Guyanatimes 2 july 2017

LOOK INSIDE !

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3259

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Sunday, July 2, 2017

PRICE

Jagdeo appeals to Diaspora to protect Guyana's democracy

WHAT'S INSIDE:

2 charged for Bartica “threesome” P9 murder

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…as International Center for Democracy opens

Guyana’s debt Private schools could reach vindicated with 66% by 2020

VAT on education

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Page 10

$120 vat included

NGSA results – analyst projects

5 in custody for gunning down of security P8 guard

Canadian High Commissioner bids farewell

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NGSA 2017 results

Positive shift in hinterland performance – Hutson P16

Canada’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Pierre Giroux and President David Granger take part in the ceremonial cake-cutting to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary as Mrs Blanca Ureta Giroux and Director General in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Audrey Waddell (right) look on (Dexter Ceres photo)

IMF raps Govt’s inability to spend annual budget

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…as country review unmasks grim economic straits

Parliament office being used as “cash cow” P18 – Nandlall Emerging oil industry

Debt collection keeping Govt alive – Finance Minister P12

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NEWS

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Demerara – Sunday, July 2 – 11:30h-13:00h and Monday, July 3 – A night retraction at 01:00h and a day retraction from 13:00h-14:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, July 2 – 10:50h-12:20h and Monday, July 3 – 12:05h-13:35h.

Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Heavy rain showers with sunny weather can be expected throughout the day, while partly cloudy to clear skies can be expected in the evening.

Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging from East North-easterly to Northeasterly and South South-easterly between 0.89 metres and 2.57 metres.

High Tide: 11:16h and 23:46h reaching a maximum height of 2.21 metres and 2.25 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 04:46h and 17:13h reaching a minimum height of 0.99 metre at each scheduled high tide.

SATURDAY, July 1, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS 01

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13 14 19

26 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

DAILY MILLIONS 10 11 16 18 21 LUCKY 3 4 2 0 Afternoon Draw

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Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

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IMF raps Govt’s inability to spend its annual budget

… as country review unmasks grim economic straits

FERRY SCHEDULE

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

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he coalition Government has for over two years now, consistently blamed the now Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for the country’s current dismal economic performance but a review completed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has found that the coalition Government is in large part to be blamed for the stagnation as a result of its failure to effectively spend its annual budget.

The information was laid bare this past week when the IMF released the findings of its review on Guyana as part of its obligations under Article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement.

According to the findings of the review team, the total expenditure by the David Granger-led coalition, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), increased by 2.8 percentage points of nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The IMF found however that the increase was lower than budgeted due to delays in capital expenditure by the Administration.

Such a distressing situation it was that the world decided to turn to turmoil.

Real economic activity locally expanded by 3.3 per cent in 2016. This was as a

result of subdued agricultural commodity prices, adverse weather and delays in public investment.

According to the IMF, the overall non-financial Public Sector deficit widened to 2.9 per cent of GDP in 2016 from 0.2 per cent in 2015. This simply means that the deficit expanded or

past week intervened.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon this past week reminded that “assessments, adjustments and achievements in relation to the Public Sector’s work programme was the main focus at this month’s Ministerial Conference as the Government commenc-

got larger, or is no longer sustainable.

“Despite slower-than-expected economic growth, fiscal revenue increased owing to improvements in tax administration and higher mining royalties.”

Growth is projected at 3.5 per cent in 2017, supported by an increase in public investment, continued expansion in the extractive sector, and a recovery in rice production.

Again the IMF has pegged its responses on the public investment programmme. Such as problem it is that the Government this

es preparations for the new budget cycle.”

He was at the time speaking at a conference convened at State House, for the heads of government agencies including Permanent Secretaries, Heads of various agencies and high-level technical and financial officers in a bid to assess and review, ministry

by Ministry, the status of Public Sector Investments Projects (PSIPs).

According to the IMF, Government is woefully behind in its spending.

Twelve-month inflation is expected to remain low at

around 2.6 per cent by yearend. The fiscal deficit or the national debt is projected to widen up to 7.2 per cent of GDP in 2017, due in part to delay capital spending from 2016.

IMF worried

The macroeconomic outlook is positive for 2017 and the medium-term, according to the IMDF which projects growth for the next year as upping a few marginal points up to 3.5 per cent in 2017, supported by an increase in public investment.

The concerns over the Administration’s inability to spend its budget looms.

The former Administration has been complaining about the excesses now seemingly validated.

The fiscal deficit is projected to widen to 7.2 per cent of GDP in 2017, due in part to delayed capital spending from 2016. The shares of current and capital spending in GDP are projected to increase by 0.6 and 1.8 per cent, respectively.

The current account deficit is projected at -3 per cent of GDP, financed by investment inflows and donor-supported investment.

Overall, the IMF raps Granger’s Government inability to spend its annual Budget even as country review unmasks grim economic straits.

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sunDAY, july 2, 2017

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, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

NGSA’s implications T

he National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results were released with the usual media frenzy that focused on the success of the top one per cent of performers. Historically, this fixation arose out of the precursor to the NGSA – the “Common Entrance Exam” for primary school students – determining who was the lucky few who could enter the “premier secondary schools” in Georgetown. That this remains the raison d’etre for the hullabaloo is a telling indictment of the failure to bring secondary schools across the country to the level of the elite Georgetown public secondary schools.

Queen’s College was founded in the middle of the 19th century, and Bishops’ a bit later, to educate the sons and daughters of the elite. St Stanislaus, founded around the same time as Bishops’ by the rising Portuguese business class, demonstrated that private schools could also deliver quality education; while Berbice High School, founded in the early 20th century, showed that a school outside Georgetown could also do the same.

Even though a Minister of Education in the previous PPP Administration had accepted that there was a need to raise the standards in the rural secondary schools –and had committed to doing so – the fact that Berbice High School has dropped off the map as a “top” secondary school is indicative of the continued decline of the public school system, which began during the PNC’s first regime, between 1964 and 1992. Before then, Guyana’s schools could match any in the British Caribbean.

But the performances of private primary schools in the NGSA and private secondary schools at CSEC have showed conclusively that the failure to raise standards lies squarely with the inability of the Ministry of Education to properly administer the delivery of the curricula to the students of Guyana. After only a few years following the reversal of the policy of nationalisation of private schools, the latter are now dominating the NGSA top one per cent and, indeed, overall. In the just-released NGSA results, there is only one public school student in the top 10 – actually ‘top 15”, because of “ties”. While the complete breakdown of the top one per cent has not been released, a cursory examination suggests that the private schools would have exceeded last year’s 55 per cent of those numbers.

Mathematics is regarded as the key subject in the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) which are now regarded as vital to the progress of undeveloped countries; in Guyana’s case, from the status of being “just above Haiti”, where it has been stuck from the last three decades. But the performance in Mathematics at NGSA has been abysmal. In 2010, just 34 per cent of pupils obtained a score of 50 per cent and more in Mathematics; in 2011, it increased to 38 per cent; in 2013, it increased again to an encouraging 43 per cent; but dropped significantly in 2014 to 31 per cent. In 2015, it rose to 38 per cent; but in 2016, dropped even more precipitously to 14 per cent. We are now told that this has miraculously shot up to 46 per cent in 2017. The question is whether, like before, the gain is transitory.

While the Chief Education Officer (CEO) offered an “explanation” of this anomaly – a $49 million Emergency Mathematical Intervention Plan – it just means we are more or less back to where we were in 2013. To wit, more than half of our children entering secondary school failed their graduating assessment in Mathematics.

But there is another troubling trend – a steady decrease in the number of children sitting the NGSA. In 2013, we started with 16,811; in 2014 with 15,227; 2015 with 15,225; 2016 with 14,386, and this year, 2017, we started with just 13,329. While our population has remained more or less constant, has our birth rate and/ or migration rate created what in effect would be an increasingly older population? If this extrapolation is correct, this will be another factor that would hinder our quest for development.

Local artists, Carol Fraser’s piece Burgeoning Steps was part of the Guyana Visual Art Competition and Exhibition 2017 at the National Art Gallery at Castellani House. Fraser’s piece won the second prize for the competition. The Guyana Visual Art Competition and Exhibition gives recognition and support to the creative work of Guyanese in the visual arts (Carl Croker photo)

Education in disarray Dear Editor, We recently witnessed the removal of Dr Rupert Roopnaraine from being Minister of Education, and the installation of Nicolette Henry as the new Education Minister. Many Guyanese, including the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), blasted the Government for making such a move, since Dr Roopnaraine will now head a department within the Ministry of Presidency.

Their reasons generally floated around politics and consultation, but I wish to bring to your attention a different angle to this reckless move by the Government.

Let me first share a few points which were carried in the media on Monday, 19th June, 2017: 1. “According to Harmon, ‘the Department will oversee the implementation of innovations and reform in the education system.

These functions will be removed from the Ministry

of Education and placed in the hands of technical persons. These persons will also pay attention to the findings from the CoI and other areas of concern in the sector that need to be immediately addressed.

2. Harmon said, ‘The new department will allow for the development of policies and programmes needed for the long term development of the sector’ 3. The Government is now requesting $16.6 M to create this new department.”

Taking the points listed above, it is clear that the Government is removing important sections from the Ministry of Education and creating a “New Department.” Therefore, the MoE will have less work to do with the same amount of staff, including the three technical advisors: Vincent Alexander, Cheryl Sampson and Allan Munroe, (together they are receiving ap-

proximately $1 million per month), who should be assisting with policies.

If you ask any teacher or education officer, they will tell you that education in our country is driven mainly by policies. These policies affect the day-to-day management of our schools, including the actions by teachers and performance of our students.

Almost everything happening in the school system is propelled by policies, which are drafted and sent by the MoE with the input from the Minister, Advisors, CEO and other senior education officials. Therefore, by removing the power to develop and implement policies from the MoE, the MoE will not service its intended purposes.

The Government is also requesting $16.6M, inclusive of $6.3M for contract employees; $3.06M for clerical and office support, and $2.53M for other direct la-

bour costs; approximately $12M. In reality, our nation is adding $16.6M more to the Education Sector, which already collected the largest slice of our 2017 budget ($43.1B, or 17.2% of the national budget), for programmes which it already budgeted for. Anyone can look at the budgetary allocations and see there are sums of money allocated for development of policies and programmes, and for implementation of innovations and reform in the education system; this is an ongoing process.

With all this in mind, Minister Nicolette Henry does not need advisors, since she would only implement and administer work given to her by this “New Department.” She will be advised by this new department.”

Sincerely, Suresh Singh Young educator

Keeping oil wealth in Guyana Dear Editor, Many of my fellow Guyanese think now that oil is found and would be welled in Guyana, we would be a rich nation. On the other hand, there are many of us would say ask the citizens of Iraq, Libya, Syria, Nigeria, Uganda, Sudan, Venezuela, Brazil and Trinidad how well the oil trickledown theory is working for them so far.

The citizens of many of these oil-rich countries only have the results of a bomb trickledown campaign to show for it -- in the form of a bomb crater 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep, where their family homes once stood.

Guyana's oil wealth, in the view of many of us, would never trickle down to the masses. That wealth is reserved for those in power, and already rich and want-

ing to get richer.

Just look at the culture of Guyana and you can tell what would happen to the proceeds from oil. Oil wealth trickling down to the masses is nothing but a pipe dream.

It has never happened in any Third World country, and will never happen here in my beloved land.

This world is an extremely brutal place, I remain pessimistic about

Guyana being an exception to the norm, as obtained in Third World countries with copious amounts of natural resources.

Do we in Guyana have the metaphorical “brains and mindset” to keep the potential oil wealth in Guyana?

For the time being, the jury is out on this matter!

Yours faithfully, Rooplall Dudhnath

NEWS

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SunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Canadian High Commissioner bids farewell to Guyana “

W

e have to bid farewell to you all, we will be leaving Guyana in a few weeks for an assignment.

I hope to stay longer in this lovely country but my services are needed back home. So I would like to thank you all for the warm friendship we experienced since we arrived”. These were the words of High Commissioner of Canada, Pierre Giroux, on Saturday, at the garden party hosted at his Bel Air Gardens residence to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation on Canada Day. The High Commissioner gave recognition to the excellent relations between Guyana and Canada, while stating that Canada is hoping in the future which it holds in optimism, to work

together in strong friendship with Guyana.

He posited that Guyana is a part of Canada’s diversity as tens of thousands of Guyanese have established roots into the foreign country and assimilated into the Canadian life, thereby making Canada a multicultural society and strengthening relations between the countries, making Canada a major trading and investing partner in Guyana.

High Commissioner Giroux further expressed that his time spent in Guyana was truly an exhilarating experience; his outstanding relationship with the Government and members of Parliament (all parties), also with the Private Sector and society as a whole.

With that said, he toasted to long-lasting friendship

High Commissioner of Canada, Pierre Girroux, and President David Granger toast to long-lasting relations between Guyana and Canada

relations between Guyana and Canada.

Meanwhile, President David Granger in extending

congratulations to Canada on its 150th anniversary of the confederation of Canada said that indicated

that the two counties have enjoyed excellent relations since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations on May 26, 1966, the day of Guyana’s independence.

The gathering heard that relations between the two states have been characterised by cooperation, investment and technical assistance in training and social development.

The President noted that Canada remains the principal source of foreign direct investment in Guyana’s gold mining sector, while adding that Guyana’s National Assembly, Security and justice systems have benefited from Canada’s assistance in support.

Granger disclosed that Guyana values its longstanding and fruitful relations with Canada as he communicated that their

consistent support for our territory’s integrity and solidarity is acknowledged and appreciated.

According to the President, this reflects our shared values of respect for international law, international treaties, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the promotion of international peace and security. Canada the second largest country in then world is renowned worldwide for its openness to immigrants all across the globe, remains a model diversity of inclusion.

While recognising that Guyana though smaller than Canada in size, is also a multicultural and multiracial society, he emphasised that Guyana is pursuing social cohesion so that all of our people cultures and religion can co-exist in harmony.

Immigration Bill to impact on Guyanese in USA Dear Editor, The Republicandominated US House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the bicameral legislature, adopted last Thursday a bill that would crack down on illegal immigrants. If it becomes law, it would have a significant effect on Guyanese in the US, leading to their deportation and difficulties to return to the US. Those who commit minor offences, like driving under influence of alcohol, using drugs, or evading transportation fare on buses or trains, could be arrested and deported. There are thousands of Guyanese living illegally in the US. Some Guyanese were arrested and deported for mi-

nor offences.

US President Donald Trump supported the proposed new measure, but Democrats voted against the bill, criticizing it for targeting immigrants who are not a threat to society and who may have legitimate reasons to live illegally in the US -- like escaping terror or ethnic or religious persecution in their home country, or a natural disaster.

"Although people who illegally re-enter the country do so to reunite with their families or to flee violence or persecution, this bill considers them all dangerous criminals who deserve lengthy prison sentences," said New York Democratic Representative

Jerrold Nadler in comments carried in the media.

Immigration activists say the bill is a threat to civil liberties because it profiles people on account of ethnicity.

The House voted 228 to 195, largely along party lines, to pass the "No Sanctuary for Criminals Act", which would withhold some federal grants to what are known as "sanctuary city" jurisdictions that do not comply with certain federal immigration laws.

These sanctuary cities help to protect illegals from federal agents by not turning them over to the Feds for imprisonment and deportation. Some mandirs have agreed to provide sanctuary for illegals.

The "No Sanctuary for

Criminals Act" prohibits sanctuary cities from adopting policies that restrict police officers from asking individuals about their immigration status or the immigration status of others.

By a vote of 257 to 167, the House also passed "Kate's law", to increase penalties for illegal immigrants who return to the United States. It is named for Kate Steinle, who was shot dead in San Francisco in 2015 by an illegal immigrant who had been deported five times. In praising the bills, Trump tweeted, "These were bills I campaigned on and that are vital to our public safety and national security."

Under the laws, illegal im-

migrants would face mandatory detention for past convictions of an expanded number of offences, such as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Before becoming law, both identical bills will need approval from the Senate and to be signed by the President.

The Republicans have a twoseat majority in the Senate, but several Republican Senators are opposed to some aspects of both bills; so passage in the Senate is not guaranteed.

Yours faithfully, Vishnu Bisram

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Foundation CARICOM Day 2017!

“There is no envy, jealousy, or hatred between the different colours of the rainbow. And no fear either. Because each one exists to make the others’ love more beautiful.”– Aberjhani

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Anu Dev

omorrow, the first Monday of July, is set aside in Guyana to celebrate Caribbean Unity. There are aspects of Caribbean Unity that I think have been particularly successful, CXC being one of the most important to me.

During the past four years studying in one of our CARICOM neighbour states, Trinidad, I’ve met students from most of our Caribbean territories stretching from Bahamas to Belize. Hearing stories from them of how they grew up and how things are for them back home made me realize just how many experiences we Guyanese have in common with our Caribbean neighbours. And I developed a better perspective of how and why a unified Caribbean could be possible and is necessary.

There’s so much overlap with the food we cook, the music we listen to and the slang we use. It was incredible to see that all of the kids from the different islands had a ver-

sion of curry that they cooked.

I must’ve seen at least five different ways of cooking curry.

Those Jamaicans cook a meeean curry!! Just writing about it makes my “mouth water”!!

Variations on a theme, but a theme nevertheless.

We all learnt so much about each other’s culture, and I began to really understand the whole concept of Caribbean unity on not just an intellectual level, but on an emotional level. I mean, I always used to get emotional supporting our West Indian Cricket team, alternating between weeping tears of joy and tears (few and far between nowadays!) of anguish (like this last weekend, when my brother and dad flew over to root for WI). But, ever increasingly, I’ve continued to make personal connections with persons from the different Caribbean countries.

Over the past year or so, we’ve been assigned public health research projects. One of the areas my group honed in on was that of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) - with good reason, because according to a PAHO 2012 report, the Caribbean region has the highest burden of NCDs in the

Americas! Is it due to our plantation experience? The things that keep us together! Noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension ("high blood pressure") are those that are, by definition, non-infectious and non-transmissible among people. An infectious disease would, for instance, be malaria. NCDs are the leading causes of death and disease worldwide.

In our readings for the project, we stumbled upon the 2007 Declaration made by the CARICOM Heads of Government, “Uniting to Stop the Epidemic of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases”. So it was heartening that at least we were taking a common approach to this major challenge.

