Guyana Chronicle Pepperpot E-paper 20-01-20119

Sunday, January 20, 2019

Victoria resident Gerald Major (Jnr) of the Major Factory in Victoria, bursting some of the coconuts in preparation for processing (Delano Williams Photo)

An unending generation of cottage industries Victoria Village and the people who keep its legacy alive See Pages XXII, XXIII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

Heroes, Monsters and Order

The historic Public Buildings on Brickdam, over a century ago. A sitting of the Legislature (Parliament) where scores of citizens converge on the pavement

By Francis Quamina Farrier THE result of the December 21, 2018, NO-CONFIDENCE vote in the Guyana Parliament, remains a HOT TOPIC in Guyana, as well as in the vast Guyanese Diaspora worldwide. In fact, it is still unfolding with a number of unexpected twists and turns, as it was spawned by the “YES” vote itself. A colleague of mine described it as, “The mother of all ‘YES’ votes in the history of the Guyana Parliament.” Recently, I came across an old photograph of the Public Buildings, which seemed to be well over 100 years old. The photograph also showed scores of ordinary people on the Brickdam pavement and military-clad persons inside the compound. It seems that there was no fence around the building at the time the photograph was taken and certainly no statue of the iconic labour leader Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow in the northeast of the compound. In addition, there were no loudspeakers or big screen that now project the sitting of Parliament to citizens outside its chambers in real time. Since the photograph was not dated, I wondered what the specific event was and whether it had resulted in as dramatic an upheaval, as was occasioned by the recent December 21, 2018 sitting of the Parliament. I also wondered what the citizens of Georgetown of 2118 would be thinking of us who were in and around the Parliament on that historic day in December 2018, as we may do of our ancestors of 1918, and earlier, who chatted one-one-one about what had happened in the Legislative Council (Par-

liament) that day. Back then when there was no radio, telephone, television and certainly no means of social media, which now sends happenings in the Parliament worldwide almost instantly. The former colony of British Guiana, now our Cooperative Republic of Guyana, continues on a journey, with laws being passed to make life’s journey for citizens as smooth as possible. The sad fact is that many laws on the Books, are not enforced as they should be - the speeding and over-loading of minibuses is a simple example. Part of our daily activities includes travel, be it by private means or by public transportation; and as such, there needs to be order, in order that we enjoy some order in our transportation activities. “Order! Order! ORDER!” had come from the lips of those who held the high office of the Speaker of the House of Assembly over the decades- the same of the sitting Speaker. He (never a woman, so far) would demand order from time to time when debates get somewhat over-heated in the highest forum of the State. There is a need for more “PUBLIC ORDER”, which should be one of our National Objectives as 2019 continues to unfold. You would probably refer to the recent passing of that NO-CONFIDENCE Motion in the country’s parliament and conclude that there was lots of disorder in the House, as a forceful “YES, YES, YES” vote came from the lips of a member of the government side of the House who acted on what he claims was a “conscience vote”, and which delivered a shock like a broadside wallop from an angry bull cow. There were even a few expletives from a couple of shocked government

parliamentarians. That “YES. YES. YES” - a three-letter word said three times by that (former) member of the government- has created history; a history that continues to unfold and will most likely change the functioning and order of the Guyana Parliament forever. That act by one self-expressed disgruntled Member of the Government, in the Guyana Parliament on December 21, 2018, has polarised Guyanese quite a lot. However, polarisation due to political events has happened before and Guyanese have overcome them to some degree. Quite true, lots of Guyanese both at home and abroad have become (more) disillusioned because of many of the happenings in the country over the past two decades; poor racial relations and the state of crime in the country being two examples. But as the saying goes, “It is darkest before the dawn.” There is also another saying; “Behind every dark cloud, there is a silver lining.” You might want to add, yet another inspirational saying: “Out of evil cometh good.” Fact is that while many people have been calling the former member of the House all sorts of uncomplimentary names- and in one case, even superimposing an image of his face on the head of a cobra snake in an online cartoon- equally, there are many persons who have also been referring to him as a hero. I’ve even heard two songs about him; the first was composed and released on social media within 24 hours of the NO-CONFIDENCE Vote. This has caused me to reflect on a Martin Carter poem that I frequently recite at public performances: “This I have learnt, today a speck, tomorrow a hero.

Hero or Monster, you are involved.” I will not be surprised to hear a song or two about this Hot Topic at this year’s Mashramani Calypso Competition, since traditionally many calypsos are spawned of controversial political issues. So there was Guyana’s national poet, Martin Carter, writing about “Heroes” and “Monsters” in Guyana, well over half a century ago and pointing out in that poem: “All are involved”, and that “All are consumed.” From December 21, 2018, to the present time, January 20, 2019, Guyana’s contemporary and controversial history continues to unfold, in the words of that very Martin Carter poem which states: “Like a web is spun a pattern.” To be sure however, the Guyana Parliament will be conducted and parliamentarians of Guyana will conduct themselves as never before, and 100 years from now, our history students and history buffs would probably find it very intriguing; even as the principal players and the minor players of today would have all gone from the stage of life. That Martin Carter poem concludes; “ALL are consumed.” Nonetheless, in the year of 2018, there are two historic Houses of Worship on Brickdam which celebrated significant miles stones; the 200-year-old St. Andrew’s Kirk which is located directly opposite the Parliament, and the 175-year-old Smith Congregational Church which is a few blocks east. In those and many other Houses of Worship on Brickdam and all around the country, and even abroad, prayers will be offered up for peace, prosperity and unity for the citizens of our “beautiful Guyana”.

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

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A second chance at life

How good Samaritans saved this young woman’s life By Telesha Ramnarine THE tears kept dripping down her face; she could not hold them back. A vicious attack by bees earlier this month could have claimed her life. But recalling the ordeal was not what made her emotional. Rather, it was as a result of reflecting on the diligent effort by four brave young men who risked their lives to save hers. Sentara Alleyne wasn’t the only one crying as she told the story of that fateful Thursday. Her mom, Olivia Alleyne, was also up in tears as she related that she would have been telling quite a different story today, had the men not fight to save her daughter. The 20-year-old, of Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara, was reading water meters on January 3 in the Foulis/Enmore area on the East Coast Demerara, as part of her work assignment with the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI). She had just completed those meters to the back of the villages and was on her way out to complete a few along the Enmore Public Road. A cow passed her and she saw what appeared to be a fly following him, so she took it for nothing. Before she knew it, though, a swarm of bees began swirling around her head and the rest of her body. “Anyone would hear a swarm of bees coming and move out of the way. But I did not hear anything. They just appeared on me. They came out of nowhere.” Sentara ran for her life. Thinking that the gas station close by might be able to get rid of the bees, she headed for there. But help was unavailable at this end. “I was confused. I heard someone shouting ‘jump overboard.’ I dropped my bag and all my other belongings.” The bees would not leave Sentara though. Even as she was running and trying to fight them off, they continued biting her. All along, she was screaming. Two of the guys drove up to her and told her to take a dip in the gutter close by. It was full of muddy water, but Sentara had no other choice. She dipped two times in the water and finally got the bees off of her. The guys told her to run in a yard after coming out of the gutter. Sentara recalled thinking that there was something abnormal about what was happening to her because as she got into the yard, the bees all returned on her, despite other people were around. They went to no one else, but her. It was then that one of the guys left his home without a shirt and with a Baygon in hand. The Baygon did little to fight off the bees though. “The guys burst a netting from their house and told me to cover myself but how the bees were so much, I couldn’t get underneath. The guy burst another netting and fit himself under and tried to fit me under,” Sentara recalled. “When I got under the net, the bees start-

got about 20 stings and he was allergic to bees too but he still did not leave her,” Mrs. Alleyne said in tears. “Had they leave my daughter that day, hey, oh…the guy said it seemed like a million bees on her because you couldn’t see her hair, her face, her back. Had they leave her there…they did not leave her. We do have heroes in Guyana. Those guys are heroes,” she added. Mrs. Alleyne said they were modest too, as they told her that Sentara being alive was enough for them, as far as a reward was concerned.

Sentara with three of the guys who risked their lives to save hers

ed stinging him from the outside but they were still trying to get towards me. The guy told the other three to spray the extinguisher, they threw gas on me but the bees would not leave. More kept coming. I don’t know where they got the fire extinguishers from but they started to spray the bees and throw gas. The bees started to leave and die out.” On her way to the hospital, Sentara realised that she was allergic to bees. She started losing breath, wheezing, and vomiting. By this time, all over her body was swollen. Fortunately, she made it in time at the Woodlands Hospital where she started to recover after spending two days and two nights there. Sentara said she cannot thank the guys Brian Pleto, Naresh Persaud, Vedish Persaud, and Suresh Etwaroo, enough for saving her life. OUR BROTHERS’ KEEPER Mrs. Alleyne said the bees were so many on her daughter that the guys could not see her hair and face at one point. “One of them said he put his hand on her face and tried to pull down the bees from her face. He said he never heard such a scream, begging them not to let her die there.” She said the guys did not give up on her daughter but fought to save her life, and that this story proves that racism is not as big of a problem that some people make it out to be in Guyana. Of the four men who helped Sentara, three were East Indians and one was of Indigenous descent. “A newspaper article said the other day that racism in Guyana is more dangerous than in Venezuela. But we are our brothers’ keeper in this country. I’m not refuting that we have racism in Guyana, but if you look

around this country, we are still our brothers’ keeper,” Mrs. Alleyne expressed. In the past, she said the typical reaction by onlookers is to move away from someone affected by bees. In this case, however, the guys ran towards the young woman. “If they had left my daughter there…One of them

COEXISTING Mrs. Alleyne recalled that when she was about 15 years old, an Indian guy fell in love with her and told his mom that he was going to marry me. When the mother heard that, she sent the young man away to Canada. “Now, are you seeing things like that? You are seeing such relationships all over the country. You’re seeing different races coexisting together. We look out for one another in this country. They could’ve left my daughter there and said she is a black girl.” Mrs. Alleyne believes that racism is not as prominent as some make it out to be in Guyana. “What they did was out of this world. They went out of their way. They took bites too.” She plans on getting her daughter some counselling as the young woman is evidently still traumatised by the event.

The area where Sentara was attacked and forced to take cover in the gutter

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

Through life’s biggest challenges -Her go-getter personality saw her through By Telesha Ramnarine LIFE has not always been smooth sailing for Abigale John, a young woman who lost both her parents by the time she was in her mid-20s. This did not deter her, though, from striving to achieve the goals she had set while growing up. Her goal-oriented, go-getter, charismatic personality saw her through her rough years, allowing her to complete her mom’s dream of being able to complete her studies at the University of Guyana, and today, owning two businesses at just the age of 32. Abigale grew up in Canal Number One, on the West Bank Demerara, but when her dad Nigel John died, at just the age of 35, the family moved to Church of God Road, Middle Walk, Buxton, on the East Coast Demerara, where they remain until now. Her mom, Jenny John, abandoned farming after the death of her husband and took up buying and selling, and whatever work she could find to make Abigale and her three brothers, Akeem, Kevon, and Jermaine comfortable in life. One Sunday morning back in 2013, though, the family was together and Mrs. John, 48 at the time, was sharing ‘old time’ stories. “We were all talking and laughing, and she asked me to do her hair,” Abigale recalled during an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine a few days ago. While she was at the pipe washing her

Abigale’s thriving business in Buxton that she started up.

