Guyana Chronicle Pepperpot 05-02-2021

A long, fruitful life - Respected Hague resident has contributed to his community

81-year-old Ganga Persaud is a well-respected resident of Hague, West Coast Demerara who came from a long line of farmers. He is also an active member of his community, having contributed to the religious development in the village and he also serves as a counsellor/mentor to the residents and youths. In this photo, Persaud and his wife of 58 years display a photo of Persaud in his younger days. (Carl Croker photo)

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Time for laws to protect the giant anthills

By Francis Quamina Farrier

THIS is a return to an issue that was addressed some years ago: the legal protection of those iconic giant ant hills in the Central Rupununi, Region Nine. With the ongoing development of Lethem, Campbelltown and surrounding areas where many of the anthills are located, some nature-lovers are of the

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 02, 2021

view that legal protection of those giant anthills has become necessary. Many feel that their future is in jeopardy. The recent issue with those trees which line the Mabaruma Public Road in Region One is a very recent example. It shows that Guyanese are becoming more environmentally conscious and would make their objections known, whenever aspects of the environment are endangered.

In this article, I pre-empt any reckless act by anyone who may have little or no interest in the future of those giant anthills. It has already been established that they are tourist attractions and as such, play an important role in Guyana’s Tourism Industry. Some folks even feel that they embellish the landscape. A tourist looking out from their hotel balcony or room, and seeing those

Farrier with one of the giant ant hills in the Central Rupununi, Region Nine, Guyana. tall cone-shaped images all across the landscape, gets the feeling of awe - of knowing that little insects were working hard many centuries ago, decorating the landscape and making the environment so much more attractive. Wi t h t h e r e c e n t a nnouncement that the trees which line the Public Road at Mabaruma in Region One were to be cut down, voices of residents and many others beyond were raised in objection and protest. That resulted in an immediate halt to the plan to cut down those iconic trees. Those trees have been saved due to the outcry by patriotic citizens who felt that it was a bad plan. It was a reminder that other trees such as the Mangrove are protected by law. It shows that many people are cognizant of how important trees are in our “Green Land of Guyana.” Any unlawful cutting down of the Mangrove can result in a huge fine and imprisonment for the person if found guilty in a court of law. Those mangrove trees help to protect us from the encroaching waves of the Atlantic, and no damage or destruction to them is permitted. There are large signboards placed in some strategic locations which have a message which state in part, “The Mangrove protect us, we must protect them.” Regarding the giant anthills in Region Nine, I first

ants. These giant ant hills have been regarded as tourist attractions for a very long time, albeit, not officially as far as I know. While in the area during a devastating flood some years ago, I observed that not a single one of those anthills was in the floodwater. It seems that the ants had a keen knowledge of the topography of the land and built their “hills” only on the high ground. While the flood water inundated many of the farms, dwelling houses and business places, I noted that not a single anthill was in the water. Amazing! While on visits to Ghana in West Africa, I also saw many of the anthills in the hinterland areas of the country; but they are not as tall as those in Guyana. Regarding the future of those giant anthills, it is felt that dedicating laws to

Farrier with one of the (not so) giant ant hills at Techiman, Central Ghana, West Africa saw these iconic ‘structures’ on my first visit to Lethem many years ago. I have visited that area of our beautiful Guyana many times and have always been in awe of those giant anthills which were constructed centuries ago by humble, little, hard-working ants. I use the word “constructed” because those ant hills were actually constructed by those little

protect those iconic gems of nature is now timely. Lethem is expanding and it should not be at the expense of those giant anthills which are rather unique and must be protected for the benefit not only of the present Guyanese and tourists but also for future generations of Guyanese.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 02, 2021

‘I prefer this job over any other’ - Female vehicle A/C technician not deterred by stereotypes

Vehicle A/C technician Ann Marie Machado.

Mars Workshop is located on George Street, a stone’s throw away from the Brickdam Cathedral.

By Telesha Ramnarine

A Ann Marie especially appreciates those female customers who are impressed with her work and encourage her.

S she lifts the bonnet to inspect what is wrong with the vehicle, Ann Marie Machado cannot help at times but think of all the negativity associated with working in a male-dominated industry. But she is not prepared

to let it stop her; instead, she believes that she may very well be on her way to taking over the workshop when her dad retires. “As a woman doing air conditioning, I have to deal with all kinds of people; from persons who feel I need rescuing to persons who feel like I am uneducated and have no choice,”

Ann Marie, of Brickery, East Bank Demerara, expressed in an interview with Pepperpot Magazine. The 22-year-old mother of one always entertained the idea of becoming a businesswoman while she was growing up but after finishing the Diamond Secondary SEE PAGE XXIII

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Climate Change, a foremost interest worldwide - A reminder of the importance of focusing on this issue

CLIMATE Change is an international issue that has been a pertinent topic of interest at various levels globally. According to the Federal Ministry, for the Environment Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety which is located in Germany post on the internet, addressing climate change is one of the biggest global challenges of the 21st century. The average global temperature on the earth’s surface is continuously increasing due to even higher carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, the impacts of which are already evident today. If global warming continues unchecked, it is likely to exceed the adaptive capacity of natural, managed and social systems. Locally, Guyana became a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janiero on June 13, 1992 and attained ratification on August 29, 1994. The Convention entered into force

for Guyana on November 17, 1994. Under Articles 4.1 and 12.1 of the Convention, Guyana being a Non-Annex I and Non-Annex II Party to the Convention is required to submit national reports to the Conference of Parties (COP) on its efforts to implement the Convention and address climate change. In 2002 Guyana submitted its Initial National Communication (INC) to the COP. On July 10, 2007, the Ministry of Agriculture on behalf of the Government of Guyana and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed an agreement for the preparation of Guyana’s Second National Communication (SNC) to the UNFCCC. Through the preparation of the SNC, the institutional and technical capacity of Guyana has been strengthened to allow the country to meet its UNFCCC obligations. The SNC comprises of seven main components/chapters, namely: National Circumstances of the country; Greenhouse Gas Inventory from base year 2000; Measures to facilitate Adaptation to climate change; Measures to Mitigate

climate change; Research & Systematic Observation Systems including a Technology Needs Assessment; Public Education & Capacity Building; and identification of gaps & constraints related

(NCC) and the Office of Climate Change (OCC), Office of the President provided overall guidance, technical and otherwise, for the preparation of the SNC. The activities for the

ed to take action to build resilience to change impacts and to enhance capacities to adapt. Indeed, the Government of Guyana (GoG) is committed to a green economy to sustain economic

the European Union and multilateral arrangements. Despite these strides, Guyana still requires an overarching framework for planning and implementing climate resilience actions to

to financial, technical and capacity needs. A Project Steering Committee (PSC) comprising several key government agencies; the National Climate Committee

various components were done through local and international consultancies. The base year for the SNC is 2000. Guyana has already start-

prosperity, environmental security and social well-being. Policies that support this vision include the Low Carbon Development Strategy, the Second National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the National Integrated Disaster Risk Management Plan, and the National Adaptation Strategy to Address Climate Change in the Agricultural Sector. Guyana has also made progress in implementing adaptation and resilience-building actions principally through interventions to the drainage, irrigation and sea defence systems to reduce the risks of flooding. Guyana has accessed external finance to support the implementation of these actions from several sources including through the Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Norway,

achieve the Government’s ‘Vision 2020’ for a green economy. This Climate Resilience Strategy and Action Plan (CRSAP) addresses this gap and aims to provide a comprehensive and overarching framework for adapting and building resilience to climate change impacts. The CRSAP builds on the work that has been undertaken in Guyana over the years and identifies key climate risks and priority resilience building actions. The Strategy and Action Plan are underpinned by the five cross-cutting pillars of adaptation identified in the Second National Communication namely information, research and systematic observation; institutions and capacity building; policy and legal frameworks; infrastructure and technology; and finance.

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Job hunting made easy with new locally-developed software

By Marissa Foster

JOSHUA Kissoon is the head of a company called Technify Inc. His company is currently working to launch “Careers.gy); their latest software. Careers. gy is described by Technify as a job management platform that focuses on the Guyanese market. It is quite similar to Indeed and LinkedIn which allow their users to find jobs, whether the user completed their academic studies or they’re currently studying. Careers.gy also seeks to help human resources departments (HR). It was developed with the hopes of allowing both Guyanese employers and employees to equally benefit in an easy to use and accessible medium. Careers.gy will be beneficial to students who are interested in job-hunting. It will also be convenient for students who are required to complete a minimum of one year’s work experience. According to the company, no matter what a graduate’s qualifications may look like,

it is no secret that they all struggle to land jobs and they are often underemployed or unemployed. As such, by utilising the services of Careers.gy, graduates will now be easily able to find jobs that matches their specific qualifications. This software will also be able to help (HR) departments with interviewing and recruitment processes by cataloguing all applicants in one location which will ultimately reduce filings, digitally shortlisting directly on-site, allows collaboration for companies who may have different employees being in charge of different stages of recruitment and provides automated assessment services (some companies might require candidates to complete specific assessments such as DISC assessment or language/communication). Business owners will ultimately be able to post vacancies on a platform utilised by Guyanese citizens, or persons who are looking for a job in Guyana. This game-changing software is expected to help Guyanese find suitable

jobs, help HR departments with recruiting new employees— all while saving time. The Pepporpot Magazine asked Joshua Kissoon what was the purpose of such software, his response was, “The purpose of this software is to provide a platform that simplifies the hiring process, making it easier for persons to find amazing companies where they can find synergies and achieve amazing things. It also allows companies to find amazingly talented individuals who share similar cultures while making recruitment a fun activity in the process”. The Careers. gy software is expected to be launched in May via a Facebook and YouTube live stream. Persons who are interested in using this groundbreaking software can visit the website careers.gy or techlify.com. Techlify hopes that Guyanese of all ages and academic background make use of their services as their software will serve as the new face of job-hunting in Guyana.

