

When these two teams last met, Guyana went down to Mexico 3-0 in a similar Group stage of the Under-20 Championships in 2020. However, it was Guyana’s only loss in the group stage on that occasion.

Audrey Narine scored one of Guyana’s two goals on Saturday evening (file photo)

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