It demonstrated perfectly one of the main reasons for us to stick together as a region, apart from sharing a common heritage and culture -- the benefits of pooling our resources.

And it was interesting to read about the follow-up implementation of this seminal declaration, towards which each member, including Guyana, made "commitments" in regard to achieving the original goals. At this time, the decla-

ration has been implemented with different levels of success, with the most success achieved in the larger countries. Our own former Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, was a key figure in placing the NCDs on the agenda of PAHO, the Commonwealth, the UN, WHO, and possibly as a new Development Goal for the world. This is progress borne out of cooperation at the CARICOM level.

While there is some (much?) gloom and doom about the future of CARICOM, it is evident there has been progress in many areas. For there to be further and wider real change and real progress, it’s absolutely essential for our Caribbean leaders to work together to tackle the epidemic of NCDs and other challenges collectively. We need to buckle down and implement policies (guided by research) as a unified Caribbean.

Happy CARICOM Day! And congrats to all of the NGSA students - not just the top 1% - who’re about to begin their own high school experience! Maybe you will fulfil the dream of Caricom unity!

D

isappointment is a feeling I know too well. It’s a sinking feeling in the heart, the body, mind and soul. You literally feel your energy level gradually decrease. It feels as if sadness merged with bits of anger.

We’ve all experienced disappointment at one time or another in our lives. Disappointment is natural and sometimes can be difficult to escape.

I know many students and parents get disappointed after getting their O level or A level results. I just want you to know that it is not the end of the world.

How to respond to disappointment?

If you do not perform as well as expected, do not be discouraged. Everyone responds to disappointment in different ways. Identify how we respond when things get tough helps us identify our strengths and weaknesses, and prepares us to face the future. What is important is how you respond to failure.

You can choose to label yourself a total failure and give up completely. You can assume the examiner has made a monumental mistake, and ask for a review of writing or submit an official complaint. You can also choose to shrug it off.

The first step is to acknowledge the poor results and get the support of your family. Many students are afraid to tell their parents whenever they get bad results. As parents, you have to encourage your child and not chastise them.

Make positive decisions

After acknowledging the poor results, identify where it went wrong. Did you spend too much time playing? Or were you too involved with your CCA? Identify the factors and make positive decisions! Get rid of whatever is dragging you back and move forward!

It might be difficult to break away from old habits, but you MUST make the change!

See solutions, not problems

Whenever a student does poorly for the O or A Levels, they see a bleak future. They think that their future is ruined. I can assure you, that is definitely not the case. It might seem like a major setback now, but in years to come, you will realise it is not as bad as it seems.

What you can do now is to find solutions out of your situations. Do you need to quit your CCA? Or get a Math tutor for PSLE? Start looking for solutions instead of problems!

Be kind to yourself

The last thing you want to do is to be overly harsh on yourself. I repeat again, this is not the end of the world. Do not be overcome by negativity! (bright-maths.com.sg)

news

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sunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Jagdeo appeals to Diaspora to Essequibo Coast drug bust protect Guyana’s democracy Husband, wife jailed

…as International Centre for Democracy opens

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the gathering on Friday evening at the Russon on the Bay, Cross Bay Boulevard, and Howard Beach, New York

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ormer President Bharrat Jagdeo has made an appeal to the diaspora in the United States to help Guyana protect its democracy and the separation of powers locally.

He has since made a made a direct appeal to the International Center for Democracy (ICD) – on Friday evening at the Russon on the Bay, Cross Bay Boulevard, and Howard Beach, New York where he was invited as guest Speaker.

The former Guyanese President was at the time speaking at the launch of the International Centre for Democracy, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which is seeking to promote and implement programs, sustain and strengthen free-

dom and democracy, empower vulnerable groups to effectively participate in national and regional development, end hunger and poverty, and establish social justice as non-negotiable national goals and obligations.

Speaking to the large gathering of members of the diaspora, the former President appealed for supporters to lobby leaders in the diaspora to guard and safeguard democracy in Guyana.

“We have a lot of leaders in the United States…

Please use your influence to lobby them to protect democracy in Guyana and in other countries,” according to the Former President.

He told those in the diaspora, “I want to ask all to help us in Guyana to build democ-

racy and protect the separation of power… Get involved.”

The former President, addressing the launching, used the occasion to also remind of the need for “far-reaching constitutional changes.”

According to the former President, “The Ethnic Relations Commission is not functioning.”

He has also accused the newly formed Social Cohesion Ministry of being used in a partisan manner, “and dividing our people.”

Jagdeo was adamant this Government is only focusing on oil to be the solution for Guyana. But he said, “Oil can be a blessing or a curse… Oil can cause runaway price increase for the poor.” Jagdeo added, “There is no fairness any-more.”

for narco trafficking

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ifty-two-year-old Gordon Williams, called “Monkey Harry,” of Lot 12 Perseverance Village, Essequibo Court, was on Friday jailed, along with his wife Lorna Scott, for narcotics trafficking.

Magistrate Sunil Scarce imposed on Williams a sentence of seven years’ imprisonment together with a fine of $30,000 after the defendant was found guilty of

possessing 3840.5 kg of cocaine and cannabis.

Williams’s wife, Lorna Scott, was also fined $30,000 and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for possessing 36.5 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The court heard, during the trial, that on October 17, 2015 at about 16:30h, Police acting on information searched the couple's Lot 12 Perseverance home

and the cocaine was found on a coffee table.

During the search, 36.5 grams of cannabis were also found.

The ranks also seized US$4010 along with $258, 800 Guyana currency.

A lengthy trial was conducted into the matter, after which Magistrate Scarce found the couple guilty. They are also before the court on previous drug charges.

8 news 5 in custody for gunning down of security guard A SunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

s investigations continue into the gunning down of security guard Gerald Henry on Friday evening, the Police have arrested five persons in connection with the murder.

This is according to C Division (East Coast Demerara) Commander, Calvin Brutus, who noted that while the persons remain in custody, they are expected to be grilled in connection with the heinous crime.

He said none of the persons in custody was found with the murder weapon in their possession but their hands will be tested for gunshot residue. “We are now conducting interviews and it is too early to determine if any of the persons was involved in the shooting,” Brutus told Guyana Times.

Gerald Henry of Lot 2949 C Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was shot once to his chest during a scuffle with two men who attempted to relieve him of his service weapon. It is believed that upon getting possession of the firearm, one of the bandits discharged a round hitting the security guard in the chest.

It was reported that the now dead 64-year-old man was standing next to the cashier when the two men entered

Dead: Security guard, Gerald Henry

the premises, walked towards him and demanded that he hand over his firearm. It was after he refused to comply that the scuffle ensured.

However, at the home Henry, his reputed wife who asked not to be named, told Guyana Times that she was at

home when she received a call informing her that her reputed husband was shot during a suspected robbery.

The caller, she added, further informed her that he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Without hesitation, she along with a few other family members including her daughter rushed to the hospital where it was confirmed that the man was taken there with a bullet wound to his chest.

She however, requested to meet the doctor and permission was granted. Upon enquiring about her reputed husband’s condition, the doctor posited that upon arrival at the hospital, Henry had no pulse which mean that he would have passed away while on his way to the medical facility.

The aggrieved woman noted that information about the circumstances surrounding the shooting incident was distorted since at the time, she was not in a frame of mine to comprehend what she was being told.

The Police at the hospital, she explained, collected her number and promised to make contact but up to late Saturday afternoon, she did not receive a call. turn to page 12

What’s new…

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…about the PNC changes?

he PNC are gearing up for 2020, and much of their changes in personnel is to facilitate them winning that game-breaking election. After 2020, with oil flowing and all these carpetbaggers running around, it will be most difficult to change the momentum gained. Take the retirement of Oscar Clarke as the General Secretary of the PNC. All this is meant to do is to change the optics of what constitutes the PNC in the most crucial factor - ethnic composition. By substituting Amna Ally for Clarke, the PNC are hitting two demographics that they would like to splinter away from their arch foe, the PPP. Amna Ally is phenotypically “Indian”, and they will be hoping that with her as the General Secretary of the PNC, they can assert with a straight face that Indians are represented at the “very highest level” of that party! So what if there’s only one PS out of 17 that’s an Indian? One minister, Amna Ally, who was moved from the Ministry of Social Cohesion to the Ministry of Social Protection, is worth more than all of them!!

Amna Ally has been around the block and some with the PNC - starting with the youth arm back in the day. Did she ever raise a squeak when Indians were rabidly discriminated against then by the PNC? She was an MP from 2001, when all hell broke loose from Buxton and dozens of Indians were arbitrarily executed by African freedom fighters. Was there even a whimper? Naah…Amna Ally has proven her loyalty to the PNC’s cause. But she makes good optics, baby!!

Then Amna Ally also makes good optics for being a Muslim. In the grand strategy left by Burnham, and which the experienced Oscar Clarke has been freed up to fine tune, the Muslim segment of the Indian demographic is cleavage they can widen. Note the PNC’s wooing of the Muslim community, which has ranged from awards to zealotry in protestations of commonality.

But, very sadly, Amna Ally’s appointment as General Secretary is one more proof that, for the PNC, it’s gonna be more of the same ole, same ole.

Didn’t Burnham make Jai Narine Singh his first general secretary of the PNC? Didn’t he soon quit in disgust and exit? Since then, the figurehead Indian was mostly the Chairman - witness Cammie Ramsaroop and Winston Murray. What power did they ever wield??

But Amna Ally is no Jai Narine Singh; she is more than happy to be a token. After all, doesn’t she get to retain her Ministry of Social Protection portfolio, with all the perks that earns her?

…with graft?

On the matter of the “Case of the Super-Inflated Rental” the PNC are busy playing that old tune by Shaggy, “Wasn’t me!!”

Enquiring minds wanted to know how come Parliament was paying her mammoth rental when the “housing allowance” is only $25,000. This is spending out of the Consolidated Fund, baby. Doesn’t there have to be some sort of approval? “NO!” says the Parliamentary Clerk (PC). A “housing allowance” is different from “housing rental”! And the latter is an “administrative” decision. But, hold it! Does this mean if perchance some out-of-towner decides to hold up at the Marriott at $1,000,000/monthly, the PC would cough up? Has he absolute discretion over spending from the Consolidated Fund?

The Finance Minister says the PC’s answer is adequate. No wonder our economy’s tanking!

…on NGSA?

So the trend continues: the private schools, sending up just 400 students, dominated the top 1% performers at the NGSA. Imagine, 12,929 public schoolers couldn’t match them!

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

NEWS

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SunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana’s debt could reach 66% 2 charged for by 2020 – analyst projects Bartica “threesome”

W

ith increased borrowing, Guyana can see itself in a place where the debt will be 66 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product by 2020, former Executive member of the Alliance For Change (AFC) and overseas-based Guyanese financial analyst, Sasenarine Singh has projected.

The former AFC member told Guyana Times that this projection is based on the current Administration’s trend of spending in such a weak economy.

“The IMF in their Staff Report revealed in 2015 said that “the Debt to GDP ratio was 48.3 per cent. This is expected to skyrocket to 55.1 per cent by the end of 2017.”

To compound the issue, Singh pointed out that the traditional sectors of the economy – the six sisters – which include rice, sugar, bauxite and forestry, have been shrinking save and except for gold.

“If five of the six sectors are underperforming and only one is stable. Then, why would you, in that environment, go out and borrow so much money over the last two years. It is financially irresponsible and I believe that the civil society has a role to pull the Government in check,” he asserted.

Poverty

While underscoring the potential Guyana has to become a wealthy nation based

Former AFC Executive Sasenarine Singh

on the vast number of natural resources, the financial analyst said if this trend continues, this dream will never be realised. In fact, there could be a repeat of what happened in Guyana for 50 years gone by, in the next 50 years.

“You would be condemning the people to 50 more years of poverty if the Granger Administration does not change course and wake up. And do not tell me about oil,” Singh said, adding “just look at Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria and the way those economies were managed and why would you expect any difference from this Administration?”

In providing his views on the recent International Monterey Fund (IMF) Article IV Consultation Report for Guyana, Singh said the expectation that in 2017 the fiscal deficit is set to deteriorate indicates that Government’s operation is grossly inefficient and they are spending way more that is normal to achive tangible outcomes.

In 2015, Guyana also recorded a negative fiscal balance of 0.2 per cent, while in 2016 the figure was at negative 2.9 per cent and the expectation in 2017 it will be negative 7.2 per cent.

“This basically means that the Government is spending way more than it’s earning and if it is spending way more than its earning, then how does it fill this financial gap?” he questioned.

“It means they will have to borrow more. It also means they will have to tax the people more in 2018 and one just has to look at the projection that the Administration has provided to the IMF, it shows that tax revenue as a percentage of GDP is set to increase in 2018 compared to 2017.

How does that happen – by taxing the people more.

And these are very important discoveries because the Granger Administration has become very economical with the financial truth these days. The solution is to cut waste from the Public Sector,” he added.

Another point raised by

the financial analyst was the fact that Government is constantly in both the domestic and international market looking to borrow.

This according to him will crowd out opportunities for the local Private Sector, which is also facing many issues since the slow up of the economy.

Non-performing loans

Speaking about the IMF report which also revealed that non-performing loans remain high remain high at 12.9 per cent of total loans, Singh said for persons to understand how this is affecting business, persons would have to first understand what is a non-performing loan.

“It is basically bank loans that are borrowers have not been servicing their instalments or interests for 90 days or more. It means bad debt. It means that the banks will have to put aside portions of their profits to write-off those loans if they fail to recover them by the courts” he explained.

According to him, the loan portfolio of commercial banks did not perform well during 2016 and this exposes the fact that business people and other private consumer borrowers are struggling to pay their loans.

murder

T

he Police have instituted charges against two males who have confessed to beating to death Kumar Persaud at Bartica, Region Seven, after he refused to remove from a location where they were performing a “threesome” with a female.

‘F’ Division Commander Rabindranauth Budhram told Guyana Times that the men will be arraigned in court on Tuesday, since Monday is a public holiday. The men allegedly confessed to the crime after they were arrested on Monday afternoon.

They were identified by another person who was also looking at the act from another angle. Based on reports received, the eyewitness told detectives that upon realizing that Persaud was staring at them, the suspects asked him to desist, but he continued.

The two young men reportedly became angry and confronted Persaud, and dealt him several blows to the body with pieces of wood that they had collected. After he fell to the ground, they allegedly con-

Dead: Kumar Persaud

tinued their assault by kicking him to his head and other parts of his body.

The man was left unconscious, and after some time had elapsed, the Police found him lying in a pool of blood. He was taken to the Bartica Hospital, where he later succumbed. The two men who were engaged in the act will be charged for the capital offence of murder.

Only recently, 40-yearold Orland LaCruz of Pomeroon River was shot to death after he allegedly refused to perform fellatio (oral sex) on one of his two drinking buddies at Jack and Vieira Backdam, North West District.

10 news

sunDAY, July 2, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

VAT on education

Private schools vindicated with NGSA results – O'Toole W

ith the coalition Government opting not to revoke the highly controversial 14 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on private tuition and instead waiting to have it reviewed next year, stakeholders against the move have stated that the 2017 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results proved that the imposition of the tax was flawed in the first place.

Among the 163 students who made up the top one per cent at this year’s NGSA examination, 86 of them are from private schools, while the remaining 77 students were from public schools. Elevenyear-old Saskia Twhair from School of the Nations secured the top spot with 523 marks from a possible total of 529.

Director of that school, Dr Brian O'Toole, who was outspoken against the VAT on education, pointed out that this year’s NGSA results are interesting since it contradicts some of the arguments that were put forward to support the move.

“A few arguments were put up about why the VAT was put into place and a couple of the statements made were that we don’t need private schools because their results are no better than the public.

Whilst I don’t particularly want to be encouraging dichotomy between private and public, clearly these results show that only

Director of School of the Nations, Dr Brian O’Toole

Education Minister Nicolette Henry

400 students from private school wrote this Grade Six Assessment and a totally disproportionate number of the children from the top one hundred were from the private schools,” he outlined during an interview with Guyana Times.

The educator noted that this should be reason enough for Government not to make any policy decisions that would affect the work of private schools, which also aims to mould and build the nation’s children.

“So, really in the national interest, to do anything to punish the private schools is illogical because definitely they bring in good results for the whole of Guyana so we should be supporting, encouraging,

nurturing that not putting up barriers,” the Director stated.

Dr O'Toole, who also heads Nations University, went on to reveal that as a result of the VAT on education, the school has seen approximately 100 students drop out.

Nevertheless, the educator expressed that he is proud of the efforts of those who were against the imposed taxation, particularly his school’s sixth formers, who were the ones to champion the petition with some 15,000 signatures. This figure, he surmised, is more than two per cent of the country’s population, which probably constitutes about five per cent of its voting population.

“It’s hard to ignore those kinds of numbers,” he asserted.

Since the announcement of VAT on school fees in the 2017 Budget, stakeholders, including the Opposition’s

People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) and even the coalition Government’s minority party Alliance For Change (AFC), have come out condemning the move as scores of parents and students cried out against the additional burden placed on them, calling for the decision to be repealed.

However, back in April, Cabinet decided that the VAT on private education would remain in place for the rest of year and will be reviewed along with all VAT measures for the 2018 national Budget.

Meanwhile, the issue of pitting the performance of private schools against that of public schools has been described as an unfair comparison.

Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson, on Friday pointed out that one cannot fairly compare the performance of about 450 private school students against 13,000 plus students from the public school system. A total of 13,657 wrote the NGSA examination this year.

On the other hand, Education Minister Nicolette Henry explained that within the public school system, apart from the number of students being large, they do not have a system whereby they expel children who do not perform at a certain level.

Henry continued that there will always be children whose abilities will not match their peers and so as a Government, they cannot fail those who are left behind. To this end, she said that her Ministry has recognised the importance of providing each child with the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Schoolleaver

S

atiricus hurried over to the Back Street Bar. The results of the Common Entrance examination had just come out, and he knew that would provide a good gyaaf over the fellas’ weekend drinks. When they’d written the exam, the name for the “school leaving” exam was called “Common Entrance”, and that was the only name by which they referred to it subsequently.

“NGSA” was something they just couldn’t wrap their tongues around.

“Eh! Eh!” exclaimed Bungi when they’d settled down at the back with their beers and cutters. “Me hear dem pickney do prappa good in Maths dis year!”