Abigale and her brothers Kevon, Jermaine and Akeem

With her friend from school, Wanda

hair, Mrs. John felt a sudden pain in her chest. “We braced her up to the back door. She was not the type of person who would talk about death and stuff like that, but this time she told us she didn’t feel she was going to make it and that we should live in love and peace. A blood vessel burst inside of her and she died within an hour of us taking her to the hospital.” Abigale said she and her brothers had to adjust themselves to their new circumstances. “We just had to bond together and come to grips with reality. Her training for us to set goals and be independent came in handy after

her death. We stuck together and we carried on the Parika business. We did what we could to get by.” Even after achieving a Diploma in Marketing and a Degree in Business Management, Abigale continues the trade her mom started in Parika, where she would leave Buxton at 3 am on Sundays to get to Parika by 5 am. There she would sell radios, solar and other electronic items to people who live in the riverain communities. Turn to page XVII►►►

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The will to survive ‘Be compassionate to blind people’- Visually impaired woman urges

INGRID Fletchman is a visually impaired mother of fivethree of whom are deceased. She recently celebrated her 66th birth anniversary, affirming that though the world around her is dark, she still has the will to survive. With a fervent prayer that God would restore her sight, she also made a call for society to be more compassionate towards people who are blind or visually impaired. Reflecting on the origin of her fate, she told the Pepperpot Magazine, “I went to sleep quite okay one night and woke up next morning unable to see. When I awoke I said my prayers, opened my eye but my sight just wasn’t there. After that, my life was never the same.” She was rushed off to a private optician who checked her sight, did a random blood sugar test and informed her that the failure of her sight was diet related and that the nerves at the back of her eyes were bleeding and had become damaged. He urged her to cut down on her intake of sugar, fats and avoid becoming stressed out since stress triggers an amazing increase in blood-sugar-levels. She was given medication but contends that the persistent use of patent medicine might have negative spin-offs, hence she would prefer herbal medicine. “Twelve years later and I am still not seeing,” Fletchman related, with an air of desperation this time, after not being able to easily source two particular types of leaves reputed to be good for sight problems.

She said that on another visit to the specialist, she was diagnosed as having cataract and so the specialist referred her to consultants at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Surgery was recommended and after a robust evaluation came the day when she would be prepared for cataract surgery. However, she objected to being injected under the lower eye to initiate a numbing process – she claims it is too painful a procedure. Over time, life was becoming increasingly difficult for her, since she was no longer earning money and could no longer afford certain luxuries. Fletchman was offered humble accommodation at one of her daughters, within the young woman’s means. She accepted and eventually took up a job as a cleaner, but was forced to give it up since the mere pushing of the mop was proving difficult for her, she said. “Through the years, I’ve gone through much. It’s like I’ve gone through a mill – crushed and grounded, and it’s getting worse, but I am not giving up,” she said. “But my aim is to get my own home where I can live comfortably and even reach out to help my daughter and grandchildren.” She told of having acquired a plot of land from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (on the basis of her blindness), but is now required to come up with $100,000 towards the construction of a house.

Visually impaired Ingrid Fletchman Turn to page XXXV►►►

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

Indigenous communities in Region Two receiving free Internet service RESIDENTS living in the Amerindian communities of Tapakuma, Mainstay and Lima Sands will soon have access to Information Technology compliments of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA). On Wednesday, Community Represen-

tative, Cindy Blackman met with residents and community leaders from the outlying communities. Blackman told residents that the NDMA is trying to expand free Internet service to the areas. She said a volunteer will be at the various hubs during opening hours

Meeting with residents at Tapakuma by NDMA

to assist persons. The hubs are equipped with wireless Internet access and laptop computers for the entire community. Toshaos from the various communities were delighted by the prospects of the project and said children from the com-

munity will benefit tremendously. In the past, children had to venture to Anna Regina to visit internet cafes in an effort to conduct research. Residents were happy for the project and said the community will support the initiative.

Meeting at Mainstay by NDMA staff

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Region Two Primary Schools equipped with computers Students to indulge in Information Technology classes THE younger generation living in Region Two will now take advantage of the many opportunities that are available to them via the internet, now that the Regional Administration has made available computers in various schools. Last Friday the Regional Executive Officer, Denis Jaikaran Snr handed out 31 desktop computers to three Primary Schools; Aurora, Fisher and 8th of May. The computers are placed in air-conditioned laboratories conducive to learning. During the simple handing-over ceremonies at the various schools, Jaikaran reiterated

the need for children to keep abreast with what’s happening around the world. He said that research opportunities will be created and the internet will be used as the main tool for empowerment. The computers will be available for students and teachers to use. Teachers were urged to ensure that they utilise the devices for teaching purposes. The venture was made possible through the Ministry of Education, in its quest to implement Information and Communication Technology (ICT) across the Pomeroon- Supenaam Region.

The computers that were installed at 8th May Primary School

The computers were complete with UPS, Printers and Routers. Free High-Speed Internet will also be provided through the National Data Management Authority of Guyana. Now that the systems are installed, the onus is on Department of Education and the Regional Democratic Council to train, service and provide basic utilities at the various com-

puter laboratories. Headteachers from the various Primary schools thanked the Ministry of Education and all major stakeholders for the computers along with installation and free internet. They promised to ensure that pupils make the most use of them. Turn to page IX►►►

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019 ◄◄◄ From page VIII

Headmistress of Fisher Primary, Artie Gangoo receiving the computers for the school

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From the Archives

The short stories of Cyril Dabydeen This article was first published on November 15, 2014 in the Pepperpot Magazine Introduction by Mariam Pirbhai Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada CYRIL Dabydeen was born in Berbice County, Guyana. His parents were the descendants of indentured labourers from the Indian subcontinent brought to the British colonies in the aftermath of Emancipation. Dabydeen was raised in the village of Adelphi, in the Canjie, Berbice, home to Rose Hall, one of the largest sugar plantations in Guyana, as well as the major township of New Amsterdam, birthplace of Wilson Harris and Edgar Mittleholzer.

Like other writers from the Land of Many Waters, Dabydeen was infused with the creative spirit and energy of his tropical surroundings which, like the majestic Kaieteur waterfalls or the seawall protecting the nation’s capital, stands at the threshold of many worlds: the Amazon, the Amerindian hinterland, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Great White North, Africa, Asia, Europe. Here, Dabydeen would immerse himself in the poetry of Martin Carter, the heady excursions of Wilson Harris, and the tragicomic wit of Trinidadians V.S Naipaul and Sam Selvon, while schooled on a menu of British and American staples like Jane Austen, Somerset Maugham and T.S Eliot. This early appetite for literature dovetailed into a career in

education at the youthful age of sixteen. Throughout the 1960s, a period marked by Guyana’s tumultuous transition to independence, Dabydeen taught at St. Patrick’s Anglican; a school mainly serving the children of sugar factory workers from Rose Hall. The memories of youth spent on one or other side of a colonial education system, or connected to the struggles of plantation labourers against the colonial and neocolonial machinery, would provide a rich source or material for stories like The Pugilist and God Save the Queen. In a monograph devoted to Dabydeen’s oeuvre, Jameela Begum describes the inescapable impact of the Guyanese environment on Dabydeen’s craft; The freedom of the spirit and the place Canje were intertwined for Dabydeen and they became constantly the spirit of human endeavour and liberation irrespective of race and colour. Dabydeen’s experiences and impression s of Rose Hall on the bank of Canje river, one of the largest sugar plantations in the East Canje river, amidst the smell of rotten sugar cane, the aroma of molasses, the sight of molluse, crab and shrimp along the Guyana coast, and the throbbing of the gigantic cane factory became an inseparable part of his poetic imagination. Dabydeen is a rare breed in his ability to straddle genres with equal dexterity, and his numerous national and international awards speak to this effortless movement between poetry and fiction. As Dabydeen himself has commented, “the good story combines the poet’s sense of style and the novelist’s sense of drama. At 19, Dabydeen won the Sandbach Parker Gold Medal for Poetry, launching himself into a literary career that began with a chapbook publication, Poems in Recession (partly influenced by Martin Carter’s poetry), and continues in recent collections such as Unanimous Night. Similarly, Dabydeen saw the publication of his first short story “A Tide at Beach-head,” in the Guyana Chronicle in 1970, and, earlier, he was a prize winner for his story ‘Pillon’s Corner’ in a national creative writing competition focusing on human rights. Cyril Dabydeen’s prolific output to date as a poet, novelist, essayist and editor includes sixteen poetry collections, eight short story collections, two novellas, one young adult novel asn a full-length novel. He has been anthologized in over twenty collections, including The Penguin Book of Caribbean Verse (1986), Heinemann’s Caribbean New Wave: Contemporary Short Stories (1990), and The Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse (2004), and has appeared in over sixty literary magazines. Arriving in Canada in the fall of 1970, Dabydeen first lived in Thunder Bay, Northern Ontario (Lake Superior region), finally settling in Ottawa, the nation’s capital. Dabydeen’s contact with rural Canada sets him apart from the majority of immigrant writers whose physical and imaginative orbit is generally restricted to Canada’s metropolitan centres. Dabydeen’s unusual trajectory as well as his experience as a tree planter in the Canadian heartland (a summer job while Dabydeen was a university student pursuing a degree in English Literature) has cultivated in the author a heightened awareness of Canada’s own “many selves. This was also the author’s first-hand experience of the pioneer or frontier sensibility deeply rooted in the Canadian aesthetic, and captured by early Canadian poets such as E.J. Pratt and Isabelle V. Crawford, or in Canadian fiction produced in the early twentieth century. Dabydeen’s reflections on settler subjectivity would be channeled into the short story ‘The Outsiders,’ an ironic inversion of the insect-ridden tropical rainforest: Mosquitoes, blackflies swirled. I handed him the fly repellent, the thick grease I rubbed on my arms, neck, face and other exposed parts. He seemed filled with a strange rage, and was it because of the woodpeckers? Since this time, Dabydeen had been infused with the two major landscapes, north and south of the equator, that have nourished his life and career. In both his poetry and prose, Dabydeen’s writing evokes what he lyrically refers to as the “historic mind” of the diasporic subject, that is, the individual who is enmeshed within a hybrid and cross-referential cultural, geographic and ancestral framework. Perhaps it is Daydeen’s global citizenry and diasporic consciousness that infuses his work with the spirit of a humanist, which is also emblematic of his work on race relations and human rights issues for the Canadian Government and for his innumerable contributions to the Arts. Indeed, Dabydeen was part of a literary movement, from the seventies onward, that would transform the very terms of citizenship that have come to define Canada’s literary identity. As editor of ground-breaking collections Another Way to Dance: Asian Writers in Canada and the USA as well as A Shapely Fire: Changing the Literary Landscape (an anthology of black and Caribbean-born writers Turn to page XIII►►►

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019 ◄◄◄ From page XII

in Canada) – Dabydeen has played an integral role in forging a multicultural literary community that looks to differences in ethnicity, race and perspective as the basis for cultural and national enrichment. UNFRAGMENTED WHOLENESS This collection brings together a selection of Dabydeen’s short stories written primarily in the 1970s and 1980s. Most of the stories were first published in Caribbean or Canadian literary journals, and later appeared in Dabydeen’s numerous short story collections, including Still Close to the Island, Black Jesus and Other Stories and Jogging in Havana and Other Stories. The last story in the collection, “Sleeping in Delhi,” is unique insofar as it was written in the late 1990s and has never appeared in earlier collections. Dabydeen has continued to produce fiction in subsequent years, including a full-length novel, Drums of My Flesh. The stories are arranged in two parts: the early period, and the middle to later period, charting a chronological movement that parallels the changing contours of the author’s craft. The stories also move in setting and enveloping action to capture a geographical or diasporic odyssey that mirrors Dabydeen’s migration from Guyana to Canada, and his real and mythical forays into India, the site of ancestral memory. The late Sam Selvon, also privy to the peculiar juxtapositions inherent in the émigré’s plight in North America, would come to say of Dabydeen: ‘(He) is in the vanguard of contemporary short story writers, shuttling with equal and consummate skill from rural Guyana to metropolitan Canada. But Dabydeen’s characters movements are more than the predictable shuttling back and forth between north and south, or natal and adoptive homeland. His characters inhabit in mind, spirit and being various other worlds to which they are also intimately connected. Thus, in ‘Going Places,’ a story in the first half of the collection, a distracted father-to-be whose wife’s labour pains are comically syncopated with a nation’s genesis as a socialist government, looks to Cuba, Moscow or some other faraway country for a new phase. Ironically, the young father’s reputation as a seasoned traveler is derailed by the sudden awareness that fatherhood (like statehood, perhaps?) is about to terminate such freedom of mobility. Similarly, in ‘To Speak of Leopards, a Canadian poet Bellamy’s fantastical escapades through South America bring home to the narrator the discreet transference of knowledge and symbol, such that the Montreal-born humanitarian Norman Bethune comes to be heralded by a group of young South American revolutionaries via their schooling in the Chinese Cultural Revolution rather than in Canadian or North American history. To Speak of Leopards also underscores the writer’s ability to move beyond Guyanese and Canadian themes, with South America or, more broadly, Latin America figuring sometimes implicitly and at other times prominently as a central part of the writer’s awareness. It is these flashes of interconnection that counteract the isolation of the exile, revealing in their stead invisible bridges or at least the kaleidoscopic movement of ideas, people and knowledge across vast expanses. These are the interstitial spaces of self-discovery and awareness found in chance meetings with other kinds of Indians, steeped in or stripped bare of their mythological or colonial miasma, in the Guyanese hinterland (Amerindians) or the Great White North (The Outsider): in other kinds of Caribbeans, washed up like sun-drenched driftwood, on the frigid shores of the cosmopolis (Mammita’s Garden Cove or All the King’s Men), in other kinds of outsiders (To speak of Leopards or Ain’t Got No cash), reinventing the art of survival in unlikely bonds of companionship; and, coming full circle as it were, in encounters with the Self as Other (Homecoming or Sleeping in Delhi), be it in the émigré’s prodigal return to family and nation, or the reversal of epic journeys across the Kala pani, back to the Indian Subcontinent. Perhaps this is the Jungian vision at the heart of Dabydeen’s fiction. Taking as his point of departure Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychological determinism, Carl Gustav Jung averred that “anything psychic is Janus-faced…it looks forwards and backwards,” and that behavior is best understood not only by causality but also teleology (“intentions, aims, plans, predictions and premonitions”). The simultaneously backward-and forward-looking movement promulgating the self’s search for wholeness and unity is central to Dabydeen’s musings, and is nowhere better typified than in the leit motif of the jaguar – the “most indigenous of South American animals” – which prowls the pages of Dabydeen’s poetry and prose. In a poem found in his 1995 collection Born in Amazonia, the jaguar takes centre stage “In a séance/in the silence/of the forest.” Whether the jaguar is a mystical symbol of “the bottomless pool of origins” in its evocation of memory, ancestry and interiority (see ‘Amerindians’), or a trickster figure that throws past and present into dizzying confluence, the jaguar is a ubiquitous signpost of a character’s “many selves”. And the jaguar itself is a mutable trope transTurn to page XV►►►