CEO of Technify and developer of Careers.gy; Joshua Kissoon

Depiction of “My Application” dashboard for applicants

Dashboard for the recruiters on the Careers.gy site

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Hague Village ( Carl Croker photos)

Hague ‘The village of fishermen’

By Michel Outridge THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine visited the village of Hague, West Coast Demerara, a medium size community of fishermen, farmers and other skilled professionals. Hague Village is located between Fellowship and Cornelia Ida and is home to hundreds of Guyanese of both Afro and Indo descent. This village has a few internal streets that extend from the foreshore to way down Hague Back, where there is large scale rice farming and orchard cul-

tivation. The public road section has a few large businesses and it is a place where everybody is familiar with each other. The people are neighbourly and very accommodating and friendly. Hague Village has a mosque, a church, a mandir, a Nursery School and a defunct community centre ground and building. The community has good roads, electricity, potable water supply, internet and cable television service, landline and cell phone services and just about everything else

that is needed to have a comfortable life. Hague is known as the village of fishermen. Most men in the community grew up in the fishing business and it is the only job they know, some of them are even third generations of fisherfolk. The people are simple yet they take pride in keeping their surroundings clean and tidy and there is an abundance of trees, plants and fresh fruits and vegetables. Hague is a place where a thirsty traveller can visit and get a cold drink of water and a place to rest, it is a safe village and it is quiet

Focus on the Village

and tranquil, especially for the residents that reside near the seawall. At the seawall, central government through the Sea Defence Commission in 2019 constructed a concrete ramp over the seawall which is very necessary for fishermen to access their boats and to load the fishing boats for their fishing trips. The concrete ramp was built in 2019 and the fishermen and all residents are very pleased with this development in the village. The villagers have erected wooden benches and seating accommodation to be comfortable whenever they wish to enjoy the cool seas breeze and relax. Hague seaside is a place where you would prefer to sit and reminisce on life among other thoughts and you wouldn’t be in any hurry

to leave since it is a really good place to be. As simple as it may seem, sitting by the seaside is a good way to de-stress and free your mind of negativity and it felt as though a thousand pounds of stress was lifted off the shoulders. Hague is a very clean village and it has a lot of well-kept houses and small shops and other essential services are sourced from nearby villages. The way of life for the people at Hague Village is simple yet fulfilling because most of the residents have a purpose in life and they are always trying to develop ways to earn and enhance their lives. Most of the people residing in the village have lived all their lives there with just a few newcomers. The people of Hague

Village are very hard working with less time to complain and more time to work. It is a village where people can still go over to their neighbour’s yard and get coconuts and fruits and vegetables because they are a hospitable people. Hague Village is a lovely community where people are in no hurry to pass time since they have things to do to stay busy. Hague Village is home to a few businessmen, who would buy fish on a wholesale basis for export and some are owners of fishing boats, who employ people from within the community to make the fishing trips, twice monthly. Here, the people are comfortable and life is good despite some challenges.

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The people of Hague Village

By Michel Outridge ZAHEED Hamid better known as “Syrup” is originally from Anna Catherina, also on the West Coast Demerara but relocated to Hague Village, where he has been residing for many years. He is a fishing boat owner and although he doesn’t go out to the Atlantic Ocean to fish he has some men from within the village, who work for him. Hamid has been in the fishing industry for as long as he can remember and is advocating for a better market and prices for fish. He describes life in Hague as good because of the quiet peacefulness and it is a safe place where there are no thieves among the

wooden bridge. He also was pleased about the concrete ramp which was erected for the fisherfolk at the seawall and stated that some women of

Richard Baker

which employ more than a dozen men. He has lived all his life in Hague Village, all his 35 years of age to be exact and consider the people to be

Zaheed Hamid (Carl Croker)

fishing business is “luck and chance” but the people depend on him to earn and he does what he can to ensure everybody takes home something. “To stock a fishing boat alone for a trip is half a million alone plus you have to give workers an advance of $30,000 for them to leave with their families while they are at sea,” he said. Baker reported that his last fishing trip was recently and he incurred a loss of three million dollars yet he has to give life to a dying business because fishing is their ‘bread and butter’. The Pepperpot Magazine also met another fisherman, Fazil Madramoottoo, who is in the fishing industry for the past 30 years. He pointed out that his

father was a fisherman and like most men in his family, they are all fisherfolk. The fisherman used to work in a body workshop for some time but re-entered the fishing business due to financial constraints. Madramoottoo explained that he welcomes the concrete ramp at the seawall but at least they should have been built halfway between the two streets in the village to provide an ease for all fishermen to use. He reported that the current location of the concrete ramp is out of bounds for them because they have to use large boulders to walk on to get to the fishing boats to load it when they have to go on a fishing trip. “Walking on slippery

Richard Baker and some of his employees people. The businessman added that they have seen a few developments with the village and that is a plus because the roads were in a bad condition and it was upgraded and a new concrete bridge at Duke Street was built to replace a rotting

the village would clean fish for a living. Hamid noted that the way of life of the people of Hague is simple and they are hard workers. Meanwhile, another resident, Richard Baker, is also a businessman and has several fishing boats

neighbourly and good. Baker told the Pepperpot Magazine the people of Hague own 14 fishing boats and presently things are not financially viable because of the weather and prices for fish, so it is not a good fishing season. He disclosed that the

Focus on the Village

Fish being stored at Richard Baker’s residence

boulders with weight is no easy thing and we have to fetch heavy things like drums of fuel to load the boat when we have to go to sea and we cannot access the ramp to get to the fishing boats and it’s hard and takes a lot of work and time,” he said. Madramoottoo added that at times they have to wait in the tide to fish and load the boats and it is time consuming and quite a bother for them. He stated that fishermen are people too, and they too, need some form of assistance to keep the fishing industry alive. This fisherman like many others is employed with Richard Baker and he depends heavily on the fishing to earn.

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The long-standing farmer of Hague Village By Michel Outridge GANGA Persaud is a resident of Hague Village, West Coast Demerara and is looking forward to being able to celebrate his 82nd birth anniversary in July. He is 81 years old and probably the oldest villager in his ‘neck of the woods and he came from a long line of farmers and a family tree of relatives who lived to enjoyed their old age. “There is no family secret to longevity, it’s heredity but I know I came from good stock and a people that were all farmers, who worked hard to grow their own food,” he said. Persaud, a spritely senior citizen and respected elder in the village, related that it was the way they

vation. His mother was also the lady who took the produce to the market to sell and he used to go along with her. Persaud’s father was the man who controlled the family business, the farm and did the hard labour. The elder reported that he came from a family of three sisters and a brother and when his parents came together to do things they were very successful, they set the stage for them financially. “My parents were people who never asked for anything and didn’t expect anything either and paid for people to do the work they wanted done,” he said. Persaud is still a farmer. He has 125 acres of farmland at Hague Back and they

the daily operations of the farm. The village elder has made his contribution to his village. He gifted the community a Hanoman murti at Cornelia Ida Mandir and he constructed the Hague Mandir for the people and to date would ensure the place is maintained. Persaud is a devoted Hindu and still attends mandir on a regular basis and serves as a mentor/counsellor for the members and more so the youths. He married his teen sweetheart at age 23 and they have been together for the past 58 years. Persaud told the Pepperpot Magazine he never fight or “cuss down” his wife and even if they had a disagreement he would make amends

- Still at it at 81

Ganga Persaud (Carl Croker photos) In 1996 Persaud and five others, all farmers, had the opportunity to visit India and the Philippines to understudy the Water User’s Association in those countries and returned to implement similar strategies here to assist farmers. This senior citizen also

enjoyed writing letters for the newspapers expressing his ideas on farming and how they can benefit but these days his hands aren’t steady as before so he has ceased writing. The farmlands have been in the family for generations and it was handed down

Ganga Persaud, his wife of 58 years and his son, Ray lived, the foods they ate, their lifestyle were that of simplicity, independence and hard work. He recalled as a boy everybody had their place in the home and knew what they had to do. His mother managed the house and still had time to assist on the rice farm using the bullocks to plough the land for culti-

cultivate rice, citrus, orchard and 18 months coconut seedlings. They have wholesale market for their produce and they have several varieties of rice as part of their crop. The Persauds provide employment for about 10 to 12 villagers, mostly cane harvesters and his son, Ray Persaud would oversee

swiftly. Their union produced four children, two boys and two girls, but his eldest son passed away in his 20s. “Being a farmer at my age is like I am living my best life and I can say I lived a full life and I am willing to stay a bit longer to have some more time with my grandchildren,” he said.

Focus on the Village

Ray Persaud, his wife and one of his three children

from family to family and it is a tradition that will go on nevertheless. Persaud is a down-toearth gentleman, who believes that there is no such thing as “hanging up his gloves” when it comes to farming, even at his age.

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The fishermen of Hague Village tell their stories

Focus

By Michel Outridge GANESH Singh is one of many fisherman in Hague Village, West Coast Demerara and he depends on fishing as his sole income for the home. Like many others in the community, the father of three told the Pepperpot Magazine that he comes from a long line of fishermen- his grandfather was a fisherman, his father, his brothers and many other men in his family tree all practised the trade. He has been residing in Hague for the past 20 years but is originally from Windsor Forest, and would make a three-week fishing expedition with a captain and crew from the village, twice a month. Singh explained that the fishing boat he works on is not a seine boat and they do their fishing with line hook, which has to be hauled in manually, by hand. He is a sailor along with four others and the captain and they would go as far, as 100 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, in our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), our waters, to make a good catch. Sometimes, they ex-

on the Village

Rajkumar Bissoon and his wife

Fisherman, Ganesh Singh (Carl Croker photos) plained that they have to go to Waini Point, Region One (Barima-Waini) or way up Corentyne River because they have to go further to fish since oil-drilling activities have disturbed the natural habitat of the fishes. Singh reported that presently it is not fishing season, due to the windy weather conditions and for a good

fishing trip they have to take into consideration the weather, tide and other things. “Being a fisherman is no easy task because when the tide is rough it is hard to stay still or walk in the fishing boat and we have to cope with so many challenges but overall fishermen are very strong people, we weather SEE PAGE XV

The concrete ramp at Hague seawall

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Hague/Blankenburg NDC fostering development at the community level

The Hague/Blankenburg NDC building

The new concrete bridge at Duke Street,

Hague (Carl Croker photos)

The upgraded Duke Street, Hague

By Michel Outridge H A G U E/Blankenburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) which is located at Fellowship Public Road, West Coast Demerara is responsible for the upkeep of four villages. These villages are Blankenburg, Hague, Den Amstel

and Fellowship and over time these communities have seen its share of development. Hague/Blankenburg Overseer, Ceceline Crighton told the Pepperpot Magazine that in recent times, the NDC through central government has upgraded Duke Street,

Hague which was in a bad shape. This took place about a month ago and a new concrete bridge was also constructed at Duke Street which replaced an aged, rotting wooden bridge. She reported that Den

SEE PAGE XI

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Hague/Blankenburg NDC fostering ... FROM PAGE X Amstel village saw the upgrading of two roads, culverts, revetment works done within the village to boost the drainage system. Meanwhile, at Fellowship Village, Crighton added that at the Side Line Dam, a crush and run road replaced the mud dam. She pointed out that drainage works are being done at Hague Back canal and a drainage pump was installed at Hague but is yet to be handed over to the community. Crighton disclosed that last year, like most people, they too were unprepared for COVID-19 and things were a bit slow but this year they are in a better position. She stated that things are gaining momentum and they plan to open up the roads in Den Amstel for residents to get access to the farmlands so enhancement works will commence clearing over-

grown weeds and bushes on existing roads, in that village. Crighton added that two tubings were installed last year to upgrade the existing drainage system in the village. In addition, the NDC Overseer stated that the Hague Cemetery Road was upgraded and solar panels lights were installed in these four communities to improve security at nights. Crighton reported that this year, more solar panel lights will be installed in Blankenburg, Hague, Fellowship and Den Amstel. She disclosed that recently people have been paying their rates and taxes on residential properties and the few businesses have not been delinquent either so that’s an improvement from last year. Crighton added that they are receiving the support from Central Government for most developmental works in the four villages they are responsible for and such will

continue as time progress. The Hague/Blankenburg NDC and the people have good relations and they are working collectively to boost development within the villages. Crighton stated that more roads, internal streets will be upgraded and drains, canals, parapets and infrastructure will be maintained through the NDC and central government and by extension the ministry. She added that once resources are available they will continue to foster development at the community level. The Hague/Blankenburg NDC building was renovated and conveniently sits on the turn at Fellowship Village, Public Road. Crighton and team also conduct community visits to ensure developmental works are taking shape and completed according to specifications and also listen to the concerns of the residents under that NDC.