“Remember how you were good at Maths when we were in primary school, Bungi?” asked Hari.

“Maths??” asked Satiricus. “The man was so good in everything he topped the school at Common Entrance!

But his mother sent him to the backdam.”

“Ah nah she fa’lt,” said Bungi quietly. “Wid de ole man dead, ah me decide fuh guh in de backdam. An’ de Maths help me fuh count how much manure me throw!”

He grinned.

“But how come most of these children still can’t pass Common Entrance?” Hari asked plaintively as he ordered another round.

“Budday! A wha mek you do good in skool?” asked Bungi as he looked at his two friends.

“To get a good job,” answered Satiricus.

“Same here,” agreed Hari.

“Ah na da de ans’a?” Bungi asked. “Wha mek dem pickney guh buss dem head if dem na know dem guh get jaab?”

“I’m not so sure about that,” said Satiricus doubtfully.

“A’rite,” said Bungi. “Tell me: whe’ mos’ a de jab deh?”

“Georgetown,” said Hari.

“An’ whe’ mos’ a dem tap student come fram?” continued Bungi.

“Georgetown,” admitted Satiricus. “Most country schools did badly.”

“And wha’ kine a jab abee gat in country?” Bungi went on.

“Cane cutting and rice farming,” conceded Hari.

“Me case close,” grinned Bungi. “A’yuh gat fuh buy beer fram now!”

11

SunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

The future of the sugar industry: What policymakers should consider going forward

I

n bringing this topic to a close (at least for now), I present today a summary of the full recommendations arising from the CoI on GuySuCo. Though this document is accessible in the public domain through GuySuCo’s website, it is imperative for an analyst to extract this information and present it, especially since some commentators made vague and, in some cases, meagre references to it, while we have seen that the Government intends to pursue policies that are in complete contradiction to the recommendations therein, thus ignoring the findings.

This, I must mention, is very sad and is therefore described by this column as an outright wastage of tax payers’ money; an assertion supported by the fact that the CoI cost the nation over $50M in just three months. Why was none of the CoI’s recommendations taken seriously? Was this all a political fallacy? In addition, with permission sought from my fellow columnist/financial analyst colleague Mr Sase Singh, I will also summarise the findings and recommendations put forward by him in a paper which he authored and covered some substantial work on, “…sugar in Guyana after 50 years”. Following these, I will then draw my own conclusions and inferences on the way forward.

The first point of interest recognised by the CoI is that it did not recommend the closure of any estate. So far, one estate has already been closed. It was recommended that GuySuCo be privatised, but within a specified time line, the report suggesting 2018 – 2020.

A number of subsidiaries or diversification options were identified; namely: co-generation of electricity; supply of drainage and irrigation services to communities; supply of business services (IT, tourism, recreation etc); prime real estate and property holdings; agricultural equipment pools, including aircraft for rental to farmers; sugar refinery (plantation whites or refined sugar); provision of molasses, alcohol, ethanol; packaging of special sugars; other by-products etc. These recommendations are of course intended to diversify and increase the revenue base of GuySuCo, and, within the report, it was outlined in detail how each component of the recommendations should be executed or implemented, and within the respective timelines.

Turning to Sase Singh’s paper, he proposed a very practical and relevant turnaround strategy. The paper concludes by emphasising the importance of keeping it simple – focus on what can be done. In doing so, Singh argued that the data should be dug into using a rigorous framework, and everyone should be communicated with effectively; frontline workers need to be involved in some of the decision-making processes on how resources should be deployed (this is an excellent point). It is simply nonsensical to develop a turnaround strategy for an institution having a multiplicity of challenges and complexities without engaging in consultation with all levels of workers, especially the front-liners, or in the case of GuySuCo, the field workers. These workers, to my knowledge, possess a reservoir of useful information.

The paper went on to state: clearly identify priorities every crop, and effectively communicate these priorities to all levels of workers; continually evaluate performance, and make adjustments constantly and accordingly; reward and develop execution capabilities; field and factory hands can also execute projects and make GuySuCo more efficient.

I recall that both Singh and Tarron Khemraj did extensive work for the AFC on diversifying the operations of GuySuCo within the framework of these very recommendations made in the CoI; For example, ethanol production etc. My question is this: The political party for whom this substantive was done is a major partner in the coalition government, why was this not treated as a matter of high priority on the Government’s agenda when they won the elections, knowing that sugar as a whole, and not saving sugar, would have severe repercussions on the economy?

Putting things into perspective, I concur with the arguments put forward by other analysts citing gross incompetence by the GuySuCo management and, more importantly, political interference over the years as responsible for the mess GuySuCo is in today. Recently, this has been further compounded by the slide in world market price for sugar and the withdrawal of the EU support. If one were to do a thesis on state-owned institutions in this country, one would find that because of political interference and influence, they all failed. A classic example is the GNCB. It is the short-sighted policies being pursued that are causing more economic problems for the country, and thus inhibiting the long-term economic development. We have seen major development projects which are critically important to the long-term economic prosperity of the country being abandoned by the current administration. One of the major deterrents to the manufacturing sector and GuySuCo is the cost of production, coupled with the fact that operational costs are extremely high. To counter this and enhance competiveness in this regard, we need to re-engage the hydro power project. Had we pursued these projects a long time ago, GuySuCo would have no doubt been in a better performing shape today. Another important project that needs re-engaging is the fibre optic cable. These are projects that would aid substantively in long-term economic development, rather than bleed the country’s resources on non-productive spending, such as happens with SOCU. Things like SOCU are just political gimmicks that are creating the framework for an economic crisis.

(For comments, questions and responses on articles featured in this column, readers can reach the author at jbinsights@outlook.com)

12 news

SunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Debt collection keeping Govt alive – Finance Minister

D

espite the new tax measures that Budget 2017 brought, Finance Minister Winston Jordan recently revealed that it is the collection of arrears that is keeping the Government afloat.

He was at the time addressing a gathering of Guyana’s most influential business leaders at the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) mid-year dinner.

According to Minister Jordan, a shortfall in Value Added Tax (VAT) and income tax collection by some $3 billion has weakened the revenue base.

In its place, howev-

er, Jordan reported that Government’s collection of arrears amounted to some $4.3 billion. This, the Minister reported, is what is keeping the Government afloat.

“We are not raking in any money here,” Jordan said. “Contrary to the belief that we are raking in money, up to May (last), VAT collection was $1.8 billion down relative to 2016 and income tax was down by $1.2 billion relative to last year.”

“What we are raking in at the moment is arrears.

Arrears have been up by $4.3 billion. That is what has saved us so far. It’s the

collections of arrears for some previously non-compliant sectors,” Jordan added.

During a press conference last month, Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Godfrey Statia, had revealed that VAT revenues were down by 10 per cent. However, Statia had attributed this to slashing the VAT rate from 16 per cent. Government in its 2017 Budget slashed VAT by two per cent, bringing it down to 14 per cent.

According to Statia, the Authority had expected that the revenue collection would go down based on the

Commissioner General of GRA, Godfrey Statia

rate deduction by some 12.5 per cent. Nevertheless, he had posited that changing certain goods to standard rating and moving away from zero-rated to exempt taxes would lead to a more level playing field.

In the meantime, the GRA Commissioner General had said the tax collection

body is working assiduously to ensure that businesses and individuals are tax compliant in the relevant areas. Only recently, it was revealed that work of a special enforcement team has resulted in scores of city businesses being made to register for the payment of VAT. In explaining the decline in the revenues, Chairman of the GRA Board of Directors, Rawle Lucas, had pointed to the fact that the tax base for the VAT is expenditure, that is, money that people spend, the level of spending in the economy with respect to VAT and the level of input and the value of imports with respect to VAT as well.

In fact, he outlined that with regard to imports, petroleum imports used to be one of the high generating sources of VAT revenues

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

but since the price of petroleum reduced significantly, this in itself is also contributing to a reduction in the revenues earned by the Authority.

Notwithstanding, the Chairman opined that it is still too early to ascertain the effect of the reduction of the VAT revenues.

5 in custody for gunning...

When asked when last she saw Henry alive, she stated “When he left for work, I was at home with my daughter and granddaughter… he left smiling as always and it was a shock to hear that he was killed a short time after.”

Henry was described as an easy going person who was also dedicated to his work and family.

Meanwhile, when this

publication visited that supermarket where Henry was gunned down, the owners and workers remained tight-lipped about the shooting incident.

While examining the premises, it was evident that there were surveillance cameras present, with one of the owners relating that the Police took possession of the tape with the aim of pursuing the suspects.

from page 8

Guyana Times understands that the Police took statements from several workers who were present during the suspected attempted robbery.

Henry’s body is at the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination on Wednesday. He leaves to mourn his reputed wife, children and other relatives.

news

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SunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

“Soldier” in custody Patentia man over illegal ammo on bail for ganja trafficking Constitutions, constitutionalism and constitutional engineering

W

hile Guyanese on both sides of the divide are complaining about “governmental abuse”, they need to be reminded that they have the power to constitute their government any which way they want through the crafting of a constitution; and to insist their rules be followed. Constitutions describe the allocation of state power amongst the various branches of government, as defined by the constitution itself; prescribe the rules by which those powers would be conferred, and also includes procedures by which the Constitution may be altered.

In a fundamental sense Ravi Dev therefore, a constitution is, or should be, the embodiment of a social contract crafted by “we the people” for our governance. In a divided society like ours, it is critical that the institutions created by the social contract are seen as just in the allocation of power; or they will be seen as illegitimate, and contested.

However, the British idiosyncrasy of an “unwritten constitution” should remind us that explicitly stated rules in and of themselves may be necessary, but are not sufficient.

The rules have to be embedded within, and be supported by a wider political culture that gives life to the rules in developing the wider network of informal traditions, accommodations, informal pro quid quos that make stable societies function.

“Constitutionalism” defines a political scheme in which law, rather than men, is supreme. Political authority is exercised according to law, which is to be obeyed by all, including the governors, who cannot depart from law by whim. British constitutionalism arose out of the struggle for personal freedom and escape from arbitrary political will, while Continental Europe focused more on the selfdetermination of each group. Guyanese should resonate to both these imperatives.

We should also recognize, after our recent history, that our fundamental problem is of the use and inevitable abuse of power. The challenge is to prevent that abuse and direct it to good ends. This notion is rooted in the fallibility of man… the belief that no man or group of men should be entrusted with absolute power over other men. This tendency is exacerbated when a country has groups that are racially or ethnically different, as Guyana does, since it becomes so much easier to demonise the “other” and resort to extreme measures to assert one’s position.

The constitution, as a social contract, defines government’s legitimate political actions. This confirms that all state power emanates from the people, and that sovereignty and all reserved powers remain with the people. Constitutionalism, then, is infused with the ideology of Liberalism, which views men as naturally free and right-bearing individuals who need and establish governments that they can, may, and should, control. But, in Guyana, we also belong to groups that bequeath identities that must be respected.

In Guyana, where we cannot pretend that our values were shaped by some commonality looming out of a hoary past, it should be self-evident that the several groups need to sit down together and craft an appropriate social contract; and this is where “constitutional engineering” comes in.

As stated above, the constitution of a country allocates and limits the powers devolved by the citizens to the institutions of the state, and also specifies the rules and procedures for selecting officers who are to authoritatively exercise such powers. As such, the incentives for creating a New Political Culture would have to be built into a Constitution. This conscious “Constitutional Engineering” is now a major tool in the kit of state-building and functional political behaviour. For Guyana, the rules of the political game can be structured to accomplish three tasks: institutionalise moderation on divisive ethnic themes, to contain the destructive tendencies and to pre-empt the centrifugal thrust caused by ethnic politics. We have to state our democratic objectives up front, and choose institutions which may deliver them, and then incorporate those rules in our constitution.

The point, of course, is that effective constitutions have to originate in the genius of the people confronting the exigencies of their circumstances. What we are proposing is that the democratic state Guyanese hope for will not just fall into our laps. We have to self-consciously struggle to craft it.

A

The ammunition which was found on the businessman

40-year-old miner and businessman is now in custody of the Police in Region One, having been detained at the Port Kaituma Waterfront in the Baraima-Waini community of Region One last evening at about 21:00hrs with two and a half dozen live rounds of 9mm ammunition.

According to the Guyana

Police Force (GPF), lawmen acting on intelligence went to the Waterfront area at about 21:00h and contacted the suspect, a resident of Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara who goes by the alias “Soldier,” and a search of his person discovered the ammunition.

He is being processed for court.

A

Patentia, West Bank Demerara (WBD) resident was released on $125,000 bail after he was charged for trafficking almost two pounds of ganja.

Ryan Stanley appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Wales Magistrate’s Court.

The prosecution is con-

tending that on June 29, 2017, Stanley had in his possession 941 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

Reports are the Police had pulled over the Patentia, WBD man for a traffic offence when his car was searched.

The case will be called again on July, 24, 2017.

14 news Abary Creek farmers suffer Younge’s Take as flooding persists Citizens must SunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

challenge the Govt

G

The flooded farmlands in Abary Creek community

L

ivestock, cattle and rice farmers of the riverine communities in the Abary Creek, Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), are now in dire straits because persistent rainfall is causing them to incur major losses.

They are crying out to the authorities for urgent assistance because not only are their farms un-

der water, but their houses have been inundated for more than seven days, and this is causing them tremendous discomfiture.

According to reports, some 300 to 400 feet of the main creek in the area has been blocked by marine vegetation, and this is making it difficult for the water to recede.

Guyana Times spoke

to Region Five Chairman Vickchand Ramphal, who highlighted that flooding is preventing persons from perusing their livelihoods.

Ramphal noted that farmers are alarmed by the astronomical losses they have been made to bear. While appealing for assistance for those people, the Chairman revealed that the issue can

be easily rectified if the creeks and canals in the area are cleared.

This publication spoke to Ramo (only name), a cash crop farmer in the area who has suffered major losses. This farmer says he has lost some 1000 small plantain suckers, 500 squash plants, 1000 red pepper plants and 5000 sweet pepper plants to the flooding.

“I lost everything… that is, everything that I plant was covered by the water,” Ramo related.

Previously, the Drainage and Irrigation Department of the Mahaica/Mahaicony/ Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) was responsible for clearing the creek, but since 2012, no maintenance work was carried out on this waterway. As such, farmers cannot use boats to transport crops and tools, an alternative route has to be taken.

According to Seeta, another cattle and rice farmer of this community, she has lost 10 cows out of the 50 which she owns.

She noted that her rice cultivation is also currently under threat, and this could result in major losses for her.

“The creek block up and nothing can’t pass, and that is what causing the problem here for we,” the worried farmer relayed to this newspaper.

Ramphal revealed that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) was only recently made aware of the flooding threat in the area, and allocated resources from the Region 5 budget to the MMA/ADA. “From Abary to Mahaica Creek, the RDC allocates money for agriculture purposes, and will warrant that money to MMA for them to carry out the works,” he noted.

For several months last year, several farming communities in Region Five have grappled with extensive flooding, which resulted in lost crops and threats to livestock.

uyana is one of the peculiar places in South America where extra-ordinary things -- including rigged elections, government excesses, racial disharmony, bureaucratic corruption and political dishonesty -- are likely to become ordinary, and the new status quo if not actively challenged by the citizenry and their bona fide representatives.

Our country’s history is rich with examples of how some of its most important architects used ‘power’, ‘force’ and ‘ ethnic influence’ to create sporadic atmospheres of compliance and fear among the populace in order to achieve their social, racial and eco-political objectives.

Many can still recall the days of Forbes Burnham and the Peoples National Congress, when ordinary citizens could not easily challenge the Government publicly about their actions or wrongdoings Michael Younge without fear about systemic victimization and discrimination, or even mysteriously losing their lives if their stance received widespread support from the masses and therefore led to a decline in the Government’s image or standing.

The media then adopted a quasi-compliant tone, out of fear of being censored or economically strangled by the State apparatus, which controlled most of the advertisement. Its members were either murdered, forced to flee for their lives, or made an example by the PNC and its known and unknown sponsors of terror.

Others can also recall parts of the tenure of the Peoples’ Progressive Party, wherein some citizens felt discriminated against ethnically because of the deliberate actions of some senior Government functionaries in various parts of the country, and the party’s failure to rein in those functionaries to quell public outrage.

It is important to note that whilst the media enjoyed higher levels of press freedom under the rulership of the PPP, there were still attempts to blatantly silence certain media actors and agencies whenever the party felt it was being unfairly and deliberately criticised, scandalised, or called out. The PPP has also been suspicious of the media; and the media’s curtain tone and lack of investigative and thorough reportage of sinister and troubling events under David Granger’s Government, when compared with those that occurred under Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar, has justified this suspicion.

And whilst many will not admit it publicly, there has been a resurgence of high-handedness and arrogance on the part of the Government about some of the decisions and policies it is implementing. Added to this, ministers, parliamentarians, and some politically-appointed individuals who are serving in public service positions behave as if they are a law unto themselves. They use every opportunity to drive home the notion that they are in charge, and the wrongs done by the PPP have somehow given them the right to also commit similar wrongs, albeit of a lesser dimension and level of crassness.

Mr Granger has not done anything to inject temperament into the psyche of his ministers and army of advisors. Whenever they have wronged the people, he steps in and orders a Commission of Inquiry, or administers a dose of his ‘my hands are clean’ rhetoric to calm a very agitated public.

The truth is that citizens must never allow themselves to reach the point where they are afraid of the Government. Ex-military personnel or not; black supremacists or not; vengeful and vindictive personalities or not; dishonest politicians or not; Guyanese must stand their ground. The people represent the source of power for those who now misuse tax payers’ funds to lead upper class lives and achieve their destructive political agendas.

Whenever a citizen feels aggrieved by the actions of the APNU/ AFC Government or any other Government, they must challenge that government by moving to the courts, accessing the media, and launching protests on the various social media platforms. They should not fear being seen as anti-patriotic or anti-Government if they are against some of the recent half-baked policies of the APNU. After all, renowned political author Ron Paul expressed the view that “Real patriotism is the willingness to challenge the Govt when it is wrong”.

If they feel that they are not intellectually up to the task, then they must find rights organizations, the media, and other parliamentarians who can be a voice for them. If the parts of the media, too, appear deceptive and unwilling to tell their stories under this current regime, they should not be too surprised. They must go to those who will be unbiased and beg them to share their stories with the media.