formed by other locales and other perspectives, as is witnessed in ‘Sleeping Delhi,’ where the “Bengal tiger from the Sunderbans with incandescent eyes” keeps a jet-lagged Guyanese traveler in a state of perpetual “dreaminess” as a strangely familiar denizen in an Indian guest house. Dabydeen’s readers are always nudged, ever subtly, to consider these stories of migration and exile with a healthy dose of skepticism – or, looked at in another way, a new-found optimism – insofar as the singular voice of the émigré invariably betrays a trans-historical and trans-national consciousness that is never entirely without anchor somewhere in the world. This, as Guy Hamel in the prominent The Fiddlehead magazine has noted, is Dabydeen working “back through consciousness or history to describe an original condition of unfragmented wholeness,” the fundamental kernel at the core of every story. STORY OF PROCESS: Dabydeen’s philosophy of writing is captured in the oft-quoted statement by Virgina Woolf: “life is not a series of gig lamps symmetrically arranged; life is a luminous halo, a semi-transparent envelope surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end.” This credo is further enlivened if not

XIII wholly complicated by the transplanted writer’s awareness of the jagged asymmetry of life as an émigré. The new subject-position fractures the writer’s sense of place, voice and identity, each of which fall to renewed critical scrutiny in the adoptive land, itself the arena of different conventions, expectations and habits of mind. For Dabydeen, as for other members of the diaspora in the western metropolis, such dislocations have not only forges new points of identification with other émigré’s but also a self-reflexive subjectivity that is so often the exile’s particular forte as an insider/outsider. To this end, Dabydeen comments: “By now I’d begun seeing myself as a transplanted writer grappling with my ingrained West Indian consciousness, sustained by unique rhythms and close acquaintance with immigrant people’s lives around me, and in me.” Not surprisingly, in Canada Dabydeen found himself attuned to the “unique rhythms and close acquaintance with immigrant people’s lives.” In particular, Sam Selvon and Austin Clarke – fellow Caribbean writers in Canada – would come to have a substantial influence on Dabydeen’s creative evolution, if not in stylistic or formal terms, at least in each writer’s uniquely articulated struggle to captuire he ebb and flow, rhythm and cadence of the West Indian consciousness as it is continually hybridised

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019 ◄◄◄ From page XIII

and transformed in the diaspora. Of Clarke, he write: “The Barbadian-born Austin Clarke’s stories and novels I also read around this time: the way Clarke captures the verisimilitude of Caribbean immigrants’ existence in Toronto with his genuinely authentic voice and dialectual energy, unmatched by any other ‘Caribbean’ writer.” Similarly, the cathartic carnivalesque humour of Selvon’s “Moses and the boys” resonates in Dabydeen’s ‘All the King’s Men.’ The story pivots around a mock celebration held in honour of Starkie Peterson Mulligan’s freshly acquired anglo-Canadian pedigree as a “Bachelor of Arts,” and ends in the tragicomic flourish characteristic of Selvon’s Moses trilogy, with a souced Starkie, self-proclamation “leader of the black race,” passed out in a “white-white snow-laden land.” Migration would also bring about a shift in emphasis, in Dabydeen’s stories, from a consideration of how one positions oneself in the world to how one is (re)positioned by others. In aesthetic terms, such re-focalization prompted the question as to whether character and dramatic effect alone could determine and sustain his craft. Dabydeen’s post-modernist reconceptualization of the short story as “process, a form not always with a finite end” is indicative of this critical andcreative evolution. Here, the indelible imprint of Canadian icon Margaret Atwood on Dabydeen’s stylistic and aesthetic reinvention warrants comment. The post-modernist sets out simple to tell a story but “to tell the story of how stories are told and created. Of, as Atwood would put it, in her oft theologised story ‘Happy Endings,’ “that’s about all that can be said for plots, which anyway are just one thing after another, a what and a what and a what. Now try How and Why.” For Dabydeen, meaning is similarly released from the grip of omniscience or the self-authorising 1; the reader is at once catapulted into the dramatic epicenter – the traditional story-teller’s penchant for beginning in medias res – only to find him or herself dangling somewhere between epiphany and renewed suspense, even the moments of illumination foreclosing the possibility of resolution or stasis. Specifically, readers might notice questions resurfacing as closing lines (e.g., Los Toros ends with the question “Or was it at Kaiso?”). Or endings might upset linearity in their ironic inversion of setting, atmosphere and states of mind. For instance, ‘Homecoming’, which starts with a lover’s excited discovery of a new tropical environment (“her first night in the tropics with him and she hadn’t slept much”), ends with her partner’s equally anticipated reunion “in suddenly bitter cold.” Trinidadian-Canadian novelist H. Nigel Thomas best captures the spirit of experimentation in voice, structure and form that is central to Dabydeen’s artifice: “In the welter of erudite detail, which makes rereading necessary if one is to savour the richness of these stories, the stories are characteristically Dabydeen’s. Moreover, they embody Dabydeen’s technique of forging situations or images as pivots and then moving out in different directions to pull in details that illuminate or expand the pivot while conferring ambiance, tone and texture to the story. When such techniques work, the result is finely wrought, multilayered fiction”. Suffice to say, the structural design of many of Dabydeen’s stories implicitly favour the quintessentially post-modernist maxim that the unity of the whole can be found in fragmentation – or the integrity of its parts – thereby resisting the tyranny of over-determination and closure. Any introduction to Dabydeen’s stories would be incomplete without some discussion of language, “Orality being all.” For one, the lyrical commingling of his poetic and dramatic voice is apparent in the texture and tenor, rhythm and phrasing, synergy and synesthesia that fuel description and atmosphere. Moreover, the diction and dialogue that animate his characters are indefatigably expressive of a creole sensibility, affirming a Caribbean poetics enlivened by such quotidian imagery and sounds as “liming by a runshop.” As Frank Birbalsingh comments, “Vivid physical descriptions of people and places combine with dialogue of pungent, idiomatic local speech patterns…confirm(ing) the author’s skill in reproducing social manners.” The narratives themselves are propelled by the aesthetic energy and rhythm of Caribbean speech, captured in the kind of pithy phrasing characteristic of the “poet’s sense of style,” and exploding with the imagery, orality and pulsating tempo of Caribbean life: “Dominoes clapping, a rhapsodic sound like shortlived thunder.” Or, again, in the “novelist’s sense of drama,” streaming with the innate speech rhythms not only reflective of land and region but also of community and ethnos, as can beseen in the following heated exchange between Sumintra and Rohini, an Indo-Guyanese mother and daughter, the former riled by her elder daughter Delsa’s rebellion and the latter emboldened by her elder sister’s courage: “Rohini, you hear me? Come out! Or else I will tell your pa!’ Sumintra knocked on the door. ‘Go tell he. See wha’ he can do!’ Rohini fired back. ‘Ow me Gawd, Rohini – come out from dere!’ bawled Sumintra. Rohini kept thinking of one day going abroad…if only Delsa

would help her. ‘Delsa na wicked,’ Rohini shot back at the keyhole. ‘Wha’ you say?’ screeched Sumintra, unable to cope with the insolence. ‘YOU GET HOTMOUTH!’ This is the language that Dabydeen poetically refers to as Black English. It is worth quoting Dabydeen’s treatise on language at some length, clarifying as it does not only the creole sensibility that is central to Dabydeen’s aesthetic but also what I have previously referred to as the trans-national and trans-historical consciousness underpinning his creative vision: “Black English is also the core of ‘nation language’ aimed at reclaiming dignity because if history’s caravel coming through the Middle Passage, if only aided by the north star and birds like the albatross slanting in the sun and guiding a vessel along in the ocean. Now who’s really below deck? Elmina Castle too, as I hear echoes coming from Ghana’s hovels of despair, or from a nigger-yard or bound-coolie yard distant Caribbean sugar plantations, more than lore. Orality being all, or historian-poet Kamau Brathwaite’s tidalectics. Do I hear ancestors speaking? Not just my grandma’s dialectical grammar, even if unpredictable…as my stoning the wind?…” Though couched in the nomenclature of race, Dabydeen’s

XV “Black English” nonetheless provides an apt metaphor for a more fluid, inclusive and porous cultural identity, one that is attune to the Hindi or Bhojpuri-inflected English Creole of a Guyanese township as much as it is the “Jamaican lilt” of a Rastafarian chant, or the “hip-talk” and “jive” of the western metropole. Dabydeen’s stories often demand a rereading because of their highly impressionistic quality. And readers might very well struggle with, as much as they might delight in, the unconventionality or unique voice in Dabydeen’s prose. The stories are filled with the concrete and sentient immediacy of time and place, imbued as they are with the tropical residues of a “sugar plantation self” or under assault as they are by other “surreal neighbourhoods.” They are stories that will surely plunge the reader into the symbolic or mythopaeic layers of the human psyche, a Jungian logic that often bends or eschews convention to find expression. But the intensity of image and emotion, the memorable dysfunction of characters living at the edge of strangely intersecting worlds, and the hybrid influences so indicative of a cross-cultural imagination tell a story, like that of a literary career, that continues to move forward, albeit paradoxically, “into sold fragments of memory.”