Hague/Blankenburg NDC Overseer, Ceceline Crighton, Environmental Health Officer, Deon Dublin and Assistant Overseer, Lois Dash

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Our oil is the envy of many but our

e-services aren’t

THE quality of a product can be affected directly by the factors of production that helped to create the said product. Likewise, the quality of work produced by our Guyanese intellectuals and creatives can be affected by the type of e-services and mediums that are available in Guyana. We

myself a technological expert, but one does not need to be an expert on how certain factors may or may not affect the outcome and quality of work of any kind. The majority of us rely on our work for incomes to provide for our families; due to the pandemic, much of our work relies on the usage of

affect other interconnecting factors such as financial dependency. “Time is money” to many after all. For the sake of practicality, I’ll use my personal experiences to explain such a dilemma. I am currently the owner of a small business, a student at the University of Guyana and I am also a writer. All

can’t have a conversation on how to improve e-learning, online businesses or even online media without first establishing areas of weakness in e-services along with its interrelating hubs. COVID-19 has forced the majority of us to convert our working environments to online mediums. Now, I would not consider

the internet; our internet depends on the type and/or the service provider; the internet/ service provider relies on power supply to work. This is an equation that looks simple on paper, but in reality, when one of these factors is disrupted, so will be the rest. This will not only affect the quality and quantity of work produced, but it can also

three of these responsibilities require me to use the internet and power-supply services daily. I cannot provide my business’ services and products to our online customers without these services. I cannot access UG’s online classrooms/resources to complete the work that’s SEE PAGE XIII

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Our oil is the envy of ... FROM PAGE XII required of me without these services. I cannot write this article and/or produce quality and well-written articles without these services. Yes, some may argue that these services may not all be terrible and work can still be done. However, I am sure those persons will not take into consideration the mental strain this puts on the people who depend on such services to work efficiently. A different type of frus-

tration gets to you when you stare for minutes at the reconnecting circle when sending off a time-sensitive email. Let’s not forget how demotivating it is for students to be “bounced” out of class due to a power outage. Even when these connections are stable again, that concentration you had on the task at hand was disrupted and can prove difficult to regain. This conversation is not only subjective to students or writers like me. The owner of the local food stand by your corner depends on the power to store and/ or prepare her food.

The electrician won’t be able to fix electrical issues if there’s no electricity, to begin with. These services affect every single one of us in one way or another— even if we don’t directly depend on them. From the quality of the food you buy from the stand to the quality of news articles you read in the newspapers. I plead with those in authority to consider the sentiments of this article when decisions are being made as it relates to these services. Our oil is the envy of many, but our e-services aren’t and that’s a shame. It’s about time we consider how to improve such.

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The fishermen of Hague... FROM PAGE IX the storm and bring the catch home,” he said. He described fishing as a very dangerous job because being at sea you never know what can happen and they are risking their lives to earn. Singh added that there is always the possibility of a piracy attack or a fishing accident and there is no one around to help but with these things considered, they still have a job to do, and that they must. “Fishing is like a gamble because you don’t know if you will have expenses much less make a good catch,” he said. The fishermen practise saltwater fishing and would catch snapper, trout, kurass, gilbaka, banga, shark, catfish among others types of fishes. The 33-year-old stated that he grew into fishing and that he fishes to make a living. Singh explained that depending on the catch they get paid and if there is a good catch they receive a fair salary. Another resident, Rajkumar Bissoon called “Rayo” is well-known and he is the owner of several fishing boats. His son got married on Sunday and he was with his family at the seawall at Hague Village to do a religious ceremony. He has lived in the village for more than 35 years, his parents are from Hague and grew up there as a fisherman and that his grandfather was a fisherman too. He reported that all the men in his family including, his sons are all fishermen and the women are housewives.

Fishing is a family tradition for him and to equip a fishing boat with ration, fuel, ice takes half a million dollars for a trip which is about two to three weeks with a crew of four and the captain. Bissoon explained that 9,000 pounds of ice last 17 days and before that starts to melt the crew has to make it to shore. “Fishing is an art, which requires skill, like any other job, one must know what they are about and you have to know the weather, tide and know-how about fishing,” he said. The 48-year-old stated that loading the fishing boat alone is a task, at times they have to wait on the tide and getting nine drums of fuel, with 9,000 pounds of ice to store in freezers and pack the ration is not easy labour. He, like most boat owners and fishermen, has to pay people to guard their boats and engine at nights. At that time, there were about 10 fishing boats moored, it was a low tide. Bissoon disclosed that his crew will make their next fishing trip in a few days and he is hoping they make a good catch so they can all benefit.

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UNDER THE POUI TREE - CONCLUSION SHE got out of bed, drank a glass of water and sat down, unable now to sleep, reflecting on the strange dream that took her to a land she had never visited. As a student, and now a teacher, she had read a lot on the history of the CARICOM nations so she recognised the land was Guyana, located on the northeast coast of South America. It was a country famed for its pristine rainforest, majestic waterfalls, exotic flora and fauna and beautiful coastline. She had always found intriguing similarities

between her country Belize and Guyana for both were once under British rule with sugar plantations, indentured servants, slaves, and the only English-speaking countries in Central and South America. “And now it gets more interesting,” Sarah mused as she thought of the private estate, “Something sad seemed to have happened there, I wonder…” she left the thought unfinished as she got back in bed and closed her eyes to sleep. For the next few nights, she slept peacefully with

n o more strange dreams taking her on travels, but on the fourth night, she found herself once again in the garden, walking amongst its outstanding blooms, though veiled still by gloom. She stopped on a curving walkway to look at the poui tree and saw the man standing there again with his back turned to her. She inhaled deeply and stood there for a while, noting how tall he was, shoulder-length hair and probably young judging from his posture. “Why am I here?” she questioned silently, “And who is this man?” He turned slowly, as

stand.” though And so she did that, he heard her questions and easing the tense feeling in the dream vanished again. her mind. She could not understand Summer began, a seawhat was happening but son she always looked forshe had a feeling she was ward to,for it was vacation being pulled into someone time. Trips she sometimes else’s story. She spoke to planned with a few close one of her friends, a Pas- friends to different countor, detailing the dreams to tries to explore the beauty her and was told, “Maybe and uniqueness, and exit’s a calling for you, your perience the culture and destiny.” cuisine. Sarah looked puzzled, This year ’s vacation not quite able to grasp the was destination Guyana meaning of that. in South America, a place “There are lots of things described by tourism magwe don’t have answers for,” azines as a hidden paraher friend told her, “They dise, and that trip had been just happen, so let it flow planned before she started smoothly through your having the dreams. mind until you can under“How strange is that?” SEE PAGE XXVI

XX XIV PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 02, 2021 CHRONICLE

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ―― Sunday, CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT Sunday,February January 28, 10, 2021 2021

THE SEAWALLS THE COVID19 PANDEMIC FOREVER!

REVISITING THE GUYANA/ VENEZUELA CONTROVERSY SOON REVISITING THE MARCH OF TO COME BEFORE THE ICJ

THE Guyana/Venezuela controversy will again shortly and discussions where factual bases invariably become come up before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). blurred. InITGuyana, mostnecessary oflie thedeep writings controversy have In thisisoffering, we will depart this with normseashells and try to THEbecome Seawalls in consciousness of Guyanese today rather muddy was oncefrom covered and has forthe uson tothe revisit the impact of been of a historical and factual nature andThe this a good questions have been asking theup thepeople, COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana. but especially Georgetowners. Yet pandemic itis has rarelyanswer theretwo would alwaysthat be many children exploring and since picking first attacked over a year ago and counthing, since theGuyana Guyanese public are not encouraged of theoftwo Guyanese fishing boats inthey Guyana’s terribeen noticed by the news media and the lastthe time it wasseizure seashells different colours; sometimes may find large was their fortunate have Frank mentioned as antoitem of had national concern was five the or sixtorial conch shells. totry move attention into theDrrealms ofAnthony, arguments waters by a Venezuelan navy ship. The first question Honourable Minister of Health, personally taking years ago when the Ocean overtopped the wall and flooded The foreshore or continental shelf gradually rises and falls charge of operations against it. Dr Anthony immedithe yards parallel to the Public Road. This was the first every 20 years and today, the foreshore land between Camp ately began to establish the infrastructure necessary time in living memory that there was such an occurrence Street and the Pegasus Hotel has almost risen to the height of to meet on itsThe march. These included and itthe led pandemic to great panic. authorities hurriedly con- the wall and coconut trees and other vegetation grow on it. equipping hospital to treat COVID patients; structeda aspecial barrier of standing concrete increasing theWalls number of hospital beds for COVID slabs on the to counter such overtoppatients; ensuring oxygen supplies and testing kits; ping. In the last few weeks, the Seawalls educating the public about the pandemic have again featured in the news, but in and a the precautions tovein. be taken against the virus; fully extending happier the same of service providedRiver, by the best inFromquality Camp Street to the Demerara stitutions on the coast to the interior regions; estabthe wall had become disfigured by an acculishing farsighted bilateral and multilateral contacts mulation the of unsightly and no one to facilitate exchangegarbage of information and to secure assumed the responsibility of cleaning it. A the adequate supply of vaccines; the establishment of homeless man,vaccination Carl Melville,regime who sometimes a countrywide which has, at the slept there wasthis noticed by Dwayne Hackett time of writing article, had administered 70,000 trying to clean garbage and immediately vaccinations andthe will be moving in an increasing crevolunteered to helpare him. Hackett from placedabroad the scendo as vaccines procured and of incident on social media and immediately course, the tightrope walking process of imposing the numbers of volunteered services. lockdown. Drpersons Anthony and his their team’s management of Lady Arya Ali waswith one the of the first to Among the measures taken in all countries to curb the theFirst pandemic compares best worldwide and the Ministry Public Works, tended to pandemic is the lock down of economic life to prevent hasvolunteer been so and successful thatofthe population the Director of Solid of the become relaxed and Waste drop Department their guard and began to the conglomeration of large numbers of people, where the virus could be transmitted with great ease. The lockGeorgetown City Council andabout the Fire behave as if normality was toService return. This attitude of with confident complacency became involved her. The Fire Servicewas at vari- downs have devastated all economies and have resulted in much poverty and suffering, though they have saved cleaned the bandstand and in a few days all the millions of lives. As against the lockdowns, there is a garbage was removed and Seawalls appeared as if they had always been maintained! Many have been high in their praises of this example of civic responsibility. Likewise, the sea has reclaimed the land along the Kitty SeaThe Seawalls had always been the promenade and park for wall where houses once stood. Indeed, a substantial building the people of Georgetown and the surrounding villages from is still standing close to the wall near the Kitty Pump Station, the last quarter of the 19th century and continued to be so until but the sea is under it. Old fishermen who set their nets on the 1960s when the country became plagued with political ten- the foreshore sea could vividly describe the cyclical rise and sion and there were robberies on the Seawalls. For most of the fall of the beach. 1960s, therefore, fewer and fewer people visited the Seawalls. The Seawalls provided a favourite place for health enIn its heyday, the Seawalls were the most delightful place thusiasts. Many would go there to practise deep breathing of in Georgetown. The vast openness of the seascape and the the clean and fresh sea breezes. Others would be cycling or surrounding landscape, the blue skies and silver clouds, the even training for cycle races. Probably the most notable were ever-present seagulls and the steady flow of the health-giving the ones who went for physical culture. Many of this group trade winds and the enveloping peace and quietude attracted would go to the Seawalls by either jogging to get there or by hundreds of people at all times of the day. The beach which cycle and they would arrive there at 5 o’clock, long before