Sections of the Guyanese media has become very compliant, and appear to have lost their passion and knack for sensational reporting as well as pursuing every conceivable angle to stories that cast a negative light on the actors in the current Government. They seem to report what are some of the most ominous errors only to cover the follow-ups in the middle and end of their broadcasts and prints, where people get tired of looking for them. While many may not recognize it, this Government understands and fully implements Tom Clancy’s theory. He said, “The control of information is something the elite always does, particularly in a despotic form of government.

Information, knowledge, is power. If you can control information, you can control people”.

But, in the end, the populace must remember that, as US President Franklin Roosevelt said, we must “never forget that government is ourselves, and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a president and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country”.

Speak out, and take lawful action if necessary, or remain silent as a sign of your endorsement of the wrongdoings and excesses of this extraordinary Govt.

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sunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Never give up: Single mothers urge perseverance, independence …as they vend to sustain their children

From left: Melissa James, Natalie James and Jennifer Rodiques

J

ennifer Rodiques of Capoey Mission became a widow years ago, but never gave up in providing for her eight children. This 51-year-old widow could be seen standing with two other women in the sweltering heat at the junction of Capoey Amerindian village in Region Two (Pomeroon – Supenaam), vending.

During an interview with this newspaper, these women all had one thing in common – perseverance and independence. Rodiques related that she awakes as early as 04:00h to harvest produce from her farm, after which she would journey to the “road head” to sell her produce to the public without even having breakfast.

The sacrifice she endures is for her children, whom she adores dearly. Rodiques said that on a daily basis she

stands behind her stall selling pineapples, kuru, awara, pears and vegetables to sustain her livelihood. She has been doing it for over 10 years, and enjoys the independence it has brought her.

She said some days are challenging, but she never gives up.

“Some days the sun is so hot and no one buying, sometimes you just looking out for when a car will stop and someone will buy out your produce, so you can go home,” the mother of eight said.

Like Rodiques, another mother of eight, Natalie James, does the same thing and endures similar struggles. She also vends next to Rodiques, and sells a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. James said she survives on farming and vending, all of which she does by herself.

Her children would some-

times assist her in the afternoon after school. She, too, starts her day early, then ventures on the road to sell.

Twenty-six-year-old Melissa James also sells cash crops. Farming is the only means by which she earns an income. James is the sole breadwinner for her family. She related that the Capoey area has a lot of pear plants that grew naturally, and she would usually wake up very early to go pick up whenever it is in season, so that she can earn a living.

James said despite the sun, she enjoy vending and being able to manage her household.

All three women reside at Capoey Mission.

Their advice to single women just like themselves is to not give up, but to continue to fight the struggles to provide for their children.

(Indrawattie Natram)

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SunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

NGSA 2017 results

Positive shift in hinterland performance – Hutson A

fter years of dismal performances by children in the hinterland regions, there has been a significant boost in the number of students who gained 50 per cent or more pass rate at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

This was revealed by Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson, on Friday when the 2017 NGSA results were announced.

Hutson pointed out that while children from the hinterland schools may not be among the top one per cent,

the number of children gaining higher pass rates has significantly increased, particularly in the core subject area of Mathematics.

To this end, he revealed that last year, Region One (Barima-Waini) had only six children who were able to obtain 50 per cent or more pass rate in Maths but this figure went up to 172 in 2017.

Similarly, only 93 students from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) got 50 per cent or more in 2016 compared to 328 students this year who passed the 50

per cent mark in the core subject. This trend was seen in the other regions such as Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) with just one child last year against 62 this year who gained 50 per cent or more, and Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) with 13 in 2016 compared against 157 in 2017.

According to Hutson, this upward trend was seen in all the subject areas and not just Maths.

Hutson added too that this shift in the hinterland performance is a

Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson

start on a long road ahead.

Nevertheless, he said, the Education Ministry will continue to push what is working to ensure these figures improve going forward.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Nicolette Henry reflected on the poor performance of hinterland regions last year, adding that she was dismayed and recognised the need for actions to be taken to change this.

“I was surprised when I saw no male had passed Mathematics in Region Eight in 2016 and so I asked for data for the past 10 years so I can look at

the trend so that I can see what the performance was like and so we have taken steps,” she asserted.

The Education Minister said she met with the Regional Education Officer to talk about the region’s performance. Henry said she is looking for performance, and as such, the Ministry has been implementing several measures.

Minister Henry further stated that while these hinterland students may not gain spots in the top secondary schools, the focus will be on getting them into schools where they will be

able to realise their full potential.

At this year’s NGSA examination, Korey DeCosta of Santa Rosa Primary obtained 492 marks to top Region One and secured a spot at the Santa Rosa Secondary. With 504 marks and a placement at St Stanislaus College, Romain Downer of St John The Baptist Primary topped Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Meanwhile, Region Eight’s top student is Rajendra Dalchan of Monkey Mountain Primary, who secured 480 marks and was given a spot at Paramakatoi Secondary. St Ignatius Primary’s Vidyani Campbell topped Region Nine with 507 and secured a spot at St Stanislaus College.

Additionally, a total of 291 students from schools in Regions One, Two, Five, Six, Seven, Nine and 10 are eligible for entry into President’s College. The school offers residential spots to students from these schools, including Region Eight, who have attained scores of 485 marks and above.

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SunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Anna's

Racism, Guyana’s invited enemy

R

acism is the insidious enemy of our developing nation, but it’s an invited enemy and food for politicians. Less subtly, it has become the cry of outrage systematically hurled by so many political partisans and propagandists who are incapacitated by their own ineptitude to defend their ideas, ideologies and causes.

Racism pollutes Guyana, invades every aspect of life in society; the virtual spheres of existence are far from exempt.

Paradoxically, there are those who purport to defend the construction of a national identity, while simultaneously denying legitimacy to the Anna Correia ethno-cultural diversities of Guyana. And among these, hide the hypocrites, lobbyists, who believe that a national identity must be on par with the interests of specific ethnic groups. These are the people who pose a real threat to nationbuilding.

One such person is Eric Phillips, who on social media (June 29: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=101555304 51994241&id=686579240) can be quoted as saying: “So how come there is an entire Ministry devoted to Amerindians and 26 billion in the 2017 budget for them… we all know why the Portuguese stay under the radar…”. When asked “why?” by a Portuguese user, Phillips responded; “Small numbers and the richest per capita”. This obscene discussion can be found on Phillips’ publicly visible Facebook page.

For the purpose of clarification, (but I’m sure Phillips and acolytes know this), Amerindians are indigenous to the Americas, to South America, and therefore represent through their cultural and linguistic heritage, a historical legacy for mankind. They are the bridge between the past and the present. It is for this purpose, for the preservation of that rapidly eroding heritage, that they are a world recognised and protected minority, for whom culture is intrinsically tied to their lands which were taken by force from them by the European colonizers. And it is because the Constitution of Guyana recognizes the rights of our indigenous peoples, and pledges to honour their place in our society, that Amerindian heritage has not disappeared in its entirety today. If Guyana was led by selfish, self-serving individuals such as Phillips, then the chances of indigenous cultural preservation would be slight, if any at all.

As for the Portuguese being the “smallest in numbers”, perhaps this can find clarity in Guyana’s turbulent colonial history, where hostility from the British, the Creoles and the Africans drove so many back to their native Madeira. When it wasn’t the British trying to curb Portuguese economic success via discriminatory economic policies, it was the Creoles and Africans leading riots to loot and destroy their businesses and homes.

Therefore, those who suffer selective amnesia should be reminded that in 1856 the Ange Gabriel riots ravaged Portuguese businesses in the three counties, with damages amounting to over USD 250 000, which at the time was a tremendous loss. There was the famous case of Manuel Gomes Ferreira’s Main Street shop being looted by a mob of 50 individuals in 1865, on the pretext that it was half open on a Sunday. There were also the Cent Bread Riots where mobs of women stormed Portuguese homes in Essequibo, while the men dragged civilians from tram cars and beat them on the streets. Then there were the 1889 Charlestown riots.

The Portuguese acumen for business, cobbled with their cultural specificities which extended to the linguistic and religious realms, were cause for resentment not only from subjects but also from the British Crown. As a result, shop licenses were either denied or came at exorbitant annual costs.

Timber was seized. Shop owners were refused permission to trade on Sundays while other non-Portuguese unlicensed shops were allowed to operate. And officially, the Portuguese were dubbed “aliens” long before the question of naturalization even arose, because of their cultural specificities. Last but just as important, came the 28-year Burnham dictatorship which forced Guyanese from across ethnic backgrounds, to flee Guyana.

It is therefore only comprehensible that under such circumstances, so many of these “aliens” heeded the call of the Portuguese Crown to return home, when the conditions were only barely tolerable in British Guiana.

The skewed historical rhetoric peddled by men such as Phillips, can only find ears among those who are unfamiliar with their history. Unfortunately, many of our younger generations are either uninformed or believe that history is irrelevant in the shaping of our country’s future.

However, the 2015 change in Government proves this belief to be erroneous and reminds us that history is our greatest teacher.

“It’s modern day presidential” – Trump

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nited States President Donald Trump has defended his use of social media in a series of tweets, following a row over comments he made about two MSNBC TV presenters.

"My use of social media is not presidential - it's modern day presidential," he tweeted on Saturday.

Earlier in the week, the president launched a crude personal attack on Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough.

His tweets were condemned by Democrats and Republicans alike, despite the White House spring-

ing to his defence. Trump's aides have previously expressed concern over his tweets.

But the president said on Saturday that social media gave him the opportunity to connect directly to the public, bypassing the mainstream media, whose content Trump regularly labels as "fake news".

"The FAKE & FRAUDULENT NEWS MEDIA is working hard to convince Republicans and others I should not use social media," he tweeted, adding: "But remember, I won the 2016 election with interviews, speeches and

social media." Trump also stepped up his attack on CNN after the US news network retracted an article alleging that one of the president's aides was under investigation by Congress.

"I am extremely pleased to see that @CNN has finally been exposed as #FakeNews and garbage journalism. It's about time!"

The story that caused the upset, which was later removed from the website following an internal investigation, resulted in the resignations of three CNN journalists: Thomas Frank, investigative unit editor and Pulitzer Prize win-

ner Eric Lictblau and Lex Harris, who oversaw the investigations unit.

The US President has more than 33 million followers on Twitter. Although it is becoming seemingly more difficult for the president to shock this audience, his 140-character posts have been condemned by both politicians and commentators.

Some consider the language used by Trump as unsuitable for the holder of the highest office. On Friday, the New York Post published a three-word editorial on Trump's tweets: "Stop. Just stop." (BBC)

18 news

SunDAY, july 2 , 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Parliament office being used as “cash cow” — Nandlall I

n a recent interview with this publication, Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs had asserted that Government switched budgeting allowances for Ministers from the Ministry of the Presidency to Parliament office to ensure a more centralised system.

However, the decision for the switch may not be so innocent, according to former Attorney General Anil Nandlall who is contending that since the Parliament office’s budget is approved by block vote; the Parliamentary Committee of Supply no longer scrutinises expenditure on a line item by line item basis.

“It is clear that since the Parliament Office budget is now approved in a block vote, as a constitutional agency, and is no longer the subject of a line-item by line-item scrutiny, it has been converted into a milking cow by this Administration,” Nandlall

said, in expounding on the issue.

He noted that under the People’s Progressive Party Administration, most of the expenditures personal to Ministers and members of Cabinet were part of the Office of the President’s budget and in some instances part of the budget of individual ministries.

“Under such a construct, these budgets were and still are the subject to line-item by line-item scrutiny in the Committee of Supply,” he added.

According to Nandlall, this system of oversight is no longer available as these form part of the lump sum approved for the Parliament Office’s budget.

It has emerged that an “administrative decision” was taken to have a property rented for Junior Minister of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, at a monthly cost of $500,000 borne by taxpayers.

Junior Minister of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes

In addition, another one is being rented for Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Patterson. However, questions put to senior members of the Administration have only been deflected.

Finance Minister Winston

Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Patterson

Jordan, was unwilling to reveal who made this administrative decision to set Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes’ rental cap to $500,000.

When approached recent-

ly to give an account for the arrangement, which would have cost the state some $6 million a year, Jordan consistently refused to provide any information.

“That’s Parliament’s business, not mine,” Jordan stated.

During a post-Cabinet media briefing on Friday,

Minister of State Joseph Harmon said the payment of house rent for serving Ministers of Government is not addressed at the level of Cabinet, but Parliament.

In fact, he said such funds come from that budget of the National Assembly. In light of this, the Minister said that he could not give the reason for the payment of such an exorbitant cost for rent for out of town Ministers, especially when there are Government houses available in the Campbellville community.

In a letter to Isaacs, Nandlall had requested specific information including the name of the person responsible for making an administrative decision on the rent and documents to support the contention that the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approved the arrangement.

There was no word, up to press time, on whether the Clerk of the National Assembly had responded to these questions.

Govt green lights contracts to upgrade stellings, wharf

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

C

itizens who rely heavily on ferry services will soon benefit from improved services, as rehabilitation works are set to commence shortly on stellings and wharves, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon, on Friday announced that Government has granted its approval for a $43 million contract for rehabilitation of the Mazaruni Wharf and Dockyard, $27 million contract for rehabilitation of the Morawhanna Stelling in Region One (Barima-Waini) and a $120 million for Supenaam Stelling in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

Earlier in the year at the Public Infrastructure Ministry’s end of year review, General Manager of the Transport and Harbours Department, Marcelene Merchant, announced that the Mazaruni Wharf and Dockyard is currently in a dilapidated state and needs

urgent rehabilitation. The dock was last rehabilitated on March 27, 2014. She further stated that at the Morawhanna Stelling, the entire bond and wharf will be rehabilitated and the fender system will be reconstructed.

The Minister of State noted that these upgrades are necessary, especially for the Supenaam Stelling since it is the main point of entry particularly for goods and services into Region Two. “It is important that we always keep it (Supenaam Stelling) at a high state of maintenance, several years ago when there was a problem where long lines of trucks were lined up for days trying to get to and from Region Two and it is part of our responsibility to ensure that every region of this country is provided with a reliable form of transportation for their goods and services,” Minister Harmon explained.

Some $291 million will also be spent on the acquisition and installation of a proportion system for MB Sandaka. A contract of that amount was also approved by Cabinet.

In February, 2016 the MV Sabanto, collided with the Ro/Ro mooring facility at Supenaam Stelling whilst manoeuvring to berth. This collision resulted in the misalignment of the floating pontoon and linkspan bridge, severe damages to structural steel beams and displacement of the mooring cluster piles. Consequently, emergency repairs to the tune of $6.6 million were undertaken to correct the defects.

sunDAY, july 2, 2017

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National Schools Basketball Festival regional finals…

Marian Academy, St Rose’s High, President’s College crowned respective champions a workmanlike performance to beat a spirited PC team 78 to 68 points.

Anthony Yansen, the MVP, scored a game high 34 points, 13 rebounds and 6 steals; with teammate Kwesi Roberts having 11 points, 16 rebounds and Atilla Williamson having 10 points, 6 steals and 4 assists providing valuable assistance for Saint Rose’s.

Rankin McDonald top scored with 22 points and

U-19 Regional champions for a sixth time! The Marian Academy U-19 males

A

s action continued in the regional finals of the National Schools Basketball Festival (NSBF) held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on Friday night, the Marian Academy’s U-14 males outlasted President’s College 64 to 56 points to claim the regional U-14 title.

Tournament MVP Jether Harris had a game high 38 points, 28 rebounds and 3 assists; with Meshal Allicock’s 8 points, 5 steals and Ethan Fernandes’s 8 points giving good support to the Marian win.

Gabriel Lin (best defender) had a big double-double

for PC with 35 points, 35 rebounds and 7 steals; while Jushawn Bailey helped with 4 points and 4 rebounds in a losing effort.

In the Female U-14 finals, the President’s College girls came from behind to pip Marian Academy 35 to 34 points to claim the coveted regional title.

Roshelle Campbell, tournament MVP, had a solid performance with 19 points and 14 rebounds; while Saffiya Greeen (best defender) had 9 points and 17 rebounds to give PC the win.

Jada Mohan (most assists), struggling with cramps and foul trouble, had

The victorious President’s College U-14 girls’ team

a game high 21 points and 10 rebounds; while Renuka Ramcharran added 7 points and 3 rebounds for Marian.

In the U-16 finals, the St Rose’s High boys held on to their ‘favourites’ status with

GMR&SC National Race of Champions

‘Speed Queen’ hoping to wreak havoc R ace car driver Sharima Khan, commonly called “the Speed Queen”, is hoping to produce her best performance driving her Honda Civic, “the pink beast”, when the National Race of Champions gets underway today at the South Dakota Circuit.

Khan feels she has what it takes to secure the podium finishes. “We are very confident about this race meet, because we have done changes on the car and it should be faster,” she declared while disclosing the changes she would have made on ‘the pink beast’ since the last meet in April, when her

performance was hampered by mechanical troubles her vehicle had developed.

“We did changes to the suspension, to help us be faster on the corners. We did some tuning on the engine, which should take a second off,” she elaborated.

Khan acknowledged that the Sports Tuner category would have stiff competition, but she said she is looking forward to this competition.

The event, expected to attract a large group of drivers and riders and a massive spectator turnout, is keenly anticipated.

Action gets underway from 8:30 hrs

Sharima ‘Speed Queen’ Khan

12 rebounds, while Lanon Friday had 11 points, 9 rebounds and Ashriel Burnett 10 points, 6 steals for PC in the loss.

The U-19 Championship final lived up to its billing, with Marian Academy outgunning a potent Plaisance Secondary Team by 68 to 65 points to win their sixth senior regional title.

Timothy Thompson top scored with 21 points and 12 rebounds; while Jether

Harris, playing in his second finals for the night, contributed 17 points and 6 rebounds, and Jahleel Young and Josiah Daniels also chipping in with 11 and 9 points respectively.

Tournament MVP and Best defensive player, Nigel Bowen, with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 6 steals, combined with Andrew Johnson’s contribution of 19 points and Jared Sears’s 16 points and 8 rebounds, was not enough for Plaisance to overcome their opponents.

This ends the Regional segment of this year’s NSBF, sponsored by the Edward B. Beharry Group of Companies Ltd and the National Sports Commission.