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

When it comes to Environmental Protection, your voice counts - Part 1 AS citizens of this beautiful country, we have an important role when it comes to matters concerning the environment and our health. The environment is everybody’s business since we all depend on it in one way or another. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to promoting sound environment management and sustainable use of Guyana’s natural resources. Equally, the agency works to promote environmental awareness and public participation in developmental activities. Through our various campaigns, publications, ads, radio/TV interviews/ programmes, EPA seeks to encourage all Guyanese to share their views and make recommendations to ensure developmental projects have minimal adverse impacts on human health and the environment. You would agree that all developmental projects have some impact on the environment. However, based on the nature of some projects, the impact might be greater than others. Therefore, the EPA encourages all citizens to develop an interest in what’s happening around them. Be in the know and share your views on the projects, especially to those requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). These are usually projects where the potential impacts may be significant or are unknown. This week’s article will highlight one of the many ways members of the public can participate in the decision-making process to ensure that projects are implemented in a way that will not cause considerable damage to the environment and human health. READ PUBLIC NOTICES Once someone applies to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for an Environmental Authorisation and it is decided whether or not the person needs to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the project is published in the newspapers. This allows members of the public to be aware of the project. A summary of the project will also be found on the agency’s website. The public has the opportunity to share concerns, comments, recommendations etc. before the project commences. ATTEND PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS

WHAT IS A PUBLIC S COPING MEETING? As part of the name suggests it is a meeting that specifically targets members of the public. When a developer/project proponent applies to the EPA for Environmental Authorisation to execute a proposed project and the EPA determines that an EIA is required, as part of this process, such a meeting is necessary. This meeting provides the opportunity for residents of communities surrounding the proposed project site to provide their valuable suggestions, recommendations and concerns about the project idea. At a scoping meeting, the developer and officials from the EPA are there to hear your thoughts about possible environmental impacts that should guide the EIA study. EAST BANK- EAST COAST (DIAMOND/OGLE) ROAD LINKAGE PROJECT Recently, the agency held two public scoping meetings, one at the Better Hope Community Centre on the East Coast and the other at Grove/Diamond Primary School on the East Bank, in an effort to engage the public on the Road Linkage Project. During the meetings, discussions were held around the project; what it entails and the impacts to the environment. Citizens got a chance to share ways the project might affect their livelihood. In addition, the audience members were encouraged to share their opinions and ideas for developing the project. By reading public notices and attending public scoping meetings, citizens have a firsthand input into project development in Guyana. These inputs are necessary because after a project is completed, its impact remains. Join us next week where we will examine public scoping meetings further, including who organises these, what to expect etc. The Agency is committed to engaging citizens in matters of the environment and we encourage persons to share their viewpoints on all projects. You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, Georgetown, or email us at eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019 ◄◄◄ From page IV

Abigale John

“People might look down on this, but I am filling a need for people who live without electricity, and when you get into

business, you must look for what people are not doing and try to stand out. At the moment, I don’t have competitors. Nothing in life is easy, but you have to know what you want work towards it,” Abigale advised. She is also proud to be the owner of AJ Signs, located at her home in Buxton, and to share in a family-owned business called GT Wine. “Everyone in my family was into business, so that motivated me to do something for my own. I worked with companies before, but my dream was to have my own business; to do something that I love. When you do something that you love, you become more fulfilled and you get more output from what you do. I am living my dreams, basically.” ‘KEEP PROPELLING’ Abigale attended Stella Maris Primary, Campbellville Secondary and Critchlow Labour College where she took a course in Industrial and Social Studies. She later did a certificate in event planning management and then pressed on to UG. Abigale did not yet complete her studies at UG when her mom died. In fact, she did not yet achieve anything on her own. “But I set goals in my life, and my mom passed on values and morals to us and motivated us

to do what we needed to do. At a young age, she trained us to set goals and accomplish them. So it’s easy for me now,” she expressed. Abigale is happy that by the time her mom died, all her brothers had finished school. “It was very hard. It’s still very hard, battling life without parents.” Although Kevon, one of her brothers, is a certified electrician, he followed in their parents’ footsteps and took up farming. Another brother, Jermaine, has just been promoted to Lance Corporal in the Guyana Police Force (GPF). Abigale’s drive to achieve her goals, coupled with her hard work, allowed for her to leave her full-time job and focus on her own businesses. She doesn’t regret for a moment the way things turned out. “You see, when you have a creative mind and love doing something, it’s very easy. I’m goal driven, I know what I want

XVII and I do not settle for less. I go strong and hard for what I want. I did what I had to do.” Abigale’s advice today is: “Don’t use your situation as a reason not to keep propelling. You have to set goals, achieve them, and surround yourself with people who can up build you. Don’t take advice from people who cannot help you.” While at Campbellville Secondary, Abigale became friends with Wanda Samantha Fortune, another brilliant young woman who continues to exhibit qualities like Abigale. Now a magistrate, Wanda and Abigale are still good friends. “I’d say that her humility, selflessness and drive stands out. I’m proud of and admire her because she has overcome many obstacles and throughout it all, she remains charismatic and positive. Man, I just love her drive and overall attitude,” Wanda said about her friend.

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

Relapse Prevention

I AM still receiving emails from excited readers who are proudly keeping up with their resolutions- congratulations to all of you. However, some people have expressed their concern about “failing their resolutions”, particularly with abstaining or decreasing alcohol and other drug use. This is a very difficult thing to do and therefore my focus today will be on how to avoid relapse involving heavy alcohol and other drug use. For those of you who remained abstinent

over the holidays, among all the potential triggers, I hope you have acknowledged what a milestone that is and I urge you to write to me and share your story. On the other spectrum, many of us had a great time overindulging in these substances over the holidays, so much so that there was an active decision to lower use come January. Additionally, many others have had a problem with overuse for some time and used the New Year as an opportunity for a clean slate. Either way, your ambition, while indeed difficult, is realistic.

If you are in recovery, you must have already identified your triggers which result in your wanting to use substances – these can be people, places or things. The most important thing is to be aware of these triggers and avoid them whenever and wherever possible, especially if you are still unsure of your ability to say no. Remember that even one drink/hit of your drug of choice can result in a relapse. Cravings are often common and very difficult to deal with but remember the average craving typically only lasts for about 20 minutes. It would be wise to find something consistent to do when these arise – it can be anything from chewing gum to exercising, whatever works for you. This is also where you practise healthy coping skills that I keep talking about come in! A little tip- eat lots of fruits. Alcohol mostly turns into sugar in the body so many cravings you have may just be for the sugar that your body was used to. Don’t fight the cravings, try to relax and go with the flow. While we can’t always control what happens around or to us- we can definitely control how we react to it. Remember HALT which is a popular acronym for the most common causes of relapse – Hunger, Anger, Loneliness and Tiredness. Remember to have a healthy and consistent diet, practise those healthy coping skills that have proven to prevent and treat your anger, surround yourself with the loved ones that support you and get your rest! These will all ensure your successful path to recovery. Have extra support – do you have a support group that you go to? There are many support groups and may even be one in your community – ask around. Below are the ones I usually refer people to. Brickdam Presbytery (opposite Brickdam

church) Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings: Tuesdays – 19:30 hrs – 21:00hrs Fridays and Sundays – 18:30hrs – 20:00hrs Phoenix Recovery Project (located in Mon Repos) Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings Tuesdays – 18:00hrs-19:30hrs Cocaine Anonymous Thursdays- 18:00hrs-19:30hrs Narcotics Anonymous (any substance) Sundays- 18:30hrs-20:00hrs Always remember that your recovery comes first. If there is a lapse, that’s okay – get right back up and begin again. Don’t lose hope as there is a big difference between a lapse and a relapse. A lapse is a one- time slip- one that still allows you to stay on the path of recovery while a relapse occurs when someone completely falls back into the habit of using. Just keep reminding yourself of the reasons you decided to quit in the first place as well as the improvements that have resulted from the abstinence. Remember the famous saying “One day at a time” as many find it overwhelming to think about the future when it comes to sobriety. Don’t think about being sober for a year. Rather, just think about getting through the day. Once you have done that, you’re ahead of the game. If even this is too overwhelming, just do one hour at a time; one minute even. Every day that you remain sober and content is a good day. Thank you for reading and please send in any questions, comments or topics to caitlinvieira@gmail.com. Suicide Prevention Helpline – 223-0001, 223-0009, 623-4444, 600-7896 Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

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CAN GEORGETOWN REGAIN ITS PAST GLORY? THE City of Georgetown in the 19th century and in the first five decades of the 20th century had the enviable reputation on being the “Garden City” of the West Indies. It was one of the few completely wooden cities in the world, since there were no brick buildings and it was spotlessly clean, well-drained and all the amenities were available. Then from the 1960s, the City began to decline in a rising crescendo and by 2000 the quality of life had declined beyond recognition. Le Repentir Cemetery is a microcosm of this decline, where from once being maintained like a well-kept park with various eras of funerary architecture, it became a jungle with tombs being vandalised and vagrants living in the tombs and oftentimes attacking mourners. At this present juncture, the city has an opportunity of ushering in an era of renewal and rebirth. There is a new Mayor and City Councillors who were elected at the recent Local Government Elections (LGEs) and they seem to be accepting their responsibilities with enthusiasm and intelligence. This was gleaned when the new mayor and councillors, held their inaugural statutory meeting and were addressed by the Minister of Communities Hon. Ronald Bulkan. Mr Bulkan, in his speech, in effect, laid out a programme for the council. But before Mr Bulkan’s address, the council had the benefit of the Kennard Report. Government had appointed a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) under the chairmanship of Justice Cecil Kennard. Justice Kennard took evidence at all levels and his findings were not only revealing but in effect provided an agenda for the present City Hall. The report shows the weaknesses of the various sectors of the City Council and in particular its administration. The report made suggestions on how matters could be corrected and bettered. One notable area which caught the serious attention of the public was the vestiges of corruption which so negatively affected the council’s administration. The report named a number of officials who should be disciplined. Among these, were those who were responsible for causing the business community, millions of dollars in losses. We recall two such cases: Churches, the fast-food chain of restaurants had completed all arrangements to establish a branch in Stabroek Square. In this process, they had expended over $30 million and merely had to have City Hall’s final permission before opening the branch. The City Hall never granted permission over several years and the company had to abandon establishing the new restaurant. Similarly, the old Booker zinc bond in Water Street was to have been transformed into a fine architecturally designed and constructed multi-story building, which would have beautified and immeasurably improved downtown Georgetown. But though the owners had satisfied all criteria, the City Hall kept withholding their permission for the project to be finalised. When Minister Bulkan delivered his address at the inaugural meeting of the new City Council on Monday, 14th January, he further widened the parameters of Justice Kennard’s report. Likewise, the Local Government Commission had started to effectuate the report within their remit and had summoned several of the allegedly culpable officers. The public is critically looking on, confident that the LGE would be able to do their work without fear or favour. Minister Bulkan’s address was wide-ranging and did cover the main challenges of City Hall, but the problems are so multifarious that it was impossible for him to cover all of them. Among the two main omissions, probably because they are so obvious, was the renewal of the Town Hall building and the complete revival of the Le Repentir Cemetery. He began by reminding the new council, that three years ago President Granger had addressed the then council and among his valuable suggestions was the establishment of a National Capital Planning Commission to assist the council. The present council could take up the challenge. Such a commission would be able to ensure long-term planning and bring more focus to the city government. He touched on corruption and transparency and pointed out that that it is a very few people who bring the council into disrepute, and not the overwhelming majority of the workforce. In meeting this problem, he suggested integrating into the financial and administrative sectors a series of checks and balances. He also reminded that the public does not wish to be told of achievements; more importantly, they want to know the

cost and expenditure for such achievements. He also offered to use the audit department of his ministry to do annual audits of the council’s accounts. He enjoined the council to cultivate good relations with the business community and to promote dialogue between the council and the Private Sector. They should create an investment-friendly climate and should, for example, take steps to reduce unnecessary delays in the issuance of building permits. He also mentioned some of the continuous problems which

have to be confronted such as illegal vending and its proliferation, drainage, security, solid waste management, squatting on municipal reserves and zoning. The Council of 2019, using the findings of the Kennard Inquiry and those of past reports, such as the Burrowes Report and the Justice Prem Persaud Report and the minister’s guidance, would be able to develop a programme which could begin the process of restoring Georgetown to its former glory.