Research work helping curb...

ance with the warnings and advice constantly being issued by the COVID team. The realism of the advice became apparent when at the beginning of March From Pagethere III was a spike in the pandemic and infection and death rates rose to very uncomfortable levels. The leaders of the timate for thatPresident area and zone the village. “So we society, including Irfaan Aliinhimself, appealed in the space of 18 months, will work with the villagers to the population to take safety measures to protect themsome 33pointed Giant Anteaters to createofcertain rules and selves and out the seriousness the situation were identified. help them to know what they and the imminency of the infection and the suddenness According Millar, re- This should and should not do. with which deathtocould strike. message which hadFor the animals includexample, no one is allowed nowsearching been internalised in the developed countries has going out horseback to kill careful them, keep them as a nowedresulted in on citizens being more to protect and following them fromvery a pet, destroy is their habitat, and themselves and the curve gradually beginning distance to be able to stock light a fire in certain places, to flatten. up more scientific infor-is gradually so that we can further protect In on Guyana, the message beginning to be internalised to take action mation. Oneand of the police things have the begun population.” against infringing the safety precautions, they persons discovered is that the The SRCS hassuch been as ignoring the curfew not maintaining social distancanimals love to climbor trees. granted two years of addiing. The understanding down “Everyone across that the death tionalcould fundingstrike from the Small anyone at anyassumed time irrespective of age,Programme social standing, Rupununi it was Grants Guyana race, religion profession a expand sobering jaguars whenorthey saw huge is to therealisation. project to three Dr scratch Anthony and on histrees, team but are doing their part; ifnamely the marks more communities, public does its part, Guyana would be able to tame the now we know that it could’ve Shulinab Village, Wariwau pandemic, achieve normalcy and enter into the realm of been the anteaters, because Outstation, and Sawariwau quick social and economic development, which the oil our research shows that they Village. revenues love topromise. climb trees,” Millar The SRCS uses the funddisclosed. ing to pay the local rangers

several short documentaries called the “Secret Life of Giant Anteaters” and each episode focuses on different aspects of the work being done. Two more episodes are expected to be released this month. The team also does a lot of awareness work, including environmental education. They have another project for which they have designed an environmental education curriculum that has so far been implemented in four schools in the Rupununi and come this September, depending on the coronavirus pandemic, will be implemented to 12 other schools. “The wildlife is there.

XVII

the sun had risen. is, why is the Venezuelan public sowere convinced they On moonlit nights the Seawalls always athat crowded have a valid claim two-thirds of with Guyana’s territory and promenade. Many to went to socialise friends, but all went why theirthe politicians bellicose aggressive about to enjoy beauty ofarethesomoon risingand from the sea and the this claim? moonlight And the second is, why did there President blue-green whichquestion was brighter, since were Maduro Venezuela this time seizethe thevarious boats no road of lights to dilutechoose it. Others wouldtoenjoy when he would the Guyanese phasesheofknew the New Moon alienate with the background of population purple skies and cause embellished the international community to condemn or with thousands of stars which appear disapprove brighter of his action, Venezuela intersince leaving there were no cityisolated lights. Others nationally on the issue. would go to the Seawalls in the late afternoons to The answer to the sunsets first question began during theinto Cold admire gradually transforming the light ofof dusk. War: At theblue beginning the 1960s Britain had decided to joysthe of colony the Seawalls were the withdraw fromAnother Guyana of andthe grant independence, earlylikely evening concerts givenof bythe the newly Militia but it was very thatSunday the Prime Minister the Police at the Bandstand which independentBand stateand would be DrBand Cheddi Jagan, an avowed attracted of people. Their repertoire conMarxist. U.S. Cold hundreds War interests tried to persuade Britain sisted of light classical music such as Strauss’ and to delay Guyana’s independence, but all that Britain could other waltzes, ballet music such Delibes’ pizzicato promise was that she would hand over power to a non-ComandMinister. Sylvia, atAmerican least one English patriotic such munist Prime Intelligence feltsong that this “This royal throne of Kings” and British offerasneeded further insurance andand so Guyanese they devised Caribbean songs. The concerts arranged a plan whereby theirfolk client Venezuela wouldwere threaten to for early evening so that children could attend; manythat Guyanese in later lifeeconomies have admitted that their body of opinion advocates that be allowed first exposure to classical music was from these to function and that the pandemic should be allowed to Bandstand concerts. run its course, though it may be responsible for much loss On Easter thousands kite-flyers of life. They point to theMonday experience of pastofpandemics turned out from five o’clock in the morning. Kites SEE PAGE were all hand-made andXXXII were in a variety of shapes such as boxes, birds and snakes, but the predominant shape was the Guyanese octagon and in a variety of colours. Singing engines, a kite which made a loud droning sound, was one of the most popular. Kite-flying was always combined with picnicking. The Easter kite-flying today is a pale reminiscence of the heyday. As mentioned above, the political tensions and criminality kept people away from the Seawalls in the 1960s. By the invade Guyana if theremore wasstable any possibility of a Marxist 1990s life had become and people again began to government being installed in Guyana. frequent the Seawalls, but the ambience had changed. There Theup1899 Award hadofsettled the boundaries of grew stallsArbitral lining the parapet the Public Road from the Guyana and Venezuela and these boundaries were fully Kitty Pump Station to the Pegasus, selling refreshments and accepted bystalls bothwere parties and the communiall of these well-lit. TheInternational character of the Seawalls ty. One of the junior lawyers representing Venezuela had changed from a peaceful promenade to a lively fair. at the arbitration, MalletPrevost, left ais letter was not Now that the tourism industry beingthat revived, the toSeawalls have been after his death. In that letter, stillopened offer anuntil attractive attraction. he claimed that the Arbitral Award was the result of an arrangement between Britain and the Russian arbitrator to deprive Venezuela of its rights. After more than half a century, Venezuela, based on Mallet-Prevost’s posthumous letter, now rejected the Arbitral Award and claimed twothirds of Guyana’s territory. Mallet-Prevost’s posthumous letter was the causus Venezuela used to threaten Guyana and this continued after the Cold War, the raison d’etre for the claim, had ended. Most lawyers and historians who took any notice of Mallet-Prevost’s letter dismissed it as a historical curiosity or very flimsy evidence on which to attempt to upset a long-accepted Arbitral Award. But the Venezuelan politicians and the Venezuelan public gave credence and importance to Mallet-Prevost’s posthumous letter, which would have been dismissed in the modern world. But the Venezuelan politicians and public still live in the 19th century Napoleonic world where territorial conquests were regarded as acceptable and even heroic. In today’s world, this 19th-century ethic has been completely rejected. The Guyana/Venezuela controversy has been an albatross around the necks of Venezuelan politicians, since they use it on each other and their public has them imprisoned by it. The Venezuelan seizure of the two Guyanese fishing boats and President Maduro’s threatening words to Guyana was meant to create a national issue which the opposition has to support. The opposition is thus brought under Maduro’s umbrella and is temporarily neutralised. A decision by the ICJ would be in both countries’

XVIII haring their journeys

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 02, 2021

amazing women from the Women ogies. atch Radio NY requested an interim if it was okay for me to invite I am sharing some excerpts from

llips -- born in St Lucia, living in

being a Midwife of Purpose came broken, displaced, and s journey, I experienced a divorce, ot displaced on administrator’s position. Coupled wo major eclipses An eclipse happens when you can becomes greater than your current this process, you can transcend to a where you can connect with your as one with nature. orn in Guyana and living in NY have the real experience of dreamam world alive. I was immediately w with the agency where they tested Microsoft Office and typing speed.

The power of a changed mindset One week later I completed my assignment with CTO and was now ready to move on to my next career move. I called Monique to let her know I was available as we agreed and she was so happy to have me start my first temporary assignment with Deutsche Bank. My first

“Every thought we think is creating our future.” – Louise Hay assignment lasted two weeks, covering someone’s vacation. Due to my work ethic and desire to go the extra mile, I landed another assignment in the same department for six months, then another for three months, which finally led to my permanent position, allowing me to live a dream. Dr. Safeeya Mohamed – Trinidad We received the updates that the accident was horrific and that the victim was stuck in the car. The vehicle had to be cut open to get to the victim. It never occurred to me that my brother could be remotely involved. The next thing I remember, I was looking at the body of my brother covered in blood in a hearse. The strident, agonising scream of my mother in the A&E that early morning has not escaped my mind almost 17 years later as she howled “my son died, my son died, nobody’s helping us!” But nobody could, as his spirit departed at the point of impact. Up to this day, I ponder where the strength came from to navigate that night. Shanon Paar – Arizona

When I was six years old I started school in Mesa, Arizona, so I began staying with my mom and her husband routinely. It was like going from heaven to hell. It was a horror story that’s yet to be written. While at grandma’s I was filled with the love of a grandma and Jesus daily. On the other hand, at my mother’s house, I was filled with Rock ‘N Roll, drugs and inappropriate, wild sex parties. Ultimately, from such an environment you can imagine the kinds of abuse that mom’s house provided. When I was 11 years old, grandma Shirley died and my stepdad left. My mom had an emotional breakdown, so I ran away! I couldn’t take any more. Andrea Edwards – born in Guyana, living in Florida As I sat in the back of my dad’s Nissan Bluebird, I peered through the windows at the images on the fence of the Guyana Botanical Gardens and Zoological Park. The radio blasted the popular calypso song “1985” by a then-popular calypsonian. I would have just celebrated my sixth birthday, quite oblivious to the concept of time, but that song would not allow me to forget that it was 1985.