However, the NSBF National Championships’ week will tip off on Monday, July 3, at 1pm at the same venue as the nation’s best will now compete for national titles.

20 SPORTS

SunDAY, july 2, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Would West Indies’ presence at WC 2019 be relevant?

asks

Delvon McEwan

W

est Indies Cricket is known for its flair, flamboyance, aggression and exhilaration; and there are other descriptive terms that are equally applicable to this brand of cricket that has invariably mesmerised viewers -- whether in a stadium, bar, home or elsewhere – with its seemingly mercurial temperament.

Players from the Caribbean have for decades managed to fan the flames of hope in the hearts of their loyal fans with incredible displays of excellence, much to the disappointment of cricket crazy fans in other parts of the world, who were left with no option other than to admire the neversay-die attitude of Caribbean players; and this had resulted in West Indies’ dominance of the Gentleman’s game, starting in the mid-1970s.

However, as the game evolved, West Indies Cricket has suffered a rapid decline, one that is not realistically being accepted by the regional fans because of the strength the players from the small territories previously possessed.

It has recently been difficult to acknowledge that, for the first time since the ICC Champions Trophy

was introduced in 1998, the squad of maroon-clad players was absent from the tournament. This was due to their failure to be placed in the top eight of the ICC ranking at the tournament’s cutoff date for qualification.

This rapid West Indies’ fall from grace in the cricketing world has become a matter for passionate discussion wherever and whenever the maroon squad’s fans meet; and it could arguably be said that this team, once a powerhouse in all forms of the game, has so deteriorated that it is now a feeble minnow searching for survival on a professional platform.

They seemingly just do not belong in the top tier in the international arena anymore, because they are fading as quickly as the sun would set.

Maybe that is too harsh an assessment of the once superhuman unit, but it appears to have suffered, for close to two decades, by the administration of a strange kryptonite that has rendered it less than a mere shadow of its once mighty self; and there seems to be nothing visible that would remotely suggest an imminent re-assertion of its dominance.

Instead, there seems to be a harbinger of darker days ahead, judging from the team’s performance of late -many losses, compared to a few rare

Since the 2016 T20 World Cup win, there has not been much joy for the West Indies

wins.

Nevertheless, there were many concerns raised in relation to this team’s absence from the Champions Trophy, and there are more alarms surrounding their automatic qualification to the World Cup in 2019, which at this stage is inconceivable. Making matters worse, it is expected to be a tough journey for the Caribbean side if they are to get past the qualifiers in Ireland, because of the contrasting conditions there, compared to what is on offer in the tropics.

Notwithstanding all these concerns about the West Indies’ possible qualification for the World Cup,

if only because of their once powerful status, I would like to know if their presence would be necessary on a stage of such magnitude. And from all the positives I could think of, all the West Indies would be doing at the World Cup is participating. I do not think they would make any impact as a fierce competing team, nor would they be generating any revenues.

The West Indies Cricket Team is limited in every department. The players’ batting and bowling skills are poor; their fielding is comparable to their batting and bowling; and their leadership is questionable. Although Jason Holder possesses the potential to be a good player, his leader-

ship at this point in his career cannot even be compared to that of Steven Jacobs at the youth level. Jacobs, as a 17-year-old, was clever and strong; and as a youth leader, he was able to inflict misery on the opposition in any situation.

Apart from the poor qualities mentioned about the West Indies players, they just would not make any significant contribution to the tournament’s revenue. Think about it. In the ongoing home series against the touring Indians, there are at most scores of spectators, and sometimes hundreds in stadiums that were built to accommodate thousands. Then it is obvious what would happen in foreign territories. Because of their rapid decline, caused by varying factors, no one wants to see West Indies play, whether they are watching from the seats of a stadium or from the comfort of their homes or elsewhere.

Therefore, although there are many concerns about West Indies qualifying for the World Cup, more than at any previous time in their history, I do not believe their presence there would be necessary, judging from their performance in recent times.

West Indies v India 4th ODI, Antigua

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est Indies must feel this is just a surreal nightmare. They are playing in the rainy season in front of no crowds to adjust to the opposition’s schedule and to finish at least half the match before the opposition fans go to sleep. In the first half they try their

best trying to bowl with discipline but their inexperienced batting let them down.

Friday was their best chance to put one past India but they seem almost scared of aiming too high. If you looked at the fields and the kind of bowling West Indies employed, you wouldn’t guess

it was a difficult pitch to bat on. They have now not won an ODI series in three years, and are playing like it.

India, on the other hand, are enjoying a dream. The only dilemma they might be grappling with is when to give Rishabh Pant a go. They have avoided adventure on the

field so far, but if they don’t try out Pant, now that they can’t lose the series, this trip will be wasted. India need to keep giving the youngsters game time to stay prepared for the contingency of realising in early 2019 that one of their two middle-order giants can’t make it to the World

Captain Jason Holder has to find a way to lift a deflated West Indies team

Cup. The other, smaller question will be if they should allow Kedar Jadhav more batting responsibility higher up in the order and test him for a bigger role.

It’s like wine, MS Dhoni said, referring to getting better with age, after he had converted a slow start into a near run-a-ball 78 and had given India a match-winning total.

However, he is an uncorked wine; at this age - 35 now, 37 during the next World Cup Dhoni will know he is as good as his last couple of innings.

Jason Holder has an unenviable task of leading an inexperienced West Indies side, and he tried to do the noble thing of leading from the front. However, he might perhaps be better off being a little more practical and not bowl himself at the death. In the last two ODIs, he has been targeted by India. In Port-ofSpain he had to be taken off after he bowled three beamers - one of them was so slow Dhoni pulled it. His 4.5 overs at the death in the last two matches have cost 65 runs.

The previous ODI in North Sound was played on a damp pitch, which explains the low scores, but this one should be better to bat on.

West Indies made three changes in the last match.

None of the newcomers did awfully. Kesrick Williams had an impressive debut, bowling five overs in the last nine. It might just help them to stick with the same players for a while. The only question will be if they want Alzarri Joseph back.

WEST INDIES – Jason Holder (captain), Devendra Bishoo, Sunil Ambris, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Kyle Hope, Rovman Powell, Kesrick Williams.

Will either Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik get a chance now that India can’t lose the series? Is there scope to try Ravindra Jadeja again?

INDIA – Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Umesh Yadav.

Action gets underway today at 09:00hrs. (Cricinfo)

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The dominant Hamzah Eastman crossing the finish line ahead of Paul DeNobrega and Jamaul John

H

amzah Eastman outrode and outlasted a field of some of Guyana’s top cyclists to take the Malta Supreme Non-Alcoholic feature 35-lap Schoolboy Invitational race on Saturday at the inner circuit of the National Park.

The Team Coco rider fought off competition from teammate Jamaul John and Team Evolution’s Paul DeNobrega and Raul Leal for the majority of the race, to finish first in 1:21:00s; while DeNobrega came in second, John third, and Leal fourth.

Earlier in the day, Jonathan Ramsuchit was first in the 12 to 14-year-old Boys and girls 10-lap race, while Nigel Duguid finished first ahead of Marcus Keiler and Briton John in the Juveniles’ 10-lap race.

In the Veterans U-50 five-lap race, Sean Green won ahead of Keith Fernandes and Leer Nunes to claim the trophy.

Speaking to Guyana Times Sport after the race, Hamzah Eastman noted that he had a good race. He added, “There wasn’t much competition, I knew I just had to get at the front (of the pack), create the break, and that was it. It was pretty awesome.”

He spoke of plans to get into more overseas racing as he bids to put Guyana on the map in terms of the sport of cycling.

The meet was hosted by Bank DIH Limited under the Malta Supreme Non-Alcoholic brand, and was coordinated by National Cycling Coach Hassan Mohamed.

34 summoned to BCB trials

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21

he Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) had earlier this week disclosed that it would be using the school system to assist in selecting a squad to represent that county in the upcoming Female Under-19 Inter-County tournament, slated to start later this month.

As a result of this initiative, 34 participants have been identified, and for the next week will be training together at the Port Mourant Community Centre, before a team is selected for the competition.

Chairman of Selectors for the Junior Panel of the BCB, Leslie Solomon, has expressed satisfaction at the initiative taken by the BCB in using the school system to identify players for the upcoming Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB’s) Female Under-19 competition, scheduled to start later this month.

A trial match is scheduled for Monday, July 3rd at the same venue. Coach Tremayne Smartt is optimistic that the initiative to use the school system would serve as an impetus for the resurgence of female cricket in the county. She is confident that these girls, if properly groomed and instructed, can move on to represent Guyana and the West Indies.

Players called to trials are: Tavita Deonarine, Aliyah Samaroo, Varshanie Ramlall, Beonce James, Preya Singh, Aliyah Baksh, Shazana Barth, Alana Nadir, Trishel Joseph, Emily Narsingh, Tanaika Boyer, Keba Henry, Stacy Hope, Sarai Magalee, Sheldiana Bovell, Jonelle France, Amelia Boodram, Melissa Torres, Tashieka Arthur, Amesha Samaroo, Aleema Arokium, Plaffiana Millington, Lafona Gilgeous, Sheneta Grimmond, Shabeka Gajnabi, Christine Quintyn, Marian Samaroo, Rushanna Lynch, Omadevi Matadin, Kassica Munroe, Kimmone Thomas, Olisha Williams, Kavita Ramsammi, and R. Lynch.

Players are asked to be present at the Port Mourant Community Centre for 09:30h. The day’s activities include physical drills, pitch work, fielding exercises, and a lecture on discipline and acceptable behaviour from Police Inspector Michael Newland. The BCB wishes to express its deepest satisfaction and gratitude to the administrators of the New Amsterdam Multilateral School, The Berbice Educational Institute and the Vryman's Erven Secondary for supporting this programme.

Coach Smartt, in association with the BCB, has announced that a programme will be set up to groom female cricketers in the county of Berbice. Aspiring female cricketers are encouraged to attend these sessions and develop their skills in the game.

he Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) will host their National Senior Championships over the next two days, and fireworks are expected as Guyana’s top athletes clash, beginning today.

The meet will feature South American U-20 and CARIFTA 100-metre gold medallist Compton Caesar, who can expect serious competition from senior athlete Rupert Perry in the sprint events.

While the young athletes who are fresh off the highly successful South American U-20 Champions would want to take centre stage, the senior athletes would want to show the nation that they are still a force to be reckoned with. Not only will the field be graced by Guyanese athletes such as Natrena Hooper, Damon Williams, Emmanuel Archibald, Alita Moore, Alisha Fortune, Rupert Perry and Devaun Barrington; a few Surinamese and Brazilian athletes are also expected to participate.

This year’s Championships will see the reintroduction of non-traditional events such as the steeplechase and hurdles, as the

The last time Compton Caesar and Rupert Perry met in the 100-metre race, Caesar took bragging rights

association bids to expand the meet and expose athletes to the various events.

In following last year’s trend, a total cash prize of $20,000 will be at stake in each event. This total will be broken down to the winner receiving $10,000 while second and third place finishers are guaranteed $6,000 and $4,000 respectively.

The action starts at 10:00hrs daily at the Leonora National Track and Field Facility. There will be a midday break, followed by a second session beginning

at 13:00hrs on Sunday and 14:00hrs on Monday.

The Association will be doubling the event with a fundraising barbecue. Any patron purchasing a barbecue ticket for $1000 will be afforded entry to the event, while regular tickets would cost $500.

The AAG anticipates that a large turnout of spectators would be on hand to witness the National Senior Championships because of the successful staging of the South American U-20 Championships last month.

22

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, July 2, 2017

CASA Junior Championships

– individual matches get underway today

By Akeem Greene

N

ational Junior Squash players Benjamin Mekdeci and Taylor Fernandes are hoping to walk away with respective singles titles when the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships get underway today at the Georgetown Club courts.

Both players will be turning 19 later this year, which will bring an end to their careers as junior players; and each would have to play an integral role if Guyana is to cop its 13th consecutive title.

“This is my last year (as a junior player), and like anybody would like to do, (I

would like to) go out with a bang,” Meckdeci disclosed, adding: “‘Individuals’ is always a big goal of mine to add to my titles as Caribbean champion, but the team championship is more important than anything else; so making sure my boys are up to par and ready to perform is (my) ultimate aim”.

Training overseas for the last 10 months, Mekdeci feels the Barbadians, led by the Guyana-born Shamani Griffith, would provide the toughest competition for Guyana.

“Since the last three to three to four years, they [Barbados] have been tough competition.

He [Shamani Griffith] is a fantastic player and the team

has great depth; so the team that trains the hardest and focuses more will win, and I can say they [Barbados] can win only if they have trained harder than us”.

Likewise, Fernandes disclosed that she wants to avenge her team’s 3-2 loss to Barbados last year. “I am looking to avenge that loss. This year we have a better chance, since we have trained non-stop from September, which was the longest we have ever trained; so we can do it,” she said.

The singles’ title having eluded her last year, Fernandes is hoping to be lucky the second time around.

“It would mean a lot (to

me)! Last year was supposed to be my year, (but) I did not do well, I think. But I want to bring home the title, not only for me, but (for) my coach and family,” she disclosed.

The likes of Rebecca Lowe, Makeda Harding and Sarah Lewis are expected to take up the mantle of leading the team when Taylor departs; and she contends that once they are committed, they would excel.

Meanwhile, Head Coach Carl Ince feels the team’s chances are as good as any other team, given the intense training team members have been engaged in.

Cayman Islands, Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are the countries expected to participate in these championships, which Head Coach Carl Ince flanked by Taylor Fernandes and Benjamin Mekdeci

have attracted sponsors such as Digicel, Banks DIH under their Rainforest Water and Powerade brand, ANSA McAL, Bounty Farms, and ExxonMobil.

The individual events will start today, but the team events begin on Wednesday.

Action is set to last from 09:00hrs to 13:00hrs, followed by an intermission before a restart at 16:00hrs, to conclude the day’s activities at about 20:00hrs.

While some match-ups would be held at the National Racquet Centre at Camp Road and Woolford Avenue, most of the matches will be held at the Georgetown Club.

Guyana will compete in the Girls and Boys U-13, 15, 17 and 19 categories.

The Guyana teams read – Boys: Shiloh Asregado, Chad De Abreu, Nathan Rahaman, Louis Da Silva, Mohryan Baksh, Demetrius De Abreu, James Mekdeci, Michael Alphonso, Ethan Jonas, Shomari Wiltshire, Gianni Carpenter, Samuel Ince-Carvalhal, Lucas Jonas, Daniel Islam, Anthony Islam, Ben Mekdeci, Alexander Cheeks and Rithew Saywack.

Girls: Christiana Fernandes, Isabella Ramjohn, Beau Fernandes, Kirsten Gomes, Paige Fernandes, Aliyah Persaud, Abosaide Cadogan, Madison Fernandes, Haley Carpenter, Makeda Harding, Sarah Lewis, Rebecca Low and Taylor Fernandes.

Battle of the machines to...

FROM PAGE 23

Some intriguing battles are expected in today’s meet, since veteran racers Andrew King and `Sir’ Mark Vieira are set to renew their old rivalry. Both Group Four drivers have had a prolonged absence from the sport, with King returning only last April to compete at the first edition of the National Race of Champions in a Mazda RX7.

Vieira on the other hand, widely known for his exploits on the track, is expected to be seated in a three-rotary Mazda RX-8. With the addition of seasoned campaigners Rupie Shewjattan, Vishok Persaud and Danny Persaud, action in the Group Four category is likely to be fiery.

Sports Tuner will see wars being waged by the likes of the ever consistent Daniel Deokie and Shairma Khan; while the Group Two has Chet Singh, Shan Seejattan and Shairz Roshandin in the mix.

The bike races should provide ultimate crowd attraction, with reigning Caribbean Champion Matthew Vieira set to take the track amidst challenges mounted for supremacy by Kevin Persaud, John Bennett, Ravi Singh and Heemand Boodhram.

22 races are carded for the day, and action gets underway from 08:00 hrs. Tickets for adults are $1000, while children under 12 would pay a mere $500.

The meet is sponsored by ANSA McAL, Prem’s Electrical, B.M. Soat, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Ready Mix, Special Auto, Japarts, Ticket Master, Palm Court, KGM, MAC batteries, S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction, L Mahabir and Sons Cambio, and Choke Gas Station.

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, july 2, 2017

GMR&SC National Race of Champions

Battle of the machines expected at South Dakota

Get to know your Guyana Amazon Warriors

By Akeem Greene

23

Rashid Khan

Full name: Rashid Khan Arman Born: September 20, 1998, Nangarhar Current age: 18 years Playing role: Bowler

T

Fans will be in for a treat with the motor bike action

he South Dakota racing Circuit is expected to become a battlefield today when the nation’s top motor racers go head-tohead for championship honours at the National Race of Champions 2.

The numbers of competitors is expected to be high, since, according to Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club President Ramez Mohamed, the pits were packed on Saturday, with all the drivers and riders engaged in final preparation for the meet.

The GMR&SC president is appealing to motor racing fans to come out in their numbers to support this meet.

He acknowledged that numerous persons attend the November meet to cheer for their Guyanese drivers, and is contending that the same enthusiasm is need at the local meets, to encourage more drivers to compete.

Mohamed himself will be competing in the Group Two category at the meet.

He explained that when drivers participate at these local meets, it gives them a chance, ahead of the favoured November CMRC final round, to become privy to any flaws their machines might have.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Batting style: Right-hand bat Bowling style: Leg-break googly

A

t just 18 years of age, the From 14 matches, he snared 17 wickets at an econoAfghanistan-born leg spin“Well, all fans of Guyana Am- my rate of 6.62; and has had a ning sensation is arguably the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ trump showing of 3 for 19, which azon Warriors, wherever you best placed him sixth on the leading card in this year’s tournament beare: keep supporting us. Incause of the way he bamboozles top inwicket-takers’ list. ternational batsmen across the globe.

When Guyana Times Sport shallah (God willing), we will spoke Since making his T20 International to this player, he disdebut in October 2015, Khan’s career closed, “For the debut season, do the best to perform well has been on the upswing. He boasts I'm really looking forward to and win (the) title. And don't deliver good performances and figures of 5 for 3 from 2 overs against Ireland; and most recently, in the 50to be (at my) best in CPL”. forget us in your prayers.”