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

XXI

#SupportCreativity

By Subraj Singh

Stymieing youth violence and crime

YOUTH in the Caribbean are susceptible to alarming levels of violence and crime. Not only does this affect the human capital needed to facilitate development in the region, but really, it just makes life harder to live. And that bothers me. I spent some time at the Caribbean Summit on Youth Violence Prevention this past week. The main focus of the event was to facilitate engagement among stakeholders, especially young people, on the Caribbean Youth Action and Advocacy Agenda on Violence Prevention (AAA) document. In short, this document is a roadmap or a blueprint that was crafted to augment efforts to combat youth violence and crime. It is based on three pillars: preventing and reducing crime, fostering social inclusion and promoting reintegration. The good thing about this document is that it is evidence-based and was crafted for the specific Caribbean context. Further, it zeroes in on the central role of youth. And here’s why that’s important: According to the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) 2012 Caribbean Human Development Report on Citizen Security, 80 per cent of prosecuted crimes were committed by youth 19 to 29 years old. Recent studies also show that a majority of victims, as well as perpetrators of crimes recorded by the police, are young males 18 to 35 years old. So we have this document. It has been crafted and refined and now will be taken to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government at this year’s inter-sessional meeting, which will be held in another month’s time- on February 26 and 27- in St. Kitts and the Nevis. The Caribbean leaders (Ministers from several territories) present at the forum, indicated their commitment to youth violence prevention and their support for the AAA. It is at the Intersessional meeting, however, that we will be able to see

their real actions. I’m not just highlighting this for context, but so that we can understand that part of eradicating this issue is holding our leaders accountable to their promises. In fact, at the culmination of the summit, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago Shamfa Cudjoe spoke glowingly about the work done by the young people and how pleased all the ministers present were about the agenda. That’s all good and well, but what remains to be seen is how supportive governments would be in adopting the agenda and thereafter implementing it. I know it sounds like I’m being wary of the Caribbean ministers, but what I’m wary of, is that streamlining such efforts requires penetrating bureaucratic processes. These processes take time, they take sacrifice (especially from the young people and partners doing the work), they take com-

promise and, more importantly, they take lots of commitment. This document focuses on creating a culture of peace. It might be good and well to validate the crafters of the document and say ‘Hey! Young people made a document to tackle youth violence and we support it’ but it is another thing to actual foster efforts to implement this. That’s why on the part of young people like me, we have to put these commitments on the record (like through this column) and make sure these people stand by their words. Crime is a huge problem in the Caribbean. As a sociology student, I know that youth crime in the Caribbean has underpinnings in a myriad of social factors- a breakdown in the family, male absenteeism and the lack of male role models, a social strain felt to live up to society’s expectations, inter alia. I also know that because of the Caribbean’s geographic location (it is a trans-shipment point in between South America, a producer of drugs and North America, a major drug market) organised crime has permeated this region. But youth crime-and by extension, crime- must be stymied. Not just because we don’t like having problems in our region, or because we’re trying to create a better environment for young people but because it threatens the very livelihood of the Caribbean people. We tout ourselves as tourist destinations, but security concerns can hinder that. Further, every life harmed or damaged is a blow to the human capital potential necessary to continue developmental efforts. Is it a big problem to tackle? Yes. Does it seem too big to eradicate? Also yes, but concerted and collaborative efforts put up a big fight too eh. Creating an evidence-based document is a huge step. Taking this to the policymakers is another huge step. The next big step to be taken is ensuring they adopt it. Then, the work on using the policy to stymie youth violence and crime really begins.

On a quest to change society's perception of 'beauty' T I M E and time again we have heard the saying “hair is a woman’s beauty”. Enough times to have tainted the minds of many, to have the perception that the longer the hair, the prettier the girl. But this week’s personality has made a step to reconstruct the way society views women with short hair. Twenty-three year old Joyann Junor took a leap and created an instagram account named “Short Hair Don’t Care” to empower women with short hair or no hair at all. Joyann said this venture was inspired by her life journey. “Growing up I was made to believe that hair is a woman’s beauty and if it isn’t long and straight or thick and curly you wouldn’t fit in… At the age of 18 I was diagnosed with depression. Some days when I looked in the mirror I felt displeased or worthless. My hair was the only thing everyone loved about me and it was one of the things that was holding me back,” she said.

Finding herself living in an iron box mentally and emotionally, Joyann said she felt like cutting her hair off. “When I told my family and friends I wanted to cut my hair off, the feedback was horrendous. It was as if having short hair was a bit taboo… After I cut my hair off and went completely bald, the thought came to me ‘maybe I should create a page to support and encourage girls who want to undergo this process/journey but do not have the needed support’, in hope to accomplish change,” the young woman said. She explained that through the pictures posted on Instagram, the women share their stories along with the pictures. Some of the stories are quite emotional since some of the women are bald due to illnesses such as cancer. “Since I’ve started, the feedback has been overwhelming. The page has brought girls together from across the world. Each individual story told has helped to motivate, encourage and buildup some girl, especially those battling with various forms of cancers and low self-esteem. Girls would message on a daily basis saying the stories inspired and give them the courage they needed to

go ahead and do a big chop. Also asking for advice on what kind of haircut would be suitable for them… The page has created a gateway for girls with short hair to help them escape self-hate and to buildup selflove and confidence,” Joyann said. She shared that she has intentions expanding her activism to bring about this social change. “Currently I’m working on projects that promote self-awareness. I did one a few months back called ‘Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow’. I also plan on doing live interviews with girls who have short hair and try to expand my page on a social level,” she unveiled. When asked what message she would like to leave with young women, Joyann said, “To the females out there who lost their hair in the battle against cancer or who cut their hair off by choice and feel inadequate, you are beautiful regardless. Your hair shouldn’t and doesn’t define you as an individual. Having short hair or no hair at all just brings out the better version of yourself, see it as a new beginning to learn how to love yourself unconditionally... Look in the mirror and love what you see.”

Joyann Junor

Focus on the Village XXII

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

Victoria

The first village

Carlotta DeJesus, Councillor and Businesswoman

This is the first in a series of features on Villages across Guyana, as we seek to bring you fresh and interesting stories from various parts of our beautiful country. This week’s Village in Focus zeroes in on the village of Victoria, East Coast Demerara. (Stories written by M. Margaret Burke) GENERATION after generation for nearly 180 years have heard, seen and in some cases, experienced times about this place they call ‘First Village’. Victoria Village, is some 18 miles east of the capital city Georgetown. In times past, people inhabited only up to about a mile and a half deep into the village, but now it is just about double that – about three miles south of the public road, with people spanning both sides of the road, making a living for themselves. Farming and cottage industries remain some of the major economic activities of the village, even though many in the younger generation have, to some extent, been moving away. But because of the natural deepness of the village at this time, and the fact that many of those who have gone further in due to the extension of families who are born and bred Victorians, farming in some measure continues to be a way of life of the people. VILLAGE LEADER

Desmond Saul

There are many recognised leaders within the village, however, the Pepperpot Magazine was able to talk with one of them, Desmond Saul, who said that even though the village has, over the years, been able to make tremendous strides, there is still much more to be desired. He noted that there is a need to extend the roads in the village since they were built many years ago, and even though some work was done because of the number of vehicles traversing the roads daily – in the form of private owners, as well as many taxis, much more work has to now be done, by way of extending the roads to meet the present needs. He also stressed the need to establish parking lots in order to be able to maintain some amount of order, noting that some days the traffic is very heavy and really warrants some proper organising. Further, he said that there is a need to construct the traffic pattern in the village, where the traffic enters the village through the main road and goes out through the sidelines. YOUTH INVOLVEMENT Saul also expressed concerns at the level of involvement of the youth in the village. He said that he was very pleased to report that many of the youth continue to show an inclination of being able to assert themselves, but much more can be done to inform and educate them. “I would love to see many more of our young people get involved in educational and vocational activities. As head of a school – The Foundation of real Christian Education, which is about teachings in Christian principles, academic subjects and also skills training, I have a keen interest in things educational and would love to see my village people rise to the top in every way,” he stated. Saul also identified the area of sport and sporting facilities that he says can be better organised. In this regard, he noted that efforts are continuing to improve on what is already there, at the same time to include other sporting facilities within the community.

THE NDC Newly-elected councillor, Carlotta DeJesus, while expressing thankfulness to the people of the village for the opportunity to be of service to them, said that she intends to work hard and to the best she can to help improve the village. She agreed with Saul that while many of the youth are very much involved in the activities of the village, much more can be done to help them to become more attune with the times, especially in relation to information and education. “Young people can and need to become more involved in community activities and I will try my best to help them,” she said. In addition, DeJesus said that there is that need for a ‘coming together’ of the people. This, she said, would aid in faster development of the village. “Some reasons why we do not get things done at times is mainly because as a large village – deep and wide- people do not come together enough, in terms of ideas, agreements and action,” she said. She said that sport and culture are other areas that can assist to bring people together and in this regard, she said that she is prepared to do some more work. DeJesus added that there is a fair number of activities going on in the village. She identified football activities as one example, where much work has been done. However, in terms of many of the other sports there is much more work to be done and as a member of the NDC, she said that she has proposals in place and would ensure that much improvement would be seen in the village and community. Meanwhile, Victoria village continues to be a very lively, friendly and productively-centred place; one that is still outstanding for the number of churches in the village. The Wilberforce Church, one built by the slaves, still stands as a remarkable church building in the village. William Baptiste, also known as ‘Boss Africa’, who was the first schoolmaster of the village, began teaching at that church.

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

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Recognising the vocational needs within the community

A new and innovative type of school was born VICTORIA can be considered a village on the move, in a constantly changing environment; one in which the village seems to be ever bursting at its seams – growing wider and further to the north and south. In such a setting, Desmond Saul told the Pepperpot Magazine that he felt the “call” to return to his home village to serve. This service, he said, was as a missionary through the Brethren Church. He said that he came as a missionary with a difference, one in which he would not just preach the gospel, but with a burning desire to help bring positive change to the lives of people within his community, as well as in other communities. He said that one of his contributions was by means of establishing a school – The Foundation of Real Christian Education, which would serve the community through providing life skills as an essential part of helping both the young and not so young (children and parents) to meet some of the challenges of everyday life, coupled with the Christian faith. The courses being offered on the programme are Christian classes, English Language, Mathematics, Information Technology, Sewing, Home Economics, Welding, Motor Mechanics, Electrical Installations, and Agriculture. According to Saul, the attendance on the programme is 80 per cent males to 20 per cent females. “Yes, there are far more men than women – boys to girls- on the programme, and while we would always love

The Foundation of Real Christian Education School

to have the ladies trained in the various courses, we feel that it is a good thing to have the men in attendance in large numbers. It says something important and we are happy for this,” Saul stated. He explained that the school has been aided by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), the Ministry of Communities recently and in the early days, by the Food for the Poor organisation and the Canadian High Commission (CIDA). The BIT, he said, has a programme where they give stipends to students, which he feels can be revisited for more applicability. The school has been in existence for the past 15 years,

Students being lectured by a member of the Guyana Police Force on the dangers of drug use

having spent the first 10 years at the GRECO building in the village. Saul said that the school eventually moved to the building they are currently occupying, five years ago, after he built it with his own gratuity money. “Some of my Christian brethren have supported me in this endeavour, as have also some of my personal friends and my extended family who have contributed in a meaningful way to the operation of the school,” he said. He added that God prepared him well for the role he has taken on; that his exposure as an Engineer and Professional Project Manager with the Guyana Telecommunication Corporation and Northern Telecom for many years; his tertiary and other training, both nationally and internationally, as well as his functions outside of Guyana have properly equipped him to not only build the school but effectively run it. He further explained that his plan is to run this school somewhat as a pilot school, with the hope that if it does succeed then the model can be replicated in other communities. “Every Friday morning we have a session in the classroom that is called ‘Civic Responsibility’, in which I cover many topics relevant to daily living. I feel that the young people and even their parents need to be equipped to handle the various changes taking place in the world today. Many are sleep-walking through life,” he said. This, he posited, should correspond with the transformation in technology, which he viewed as impacting on education, the workplace, the home and even on community life. He added that for the young people to be able to cope with the increasing pace and change of modern life, they ought to acquire new life skills of all sorts. “Our young people need not only the development of life skills, but their education needs to equip them to think through and develop ways of solving problems; recognising the impact of their actions and should teach them to take responsibility for what they do rather than blame others,” Saul said.

In the case of The Foundation of Real Christian Education, it is hoped that attendees will be able to build a high level of confidence in both the spoken skills, as well as for group cooperation and collaboration. Additionally, it is expected that students will acquire the ability to self-manage, solve problems and understand the business and community environment outside the classroom; the ability to work well within and outside of a team; the potential to lead and influence others; and also the ability to develop a greater sense of self-awareness and appreciation for others – not only within their community but in every other aspect of relationship with others. Meanwhile, Councillor Carlotta DeJesus, expressed much appreciation for the work being done by The Foundation of Real Christian Education. She told the Pepperpot Magazine that Saul has been showing tremendous commitment to the work of the school and that it is obvious that he intends well, not only for the school but also the people he has been constantly trying to reach through the various programmes. However, she expressed some concerns about the level of attendance from villagers and hope that the attendance level will rise significantly in the near future for the benefit of the people, as well as the community and by extension the nation at large.