WE recently concluded another seven days of the Healthy Thoughts Challenge and the testimonials after just a few days were awesome. This particular I knew that in programme hasI would a highbesuccess rate. We have had so big trouble if stories, I told mywhether dad many success the course was sourced what hadTeachable, happened. Itthe wasbook a on Amazon, or my perthrough secret: the sonal coaching. kind we thathave coulda shift get me When in the way we think, our eyes into big trouble. I didn’t are opened to the opportunities that were always there. know much trouble, but Ourhow thoughts are so powerful and we have to keep I wasn’t willing to the toxic thoughts can dominate if monitoring because take a chance.It “Shhhh... left unchecked. reminds me of when the Women in Don’t tell anyone.” Maybe it’s the trauma of my experience, but for some reason I still cannot remember how often it happened, when it started, or even when it ended Penny Phakahi –South Africa I have had my share of turmoil and I strongly believe that it is these stints of turmoil that brought me this far in my life. I was and perhaps is still in my refinery process. As a young girl, I grew up with one main ambition, wanting to get away, far away from the system of thinking or the box that we often find ourselves in. Apart from understanding myself I always dared to be different, which was a constant struggle when surrounded by my situations. I grew up under a strict Christian family with my grandfather and step granny, as my mother lost her mom SEE PAGE XXV

Business Expo was in the thought stages and a few days ago an event reminded me of the benefit of it becoming a reality. Melba La Gadoue and Leisa Gibson opened their first retail outlet opposite the Kitty Police Station. It warms my heart to witness this collaboration because SEE PAGE XXVII

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 02, 2021

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, February 28, 2021

XIX XIII

ON THE AWARENESS OF THE AESTHETIC AND THE ‘BEING’ OF OUR YOUNG NATION Part II

Who inspires most young men in underprivileged and restless wards?

THE underprivileged are the majority of most townships where bloodline networks do not necessarily participate as it may more likely happen with villages. In both cases, if you’re poor, you’re poor, and help may sometimes come, with an imposing psychological jumbie that will inflict life-span haunting. This article is directed on how our society has become subject to a IN concluding this discussion, which is intended to raise grotesque transmogrification, as a result of narcotics, questions within the reader and inspire responsible actions its justification philosophy and cultural detachment among those that acquire decision making positions or are from values, driven by a creed of getting rich at any already there, we cannot arrive at a sensible without concostthat in the roughest of times were maintained or siderations in retrospect. So in a brief flashback, we must enforcedwhat to protect the tribe against thememory other. Many recognise, we have lost to our physical referof the cultural not subject to able community ence archive, and values use thiswere as inspiration, to be to raise but were imposed to bythe theaesthetic clash ofsensitivity cultural a changes, natural alarm, a connection alerting us atosocial the fact that we where need to a historical values in purgatory, nohave opposing inspimemory to our surroundings, as buildings, landration in or respect interception exists, from the extreme leadscapes and architecture are inherent of memories in ership. The inner South Georgetown wards and aboth few the conscious and subconscious awareness. Wesay have to others are the more vulnerable, or I should have become other than people who occupy a geographic space most vulnerable. onbeen this the planet, and relate to what is the necessary thinking Rarely have been analyses make comthat will enable usthere to address from thedone now to onward what of to opportunity isparisons significant telling ourbetween stories, socio-economic especially storiesareas imin our modern times, theWhen last such was ‘the Royal portant to our timelines. we report became independent, the euphoria ofinself-governed us, Commission 1896-97’ butnationhood none of itsintoxicated recommendait tions had its grounds for intoxication alongside were effective. From then to 2021, nosober real examsocial ination. We did not observation that all Welfare around documentation wasmake done the except for the Schools usDivision within the countries we stillI’m held controlled thatborders recordedofstudent incidents. not sure that admiration for, had retained the edifices of past times. this was done beyond Georgetown. The young male of Our own coloniser England never dismantled Hadrian’s the wards of ways Georgetown is from facedprevious with subcultural ideals Wall. In more than one, colonisers and thatfrom supplement social challenges of overcrowding; also despisedhis local leaders, they kept the memory hisreflection, struggle in forour individualism perspectives derived for Caribbean, and Christophe’s spectacular from such. While in enveloped sub-cultural machismo fortress of defence Haiti willby remain, regardless of his history. withhustler the obvious supremacy that and an Europe alternative culture,white that toughens him to emerged colonisation did not destroy sculptures resist thewith crumbling humanity of young butthe aged humanofity Afro-European Knights,exploited artworksby and literature of addicts, watchmen entities, who that can spoke of, or alluded to the African presence in a much barely walk to work etc. that exist on the environs of his older Europe, of course, they didn’t in-depth celebrate existence. Thealso survivors areidentities in two categories, the quiet them either, and hid their with new portraits unassuming and in movies.business people like the Robinsons (now closed since the murder of a was kin by of structures Drysdale Where we erred in Guyana notbandits) to use the andbecame Lombard Streets, thetheStephens ontrademark High Street, and that available with decline of services like the Trains, build museums that estate part oflike our a few out of to business that stilldedicated own theirtoreal historical memory. Why others. preserveMany the physical of the the Weithers, among others imagery upon arriving past? Simple, ancestors livedout it, for the historian, at levels of our success migrate of the area and the are crenot ative mind, theinspiration investigative journalist, youth the physical location conspicuous to upcoming who stare with is important. The development of museums was a continuous innate anger as total strangers can illegitimately obtain peeve of the late Dr. Dennis Williams, who had identified the Museums real estatetothey havehe lived on for while Five be built, insisted thatgenerations, a marine museum they grapple to aunderstand procedures prescriptive would have been must. I canthe now imagine aofdisplay of the ownership. example is High anditsDrysdale ship’s kitchen One on Lady Northcourt with cook, the Streets. portrait known as‘John’, the ‘Big Yard.’ Thefrom inspiration that remain ofAlso indifference ‘keep away John’s kitchen, and why?’ A caption read before rude faced ship’stimes, cook are mainly theshould custodians of thethis narratives of past made of papier máché –“whose lay beneath toilet, mainly the old-time bad men,kitchen street fighters andastreetfrom water or respect so we were wisewhich women, alldripped retain acontinuously, grudging due frommade upSee Page XIX coming restless youth, changing times have had a severe impact on many of that era. Unfortunately and sad, the hopefuls are the drug dealers, their presence has served to impose a vicious community disconnect, as many of the people they sell their poisons to, are known to them, and SEE PAGE XX

XX

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 02, 2021

Who inspires most young men in .... FROM PAGE XIX

have shared growing up working and dancehall memories with, and there was a time when wrong was not done to community kith and kin, but the imposition of survival in the face of disappearing traditional income with no visible alternatives provided in an economy that is more loyal to its colonial inherited definition of business, than to innovation suggested by internal perspectives that don’t fit into their political camaraderie, or alumni, the merit of an idea from raw unknown talent will be discarded or stolen, but hardly considered for a fertile equal engagement. I should explain that categories like grassroots, bourgeois, underprivileged, middle class are not genetic constructs; these definitions are based on having economic means, as against the challenges of growth without enough economic means, they do not constitute potential or what is described as ‘hidden talent’ the wards of Georgetown that are the object of this article are such a balanced case study. The youth man without an alternate exposure at a corner, without economic means, is confronted by a warning that my father always echoed in my ears, “A white beard like Moses, with tragic stories that sound tough and exciting, don’t be conned into thinking that age is wisdom, bad deeds grow old too” the reality is, all suggestions must be paused and thoroughly explored, or you could be initiated into a mindset of some joy, but with much greater regrets because the tales the old corner prophet tells, may be his way of fighting off regret and sustaining the ‘Will’ to rise tomorrow. There is a vacuum that our schools are subjected to, that there are no avenues for the expression of challenges towards self-definition, or the exploration of ability in the areas of drama and expression, which can lead to later income. The structure of the southern wards of Georgetown, and similarly other areas are devoid of the space, pavilions and community centre construct and programmes that can nurture dormant alternatives, than the impositions of the sole ‘live economic downside of de- Bad bwoy survivor culture’ even if the buildings are built, the innovative programmes must be in effect with experienced drop-in tutors to make it work. Next, we must look at why a serious directive of investment has always been directed to towns and cities.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 02, 2021 CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, February 28, 2021

India’s Aye orCOVID-19 no for battle should be parliamentary a lesson for decorum? everyone