Over format, he etched his name in Along with Steven Jacobs the annals of history by ripping West and Veerasammy Permaul, Indies to shreds with figures of 7 for 18 (the fourth best Rashid Khan will form the core of the Amazon Warriors’ in the format). talented spin attack. The trio should receive great asThe precocious spinner has fetched the highest-ever sistance from the Caribbean pitches. bid for an Associate player in the 2017 Indian Premier Guyana Times Sport will on Wednesday be revealLeague (IPL) Auction. He was snapped up by Sunrisers ing some secrets about newcomer Steven Taylor and loHyderabad for INR 4 crores (US$597,000) and has per- cal boy Assad Fudadin. formed exceptionally well.

SUNDAY, JULY 2, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

GMR&SC National Race of Champions

Battle of the machines

Get to know your Guyana Amazon Warriors

expected at South Dakota

Pg 23

Rashid Khan Pg 23

Stiff competition is expected acorss all categories

CASA Junior Championships

Benjamin Mekdeci

Mekdeci, Fernandes aiming to end on a high

Taylor Fernandes

– individual matches get underway today GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, News Hotliine: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Sport: sport@guyanatimesgy.com Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 SALES AND MARKETING - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.

Pg 22

July 2, 2017

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Hindus for Selfless Service – Guyana

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Beyond being a beauty queen Page 5

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JULY 2, 2017

Feature

F

ollowing the successful execution of three programmes, the Youth Ambassadors Guyana 2015 has embarked on yet anoth-

month later, the team ventured into two high schools outside of Georgetown with a mission to engage students in extra-curricular activities

thrive in the world of work and/or in their pursuits of higher education. To date, the few selected to represent Guyana on YAP 2015 has

Participants of the UpForYouths Summer Program during the disaster relief fundraiser

Participants of the Emerging Leaders of Guyana Program during the camp day at Camp Kabouyak

er notable initiative aimed at developing Guyanese youths, equipping them with the necessary skills to take on leadership roles within their schools, workplaces and communities.

In August 2015, a group of six high school students and one adult mentor journeyed to the United States to participate in the annual Caribbean leg of the Youth Ambassadors Program (YAP). That three-week cultural exchange, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, focused on civic engagement and exposed the participants to training in leadership, teamwork, communications, as well as project planning and execution.

The programme also included a 12-day homestay with American families, along with a series of skilfully crafted activities aimed at offering 42 participants belonging to the six different countries from across the region life-changing experiences.

Upon return to Guyana, the Youth Ambassadors were tasked with implementing projects within their communities, incorporating the knowledge and skills gathered from the three-week exchange. One

(namely sports and drama), while targeting a number of social issues. At the same time, the Ambassadors used sports and drama to help youths develop an interest in giving back to communities, ultimately making a contribution to the development of their country.

After the successful completion of the first project, the group of young leaders maximised on the experience gained to initiate and implement a ‘summer’ programme geared at helping young Guyanese unlock their potentials, while awakening their social responsibility towards their country.

This undertaking, dubbed the UpForYouths Summer Program, saw an excess of 35 participants engaged in a two-week experience, during which they were able to organise a disaster relief fundraiser to help a single-parent family who had recently lost their home in a tragic fire.

Building on what was already accomplished, Youth Ambassadors Guyana 2015 even pulled off a Professional Development Program during their Christmas vacation last year. The Emerging Leaders of Guyana initiative provided a unique opportunity for 25 young adults to

influenced the lives of over 100 young Guyanese, who in turn have gone on to impact change within their communities.

Given that the ultimate goal of these undertakings is to inspire a sense of social responsibility and enhance the capacity of young Guyanese to execute charitable ventures within their communities, the Youth Ambassadors Guyana 2015 has now turned their attention to groups in need of support to realise their service project ideas. As such, the Guyana Youth and Social Entrepreneurship Program (GYSEP) was birthed.

GYSEP is aimed at engaging young Guyanese in service to their country through employing the strategies of business and innovation. This fourth initiative of the 2015 Youth Ambassadors seeks to increase the capacity of emerging change-makers by developing their projects ideas to be implemented across the country. Also, the programme provides an ideal opportunity for emerging change-makers to benefit from charitable experiences, while promoting growth through the execution of civic initiatives.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Natisha Mokutnauth, Youth Ambassador 2015, explained the objectives of the newly conceptualised initiative and provided an overview of her team’s dedication in giving back to the country.

“We are cognizant of the fact that only a few are fortunate enough to benefit from the Youth Ambassadors Program. Therefore, it is our goal to extend the knowledge and skills gained from the life-changing experience to create an army of changemakers to assist in our work to impact social change in Guyana,” Mokutnauth pointed out.

The young leader added

that with every programme executed, youths learn from the experience. As a result, youths “improve on their efforts to develop an enhanced approach in tackling many of the prevalent social issues affecting our societies”.

Mokutnauth explained that the programme is targeting groups of 3 to 5 persons between the ages of 18-25 who possess ideas for service projects, but are in need of assistance in developing and executing their initiatives. At the end of the programme, the groups will be better able to implement their projects, which are to go in effect in the following months.

In her call for applicants, Mokutnauth urged: “If you are a member of an organisation or just a group of friends looking to give back to your community, we encourage you to apply to our programme and let us help you develop your ideas.”

The programme is set for four days in July (15th, 17th, 19th, and 22nd) and will be hosted at the Raquet Centre, Camp Road, Georgetown.

The unique experience will wrap up with a Youth and

Project Exposition, which will allow the groups showcase their initiatives to members of the public, while vying for one of the two spots in the grand takeaway. That is, two groups presenting the most impacting ideas will benefit from further coaching which will be conducted by business and digital marketing expert, Dr. Rosh Khan of SocialRank and the Master Class Institute.

Groups interested in participating in this programme are invited to visit the Youth Ambassadors Guyana 2015 Facebook page for access to the online application or to obtain more information.

Application to GYSEP is currently on-going and will remain open until July 8, 2017.

The Guyana Youth and Social Entrepreneurship Program was initiated and will be facilitated by the Youth Ambassadors Guyana 2015 in collaboration with a number of local organisations. This effort is supported by the U.S. Embassy Georgetown and is accessible to all Guyanese fulfilling the criteria and is free of cost.

Participants of the Emerging Leaders of Guyana Program in photo with Dr. Rosh Khan

Note to Readers

Youth Ambassadors Guyana 2015 joined by students of the Hope Secondary School during their service project

As you peruse this week’s Sunday Times Magazine, you will notice that the publication is now 16 pages, with additional changes in content. These pertinent adjustments were made in an effort to produce a comprehensive publication focused on promoting more local content. Your feedback is valuable to us, hence we invite your comments and suggestions for story ideas, which you can send to guyanatimes@gmail.com or call us on 223-7230/31. We thank you for your continued support.

guyanatimesgy.com

JULY 2, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature

Hindus for Selfless Service – Guyana

designating the saffron flag of Sanaathan Dharma (Bhagwa Dwhaj) as its preceptor/Guru.

For the past two decades, HSS has held numerous activities beneficial to communities.

It held Ayushpa - suicide prevention seminars, 1996-1997; Parivartana - response to widespread conversion of Hindus; response to floods, 20052006; first Hindu Unity Day; National Diya, 2015; Indian Arrival Mela, 2016; Abolition

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Guyana - primary and secondary divisions. We were very enthused when your predecessor signalled in 2015 that Physical Education would receive an increased emphasis in the school system because of the need to develop healthy bodies and minds. This is a core belief and practice in the HSS. “Yoga is a physical activity that has almost no cost in its implementation, save trained

HSS family

he uniqueness of ‘Hindu dharma’ and the culture practised by the Hindu community have a significant contribution to the benefit of humanity.

Hindu dharma is not a ‘religion’, but a way of life. That means it is not just about ‘beliefs’, but how we act in this world. Proper action leads to the ultimate goal of ‘Moksha’ (liberation).

In the west, Hindus were forced to change their way of life or ‘dharma’. The duties that go with different roles have been forgotten.

The heroic roles of pundits and Mandirs have to be supported and supplemented for the inculcation of Hindu values, and needs the creation of role models in the wider society.

The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) – Guyana, which translates to Hindus for Selfless Service, is dedicated to the organising of Hindus into their social roles in the modern world – in accordance to the principles of Sanaathan Dharma. Values leading to good character cannot be transmitted by words, but by action.

The practice and even knowledge of our social obligations and relationships have broken down. It is therefore essential for Hindus living in Guyana to develop unity and harmony in their communities to effectively promote these salient features. Their contributions to the economic, social and cultural way of life is widely acclaimed and recognised.

It is with all of this in mind that HSS Guyana was birthed in 1996. For the last 20 years,

the organisation has been involved in many activities at grassroots and national levels. With a flat organisational structure, members are all seen as equals. Despite their physical attributes (age, sex, qualification and religious persuasion etc), roles are determined by members’ willingness to undertake responsibilities.

The members of HSS believe that the changes they want to see in our world and society have to start with them. Notably, they believe that service to fellow humans, and society, comes before their personal needs and wants.

These are HSS’ core values, which have also been the pillars for the organisation and its growth in Guyana and its branches around the world also in India.

HSS’ philosophy states: “We are all the result of inherited characteristics (gunas) and our actions in our environment. We cannot change our gunas, but we can change our actions and environment.

Repeated actions result in habits through the formation of sanskaras in our minds. To act in accordance with Sanaathan Dharma we have to break old habits and form new habits prescribed by Sanaathan Dharma.”

HSS Methodology

Ideally, a ‘Shakha’ meets daily at a specific time and place for one hour on an open field.

During that time a number of specific activities (yoga, Indian martial arts, games, and others – ‘shareerik’) and some discussions on social issues facing youths and how

The male youth group of HSS

Hindus can deal with them in the community (charchas) are conducted by the members of both gender (Swayamsevaks – male and swayamsevikas - female/volunteers).

The activities are intended to impart the new habits or ‘sanskaras’ and the new environment is intended to break old habits or ‘sanskaras’, hence to build role models within our communities.

HSS seeks to impart the following qualities in its members: Self-confidence, enthusiasm, discipline, volunteerism, punctuality, cooperation, strength, fearlessness, knowledge-seeking, leadership and patriotism.

The organisation’s yearly activities include: Shakhaweekly meetings at various locations across Guyana; Hindu Training Camps, which are held for one week annually; Hindu Heritage Camps, which are held on a weekend four times a year; National Hindu Unity Day; Indian Arrival Expo; Abolition of Indentureship Mela; National Diya – annually; International Day of Yoga activities; yoga sessions at various locations across the country; Blood Donation Drives; medical outreaches and health sympo-

Ramayan Chanting Heritage Camp 2017

siums.

Aditionally, HSS collaborates with other organisations to observe and participate in events, showing that there is unity in diversity and HSS’ strong belief in its ‘shastras’ that “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam- We See the World as One family”.

HSS views all sects of Sanaathan Dharma as one and represents this unity by

Day, 2017; International Day of Yoga, 2015-2017; initiated the call for yoga to be included in the Physical Education curriculum in schools.

An excerpt of HSS’ letter to the Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, reads: “We would like to formally propose that yoga be introduced into the Physical Education curriculum of the public schools of

teachers who would also benefit from such training. HSS is willing to discuss the modalities of initiating such a programme with you or any official you may designate.

Fundamentally, our role could begin with “training the trainers” at the Cyril Potter College of Education and also interventions in schools in areas where our members reside.”

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JULY 2, 2017

Feature

Eating using the Mukulah mudra

'Bare-hand' eating

I

n Guyana, eating with the hands is a norm. It is a cultural tradition that was passed down to us from our ancestors. Of course, there are certain foods – known as “finger foods” in some cultures – that require using the hands. For other cultures in Africa, India and the Middle East especially, there are meals which, though they are not called “finger foods”, are traditionally eaten with the hands. Some call it “handto-mouth” or “bare-hand” eating.

‘Seven curry’, a favourite dish served at Guyanese weddings and Hindu reli-

gious functions, is a meal that is “expected” to be eaten with the hands. People scoff at others who are seen eating ‘seven curry’ with a spoon, or, (even worse) a fork. Many would agree eating this meal with the hands is far more satisfying.

Interestingly, this tradition of using the hands instead of cutlery is a custom many Guyanese inherited from Indian as well as African ancestral tradition.

In Africa, like India, eating with the left hand is considered disrespectful – and unsanitary.

Within the Indian culture there is an old say-

ing, “Eating food with your hands feeds not only the body but also the mind and the spirit.”

According to ancient Ayurveda, all the nerves connected to the main parts of our body are interlinked and end at the hands and feet. The ancient native tradition of eating food with the hands is derived from the “mudra” practice, which is prevalent in many aspects within Hinduism.

Mudras are used during mediation and are very prominent within the many classical forms of dance, such as Bharatnatyam.

Kangula mudra is tak-

ing food with the thumb, forefinger and mid-finger.

Engage this mudra when eating long, slender pieces of food. As we bring food to our mouth in kangula mudra, the palm of the hand faces upward, evoking the spirit of consciousness as we touch upon nature. This mudra cultivates a gentle reverence for nature's precious gifts.

The first mudra, Ghronikah, activates and balances the element of earth within the body. The earth element controls our sense of smell and gives us added vision to “smell our way”, that is, to be keenly aware of our connection to Mother Nature.

Kadambah mudra crouches the five fingers around firm, solid food. This mudra is reserved for eating round-shaped fresh fruits that fit neatly in the palm of the hand, such as mango.

Practicing this mudra helps us to remember to be grateful for every speck of nature's food.

Mukulah mudra is eating with all five fingers tightly knitted together.

In this mudra, a minimal quantity of food is taken at a time, for example, ten grains of cooked rice. The mudra is used in annaprashanam, or the ceremony of first feeding, one of the 16 samskaras, usually performed in the fifth or sixth month of a child's life. It is said “every bite of food must serve to awaken cosmic memory of the first food we, as conscious human beings, imbibe from the ‘mother's nectar’.”

Fingers are considered to be one the most vital and precious parts for any type of action. According to ancient texts of Ayurveda, each finger is related to one of the

five elements. Thumb is fire, forefinger is air, middle finger is ether/space, ring finger is earth, and little finger (or pinky) is water. Each finger is said to aid better digestion process by releasing digestive juices and makes the person conscious about taste and smell.

Ayurveda scholars believe that each finger aids in the transformation of food, before it passes on to internal digestion. This belief states that “gathering the fingertips as they touch the food stimulates the five elements and invites ‘agni’, the fire of digestion, to bring forth the digestive juices. As well as improving digestion the person becomes more conscious of the tastes, textures and smells of the foods they are eating, which all adds to the pleasure of eating”.

guyanatimesgy.com

JULY 2, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

Times Women

E

Sharing out goodies to a local children's home

ven before getting into pageantry, USbased Guyanese Divya Yabindranauth, who currently holds the Miss United Continents Guyana 2017 title, has assiduously given back to her homeland. Her interest in pageants extends far beyond being a beauty queen, as she uses the platform to forward her humanitarian work.

Recently, Divya launched a fundraiser for the Saving Hands Emergency Aid, Inc. (SHEA) Charity – a US-based charitable organisation she has been working with for over three years. Under the theme “Saving Lives, Bringing Hope”, Divya is encouraging all to make a generous donation to SHEA. Raised in Tucshen Housing

Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, Divya migrated to the United States of America at the young age of 13. Divya has seen firsthand the struggles of some of her fellow Guyanese when it comes to healthcare and finding adequate treatment. From a very young age, she vowed to one day make a measurable difference. Three years ago, she joined forces with Saving Hands Emergency Aid, Inc., a non-profit organisation aimed at providing financial medical assistance, coupled with pro-bono or subsidised medical treatment for families in need.

As the Lead Regional Volunteer for SHEA, Divya seizes every opportunity as a gateway to continue in helping others and making a differ-

ence in the world. She assists with finding treatment services, raising funds, meeting with patients (especially children), and interactions on person-to-person basis.

Now, Divya’s goal is to raise GYD$1 million for SHEA. Thus far, she has received over GYD$55,000 via donations from her families, fans and supporters.

“This is my personal fundraiser for the SHEA Charity. I hope by August 1, 2017, you will help me meet and exceed this fundraising goal. I have pledged to help raise funds to aid in their mission. SHEA has been, and continues to be, a lifesaving portal for bridging the gap between healthcare and poverty in Guyana. I am kindly asking

all of you to make a contribution to the SHEA Charity, so that we can continue our lifesaving work. Whether it’s $1 or $1,000 your gift will make a difference for someone who otherwise cannot help themselves. Let’s come together as One People, One Nation and One Destiny to see how we can successfully save and transform lives one patient at a time,” Divya encouraged in her official press release.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, the humanitarian said that wining the Miss United Continents crown would not only be a “huge accomplishment” for herself, but will “help to put Guyana on the map in the world of pageantry”.

“The possibilities will be endless as it will open the door for many opportunities. It will give me the platform to continue my mission to raise awareness for the underprivileged, who are in need of urgent medical care, via SHEA Charity.

In addition, the Miss United Continents crown and title will allow me to be the voice of many who needs their voices heard. I will work diligently to represent the Miss United Continents organization, purposely fulfilling my mandate to the crown

Miss United Continents Guyana 2017, Divya Yabindranauth

and at the same time continue to work with my charity to not only provide health care services to Guyana, but to other countries that have people who need medical care but can't afford same. Of course, I will fulfil all my duties as a ‘queen’,” she declared.

Patrons who are interested in making a contribution to Divya’s worthy cause can do so by visiting Miss United Continents Guyana on Facebook. All funds received will be donated to SHEA Charity directly. To find out more about SHEA, visit http:// savinghandsemergencyaid.org Under the directorship of Missosology Guyana, Divya Yabindranauth was appoint-

ed Miss United Continents Guyana 2017. She will travel to Guayaquil, Ecuador to compete in the 2017 edition of Miss United Continents. This will be the second time a Guyanese beauty will be competing in this pageant, which will see the participation of different countries from all over the world battling it out in Evening Gown, Swimsuit, National Costume and Interview segments. The finals of Miss United Continents are scheduled for September 23, 2017.

Divya expressed sincere gratitude to everyone who has continued to support her on this once in a lifetime journey and vowed to make her country proud.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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JULY 2, 2017

Literary Corner

By Odeen Ishmael

O

ne day as Tiger was walking by the seaside, he saw a crab a little distance away throwing into the sea some small round objects which soon after would jump out from the water and return to him.