Students being taught welding techniques

XXIV

A quiet affair

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

No noise, no confusion, just hard work at the Moses Factory

the beautiful flower plants that can be seen in the front are some fruits and vegetables. These include papaw, bananas, gooseberries, tomatoes, peppers and the like. But aback of many of those yards can be found the real thing, such as an assortment of vegetables, punctuated by fruit trees, larger quantities of tomatoes, peppers and the like. According to Aunty Mavis, “Back in [the days of Mr. Burnham] he encouraged us to plant every space in our yard and some other places around us. Since then I got into the thing. I was no farmer – not that I hated farming, but I really did not have much interest in it. However, after he started to encourage us in many ways, I COTTAGE industries in Guyana mostly talk of small-scale businesses, but when taken seriously they speak of economic power and development. Such industries create a ready source of employment for ordinary people, and in many cases, they also provide a means of income for larger businesses and their staff as well. Farming and farming products are examples of the immediately related activities that can be associated with the cottage industry in villages in many parts of Guyana. And, Victoria Village is one such area of the country where small industries thrive. The Moses Factory is one of quite a few cottage industries in the village, where women and men, but mostly women conscientiously work to achieve many of their goals and objectives in life. For an industry doing such ‘big’ business, all one can see is mostly the movements of big bags of Marlyn Moses preparing the cassava to make cassava bread cassava going in. The peeling and washing, grating and grinding, pressing and baking make little if any noise. It may just be the light chatter and sometimes hearty laughter that may draw some attention. Other than that business took it up and had my children and grandchilgoes on in a quiet atmosphere. dren helping me. Now I can consider myself a ‘big-time- farmer,” she told the Pepperpot THE VILLAGE LIFE When the Pepperpot Magazine visited Magazine. At the same time, many other the village just recently, many of the women residents within the community held similar were engaged in one activity or another. In views. their well-kept and organised yards, among

A member of staff grinding some of the cassava

Dollyann Moses in the actual process of making cassava bread

THE MOSES FACTORY The Moses factory, as it is simply called, is an establishment with a difference. When the Pepperpot Magazine visited, there was this feeling of entering a big production industry and the atmosphere was filled with industriousness, yet it was very pleasant. In the factory, there was Delroy Marks, one of two men working at the fireside making cassava bread. He was serious about what he was doing, laying out at least six or more slices of cassava bread on an oversized tawa ( a sort of heavy steel plate that can withstand much heat from burning coals or wood fire). Not far from Marks was Marlyn Moses, who has been a stalwart in the cottage industry business for well over four decades. Moses has worked in many aspects of the farming and cottage industry business, and she is not shy to present her goods to be sold within the village or in the city. And for a woman living well over the half-century and a mother of many children, Moses may owe a lot of the beauty and good structure she seems to possess to a lot of the hard work that may have kept her well. THE ENTIRE PROCESS The process of working the cassava is not only to make cassava bread. While this is an important aspect of the production and a very large part as well; cassavarelated items also include cassareep; farine, cassava flour, starch and other products. From planting to harvesting; pealing, grating, processing for the juice to make cassareep, starch and other items, to the making of cassava bread and squinches (with grated, coloured, sweetened and sometimes stewed coconut). Within the business place, there were many other women interacting – each one having their own role to play in their

bid to help make the business run smoothly. In the processing of the cassava, the first part is peeling, then washing and grating, after which they go to the press, where the juice is extracted. The process continues with the cassava being returned to be refined, to the point where it is grounded into an almost flour-like form that is then suitable for the making of cassava bread. Among the others present were Odessa, Dollyann and Jennifer Moses; Shundell Marks, Gwen Collins, Penny Skeet and Jamalli Murphy. The Pepperpot Magazine was informed that the Moses Factory establishment is made up of other members who were not present at the time. It was further explained that most of the members of the establishment are also involved in small and large scale farming, as well as other economic activities. Most of them are also involved in the retailing of their goods within the village and the major markets in the city. (mercilinburke2017@gmail.com)

Jamalli Murphy preparing cassava for the press

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

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An unending generation of cottage industries

VIRGIN and boiled coconut oil are the order of the day at Major’s Coconut Oil Factory, located in Victoria Village on the East Coast of Demerara. Born and bred Victorian Gerald Major, feels very proud to be a member of what he feels is one of the greatest villages in Guyana. In addition, it is in this village where he saw his family establishing themselves as well. Major had most of his schooling at St. Andrews Anglican School just in the next village – Cove and John. He said that even during his time at school, he was living in and seeing business operating in his environSome of the grated coconuts placed in containers for further processing ment. However, he was happy to add that in the midst of all that was happening he was of my sons. On the bus, I sold a lot of my coconut oil until now, I have established a happy, content and allowed to have an edcoconut oil products, especially the virgin lot of contacts. While I am not now involved ucation. He has been married for more than or ‘pressed’ coconut oil. in the export market as such, I have managed half his life and says that he is very content However, for the past five years or so, I to attract a few main clients who are always as a husband and a father. have stopped driving the bus and am main- interested in getting my oil,” he said, adding “I did not have to just stay at home to ly doing the coconut business. At times I that his oil does not only circulate within take care of business. Instead, I was given have not been enjoying the best of health Guyana. the opportunity to go to school and learn to so I felt that I needed to slow down a little,” Major said that he is a happy man, and read and write; I was given the opportunity he indicated. feels that he continues to make a significant to be a child and do many of the things other According to Major, the virgin contribution to the land and village of his children did. I may not be the brightest, but I ‘pressed’ coconut oil has been increasingly birth. He said that though his business is not a was given the opportunity to go to school,” on demand, not only in Guyana but also all very big one at this time, he is content that he he stated. over the world. He said that even though it has been able to create employment, not only The Majors’, he pointed out, have alis a little more expensive than the other oil for himself but his children and many others. ways been very industrious people – plant- Gerald Major (Snr) working on the coconut people are still purchasing it all the time. “Also, like many from my generation, ing, reaping, having cottage industries of press in an effort to extract the milk to produce Therefore, he pointed out that he does not I know that I have created a legacy for my all sorts in the village. “We always owned oil envisage any difficulty just concentrating children, which they will always continue our own business; I have seen my family – on this business at this time. to enjoy. As I get older I am willing to is what he grew up learning and as a result, parents, uncles, grandparents and even great He said that other than the oils, there give way to my young ones so that they grandparents work very hard. At the same he was always willing to use his experiences are other byproducts from the coconut oil too can flourish,” he said. “The boys have time I find that they were always successful to advance his own business. business, which can be used as animal feed, seen their father work hard and succeed “I branched off to driving my own mini- among other things. However, he said that his as well. I feel that that in itself is a good in whatever they laid their hands on to do,” bus, where I transported commuters mostly main interest is the coconut oil and while it inheritance to leave for them. But I also he said. He was quick to add that he was not say- from Victoria to Georgetown and back for a is hard work he has set his mind to do what encourage them to think big – much bigger ing that it is an easy task to manage a busi- number of years, while I still did my coco- he has to do so as to ensure that things work. than I have because I know that they have ness successfully. However, he noted that this nut business, with the assistance from some “From the time I started manufacturing the ability to make it.”

The importance of youth involvement in Victoria JEAVON Charles, a young man in his late 20s, considers himself a youth leader in his country, but specifically within the Victoria Village community where he belongs. He says that he believes that conducting one’s self in a responsible manner, while making positive contributions towards the development of other young people within his community, are very essential roles that he must be engaged in. “We are the leaders of tomorrow. In fact, right at this moment, we can be considered real leaders and so we have to try hard to behave well at times; we must have integrity – people must be able to trust what we say and what we do. At the same time, as young people, we have to be willing to work hard to develop ourselves, as well as our community. I believe that the community depends on each and every one of us to succeed,” Charles stated. BUSINESS-ORIENTED Charles has come from a family where all his siblings are boys, and where he has seen his mother and father working hard and achieving much in the area of business. In fact, he is also a manager of his own Internet Café, and is also one of the assistant managers of a relatively large variety shop that is run by his mother. “At the Café, I try to set a programme that can work towards helping young people, especially those who are studying to make the best of whatever they are endeavouring to achieve,” he said. “I think of what their needs are and make the effort to set things in place, so that my staff and I can assist in the best possible manner, and every day I try to improve on what I am trying to do; we do not just provide facilities to surf the Internet, but we strive to do every other thing so as to make life easier for the students and others who may need our help.” According to Charles, having successfully completed secondary school he has become much more involved in business, as well as social activities within Victoria. He stated that the contribution of the youth is an essential aspect to the development of the village; that young people are essential

to get the work done had become a problem. However, he says that he is still hopeful that a cricket pitch will materialise in the not-so-distant future. “I am hopeful,” he said. Charles said that he feels that other than the youth being successfully involved in academic work and skills training; the next great step for them is to become involved in sporting activities. “I believe, for example, that if we get a pitch we will be able to get more youths out and ensure that their time is more gainfully occupied, so that there is less idle time; less time to think about certain unhealthy and destructive things such as smoking, stealing and such like…sports can create better individuals and that is what people, like me, are striving for in this village. Football is going fairly good and I like that,” he stated.

Jeavon Charles at his Internet Café, as a customer works in the background

human beings in the development of any village or town and can be seen as the pillar of economic and social upliftment of the country as a whole. SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES “Because the year has just started we have not gone out as yet, but usually I get the young men to come out, especially on days like Fridays and Sundays – getting involved in sports and related activities,” Charles explained. “Sports helps you a lot, it builds bonds mentally, physically, socially, health-wise and so forth. Due to such activities, we are able to reach out to each other and create good friendships, as well as learning to respect each other.” He added that he is also very much involved in sports, especially cricket and would be happy to have a cricketing pitch set up within the village as early as possible. He said that as a group of young people they had started to make efforts towards acquiring such a pitch, but the resources

ECONOMIC VENTURES When quizzed on ways in which the youth could become more economically viable within the village, Charles responded that there is no one particular way. However, he said that he believes that if the youth are encouraged to stay and complete school, or acquire a life-skill, which can prepare them for the life of work, it will be a solution for at least some of the social and other problems within the village and the society at large. He said that he believes that the youth, once attaining the age to work, should become employed – either in the form of self-employment or by way of working with someone or even the government. However, many times the adults can be blamed for not taking their responsibility more seriously with children, while they are in school, he posited. Charles advanced the view that the community, the village and the country should all take responsibility, to ensure that all the youth get a fair chance to acquire both the educational training and also some form of skills-training so that they can become productive citizens of this nation. He noted that while he believes that the government is doing a whole lot to help young people, they also need to help them to become much more aware of some of the programmes and how they may benefit from them.

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

Veterans triumph over Elites At Victoria Kings Clash of Unity play-off

The Elite members of the Victoria Kings football club Under-35

Victoria Kings Football Club Over-35 ‘Veterans’ pose for this photo

INSCRIBED on their symbol are the words, “Discipline is the gateway to excellence” and the Victoria Kings football club continues to strive to keep up this mantra, as well as the reputation they have established for themselves over the years. In an intense battle that lasted for over two hours, the Over-35 Veterans eventually managed to overcome their younger counterparts, the Under-35 Elites at a score of 1-0. At half time it was 0-0. However, Winston ‘Walla’ Pompey broke the deadlock in the 78th minute when he crashed Aubrey Gibson’s cross past goalkeeper Shemar Holder to score a fantastic goal. The younger players determined to not lose face put up a ferocious fight to at least come up equal but this was not to be. The response was equally unbendable as team players such as Sherlock Dowden, Shawn Samuels, Samuel Blackett and Oral Lashley prevented them from scoring any goal.