DURING this past week’s edition of ‘In the National Assembly,’ Parliamentarians debated the 2021 National Budget, which was presented earlier in the month by SeINDIA has been getPresident their deceased relatives nior Minister in thefacing Officeaof the with responsiCOVID-19 crisis Dr. over the Singh. cremated buried.however, bility for finance, Ashni Theordebate, past few weeks has suggest that the spotlighted a lack that of decorum in Reports the Parliament. crippled theunderstandable local health-andsurge may be to the It is both acceptable forlinked the different care of system and--resulted flouting COVID-19sides guidesides the house the government andofopposition -the loss of many lives. I budget. lines, wherein were toinhave opposing views on the After all, there the national submitillustrates that it is incumbent large rallies celebrations. budget the government’s vision,and priority areas, upon each of us to learn As someone deeply interand general policy direction, since it points towards what from what is happening all things COVID-19, policies, programmes and plansested the in government intends to in India, andmoney rethink our I saw India as a beacon of use Guyana’s to fund. responses to the pandemic. hope.member Last year, It would be strange for each to India agreehad on For context, it was re- donated much-needed medevery single thing, since various individuals have difported that on June 18, 2020, ical supplies to countries ferent priorities and views and perhaps different sides India recorded 11,000 cases around the world and just of house have60different or itpolicies andthe over the next days, it plans, a few projects, weeks ago, began that would guide Guyana’s developments; and, is added an average of 35,000 making substantial that donacompletely fine. new cases each day. Using tions of COVID-19 vaccines It is neither nor remotely a daily averageunderstandable of 35,000 globally. Guyanaacceptable, benefited however, for elected officials, sworn in as supplies Memberslast of cases, that gives a weekly av- from medical Parliament (MPs), to openly at eachaother and erage of about 245,000 cases. hurl yearinsults and received donation makeLast racist, sexist, remarks. is notof acceptable week, the homophobic BBC re- of 80,000Itdoses the Oxfor this level of disrespect to be entertained in the National ported: “India has record- ford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Assembly. ed more than a million which would help to vacciThe normalisation sexist, and people homophobic reCOVID-19 cases in of justracist, a nate 40,000 since the marks in our common, social might be a conversation few days. Ambulances, med- spaces vaccine is given in two doses. icalanother oxygen, intensive care out loud, for day, but for crying is our National Now, this the unfolding crisis unit (ICU) beds in as India worried. Assembly! Or, and our life-savParliament, it ismakes moreme commonly ing medicines all in at short While called. It is notare touting the bus park!this crisis is devassupply.” tating the people of India, it Imagine the astonishment one would experience, years Official records did not also has ramifications for the from now, if they were to revisit the hansards. Instead of always correspond with the global fight SARSonly well-articulated, thorough analyses of against the $383.1 bilnumber ofthat deaths counted for CoV-2 (the2021, virusthere that would causlion budget was presented the year byremarks photojournalists some es the disease, COVID-19) be signallinginhomophobia or thinly veiled insults of crematoriums. Possible exsince India is unable to exan MP’s reproductive capabilities. planations included that peoport vaccines as planned. To be fair, however, there were a few salient presentaple were at home, Importantly, in aofrecent tions. Ondying the first day since of the debate, it is a point pride the overburdened healthcare interview with the Guyana that two women -- MPs Susan Rodrigues and Amanza Walton-Desir who are also new Parliamentarians -- made good presentations that one would expect at this forum. Though this absence of decorum from many of the MPs,is perhaps, not a new occurrence in the local context, it begs us to ask ourselves: what valuable contributions are our elected officials making at this forum? One would hope that the leaders elected by the people of Guyana, whether in government or opposition, would maintain a certain level of decorum in the house. In discharging their duties towards the people of the nation, at the very least, it is expected that they would engage in critical analyses of the budget. The budget debate should attempt to pinpoint deficiencies in allocations, or indicate what other areas of priority should be focused on. This is how you operate in a democracy, where transparency and accountability are underpinning tenets. This is how you respect the sanctity of Parliament. And above all system could Adviser else, is this hownot youprovide adequatelyChronicle, represent the peopletoof the the treatment to them and that Minister of Health, Dr.--Lesnation you committed to serve? Parliamentary affairs evpeople were not able to get lie Ramsammy, explained ery single aspect-should be geared towards enhancing the COVID tests.of the nation and its thatcitizenry. as the virus moves from development Not only are hospitals person person, it changes. Admittedly, clever innuendos andtowitty remarks have overrun, but crematoriums Though most changes are inlong been part of parliamentary presentations, not only in are as well. of the consequential, of satire these Guyana, but One around themore world. The addition ofsome clever haunting images ofinthe cur- changes may result inMuch the crehas its usefulness communication, no doubt. of rent crisis in India has been ation of variants of concernswhat we saw last week, however, appeared to be a common the aerial photo of a crema- which are mutated forms of bottom house or rumshop debacle, replete with “props” and tion site. Dozens of dead the virus that may be more all, that left be desired.infectious or deadlier. bodies are much being to cremated Last December, Clerk National Assembly, just next to each other and of the Again, while most changSherlock Isaacs, told have the Guyana Chronicle that itthe though crematoriums es are inconsequential, is Parliament Office would and conduct training been operating day and nightarrange reasonable to assume that sessions MPs. Training, said, isofessential in some for cities, reports indi- the the clerk probability a more because Parliamentarians need to learn how to draft cate that some families have infectious, mutated form of questions and motions, standing been forced to wait hoursdeal to with the virus can beorders, created and, with most importantly, need to learn about the duties of a Member of Parliament. This is particularly necessary

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training of Parliamentarians so that a semblance of decorum Are they adequately representing us and our best interests could be maintained in the National Assembly. It isefforts envi- tact at allme times? via email: vishintentional about our the increase in the number sioned that such training sessions wouldagainst also help to guide 14ragobeer@gmail.com to protect COVID-19. of infections, resulting thenew officials on proper parliamentary procedures. I hope we can do better. If you would like to disfromBut thealso, spread of events the virus these shouldcuss forcethis us to reconsider what column or any to people. wemore expect andReports accept sugfrom our officials -- all of If you would like to discuss this column or any of of elected my previous writings, gest that this is case in their please feel freetowards to conthem-- while theythe discharge responsibilities us. my previous writings, please feel free to contact me via India. In Guyana, we already Are they articulating our collective values when they make email: vish14ragobeer@gmail.com have the example of how one racist, sexist, homophobic, and other derogatory statements? variant of concern, the P1 variant in Brazil, has been devastating the population there. Brazil has been dealing with its own COVID crisis, not unlike India. Locally, we have also been facing our surge in cases and deaths- relative to our population size. As of April 27, there have been 54 deaths recorded locally and 2,505 additional people infected with the virus. At this time, April is the deadliest month of the pandemic surpassing the death toll in October last (44 deaths). Moreover, April is the most infectious month, with just less than 1,000 more cases than March 2021, which had the highest number of cases previously. Much like the suggested reports from India, our surge can be attributed to both the flouting of public health guidelines instituted to help curb the spread of the virus and, according to Dr

Ramsammy, a variant that is affecting younger people also. It is therefore important that we look at the global examples of how COVID-19 is still devastating populations and attempt to ensure that we do not fall prey to the same disasters. As always, permit me to share a reminder that it is our personal responsibility to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Wearing a mask, sanitising often, and avoiding gatherings are choices we can make to reduce the spread of the virus. We have to be

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XXIII rie said there are also those female customers who are quite impressed with her work and are very encouraging to her. Explaining a few other challenges, Ann Marie said: “It’s quite difficult to work in the sun. This job requires strength and extreme patience and I have my own personal struggles like dealing with hormones and impatient customers. Even though to many I may appear to be strong, I still have regular girl issues.” In future, Ann Marie hopes to learn aluminum welding which is a part of the service offered at the workshop. She has never gotten any formal training in air conditioning. “Hopefully I will be able to do everything that air conditioning entails so I can maybe one day take over the workshop from my father when he is ready to retire. Everything I am able to do, I have learned from my father.” Ann Marie loves being a mom and enjoys spending time with her family and friends, swimming, and travelling.

Ann Marie is capable of checking any vehicle and identifying what is the problem.

‘I prefer this job over ... FROM PAGE III School with a distinction in Business, Ann Marie went in several different directions. Her first job was at a call centre and then she was later employed as a personal assistant. When this did not work out, she left to go into the interior to be a cook and shop owner. Still searching for the right job with which she was most comfortable, she started working at Mars Workshop on George Street, a stone’s throw away from the Brickdam Cathedral, which her father owned for over 30 years. “Before I started, it had never crossed my mind or was even mentioned to me that I can work there and do air conditioning; it was probably because I was just here, there and everywhere doing all kinds of things,” Ann Marie reflected. She started in June 2018 and soon after realised that vehicle air conditioning is what she would rather do over anything else that she’d tried before. At the A/C workshop, Ann Marie is capable of checking any vehicle and identifying what the problem is. She can change almost any A/C related part from the vehicle, remove and reinstall it. She can also oil and gas over a system. Although the naysayers will get to her at times, Ann Ma-

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UNDER THE POUI TREE... FROM PAGE XVI

Sarah thought, remembering her pastor friend’s words, ‘A calling, your destiny.’ Two days into their visit as they sat down for breakfast at the Pegasus hotel, her friend browsing through a catalogue of Guyana’s finest gardens and grounds, looked up at her and exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, Sarah, you won’t believe this!” “What is it?” She handed her the catalogue and Sarah stared at the page astounded. It was as though she was looking at a picture of herself, a picture of the lady of the private estate whose garden was featured. The lady died two springs ago, leaving her husband - the tall man with charming good looks alongside her in the photo. Sarah dropped the catalogue. “Oh my god, I can’t believe this.” The realization of what was happening stunned her and grabbing her friend’s hand she gasped, “I can’t breathe.” She was given some water to drink and her friends stayed close, talking to her until she had regained some calm. Now she understood the gloom in the garden, why she was asked in her dream if she believed in miracles and why she had become a part of that story. That day had been fully booked to meet tour operators and a bus tour of the city, so the next morning Sarah and her friends took a hotel cab to the private estate on the West Coast of Demerara. It was surrounded by canals and bordered by huge flamboyant trees. There were no security guards and the gate was opened slightly. Sarah walked slowly through, her friends keeping a little way behind, a nervous feeling within her. It was quiet, just like in the dream, a splendorous place, like a world in its own, where a young couple once lived. Now he was alone. She stopped when she reached the poui tree but he was not there today, and she stood there for a while looking around, the nervousness in her rising. “Maybe I should leave and come back another day.” She turned to leave but stopped when a deep, smooth voice asked, “Hey, can I help you?” She turned and a soft gust of wind blew, ruffling her hair, causing some strands to fall over her face. She smoothed back the hair and he stared at her shocked. She could see the tautness on his jawline, and how deeply he inhaled to get a grip on himself, as he asked in total disbelief. “Anna?” She smiled a little and shook her head, “My name is Sarah.” He glanced at the poui tree and then at her, “How?” “I don’t know,” she said calmly, “A miracle maybe?” He shook his head, tears filling his eyes as he looked at her - the dark tresses, the light in her eyes, the beautiful face. “I had many doubts.” “And I was perplexed about the dreams that brought me here.” “Dreams?” he asked, with a puzzled look. “We need to talk,” she said. “Yes, we do,” he agreed. He glanced at her friends who were standing a short distance behind her and Sarah said, “My friends, we’re on vacation from Belize.” A hint of a smile crossed his face and he said, “It gets more interesting.” As she followed him to the manor, the shadows slowly lifted, light streamed through the trees, and heard again were the sounds of the birds and wind. Fate’s book could not close, for a believer, who had given up a chance to live had asked for a miracle for the one she loved.