As Tiger moved closer, to his surprise, he noticed that the crab was actually removing his eyes and throwing them into the sea.

“What are you doing, my brother?” Tiger asked in great dismay.

“Oh, I am just playing with my eyes,” the crab replied.

“Well, you seem to be having quite a good time,” said Tiger. “Show me how you do it.”

But the crab was not willing to do this.

“Look here, Tiger,” he said, “I can’t make you play this game with your eyes because a big shark is in the sea.”

Nevertheless, Tiger insisted and finally the crab agreed to show him how the game was played. As Tiger looked on, the crab removed his eyes and threw them into the sea while singing softly, “Go my eyes, go to the middle of the sea. Go, go, go!”

Now to retrieve his eyes, he began to sing this other tune, “My eyes, from the middle of the sea, come back to me, come back to me.”

And immediately, the crab’s eyes leaped out of the water and returned into

their sockets.

Tiger was amazed, and excitedly he shouted: “I want to play this game! Remove my eyes and throw them in the sea as you did with yours.”

But the crab discouraged him.

“I can’t let you play this game,” he told Tiger, “because a big shark is in the sea and he may eat up your eyes.”

But Tiger was eager to play this game.

After continuous pleadings, the crab finally agreed. He removed Tiger’s eyes and threw them into the sea while singing loudly, “Go eyes of Tiger; go to the middle of the sea. Go, go, go!”

And his eyes leaped out of his head and flew into the sea.

Without sight and surrounded by total darkness, Tiger became very frightened and he jumped about and roared loudly.

“Bring back my eyes! Crab, bring back my eyes!” he roared angrily.

But there was no response from the crab, so the extremely scared Tiger tried on his own to get back his eyes by screaming out loudly “My eyes, from the middle of the sea, come back to me, come back to me.”

However, nothing happened. His eyes remained at the bottom of the sea.

Realising the situation,

Tiger became even more afraid, and jumped and roared louder and louder.

Then the crab spoke quietly to him, “It is because you are screaming and roaring that your eyes refuse to obey you.”

Tiger immediately stopped roaring. “Please, my brother, help me get back my eyes,” he begged the crab.

Then the crab sang

sweetly, “Eyes of my brother, from the middle of the sea, come back to him, come back to him.”

And the eyes immediately returned to Tiger’s face and his sight was restored.

As this was done the crab advised, “Now, take care of your eyes. If you play this game, the big shark in the sea could swallow them.”

Naturally, Tiger was most happy to regain his eyes, and he felt that he had become alarmed too quickly when his eyes were in the sea. So he felt that he must play the game once more.

He begged the crab to have his eyes thrown into the sea once again but to no avail. But when his continued pleas finally got on the crab’s nerves, he finally decided to do what Tiger wanted.

So the crab sang loudly, “Go eyes of Tiger; go to the middle of the sea. Go, go, go!”

Tiger’s eyes jumped out and again flew into the sea.

But just then the big shark was swimming in the area and he swallowed them as they sank to the bottom.

Of course, neither Tiger nor the crab knew of this, so they were not alarmed.

Tiger himself was more relaxed this time and was not afraid of his blindness.

After a little while, he said to the crab, “Please call back my eyes.”

So the crab sang sweetly, “Eyes of my brother, from the middle of the sea, come back to him, come back to him.”

But this time the eyes did not return!

So the crab sang out once more, but still the eyes failed to come back.

The blind Tiger, realising that something had gone

es.

dreadfully wrong, also sang sweetly, “My eyes, from the middle of the sea, come back to me, come back to me.”

But his eyes failed to come back.

“Where are my eyes?” he roared in anger.

“I warned you not to play this game,” replied the crab. “It’s possible that the big shark swallowed them.”

That made Tiger even angrier and he jumped and roared and blindly tried to hit the crab. But the crab managed to keep away from him and finally crawled into the sea to escape.

So the lonely, blind Tiger remained on the beach for many days.

Because he could not run, he could not hunt and so he began to starve. He was dying of hunger when the paiman of the area found him stretched out near to some bush-

“What happened to you?” enquired the piaman. “You look as if you are starving.”

“I’m very ill,” groaned Tiger. “I’m blind and hungry, because the crab caused my eyes to jump into the middle of the sea, and they never came back.”

“You really look very ill,” observed the piaman.

“Please help me,” begged Tiger. “When I recover I will hunt deer for you.”

Feeling sorry for him the piaman told him, “Stay here while I go and search for some medicine.”

He then looked for a curi tree and collected the yellow gum on its stems and returned to the seaside where Tiger was waiting.

He built a fire and melted the gum into a thick liquid in a small pot.

“What are you doing?” asked Tiger impatiently.

“Have a little patience,” replied the piaman.

When the molten gum was ready, the piaman ordered Tiger to bow his head.

He then drained the molten gum into Tiger’s empty eye sockets, one after the other. At first, Tiger did not feel anything, but when he straightened himself, he screamed in pain. And he rolled on the sand and roared loudly.

“Why is someone as strong and fierce as you roaring so much?” asked the piaman.

“It is because my eyes are burning badly,” Tiger responded.

“Then you must open them so that the breeze will cool them,” directed the piaman.

Carefully, Tiger opened his eyes, and at first everything seemed to be yellow in colour. Gradually, his eyesight returned, and when he looked into a nearby pool of clear seawater, he noticed that he had clear, shining yellow eyes.

“You can go now to hunt deer for me,” the piaman ordered.

And ever since that time, Tiger continued to hunt deer for the piaman to repay him for those shining yellow eyes.

Story, published with permission from author, is taken from “Guyana Legends – Folktales of the Indigenous Amerindians”

by Odeen Ishmael, published 2012. Ishmael is a veteran retired Guyanese diplomat. He retired from the diplomatic service in June 2014. He last served as Guyana's Ambassador to Kuwait, taking up that post in January 2011.

Bend of the River (Malali) I listened from the shores in the shade To all the sounds that the forest made The rhythm of Guyana speaking words The echoes of life, the river and the birds The land, where the waters ran through The blessings, the ways that I once knew The stories of the gently Demerara tides Where my roots and heart- strings are tied Water cresting and ripples kissing the shore Ebbing and slowly flowing with folklore Swirling inside, things that give us worth Calm and serene, the dear land of my birth Anointed for life, from the heavens above To rise high, to cherish and to always love.

Dmitri Allicock (Guyanese poet)

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JULY 2, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Feature

T

he town of New Amsterdam developed as a settlement beside Fort Nassau, some 55 miles up the Berbice River. Around 1784, as a result of the fluctuating fortunes of Fort Nassau, the Dutch relocated the town to its present site at the confluence of the Berbice and Canje Rivers.

The name ‘New Amsterdam’ was chosen because most of the colonists originated from the province of Amsterdam in Holland. Between 1785 and 1790, New Amsterdam was established as the seat of Government for Berbice.

At that time the town was little more than a forest settlement, with a house here and a house there, no roads, no drains.

By the resolutions of an Ordinance dated January 11, 1791, plots of land were awarded to settlers along the river front. In 1776, George Pinkhard described the town as that of a wild country, only just opening into cultivation.

It comprised an extent of

wood and water, with small patches of land breaking into incipient tillage.

In May 1825, an Ordinance to establish a Board of Management for the town was passed.

Subsequent ordinances in October 1825 and September 1838 resulted in the establishment of a ‘Board of Policy’ to be responsible for the affairs of the town. In 1844, a Board of Superintendence was established for this purpose.

Under their guidance the town grew. The Board of Superintendence lasted until September 1, 1891, when legislation was enacted to incorporate the town into a municipality.

The membership of this council consisted of members who had served on the Board of Superintendents and Mr. Neil Ross McKinnon, K.C., who was president of that Board, was appointed as the town’s first mayor.

Sunday Times Magazine features today cherished photos of the old New Amsterdam, British

Guiana.

(Text and photos by National Trust of Guyana, http:// nationaltrust.gov. gy)

8 Sunday Times Magazine

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JULY 2, 2017

Travel & Tourism

Residents relaxing under a tree near Orinduik Falls

I

magine being lulled to sleep by the cascading waters of Orinduik Falls, and then waking up to such a magnificent sight. Well, for the residents living in the vicinity of the Falls, every day is a ‘getaway’.

Orinduik is located on the Ireng River in the Potaro-Siparuni Region (Region Eight) of Guyana.

Sunday Times Magazine visited the natural wonder and interviewed Rachel Abraham, a 36-year-old mother of six (the eldest being 17 years old) who spoke about living at Orinduik.

She revealed that the few families living at the Falls farm, fish, and sell crafts/cassareep to visitors.

“When we have to get goods/supplies, we walk to Brazil, which takes two days to get there and two days to return home. We make this trip about every three months. I grew up at Orinduik, but would now venture to nearby village, Kamana, to take my children to school. When school reopens we stay in Kamana, but when it is closes for the holidays we come back to Orinduik. Life at Orinduik is amazing, although it gets boring sometimes. We swim and mostly stay indoors. I enjoy being here because when I go to other villages they do not have water and we have so much here. I will continue to live here for as long as I can,” she declared.

Facts on Orinduik

Orinduik is at a point where the Ireng River thunders over steps and terraces of red jasper, at the border of Guyana and Brazil, before merging with the Takutu River and into Brazil to join the Amazon River. Although jasper comes in many colours, including yellow, green and greyish blue, at Orinduik, the rocks are red.

The Orinduik Falls is a wide, multitiered series of cascades, which makes it an

Tourists' meeting point before embarking on an exciting tour of the Falls

ideal waterfall for swimming, unlike many others. The name of the falls, Orinduik, is derived from the Amerindian (Patamona) word, Orin, which is the name given to an aquatic plant found in these falls. The Orinduik Falls in all its glory is approximately 25m tall and more than 150m wide.

The Falls was discovered by C. Barrington Brown, who also discovered Kaieteur and Kuribrong Falls. There are frequent flights from the Eugene F. Correia International Airport (Ogle Airport), and most tours to Orinduik are combined with a trip to the Kaieteur Falls.

The Ireng River (or Maú River) forms part of Guyana’s western border with Brazil. It flows through the valleys of the Pakaraima Mountains for most of its length.

It is the only major river in Guyana that flows from North to South, and it is one of the northernmost tributaries of the Amazon River system.

The larger part of the Ireng River basin forms the frontier between Brazil and Guyana. The Ireng’s main branches are the Uailan and Canã rivers on Brazil side and the Cacó, Dacã and Socobi rivers on the Guyana side.

Orinduik is sheltered by the hills of the magnificent Pakaraima Mountains.

Thanks to the airstrip next to the Falls, visitors get a chance to experience Orinduik, which has become a popular tourist destination, meet the residents, listen to their stories and learn about their way of life.

Pay a visit to the Falls and be sure to greet the residents and support them by purchasing the delicious cassareep, and skilfully made artistic crafts. (Cover photo: Distant view of the meeting point at the Falls taken by Yogendra Callender)

Rachel Abraham and her baby

Breathtaking view of a section of the Falls (Yogendra Callender photo)

Aerial view of houses in the vicinity of the Falls (Yogendra Callender photo)

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JULY 2, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Healthy Living

Health Benefits of Jackfruit or ‘Cowa’

A

jackfruit, known in Guyana as ‘cowa’, is typically between 3570 pounds. The heaviest jackfruit ever recorded clocked in at 94 pounds and 2.9 ounces in June 2016, according to Guinness World Records.

This mild and versatile fruit packs nutrients for a healthy body.

Like many fruits, jackfruit is a good source of fibre, offering between 10-20% of the daily recommended amount per day. A cup of sliced jackfruit contains about two and

I

f you’re like many people, your big toe may lean slightly toward your other toes. Over time, the base of the big toe pushes outward against the first metatarsal bone, which is directly behind it.

The result is a bunion -a bony, often painful hump at the base of the big toe.

Bunions form at a joint.

That’s where the toe bends normally when you walk.

But when you have a bunion, all of your body weight rests on it each time you take a step. It can hurt when you walk. And, because your shoe likely rubs against it, a bunion can also cause calluses to form.

Causes

Foot problems typically start in early adulthood.

As we age, our feet spread, and the problems tend to get worse.

Bunions can run in the

family. They may be just one of many problems caused by weak or poor foot structure.

Sometimes, they develop with arthritis. If one of your legs is longer than the other, you may develop a bunion on the big toe of the longer one.

Women are more likely to get them than men.

That’s because wearing tight shoes -- and especially high heels -- pushes the foot bones into an unnatural shape over time.

Smaller bunions (bunionettes) can develop on the joint of your little toe.

Symptoms

Take a look at your foot.

See where the bottom of your big toe connects to it? If you see a bony bump there with your big toe headed in the opposite direction, you probably have a bunion. It may sometimes swell, turn red, feel tender to the touch,

or even hurt. Over time, it may also become shiny and feel warm when you touch it.

When to Call a Doctor

If you have pain when you’re walking in flat shoes that should feel comfortable make an appointment with a podiatrist (a foot specialist). It could be a bunion or some other problem.

Treatments

First, your doctor will check on why you have bunions. The cause will affect what treatment you need.

Your doctor might recommend a prescription or over-the-counter pain reliever, and medicine to relieve swelling and pain.

You may also want to use a heating pad or warm foot bath to ease the immediate pain and discomfort.

Some people find that ice packs help.

If your bunion doesn’t

hurt all the time and you catch it early, you may just need to change to well-made shoes that fit you right.

Some doctors advise bunion pads, splints, or other shoe inserts, as long as they don’t put pressure elsewhere on your foot and worsen other problems.

In some cases, an orthotic specialist can prescribe shoes with specially designed insoles and uppers that take the pressure off affected joints and help the foot regain its proper shape.

Some bunions may need surgery, but only if the symptoms are severe. You shouldn’t get surgery just because you don’t like the way the bunion makes your foot look, because the risks can outweigh the benefits.

You’ll want to talk with your doctor about what you can expect, and what the recovery will be like. The sur-

your urine, says urologist Mehran Movassaghi, MD, of Movassaghi Urology in Santa Monica.

Water dilutes the urea, so if you're not drinking enough of it, your urine will contain a more concentrated dose of urea—making your urine both a deeper yellow and giving it a heavier ammonia-like smell, he says. If you rehydrate, your urine will usually get lighter and less stinky.

You ate something different

High protein diets can change the aroma of urine, as well as asparagus, Brussels sprouts and curry.

You drank extra coffee

W

hen you look into the bowl, you should see some pale yellow urine—that generally means that your urine is healthy and you're well hydrated. But how should it smell? Chances are you don't give your urine's odour a second thought. Unless, that is, you notice something suspect.

Most of the time, you won't notice anything at all—urine generally has only a slight ammonialike smell, if it has one at all. But

there are some instances that can cause your urine to stink. Find out what's behind your urine's stench, and if you should worry about it.

You’re dehydrated

Just as not taking in enough water can leave your urine extra yellow, it can also make it extra smelly, too.

When your body breaks down the protein you eat, a colourless compound called urea is formed, which is excreted through

Coffee beans contain a compound called caffeol, which is released during roasting—giving coffee that delicious, drinkme-now aroma. But it's insoluble in water, which means it remains intact as it runs through your system and out when you take a leak.

So if you drink enough coffee—especially if you've been skimping on water and you're a little dehydrated—the caffeol will be more concentrated, says urologist S. Adam Ramin, MD, of Urology Cancer Specialists in Los

a half grams of fibre.

Jackfruit is also a good source of both calcium and potassium. When compared to bananas, often considered potassium powerhouses, sliced jackfruit has 739 mg of potassium in a one-cup serving while the same serving of sliced bananas trails behind at 537 mg.

Both jackfruit pulp and jackfruit seeds are good sources of protein. Each cup of sliced jackfruit offers approximately 2.8 grams of protein, similar to a cup of sliced

avocados. Although jackfruit is often swapped for pork in plant-based and vegan dishes, keep in mind that the protein count in jackfruit is not as high as in meat, which averages closer to seven grams of protein per serving.

Sliced jackfruit is a good source of vitamin B1 (thiamine) and is high in vitamin C. Thiamine promotes a balanced metabolism and healthy nerve function while vitamin C protects against free radical damage and supports the immune system.

gery is called bunionectomy.

You may get local anesthesia, which numbs the area, and sedation. Or you might

get general anesthesia so you’re not awake for the procedure.

Angeles. And that can give your urine a slight coffee-like smell.

The smell is worse if you're dehydrated, since you'll also be dealing with that concentrated urea, which can amplify the aroma.

ics can also cause your urine to smell, because those that contain penicillin are derived from mold.

That can give your urine a yeasty or fungus-like funk, but it should dissipate once you run through your antibiotic course.

When an infection occurs anywhere in your urinary tract, bacteria can change the colour and smell of your urine, says Movassaghi.

Usually, you'll notice a very strong ammonia odour, or it can be slightly sweet. In the case of UTIs, the urine is often cloudy or bloody, as well. Since the infections are usually caused by bacteria, an antibiotic from your doctor can wipe them out—and the resulting odour, although you may have a different smell in the meantime from the medication.

There are some sexually transmitted infections that are known to cause malodorous urine, Movassaghi says. These include trichomoniasis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. The change occurs because the organisms responsible for the diseases trigger more production of ammonia, which the body tries to clear through the urinary system.

Stinky urine might be the best head’s up you get for trichomoniasis, he says, since that STI usually has no other symptoms.

You have a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

You started a new supplement

Some vitamins, medications, and supplements have ingredients that can change the smell of your urine, and sometimes the appearance, as well. Anyone who's taken a multivitamin—especially one that contains vitamin B—and urined neon yellow after can attest to that.

Medications like antibiot-

You have a sexually transmitted infection

When to see a doctor

On its own, mildly smelly urine isn't usually worth a urologist visit unless it seems to be persisting, says Ramin.

If it comes with other symptoms like cloudy or bloody urine, pain or burning when you urine, or fever or chills, you should make an appointment. These can signal doctor-worthy issues, like an infection or even urinary stones.

10 Sunday Times Magazine Fashion

S

onia Noel Designs offers chic collections for any occasion, like her signature lattice designs featured today.

Locally, regionally and internationally, Noel is famous for her sophisticated, versatile designs that can be worn from the beach to the ballroom.

Recently, the designer celebrated 20 years in the fashion industry.