He said that most of the players at this time are the younger ones and so it is expected that this will be one of the youngest team of footballers playing, with only two

CUTS ACROSS ALL BARRIERS A section of the crowd keenly looking on at the game “Basically we have some vilfootball. to Guyana for the occasion by Lynette Lashlagers who live abroad but returned “This is seriously one of the achieve- ley, a former executive member of Victoria home for the Christmas season, ments that we as villagers can be proud Kings Football Club, who now resides in which included some past footbalof – it really brings us together; this is England. lers. They felt that more should be one of the major social things,” adding The jersey was donated by Chris Hughdone in terms of putting the Victoria that it is a powerful tool that truly breaks ton, a British citizen who is married to a Kings Football Club where it used down all the barriers and helps the peo- Guyanese from Victoria. Over the years he to be – which was one of the best ple to feel good about themselves, both has continued to make several donations to football clubs in Guyana,” Calvin physically and mentally. the Victoria Kings football club. Hughton is Nurse an executive member of the He noted that the sport has proven the coach of Brighton in the English Premier club explained. “They organised the to be quite beneficial for the people of League and was also the coach at Newcastle Under-25 squad that is made up of Man of the match Winston ‘Walla’ Pompey receiving the village and, also for other commu- United. a brand new Brighton and Hove Albion Jersey from current players – the Elite club; they Lashley is the mother of Pierre Joseph, also organised the Over-35 squad – Lynette Lashley, a former executive member of Victoria nities because it helps them to make Kings Football Club. new friends, have fun, learn team unity, Tichard Joseph, Blain Lashley and Oral the Veterans, which was made up Standing at the back is fairness of play, create good self-esteem Lashley, all of whom represented the club. of past players and a few current Lawrence ‘Sparro’ Griffith. and much more. In addition, she still makes representation players because at present there are The match occurred on Sunday, Jan- on behalf of the club in London where she mostly youngsters in the club.” Nurse stated that football is a game that players Over 35 years old this season, since uary 13 at the Victoria football ground, which is now based. is at the back of the community centre in the The game was well attended by persons unites people and cuts across all barriers – so- all the others have retired. cial, economic, political, religious and culturHe further explained that the Over-35 village. It commenced at 17:00hrs and ended from within the village of Victoria, as well as from the extended communities and as al. He said that it was a good start for the year players have not abandoned the Victoria at about 19:30hrs. Among his prizes as Man of the Match, far as Georgetown. It was also well repreand that the Elite team will continue in early Kings, as they will be around to assist in February and the club is getting prepared, coaching the young ones to play effective Pompey was awarded a brand new Brighton sented by persons who reside overseas but using that as a catalyst to improve the team. football, but they would not be playing and Hove Albion Jersey, which was brought were visiting.

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

XXVII

Continued reflection

Beyond the Runway with Dr. Sonia Noel ... Inspiring lives through fashion

WE have passed half of January and I am trying to do reflection every few days to keep on course. I experienced another week with people who are growing rapidly or have the desire to grow. Our first WOMEN IN BUSINESS EXPO meeting was powerful. The first time exhibitors and the ones who exhibited before gelled magnificently, although they were from various backgrounds and a variety of businesses. The event will be at the Pegasus, March 2 and 3, and I can assure you this year is higher ground. I can also assure you the journey these women embarked on will add tremendous personal and professional growth. I was invited to tea and chat by Ms Avia Maria Lindie whom I admire for her positive attitude and care for people. She invited some of the young people on her team to join us and it was an hour well spent. I love to be in these environments to raise my energy level and appreciate growth even more. This takes us to some of the other laws of growth: The Law of Consistency Motivation Gets You Going – Discipline Keeps You Growing The hallmark of excellence, the test of greatness, is consistency. When it comes to personal growth: Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. That’s the Law of Consistency. It doesn’t matter how talented you are. It doesn’t matter how many opportunities you receive. If you want to grow, consistency is key. If you want to become more disciplined and consistent in your personal performance, you need to become more disciplined and consistent in your growth. Consider the following questions about your growth: Growing Consistently Do you know what you need to improve? Your future is dependent upon your personal growth. Improving yourself daily guarantees you a future filled with possibilities. When you expand yourself, you expand your horizons, your options, your opportunities, your potential. Do you know how you need to improve? Match Your Motivation To Your Personality – Not everyone gets motivated the same way or is motivated by the same things. Identify your personality Phlegmatic- having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition Choleric- bad-tempered or irritable Sanguine- optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation Melancholic- feeling or expressing pensive sadness If you want to gain momentum and improve your motivation, begin by setting goals that are worthwhile but highly achievable. Master the basics. Then practice them every day without fail. Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time. This is an especially good idea to implement when reading a book. You can visualise tomorrow using it as motivation to grow, but if you want to actually grow, your focus needs to be on today. If you value today and find a way to enjoy it, you will invest in today. And the small steps you take today will lead to bigger steps you take someday. The Law of The Environment

Growth Thrives In Conducive Surroundings The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment you first find yourself in. At some point in every person’s lifetime, there comes a need to change environments in order to grow. If we want to reach our potential, we must be in the right environment. That usually requires us to make changes in our life. The best place to learn is always where others are ahead of you. If you are always at the head of the class, then you’re in the wrong class. It’s possible to change without growing, but it’s impossible to grow without changing. When you change your attitude regarding a problem, you open up many possibilities for growth. Whether you are a success or a failure in life has little

to do with your circumstances; it has much more to do with your choices. Choices to put yourself in a better place for growth: Assess your current environment Change yourself and your environment Challenge yourself in your new environment Focus on the moment Move forward despite criticism Growth thrives in conducive surroundings. If you are in a positive growth environment, be grateful. If you’re not, do what you must to change your environment and yourself. For you to get detail on these laws, check out the living with intention ambassador FB page or send an email to beyomdtherunway1@gmail.com as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

#SupportCreativity

By Subraj Singh

Shobha Rao’s ‘Girls Burn Brighter’ I THINK I have a rather unusual relationship with India. Given that my ancestors came from India as a part of the system of Indentureship, it might be expected, particularly by the generations that came before me, that I would have retained some fascination with India, some need to return to the country from where my ancestors came,

some deep-rooted urge to partake in the place that forms the basis for a lot of the cultural norms that I know and, sometimes, indulge in. However, to make this assumption would be, also, woefully incorrect. I have no intentions of visiting India – at least no intentions other than the superficial, touristy intentions that everyone who suffers

“Girls Burn Brighter” by Shobha Rao, Flatiron Books, 2018

from wanderlust has. Sure, I might like to visit to see the Taj Mahal and the temples of Tamil Nadu, but do I want to visit because I believe India is my ‘motherland,’ or the place I truly belong to, or somewhere that may unveil to me the true nature of who I am? The answer is: absolutely not. Going to India does not hold any such emotional sway over me. Guyana is my ‘motherland,’ and the deeper recesses of the Guyanese interior is where I would like to travel to, and understanding the cultural complexity of a land like Guyana is something that I would like to know. Having said all of that, I will admit that there are aspects of India that I find interesting, in much the same way that there are aspects of it that I find repelling (such as the patriarchal nature of many aspects of Indian society, the conservative nature of the country, etc.). The lures that India possesses exist, at least for me, in its art forms. I am a sucker for Indian art, Indian dance and music, and I started watching Bollywood movies long before I watched anything from Hollywood. However, my favourite thing about India is its literature. Despite maintaining my distance from the country – in a way, I visit again and again by reading works written by Indians, about Indians in India. Some of my favourite books fall into this category. Good examples include Arundhati Roy’s “The God of Small Things,” Rohinton Mistry’s “A Fine Balance,” Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children,” Amitav Ghosh’s “Sea of Poppies,” and Kiran Desai’s “The Inheritance of Loss.” So, I guess, even though a visit to India may not be for me, I find that the literature coming out of that country certainly is. Turn to page XXXV►►►

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

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E S FILES A C T R COU

Full Court affirms magistrate’s novel ruling Exhibited jurisdiction to order a rehearing IN 1973, the Guyana Full Court of the Supreme Court affirmed a magistrate’s decision for granting an application to a respondent, for a rehearing of a building land possession case, on the ground that the magistrate had a discretionary jurisdiction to do so. Through a misunderstanding the Appellants, Bhagmatie & Seepersaud, who had a possession land case against Mamas had the matter heard and determined in their favour due to the absence in court of the Respondent Mamas, on the day in question. Mamas, through her counsel appealed to the Full Court, which affirmed the Order of the Magistrate after taking into account that the respondent might have been genuinely absent in court through a misunderstanding. The facts of the case disclosed that due to a misunderstanding, neither the respondent nor her legal adviser attended court when an application for possession of certain building land was heard and determined in favour of the appellants. The respondent thereupon filed an application for a rehearing supported by an affidavit, and the magistrate made an order granting the application. An appeal was made to the Full Court against the magistrate’s order by the appellants. The Full Court, constituted by Justice Keith Massiah and Justice Maurice Churaman, held that, affirming the order, that the magistrate had a discretionary jurisdiction to grant a rehearing, and in the circumstances of the case, it was proper to make the order. The appeal was dismissed. Order of magistrate was affirmed. Attorney-at-law Mr. E.A. Gunraj appeared for the appellants while Mr. Bernard De Santos, S.C. represented the respondent. Delivering the judgment of the court, Justice Churaman said, “This appeal raises the interesting point as to whether and in what circumstances an application for the re-hearing of a cause or matter in the magistrate’s court can or ought to be granted. “The appeal under review arose out of the grant of an application for a re-hearing of a claim for possession of building land. After innumerable adjournments, at each of which it would appear the respondent was in attendance, the possession claim was finally determined in favour of the appellants on January 7, 1972, the respondent on that day being in default of appearance. Both the respondent and her legal adviser were genuinely under the impression that the case had been set down for hearing on January 10, 1972, and on attending the magistrate’s court on that date, the respondent discovered to her surprise that the cause had been determined in her absence three days earlier; she forthwith informed her legal adviser, and on January 25, 1972, the respondent filed an application in the prescribed form for a rehearing supported by an affidavit. “It is of primary significance that the learned magistrate found on the hearing of the application for re-hearing that the respondent and her legal adviser genuinely believed that the cause had been set down for hearing on January 10, 1972 and not January 7, 1972. “Of equal significance is the fact that the respondent asserted a defence which, if accepted, would have afforded a formidable resistance to the appellants’ claim for possession; and of yet further importance is the fact that the appellants (landlords) have in no way whatsoever altered their position in consequence of the determination of the possession claim, nor would they suffer any prejudice which cannot be reduced by costs. Turn to page XXXIV►►►

By George Barclay

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Interracial Couples LAST week’s column piece was written on problems interracial children face and I was so surprised by the amount of good feedback it received, that I decided to write on the reason why we actually have interracial children to begin with; interracial couples. Ah, the clever thing to do right? I’d say it’s more of a necessity. Whether or not these couples are legally married is not the point, it’s the issue of society, how we perceive these relationships as ‘taboo’. Compared to the times of our grandparents,

I wouldn’t say we’re better but at least we are more informed and a bit more accepting when it comes to these relationships. In a way, there are still many persons in Guyana who believe we should marry or date within our cultural groups. Perhaps, it’s to cause less cultural conflicts and to stay within the boundaries of our comfort zones, or it’s the disgusting thought of believing one’s culture/race is superior to others. If you do not think this kind of mentality still exists, then maybe you aren’t as social as you thought you are. There are many problems interracial couples might face, not only from society but amongst themselves as well. Everyone is different but when it comes to race and culture, it

is the baggage of ancestral and ritual practices, thoughts and emotions. It is important for these couples to research and educate themselves on the culture/race of one’s partner. The rejection of racist families and relatives also plays a major conflict- contributing factor in the relationship. The safety of your children also is important, as they might be targets of great oppression themselves. As mentioned last week, the emotional roller coaster ride society forces these children to take, is unacceptable and unjust. Make sure your children are educated and knowledgeable of such information just as you are. Finally, remember that your love alone will not make these problems go away, strong will and communication will. Romeo Lynch, a fellow student representative at the University of Guyana and entrepreneur would like to share his story of the time when he was rejected with his ex-partner in an interracial relationship: “Interracial couples are often admired by some while scoffed on by others. These relationships can be amazing. Yes, I’m speaking from experience. I was enjoying an amazing interracial relationship until somebody’s parents disregarded the budding romance and labelled me according to my skin colour. Compounding the situation is waking up the following day and seeing the oh-so-familiar text message: “It’s not you, it’s me. We can no longer be together. I’ll always love and cherish you and oh we can still be friends.” At first, I used to do deep soul searching and even bend the knees and pray that these things will work out. Being mixed in a country with six ethnic groups should have allowed me the scope to choose freely, however, this has proven to be surprisingly challenging. “What was I doing wrong?” I asked myself. I constantly lied to myself trying to overlook or see past the actual issue. As blatant as sunlight, it was because I was not like them; alien to their ethnicity- an outsider if you may. Let me tell you about this girl I dated from 2014 to 2016. She was a proud Indo-Guyanese, brilliant, wealthy and an only child to her parents, quite compatible since the same can be said for me. The relationship blossomed and we soon fell in love, desperately trying to spend every moment with each other. As the relationship progressed I asked questions like “So are there any mixed persons in the family?” And she gave me an answer that rendered me null. The young lady said, “There is a first time for everything and rules were meant to be broken.” In my alone time, I would relive this moment and try to comprehend her response. The daunting question and I’m pretty sure you are thinking about it too was: what is the rule about dating or having mixed children? All the signs that the relationship would become problematic were there but I chose to ignore them, clinging to the hope that things would be different; that we can effect some change and show individuals of her family and others that interracial relationships are filled with love and excitement as with any other relationship. So I pressed the issue after being together for some time for her to introduce “us” to her family. She unenthusiastically did, but surprisingly only told the family this was her good friend, Romeo. This new found happiness was swiftly superseded by great pain and misery. She had finally broken down and told everyone in her family that “good friend” means “boyfriend”. She explained that she was in love with me and you know all the “lovey-dovey” stuff. Those words fell on deaf ears. The family pressed for her to leave me and finally she did. That response devastated me and to date, I’m still grasping with the realisation that being a mixed individual can be very challenging especially in the expression of romantic interests. “ However, there are two sides to every coin. Interracial relations have resulted in harmonious living in many other instances. There is evidence of love, passion, excitement and adventure radiating from these relationships. Interracial couples produce beautiful girls and handsome boys. Much can be said about these kinds of relationships, it depends on the society and individuals in the relationships.” For some things, size does matter. In this case, the small minds of a defined racist can never be compared with that of the big hearts of those who accept and respect persons despite what they look like or what their racial identity is. Romeo is one of the countless persons who have stories like these in Guyana. We are a country with a colonial history. All the major races were all oppressed by the Europeans. It’s a shame that we adopted the concept of racism as well. Love has no colour, racism is not born; it is taught. Guyana is a melting pot of cultures. We must realise that strength lies in our differences, not similarities.