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The power of ... FROM PAGE XVIII

their first exposure was through the Women in Business Expo 2016. Melba was creating items for home décor from upcycling or recycling. I can never forget when she called me that day to tell me she has a talent box and we agreed to destroy that box and we did. She told me years ago that this expo was one of the best decisions she has made. “With God all things are possible. Participating in the Women In Business Expo 2016 has given me the ability to propel to other business ideas from craft to agro-processing. Having an outlet in Georgetown is an advantage for the customers to get their products much easier; they have a variety of natural organic products to choose from such as Mamma’s mixed fruits vinegar, lime concentrate syrup, lime juice concentrate, tamarind concentrate syrup, sweet and sour Bar -Be-Que sauce, tamarind dip sauce, pepper lime Achar, energy bar, trail mix, turmeric and lime pepper.”- Melba Ladoue. Her products are now in the Cost Cutter supermarket in Farm village; in Linden at Princess Grocery, New Amsterdam, Canje, Guyana Shop, Kassim & Sons, M. Ali supermarket, Strand, New Amsterdam, Bobs & Sons, B’ Mart Supermarket, Payless Less Supermarket Trinity street. Melba said she feels more accomplished because the business has moved to another level and more customers will be introduced to the products, so the location of the business is at an accessible point. Leisa Gibson met Melba for the first time at our first expo meeting and they connected and fostered an amazing sisterhood. She was in the process of creating her first hair and organic scalp conditioner. Every year she added more products: Hair growth oil, Botanical body oils / Serums, Body lotions, Body /Facial Scrubs Coffee and Oats Scrub for men Turmeric Face Mask Charcoal Face Mask Foot Soak. She also has 18 types of handmade soaps, Charcoal soap Rose clay and Charcoal Soaps, Turmeric and Charcoal Soaps, Turmeric and Moringa, Turmeric and Neem, Turmeric, Honey and Oats, Turmeric spices, Coffee and Oats for men, Honey and Oats, Corilla and Neem and Refreshing Cucumber. “I am thankful to God for all that he has done. I feel very excited as though I am going to the Women in Business Expo every day. I am happy to be able to have a space so that the customers can come and see all we have to offer in this season. Thank God for using Sonia Noel for creating an event like Women in Business Expo where I met Melba, my friend and sister that we can now collaborate in Business.” - Leisa Gibson. Leisa’s products can be found in the Guyana Shop and she also has clients in the USA and UK. Melba and Leisa always encourage the new exhibitors to attend all of the personal development sessions leading up to the expo, because they have experienced tremendous personal and professional growth. Intentionally positioning yourself with the right people can assist greatly in your transformation. The two ladies exhibited faith, focus, consistency and determination on their entrepreneurial journey and I encourage you to support them. Take a few minutes to meditate on the thoughts that are going through your mind as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.

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A positive mindset brings positive experiences

o not always know what I’m looking y phone is such a normal part of my my hand that I cannot count the numhed for it, while it was actually in my o when I get up in the morning and going to sleep is check my phone. I healthy and something must be done. and found that women were more d to their phones simply because men ocial media apps. Also, older people e addicted. I believe this is because use smartphones (My father actually

y colleagues and friends how bad

losing your phone would be on a scale of 1-10. 98 percent said 10 and 2 percent said 9. They all claimed that it would be the worst material possession that they could ever lose. They continued to say that feelings oftends anxiety, irritation and THIS topic to be a difficult one. It is not easy or even practical to tell someone to simply “think positive” overwhelming sadness would be feltareifmany they were to lose their as there reasons why people have the thoughts they have. Our past experiences, future expectations, phone today. values, and the way we were raised all largely contribute to our thought processes. However, for the negative It seems harmless, right? Caring so ismuch about a thinker, the good news -- yes, changes can be made. Positive thinking is vital to both our mental and physphone? Well, this week I’ve been really paying attention ical health -- with a wide range of benefits for both. It is beginning phase of a process that is not to be to the importance that I andthe others around me give tounderesa timated, as positive thoughts lead to healthy emotions and healthy emotions lead to behaviours. phone, rather than what’s actually going onhealthy around them. I want to be super clear: positive thinking does not meanspeaking that we ignore or to overlook important adversities in Our phones -- whether we are other people, our lives. It does not take away from efforts that need to using social media or playing games -- canit be addictive be made for improvement, simply makes the process seem a whole lot more manageable. It allows us a more as they alter our moods, beliefs and trigger enjoyable and unenjoyable feelings. Apart from obviously being my main source of communication, my phone is my newspaper, watch, alarm, map, recorder, day planner, calendar, camera, music player, calculator, a weapon (sometimes) and my friend when I’m bored or lonely- basically everything. However, it is also my constant interrupter and distractor. I (I imagine much like most of you out there) have a deep desire to know everything that is going on. I believe that is human nature. But when does it become too much? open-minded, and a solution-based approach to Well, I believe it’s too much whenmotivated it has name. ‘Noresolution. thinking isthe a stress and anger-management mophobia’ is the term coined technique toPositive describe fear of being which means it is a healthy coping skill on its own. Meaning, who we practise it are more without a mobile phone. Seriously, whatthose have come to?likely to lead healthier lives, i.e. exercise more, consume less illegal drugs etc. Additional show that It becomes an addiction whenalcohol theandobject begins to studies control practising positivity lowers blood pressure and cholesyour life and interferes with your daily one’s activities, andslows terol, increases tolerance for work, pain and even ageing. It improves relationships as positive people tend relationships. I read somewhere “The biggest to see that and believe the good in not only obstacle themselves, but in others as well. It also increases both our self-esteem and to productivity is connectivity,” but overuse can affect a self-confidence. There are a few ways that we can increase our positive lot more than our productivity.thinking. TheThetruth is, overuse of our first thing is to pay attention to our thoughts and self-talk.socially This is what we thinkphysically. or tell ourselves about phones can harm us psychologically, and ourselves or a situation. It is best to keep this as positive as For example, you do amany bad job onof something, With regard to affecting ourpossible. social skills,if how us make sure you think/say “I’ve done a bad job on this particular thing” rather never do anything right.” miss out on a joke or good conversation asthan we“I were on our Acknowledgement of mistakes is vital, but that is not the phones? How many times havesamewe annoyed our good friend as negativity or self-hatred. Being specific to where you went wrong as well as not labelling yourself with a or family member because webad were posting social term because of theon mistake is whatmedia differentiates negativity from constructive criticism. how much fun we are having with them?ruleItof truly our to An important thumb is affects to not say anything SEE PAGE XXIX

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A positive mindset brings ... FROM PAGE XXVIII yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone else. The famous Buddha once said, “We are what we think.” There are certain types of self-deprecating thought processes that we can avoid. One, for example, is called ‘negative forecasting.’ This occurs when one makes a negative prediction about the future without any basis or evidence for it. I know we are all guilty of this at times. Another is catastrophising which means anticipating the worst or blowing a situation out of proportion based on the facts of the situation. Many of us tend to play out a scenario in our heads before it even happens. This also leads to mind-reading (another thought process) which is assigning an explanation or meaning to something without any evidence. For example, if your spouse does something, you assume they must be feeling a certain way or thinking a certain thing. Since we can never really be sure about this, it is better to avoid it in general. You can begin by identifying and rating your thoughts from now on. Are they helpful? Are they true? Are they even important? Then we can challenge them with questions that bring us back to the reality of the situation. Examples of these questions are: - Do I have any evidence to think this way? - Is this about me or the situation itself? Meaning -- am I projecting anything on to this situation? - Are my thoughts based on the facts of the situations or my assumptions about it? - If a friend gave me the facts of this situation, would I advise them to think this way? - Has this feared event ever happened before? These are just a few examples of the questions that can gear your mind and thoughts back on a positive, realistic, and healthy path. Another important piece of advice: surround yourself with good and positive influences. If there are not any around you, then you start the trend -- positivity is contagious. If you are a physical person as I am, you can follow my favourite thing to do which is writing and destroying. When I have a negative thought, I like to write it down on a piece of paper, then tear up the paper and throw it away. A lot of symbolism in that action. Note cautiously- changing negative thoughts to positive ones will not happen overnight, but if you practise the above suggestions, it will happen. Remember that positive people are more likely to be content and successful as they turn issues into opportunities. I recommend that everyone visualise what you want to happen, not what you do not want to happen. Expecting good things can bring good things. Thanking you for reading. Please keep sending any topics you’d like to talk about to caitlinvieira@gmail.com Suicide Prevention Helpline numbers: 223-0001, 2230009, 623-4444, 600-7896 Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always

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WHAT’S IN THE SOIL? WE all watched in awe as the Perseverance Rover touched the surface of Mars. It was indeed an achievement for NASA and holistically indeed another leap for man. Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, sometimes referred to as our sister planet. The Rover is the most sophisticated machine ever built with a price tag of over $2.9 billion. The main purpose of this very pricey mission is to explore Mars for life or life forms. The landing site ‘Jezero Crater’ is a dried-up river bed which is proposed to be the most likely place for life forms or their remains to be found in that soil. However, we often underestimate and take for granted that the Earth is unique and its soil is special as well. The soil’s ability to sustain life is indeed what sets the Earth apart from every other planet in the solar system. What then is in the soil? ‘The soil is the uppermost layer of the earth’s crust’. In short, it’s that which we can feel under our feet, especially barefooted in our unpaved yards. Some even use the expression “treat it like dirt!” Well, that expression of the soil can really be something to behold as we examine the benefits of the soil. The soil presents a never-ending cycle of giving, sustaining and receiving life. The soil is actively in the process of ensuring that our Earth remains habitable.

The soil as a ‘giver’- maintaining the right temperature, water for seeds to germinate and microbes to live and multiply. Without the right temperature or water, the seed will not have the opportunity to reach its hidden potential to grow. The soil as a ‘sustainer’-- the soil can hold within, the kind of nutrients that are basic for life. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are essential elements to sustain the health of plants and thereby providing food for animals and humans. SEE PAGE XXXI

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WHAT’S IN THE... FROM PAGE XXX At the correct proportion of nutrients in the soil, the best crop can be grown. The soil as a ‘receiver’- the soil is the most efficient receiver of waste remains of living things. As it receives the residues from which it once produced with time, it reintegrates it into its never-ending cycle in preparation to give again. Over the years, mankind has been so callous with regards to our soil, not appreciating its gifts and thus destroying it through deforestation, dumping of toxic waste and suffocating it with slabs of concrete. In doing so, we damage the organisms and their habitat with activities, indiscriminately cutting down trees and vegetation, stopping the necessary gaseous exchanges that sustain life in the soil by concreting the entire yard spaces; and finally killing every possibility of producing life where toxic waste is disposed of, especially on the land. If we value our earth/soil, then $2.9 billion is a great way of restoring our Earth by investing in grass lawns and green spaces, planting more fruit trees, reducing deforestation by supporting and promoting sustainable management, as proposed in the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). Then, maybe man’s desire for an alternative to our living, breathing soil can turn their focus on the one we have, our own Earth. You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit. epaguyana@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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REVISITING THE MARCH OF THE.... FROM PAGE XVII

where Society was able to recover after the frightening loss of life. The Spanish Flu, for example, killed at least 10 million worldwide, but economies slowly began to recover after it had receded. Fortunately, governments worldwide have chosen the way of the lockdowns since no one knows for how long the pandemic may persist or the human devastation it would cause. In the Middle Ages, the Black Death or Bubonic Plague persisted for several years and killed at least half of the population of Western Europe. Another issue that has arisen as a result of the pandemic is the production of effective vaccines. The normal vaccine takes about five to 10 years of research and trials before regulators would give it a full clearance to be placed on the market. Now, driven by the urgency of the situation, they have been giving temporary clearances which have caused some uncertainty in the public. Scientists in several countries have been feverishly working on the production of vaccines. After a year, China has come up with four, the United States with three, Europe with three, Russia with two and India with one. These vaccines have been evaluated at various levels of efficacy, but they all could be used with some positive effect. Vaccine production is a multinational business and though a vaccine may have been formulated in one country, its main production line may be in another country. AstraZeneca, for example, is an English-made vaccine, but India produces a large part of its total production. There is a worldwide shortage of vaccines and richer countries have been buying up available supplies, leaving poorer countries on the waiting list. In Guyana, Dr Anthony’s COVID Unit has been able to secure AstraZeneca produced in India, Sputnik V from Russia and Sinopharm from China. These may total 200,000 approximately. About 70,000 persons have so far been inoculated and the government expects to purchase other consignments to innoculate the entire population before year-end. Before we end this offering, it is apposite that we reiterate the basic safety measures which citizens must take to protect themselves: masks must cover nostrils, mouth and chin and must be worn everywhere; hands must be frequently washed and sterilised with alcohol or an alcohol-based steriliser; social distancing of at least six feet between persons; greetings done by touching elbows and never handshaking; avoidance of places where there may be large congregations of people such as bars, funerals and political party gatherings. If persons strictly conform to the safety prescriptions and seek immediate medical help if affected by any of the suspected symptoms of COVID, they would be able to protect their health and lives and the country would emerge from the pandemic and embark upon the social and economic development which the new oil revenues offer. Guyana is one of the few countries in the world which would be quickly recovering economic well-being, largely owing to the flow of oil revenues.