Visit Makin' Style Boutique by Sonia Noel at the Courtyard Mall, Robb Street, Georgetown, or check out Sonia Noel Designs on Facebook.

JULY 2, 2017

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JULY 2, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

Ripe Plantain and Cheese Empanadas Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 cup mozzarella cheese (or cheese of your preference), grated 2-3 cups vegetable oil to fry 1 tablespoon of sugar

4 sweet plantains 8 cups of water Salt to taste 1 egg

W

hen you walk into local furniture stores you may see ‘blankets’ fashionably placed on sofas. These ‘blankets’ are actually called ‘throws’. Adding a throw to a living room can give it a completely different look and style. Below are some ideas to add style to your living room using throws.

A neutral-coloured throw ties all the colours in a room together.

Method

Wash and cut the plantains in half. Boil them with the skin at medium heat in a large pot with 8 cups of water and salt to taste, until plantains are completely cooked and soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Urinel and mash cooked plantains with fork until you get a purée. Let cool.

Stir in egg, flour, vanilla and mix well. Put

it in the refrigerator for half an hour. Form 12 balls with the dough, press down, and make them round with the palm of your hand.

Add the cheese to the centre, fold it in half and press a bit around, so the cheese is sealed and it does not melt out.

Fry them on both sides until they are brown, without letting them burn. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar on top.

Greatest Cooking Tips

Matching a throw with pillows gives the living room a touch of elegance.

Non-stick cookware can be used to reduce the need for cooking oil.

When browning vegetables, put them in a hot pan then spray with oil, rather than adding the oil first to the pan. This reduces the amount of oil that vegetables absorb during cooking.

Herbs are delicately flavoured, so add them to your cooking in the last few minutes.

Herbs such as ginger and garlic are especially complimentary in vegetable-based stir-fry recipes.

Home Help Ran out of toilet cleaner? Pour a can or bottle of coke into your toilet. Be sure to pour it around the rim so that it covers the whole interior of the bowl. Let the coke sit for 1 hour. For stubborn stains use a toilet scrub brush after the hour is up. Flush the toilet and enjoy the sparkling clean.

Sprinkle corn starch onto carpet. Allow it to sit for 1020 minutes before vacuuming. This can work as an allover treatment or be used to treat specific spots on your carpet. Corn starch is especially good at drawing out oily spots on your carpet.

Apply rubbing alcohol to your ink-stained clothing and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Rinse through the stained area and wash normally.

Using a faux fur throw adds texture and warmth to the living room.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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JULY 2, 2017

Fun Facts/Puzzles

Spot the Difference Hammerhead Shark

H

ammerhead sharks, scientific name Sphyrna, are excellent predators that use their oddly shaped heads to improve their ability to find prey. Their wideset eyes give them a better visual range than most other sharks. And by spreading their highly specialised sensory organs over their wide, mallet-shaped head, they can more thoroughly scan the ocean for food.

One group of sensory organs is the ‘ampullae of Lorenzini’, which allows sharks to detect, among other things, the electrical fields created by prey animals. The hammerhead's increased ampullae sensitivity allows it to find its favourite meal, stingrays, which usually bury themselves under the sand.

The great hammerhead is the largest of the nine identified species of this shark. It can grow up to 20 feet in length and weigh up to 1,000 pounds, although smaller sizes are more common.

Find 10 differences between the two pictures

Found in temperate and tropical waters worldwide, far offshore and near shorelines, hammerheads are often seen in mass ‘summer’ migrations seeking cooler water.

They are grey-brown to olive-green on top with off-white undersides, and they have heavily serrated, triangular teeth. Their extratall, pointed dorsal fins are easily identifiable.

Hammerheads use their wide heads to attack stingrays, pinning the winged fish against the sea floor.

Most hammerhead species are fairly small and are considered harmless to humans.

However, the great hammerhead's enormous size and fierceness make it potentially dangerous, though few attacks have been recorded.

Its group name is school or shoal.

Hammerheads can live up to 20 to 30 years in the wild.

Fun Facts

1. Up to 700 black widow spiders can hatch from one grape-size egg.

2. To keep from drifting apart, sleeping otters may link paws.

3. Sloths are clumsy on land, but are very good swimmers.

4. A group of butterflies is sometimes called a flutter.

5. The blue whale is the largest mammal in the world.

6. Bubble wrap was originally invented as wallpaper.

7. Young gorillas play tag like human kids do.

8. After a chase, a cheetah needs half an hour to catch its breath before it can eat.

9. Alligator teeth are hollow.

10. Cryptozoologists study legendary creatures such as Big Foot.

Colour by Number

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- ENAMORS

(ENAMORS: eh-NAM-ers: Inspires with love; captivates.)

Average mark 37 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 56 or more words in ENAMORS? earn name namer nares near noes norm nose aeon amen

arms arose arson mane mano manor manse mare maser mason

mean mesa meson moan mora more mores morn oarsmen omen

ramen ransom rase ream reason roam roan roman rose same

sane saner seam sear senor senora sermon smear snare snore

soar some sonar sone sora sore

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

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JULY 2, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

A

pple's iPhone turned 10 on June 29, evoking memories of a rocky start for the device that ended up doing most to start the smartphone revolution and stirring interest in where it will go from here.

Apple has sold more than 1 billion iPhones since June 29, 2007, but the first iPhone, which launched without an App Store and was restricted to the AT&T Inc network (T.N) in the US, was limited compared to today's version.

After sluggish initial sales, Apple slashed the price to spur holiday sales that year.

"The business model for year one of the iPhone was a disaster," Tony Fadell, one of the Apple developers of

he called the CEO and founder here," said David Bairstow at Skyhook, the company that supplied location technology to early iPhones. "He thought he was being pranked by someone in the office and it took

the device, told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.

"We pivoted and figured it out in year two."

The very concept of the iPhone came as a surprise to some of Apple's suppliers

him two days to call Steve Jobs back."

The iPhone hit its stride in 2008 when Apple introduced the App Store, which allowed developers to make and distribute their mobile

applications with Apple taking a cut of any revenue.

Ten years later, services revenue is a crucial area of growth for Apple, bringing in US$24.3 billion in revenue last year. (Reuters)

a decade ago, even though Apple, led by CEO Steve Jobs, had already expanded beyond computers with the iPod. "We still have the voicemail from Steve Jobs when

Amazon Prime Day returns July 11

A

mazon said that its third annual Prime Day will be July 11. The sales day will include hundreds of thousands of deals worldwide and run for 30 hours, starting on July 10. As usual, these deals will be available only to Amazon Prime members, who pay US$99 a year in the US, for unlimited two-day shipping and other perks.

Amazon has found huge success creating the sales holiday in 2015 to mark its 20th anniversary. The company even broke its single-day sales record during Prime Day last year. But, as Amazon's dominance continues to grow, Prime Day serves as another example of the online seller gobbling up more market share as traditional retailers file for bankruptcy or close stores. The company last year accounted for 43 percent of all online sales in the US, according to researcher Slice Intelligence.

Perhaps aware of its increased influence, Amazon mentioned in its announcement that 40 percent of its "Lightning Deals" promotions on Prime Day will come from small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Since its first year, Prime Day has also gotten knocked for offering undesirable

Instagram to remove negative comments to combat online bullying

I deals along with low inventories of the most popular items. Responding to that criticism, the company increased its stocks of big-name items last year and decided to embrace the sometimes oddball or unexpected nature of the deals offered. These changed seemed to work, with Adobe Digital Insights reporting that customer sentiments on social media was more positive last year than during the first Prime Day. The company is also doing more this year to better organize deals and make it easier for customers to track and shop for sales.

Amazon will be continuing its "countdown deals" in the run-up to Prime Day. Those include discounts on memberships for Amazon Music Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited and Audible. (CNET)

nstagram has launched a new system that aims to prevent offensive comments being posted on photos shared on the platform.

The social network says it is a step towards keeping Instagram a "safe place for self-expression".

They hope the filter will help stop bullying and abuse taking place on the platform.

In May 2017 it was rated the worst social media platform for young people's mental health.

Instagram is now making visible efforts to change that perception.

"We know that toxic comments create negativity and discourage people from sharing. But it's also a hard problem to solve," the company says in an official statement.

Of the millions of comments left every day, the statement adds "only a small fraction of these are inappropriate."

The company is now employing people to teach computer systems to identify abusive comments, which will then monitor comments in various languages.

"The training process has taken several months, and has involved the review of more

than 2 million comments," says Michelle Napchan, Instagram's head of public policy.

"We know that this isn't easy. It's not just the words themselves — context is incredibly important to determining what's an offensive comment."

She says the computers will be looking at not only the words used in comments but sequence and combinations as well as the relationship between the person posting the comment and the one who shared the photo.

Instagram previously used a similar system to help remove spam comments from photos and says most people will not notice anything different in their Instagram feed.

(BBC)

Phone screens make eyeballs grow, experts say

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martphones are damaging people’s vision by causing eyeballs to continue growing for longer than they should, an ophthalmologist has claimed.

There are more people becoming short-sighted now than there were a decade ago, according to Andrew Bastawrous, who believes the amount of time we’re spending in front of screens is at least partly to blame.

Severe myopia can lead to sight-threatening conditions, including glaucoma and retinal detachment.

“The growth of the eye tends to slow down in your late teens and stop. But what's happening in these population is that it isn't stopping. It seems to continue, and it's being seen all over the world

but much more so in Asia,” Mr Bastawrous told Wired.

Myopia is caused by the elongation of the eye, which causes light from distant objects to fall just short of the retina, making the im-

age appear blurred.

“The initial theory for this is that people are doing more nearplane reading activity with smartphones which is encouraging the eye to become myopic to meet that

environmental need. There’s also evidence that suggests this is happening too quickly for it to be purely an environmental or genetic response.”

He added that this could also be

the case because people are spending less time outdoors, and getting less exposure to ultraviolet light.

“Many people no longer spend time looking at the stars and the mountains, they're looking at screens more often instead,” he said.

His views echo the findings of a King’s College London study from 2015, exploring the possible link between increased computer and smartphone use and rising rates of myopia.

The emergence of higher myopia rates in younger generations was “not related to the natural course of ageing”, it claimed.

However, it also added that the rise in myopia rates “might predate the computer” and phones.

(Independent)

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Bollywood/Hollywood

Preity Zinta launches emergency response service for women A

ctress Preity Zinta, who is also a women’s right activist, is launching a new service for women’s safety. Launched in association with Anthony Moorhouse, exSpecial Forces Australia, her service called the Kavach Safety is a “pro victim – anti perpetrator” emergency response service that assures safety at the press of a button.

A source from the team says, “Backed by a national Emergency Operations Centre, members will have access to a special Kavach team, a network of security, legal and high end forensic support medical, all of whom are former army and special force professionals, to support victims.”

Talking about her project, Preity says, “I started Kavach to ensure that no woman should fear for her personal safety in her daily life. It has taken me five long years to get here because I feel like we have a duty to the women of India to reduce the risk of violence, to support those that have been affected, and to educate the country that safety is a right, not a privilege.” (Mumbai)

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to play a glamorous singer

A

nil Kapoor’s “Fanney Khan” is set to feature Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as a glamourous singer, producer Prernaa Arora has confirmed.

Fanney Khan will mark the directorial debut of Atul Manjrekar, and is the Hindi adaptation of the 2000 Dutch release, “Everybody’s Famous!”

Aishwarya will soon start her preparations for the role.

“Aishwarya is a stunning and an extremely talented actress. In ‘Fanney Khan’, she will be seen in a completely different avatar from all our past films. She is the spunky, enchanting female protagonist who will make you smile with her screen presence,” Prerna said in a press statement.

Talking about rumours that Aishwarya makes her singing debut with “Fanney Khan”, Prernaa Arora said, “For now she is not singing, but yes she is playing a singer in the film, but in reality we still have to wait for that big moment when she decides to sing.”

Fanney Khan’s lead actor Anil Kapoor may be lending his voice for a number of

I

ndian actors Priyanka Chopra, Irrfan Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan, among other new members, have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture 2017.

Director Mrinal Sen, writer Goutam Ghose, documentary maker Anand Patwardhan, costume designer Arjun Bhasin, and sound expert

J

ay-Z has dropped his highly anticipated new album, 4:44, on TIDAL and fans are freaking out.

Not only because it's genius, but because it directly addresses the cheating rumours made on Beyonce's Lemonade album.

The hip hop legend faced a huge backlash last year after his wife's award-winning album addressed long-

standing rumours about his infidelity. Now, Jay has finally responded to the scandal, holding his hands up to his wife's claims. He even mentions that infamous lift incident with his sister-inlaw, Solange and references 'Becky'.

In the first track of the album 'Kill Jay Z', the 47-year-old father-of-three raps:"You egged Solange on,

knowing all along all you had to say you was wrong / You almost went Eric Benet, let the baddest girl in the world get away" - a reference to the American actor who was unfaithful to Halle Berry.

Moving on, in the song '4:44', Jay admits to feeling ashamed and apologises for his "womanising" ways with the lyrics: “I apologize, often womanize/Took for my child to be born to see through a woman’s eyes.”

He then goes onto explain the affect his infidelities would have on his children, saying: “And if my children knew, I don’t even know what I would do/If they ain’t look at me the same, I would probably die with all the shame... What good is a menage a trois when you have a soulmate / You risked that for Blue?” (Glamour)

Selena Gomez tops Instagram ‘rich list’

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songs for the film. Anil will kick off shooting in the first week of August. Aishwarya joins him by the month end and the film will wrap up in a start-to-finish schedule by October.

Anil and Aishwarya were earlier seen together in Subhash Ghai’s “Taal” (1999) and Satish Kaushik’s “Humara Dil Aapke Paas Hai” (2000). (Hindustan Times)

Amrit Pritam Dutta are other Indians invited by the respective branches of the Academy.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is a voting body of The Oscars, has issued 774 invitations to new members from across 57 countries, in order to diversify its membership, surpassing the 683 invitations issued in 2016. From 2015, there has been an in-

crease in women and People of Color (POC), invited to join the Academy. Since 2015, the Academy’s overall female membership has grown from 25% to 28% and its non-white membership from 8% to 13%.

Talking about the invitation, Irrfan Khan says, “It’s an honour for any actor to receive such an invite from the Academy, which is the highest organisation in the movie business. It’s great to see one sharing their name on a list, which has such diverse talent from across the globe— some of the best actors, directors and technicians in world cinema. However, it would have been nice to see some deserving directors from India in the list, too, who are in this business for telling stories.”

(Mumbai)

elena Gomez has been named the highest celebrity earner on the Instagram rich list, earning an estimated £425,000 per post.

She is also the most followed person on the photo-sharing app, with 122 million followers.

Kim Kardashian West and Cristiano Ronaldo make up the top three, earning £385,000 and £310,000 each.

Beauty guru Huda Kattan tops the social media influencer list, earning £13,850 per sponsored post.

Fourth place on the celebrity list goes to Kylie Jenner, with fifth, sixth and seventh being filled by Kendall Jenner and Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian.

Models Cara Delevingne and Gigi Hadid are in eighth and ninth place, earning £120,000 and £93,000 for each post they share.

Rounding the list up, in 10th place is basketball legend LeBron James, who takes

home £93,000.

The list was compiled by Hopper HQ, an Instagram scheduling site, using its internal data and public information. (BBC)

K

endall and Kylie Jenner have apologised following criticism of their new range of T-shirts.

The tops featured their faces and logo superimposed over images of musicians such as Tupac, Notorious BIG and Kiss.

The reality TV stars have now withdrawn the US$125 (£95) tops from sale.

"These designs were not well thought out and we deeply apologise to anyone that has been upset and/or offended, especially to the families of the artists," Kylie wrote on Twitter.

"We are huge fans of their music and it was not our intention to disrespect these cultural icons in any way.

"The T-shirts have been pulled from retail and all im-

ages have been removed.

"We will use this as an opportunity to learn from these mistakes and again, we are very sorry."

Before the apology was issued, Voletta Williams, mother of Notorious BIG, distanced herself from the clothes.

"I am not sure who told Kylie and Kendall Jenner that

they had the right to do this," Wallace said on Instagram.

"The disrespect of these girls to not even reach out to me or anyone connected to the estate baffles me.

"I have no idea why they feel they can exploit the deaths of Tupac and my son Christopher to sell a T-shirt."

(BBC)

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Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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JULY 2, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

Lie low, keep the peace and focus on what you can (March 21do, not on what you can’t.

April 19) Only make changes that promote emotional stability and greater security. Learn from experience.

ARIES

Uncontrollable situations TAURUS are best dealt with from a (April 20- distance. Observing things May 20) and looking out for your own interests will help prevent you from getting sucked into the eye of the storm.

Reconnecting with someGEMINI one from your past will tempt (MAY 28- you, but before you decide to June 20) move forward, think about why you didn’t stay in touch or how compromising the relationship was.

Uncertainty due to someone’s unpredictable nature (June 21will be a warning sign. Opt to July 22) do your own thing and to stay focused on physical and intellectual improvements.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Take care of any responsibilities you have regarding your family, friends, children or community. You’ll be frowned upon if you neglect to do what’s expected of you.

Protect your reputation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Try not to overreact to what others do or say.

Distance yourself instead, and guard against being lumped in with anyone who is unpredictable or difficult to handle.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Assess your situation quickly and guard against anyone trying to masterfully push you in one direction or another. Remaining calm and being rational will help you avoid a loss.

SCORPIO Spend time with someone (Oct. 24- you love. Togetherness will Nov. 22) encourage you to make solid plans. Taking a day trip or fixing up or altering the way you live is favored.

Accept that which you SAGITTARIUS have no control over and (Nov. 23change what you can to boost Dec. 21) your emotional well-being and financial future. Aim to stabilize your life, position and future.

Calvin and Hobbes

Weigh the pros and cons CAPRICORN of any position that will af(Dec. 22- fect your home, an imporJan. 19) tant relationship or a chance to explore your dreams.

Romance will improve your personal life.

An emotional incident AQUARIUS regarding money or health (Jan. 20- matters will surface quickly.

Feb. 19) Don’t overreact or make an impulsive move. Search for answers and make a decision based on wisdom and facts.

Make up your own mind.

PISCES (Feb. 20- Refuse to let someone use Mar. 20) emotional tactics to get you to give in. Speak up and make it clear what you will and will not do.