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Art & Essay Competitions for UN International Year of Fruits and Vegetables MINISTER of Agriculture, the Hon Zulfikar Mustapha recently launched the Ministry of Agriculture’s Art and Essay Competitions in observance of the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. Those at the launch included Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Mr. Jagnarine Singh; Country Representative of The Food and Agriculture Organisation, Dr. Gillian Smith, Country Representative of IICA, Mr Wilmot Garnett.s The ministry collaborated with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), to launch Guyana’s programme of activities for the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021 under the theme, “Good for You.” Guyana’s programme of activities includes the art and essay competitions, Fruits and Vegetables Exhibition, Farmer’s Markets, raising awareness on the food-safety standards and guidelines for fruits and vegetables and prevention of food loss and waste. Minister Mustapha noted that the consumption of fruits and vegetables is paramount to promoting a balanced and healthy diet and lifestyle, as well as achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals of Zero Hunger. Fruits and Vegetables are “Good for you,” they are rich in vitamins, minerals and are an excellent source of dietary fibre and they strengthen our immune systems. They are also a good way to generate income for farmers. “With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the food supply and linkages, the need to transform and rebalance the way food is produced and consumed has become even more apparent. The observance of the International Year of Fruits and vegetables 2021 is a timely reminder of the importance of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition, food security, health and economic prosperity,” the minister stated. According to NAREI’s CEO, Mr. Jagnarine Singh, the launch represents an important milestone in Guyana’s agricultural development index and serves as a reminder of the importance of fruits and vegetables for healthy lives. “The Government of Guyana through its agency NAREI is tasked with delivering technology to farmers that will allow increased production and productivity,” he added. Mr. Singh noted that by 2030 the world’s population is projected to grow to roughly 8.3 billion people. This is an opportune time for our farmers and producers to look at more innovative ways in which the value-added sector can be better transformed, taking Guyana to a sustainable food and agricultural sector.

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MAY 02, 2021 STUDY SUCCESS

THOUGHT FOR TO

DAY ‘Tis strange – bu t true; for truth is always strang e; Stranger than fic tion. LORD BYRON Don Juan (1823) (1788-1824) c. XIV. st. 101

Dear Student, Welcome, dear friend. Let us thank the Almighty for spared life during this COVID-19 pandemic. That being said, we urge you (with your examinations drawing nearer), to be properly focused moreover. We know some friends are panicky for varying reasons. Whoever is shaky, take decisive actions now. Stem worrying thoughts.

Consistently charge yourself to halt all defeatist thoughts and forthwith reinforce them with apt physical movement. Yes, command negative self-statements into positives. Robust study, roar on! Love you. GRAMMAR Constructing the simple sentence We say these grammatical things about the simple sentence: a) A simple sentence has only one subject. [what OR who, which may be compound] b) A simple sentence contains only one verb or simple predicate. [doing of what OR who, which may be compound] c) It is a group of words that expresses a complete thought OR one main idea. b) Some simple sentences are short while others are longer. e) Sometimes a simple sentence may have a compound subject. f) Sometimes a simple sentence may have a compound predicate. g) Sometimes a simple sentence may have a compound subject AND a compound predicate. Simple definitions concerning sentences: a) The simple subject of a sentence is the noun or pronoun about which something is said. e.g. Zoey bit the stranger. b) The complete subject is the simple subject plus all its modifiers. e.g. Zoey, the new guard dog, bit the stranger. c) A noun is a word that tells a person, place, thing, or idea. A pronoun is used to represent a noun. c) The simple predicate is the verb alone. e.g. Zoey bit the stranger. d) The complete predicate is the verb plus everything that follows: its modifiers and complements. e.g. Zoey bit the stranger in the middle of the night. e) A simple sentence may simply be two words - a subject and a verb. e.g. Birds sing. f) An object is a noun or pronoun that receives the

action in a sentence. Let us look at three sentences. They can be recognised as simple sentences. Each represents a complete thought and can stand alone. 1. A short simple sentence: “I believe their story.” Subject: “I” Verb: “believe” Complete predicate: “believe their story”. Justifying completeness: There are no conjunctions at the beginning or end of this group of words, so it is a complete thought, and can stand alone. 2. Sometimes a simple sentence may have a compound subject where two or more different people or things are doing the action. “Joan and Johnny sang a duet at last Sunday’s worship service.” Subject: “Joan, Johnny” Verb: “sang” Complete predicate: “sang a duet at last Sunday’s worship service”. Justifying completeness: Joan and Johnny are linked together by the coordinating conjunction “and” which connects the two parts of the compound subject. This sentence is a complete thought and can stand alone. 3. Sometimes a simple sentence may have a compound predicate. This means that the subject is doing two different actions. “Aust i n washed hi s clothes and mopped the laundry room.” Subject “Austin” Ve r b : “ w a s h e d a n d mopped” Verb phrases: “washed his clothes”, “mopped the laundry room”. Justifying completeness: The two verb phrases are linked by the coordinating conjunction “and”. This group of words makes a complete thought. 4. In this last example, the simple sentence has a compound subject doing a compound action. “Austin and Mavis washed their clothes and mopped the laundry room.” Subjects: “Austin, Mavis” Ve r b s : “ w a s h e d , mopped” Verb phrases: “washed

their clothes”, “mopped the laundry room” Justifying completeness: Conjunctions are linking the two parts of the sentence. The sentence is a complete thought. Something to Do Tell a study partner what are the indications that each of the sentences below is a simple sentence. 1. Sampson died. 2. I believe their story. 3. Do they eat salted pork? 4. George came to dinner with his sister. 5. Breakfast without ham and eggs is like punishment. 6. Some noodles and breads are made with whole wheat flour. 7. Thrifty chefs make stuffed eggs with a mixture of avocado, egg yolk, salt, white pepper, and mustard. 8. The mangy, scrawny black and white kitten stole some ochro stew with fish and slept soundly under the stove. 9. The two captains quickly put on their blue shorts and ran to the next stop for their berets. 10. The two captains and the sergeant quickly put on their blue shorts and ran to the next stop for their berets. GRAMMAR Solutions for last week’s “Choosing correctly” 1. For a small charge, we will install this monitoring equipment for whosoever asks us for the service. 2. Demetrius Stull is a parent whom everyone trusts to do the work of village crier. 3. Only three supervisors, Simon, Tommy, and I have already completed the community policing training programme. 4. Gregory is very meticulous in his safety drive as we. Have you noticed? 5. In my opinion, Eric Stoby and Jennifer King-Richards are as good in their reporting as he.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 02, 2021

The pregnant mother and her oral health PHYSICIANS such as gynaecologists often refer to a dental examination in addition to a history and physical examination, before pregnancy, to assess your overall health, nutritional status, and to determine the presence of any chronic or acute illnesses that might affect the health of the baby. Conditions such as malnutrition, high blood pressure, diabetes, and infection could increase the risk of pre-term birth. In addition, during your physical, you will be asked whether or not you are taking any prescribed or over-thecounter medications. Many pharmaceutical agents, even aspirins, are harmful to the foetus, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy ( the first three months ). For all of the above reasons, women considering pregnancy should receive a complete dental check-up, as well. We tend to think of the health of the mouth and its structures as being separate from the health of the body. Researchers are discovering more and more connections between oral diseases and their impact on systemic health. Just as your physician conducts a thorough health evaluation, your dentist will examine your mouth to assess your overall oral health and to determine the presence of any acute or chronic conditions of the intra-oral cavity that may affect the health of your baby. Pregnancy places stress on all aspects of a woman’s health, including her dental health. Preliminary studies have shown that hormones during pregnancy can change the chemical makeup within the mouth. This might result in an increased risk of gum disease if brushing and flossing aren’t performed regularly. Tooth decay may also accelerate more quickly if morning sickness is severe. This is a result of

stomach acids lingering in the mouth after vomiting, which can be extremely corrosive to vulnerable teeth. Rinsing the mouth as soon as can be tolerated is the best way to prevent further damage. Oral infections during pregnancy not only affect maternal health, but may also pose a health risk to her unborn child. Preliminary research has recently shown that women with gum disease are seven to eight times more likely to deliver premature infants with low birth weights. Scientists believe that the presence of a low-grade infection may influence the body to discharge substances associated with pre-term birth. Often, antibiotics are one of the treatments for infections such as periodontitis, but like all medications, they

can cross placental barriers and may affect foetal health. Therefore, dentists prefer to use them cautiously when treating pregnant women.

For most dentists, the approach to dental care in pregnant women is dedicated to maintaining good oral health during pregnancy through preventative measures. More extensive treatment is generally conducted only when it cannot be safely delayed. Dentists use the trimester as a guide in how to proceed in the dental care of their pregnant patients. During the first trimester, prophylactic treatment cleaning is generally permissible, however, dental procedures that can wait will generally be postponed until the second trimester, your

dentist may want to examine your mouth for hormonal changes that may result in oral diseases. Procedures that can’t wait, or conditions requiring immediate intervention may be carried out at this time. Again, elective procedures should be postponed. Dental care during the third trimester may be carried out, but dental health care professionals have to be alert to a condition known as supine hypotensive syndrome. Lying flat for extended periods during the third trimester of pregnancy can compress the major veins and arteries and ultimately

may result in loss of consciousness. Regular dental examinations combined with daily brushing and flossing aren’t just good for oral health. They also help prevent conditions that affect the entire body. If you are considering pregnancy or are already pregnant, don’t forget the importance of professional dental care and good oral hygiene measures. This will never be more important than during pregnancy when two lives are involved.

XLVIII

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, May 02, 2021