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

Diabetes and oral health THERE are thousands of Guyanese who are diabetic. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you may know that the disease can cause problems with your eyes, nerves, kidneys and heart, as well as other parts of your body. Diabetes can lower your resistance to infection and can slow the healing process. The most common oral health problems associated with diabetes are tooth decay; periodontal (gum) disease; salivary gland dysfunction; fungal infections; lichen planus and lichenoid reactions (inflammatory skin disease); infection and delayed healing, as well as taste impairment. It’s important to keep your medical records up to date. Let your dentist know if you have been diagnosed with diabetes; if the disease is under control; if there has been any other change in your medical history and the names of all prescription and over-the-counter drugs you are taking. When diabetes is not controlled properly, high glucose levels in saliva may help bacteria thrive. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning once a day between your teeth with floss or an interdental cleaner helps remove decay-causing plaque. Plaque that is not removed can eventually harden (calcify) into calculus, or tartar. When tartar collects above the gum line, it becomes more difficult to thoroughly brush and clean between teeth. This can create conditions that lead to chronic inflammation and infection in the mouth. Because diabetes reduces the body’s resistance to infection, the gums are among the tissues likely to be affected. Periodontal diseases are infections of the gum and bone that hold your teeth in place. Periodontal disease often is linked to the control of diabetes. For example, patients with inadequate blood sugar control appear to develop periodontal disease more often and more severely, and they lose more teeth than do people who have good control of their diabetes. See your dentist immediately if you notice any of the following: gums that bleed easily; red, swollen or tender gums; gums that have pulled away from the teeth; pus between the teeth and gums when the gums are pressed; persistent bad breath or bad taste in the mouth; permanent teeth that are loose or separating; any change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite; any change in the fit of partial dentures. Bacteria, viruses and fungi occur naturally in the mouth. The body’s natural defences and regular oral hygiene generally keep them in check. However, in some situations, they may proliferate and impede or defeat the body’s defences. Oral candidiasis, a fungal infection in the mouth, appears to occur more frequently among people with diabetes, including those who wear dentures. If you smoke, have high blood glucose levels or often are required to take antibiotics, you are more likely to have a problem with fungal infections in your mouth. Diminished salivary flow and an increase in salivary glucose levels create an attractive environment for fungal infections such as thrush. Thrush produces white (or sometimes red) patches in the mouth that may be sore or may become ulcers. It may attack the tongue, causing a painful, burning sensation. It also can cause difficulty in swallowing and compromise your ability to taste. Your dentist may prescribe antifungal medications to treat this condition. Good oral hygiene is critical. Preventive oral health care, including professional cleanings at the dental office, is important if you are to control the progression of periodontal disease and other oral health problems. Regular dental checkups and periodontal screenings are important for evaluating overall dental health and for treating dental problems in their initial stages. Your dentist may recommend more frequent evaluations and preventive procedures, such as prophylaxis, to maintain good oral health. In addition to brushing twice a day and flossing or using an interdental cleaner once a day, your dentist may suggest using an antimicrobial mouth rinse or toothpaste to control gingivitis. Watch for signs and symptoms of oral disease and contact the dental office immediately when a problem arises. Practice good oral hygiene at home; follow your physician’s instructions regarding diet and medications, and schedule regular dental checkups to maintain a healthy smile.

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Hon. Ingrid Joseph installed as a Brooklyn Supreme Court justice Hon. Ingrid Joseph officially became a Brooklyn Supreme Court justice when she was sworn in during an installation ceremony held at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

Justice Joseph, who hails from Guyana, was surrounded by family as her former boss, Hon. Mark Partnow, performed the official ceremony in front of roughly 150 judges, lawyers, court employees and other family and

Hon. Ingrid Joseph, surrounded by family members, is sworn in as a justice of the Kings County Supreme Court by Hon. Mark Partnow (left) during a ceremony at St. Francis College. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle photo)

friends. “When we had to make selections this year in the County Executive Committee, it was unanimous that [Justice Joseph] be moved up to the position of justice of the Supreme Court,” said Hon. Frank Seddio, the leader of the Brooklyn Democratic Party. “That is significant — because it’s not easy in these times where many people don’t agree.” Justice Joseph, a native Brooklynite who graduated from Prospect Heights High School, John Jay College and New York Law School, has returned to the same Supreme Court where she served as an acting justice from 2012 until 2017. She left last year to replace Justice Reginald Boddie, who was elevated to the Supreme Court last year, as the supervising judge of the Kings County Civil Court. Judge Carolyn Walker-Diallo has replaced Justice Joseph as the supervising judge of the Civil Court. District leader Olanike Alabi hosted the ceremony on Tuesday. Saint Thomas Jacques performed the Pledge of Allegiance, Wendy Gilgeous sang the national anthem and the black national anthem, and Rev. Rene John performed the invocation and benediction. Ingrid Lewis-Martin presented Justice Joseph with a citation on behalf of the Brooklyn Borough President. The group of speakers included Hon. Frank Seddio, former Councilmember Dr. Una S.T. Clarke, Helene Blank, Hon. Lawrence Knipel, Gregory Cerchione, Charles Small and Rudyard F. Whyte. “I’ve known Judge Ingrid for 30 years or so, and I’m overcome with pride to the point of tears,” said Whyte. “You epitomise everything I think of when I think of what a judge should be. “Over the years I’ve watched you dispense justice with fairness, evenness, compassion and — a word not heard often in the courtroom — love. You are a credit to this country, to this state and to this nation. It is immigrants like you who make America great.” Many of the speakers praised Justice Joseph’s humility, which she demonstrated by playfully shaking her head throughout Dr. Clarke’s speech as the former council member spoke about the judge moving up to the U.S. Supreme Court one day. Prior to joining the bench, Justice Joseph worked as a principal law clerk, primarily to Hon. Nicholas Clemente and then to Hon. Mark Partnow for approximately six years. It was Partnow who swore her in nine years ago when she was elected to the Civil Court bench, and he beamed as he had the opportunity to install her into the same court in which he now sits. “Ingrid is one of the most compassionate and caring individuals that I know,” Justice Partnow said. “She is respected as a lawyer and — more importantly — as a person. She recognizes that she is dealing with people who need to be listened to, understood and appreciated. Ingrid has a great temperament, great knowledge of the law and unquestionable integrity.” (Brooklyn

Daily Eagle)

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

Gladys Knight speaks out ahead of her special performance.

JUST days after the National Football League announced that the “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” singer will be singing the National Anthem at Super Bowl 2019, the Grammy winner decided to defend her decision to participate in the festivities. “I understand that Mr. Kaepernick is protesting two things and they are police violence and injustice. It is unfortunate that our National Anthem has been dragged into this debate when the distinctive senses of the National Anthem and fighting for justice should each stand alone,” Gladys shared in a statement to E! News. “I am here today and on Sunday, Feb. 3 to give the Anthem back its voice, to stand for that historic choice of words, the way it unites us when we hear it and to free it from the same prejudices and struggles I have fought long and hard for all my life, from walking back hallways, from marching with our social leaders, from using my voice for good—I have been in the forefront of this battle longer than most of those voicing their opinions to win the right to sing our country’s Anthem on a stage as large as the Super Bowl LIII.” The 74-year-old added, “No matter who chooses to deflect with this narrative and continue to mix these two in the same message, it is not so and cannot be made so by anyone speaking it.” Previously, E! News learned that Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi would take the stage during the Halftime show. Commercials are expected to be released and teased as early as next week. As for why Colin is being brought into the conversation, the football pro chose to kneel during the playing of the National Anthem. A debate would follow about how the NFL treats players who choose to follow similar forms of protest. Ultimately, Gladys wants her performance to unite the country when she takes the field inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. “I pray that this National Anthem will bring us all together in a way never before witnessed and we can move forward and untangle these truths which mean so much to all of us,” Gladys continued in her statement. Pop culture and sports fans alike can watch the Super Bowl February 3 on CBS at 6: 30 p.m. ET. (E-Online )

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Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019 ◄◄◄ From page XXIX

“It was against this background of circumstances, that the learned magistrate granted a rehearing of the cause from which order the appellants now appeal to this court. “Counsel for respondent raised before us a preliminary point as to the jurisdiction of the Full Court on the basis of the appellants ‘non-compliance with ss 4 and 5 of the Summary Jurisdiction (Appeals) Ordinance Chapter 17 [G.] We decided to defer the ruling on this preliminary point and to hear arguments on the merits. In view of the decision we have reached, it is necessary to deal with the preliminary objection, and we express no view on it. The main contention advanced before us, as indeed also before the learned magistrate, is the question of the jurisdiction of the learned magistrate to hear and determine the application for re-hearing. The submission in other words questions the jurisdiction of the learned magistrate to hear and determine the .application for re-hearing inasmuch as the application though filed and served on the second named appellant within 28 days and was not served on the first-named appellant until May 28, 1972, i.e. some four months after the date of filing. “It is here convenient to observe that the evidence suggests that this delay was due not to any tardiness on the part of the respondent in posting same, but to the facility or rather the lack of it, in effecting delivery. This much debated point of ‘service within 28 days’ arises from the wording of rr.4 and 5 of Pt. 20, of the Summary Jurisdiction (Civil Procedure) Rules, Chapter 12 [G.] (Sub.Leg.) which read thus: ‘An application under section 32 of the Summary Jurisdiction (Petty Debt) Ordinance for a new hearing may be made at the same sitting of the court at which the action was heard, if both parties be present , or not more than 28 clear days after the date of the termination of the action of which a new heaing is desired. ‘When it is intended to make an application contemplated in rules 1, 3 and 4 of this part of these rules at a subsequent sitting of the court, the applicant shall deliver to the clerk a notice of application in accordance with Form 52 in the Appendix and serve on the opposite party a copy of such notice containing the date of hearing of the application.’ Continuing, Justice Churaman said “It is fair to observe at this juncture that the parties herein litigated this matter in the court below as one properly arising under Section 32 (supra), and it is equally evident that the learned magistrate determined the contest on the footing that Section 32 was the applicable and appropriate section. But was it the appropriate section covering the circumstances of the matter under review? We are of the clear view that it was not, as this section embraces a number of situations which may give rise to a party seeking a re-hearing. “Among those situations are fraud, improper conduct on the part of the successful party, or if the unsuccessful party was prevented by ‘causes beyond his control from placing his case fully before the court’. According to the judge, “This last situation appears to have lured the respondent as a relevant and pertinent ground upon which the application ought to have been predicated. “We take the view that a mistaken belief as to the date of hearing of the cause does not fall within the scope of ‘prevented by causes beyond his control’, as these words seemingly relate to the will of the party having neither the ability nor the competence of any control over the causes envisaged in the section; additionally this section envisages a party putting forward his case at least up to a certain point, but not “fully” in the sense that “much more” could have been put forward. Concluding his judgment, Churaman said “Appellate jurisdiction is always statutory; there is in the statute no restriction upon the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal , and, while the appellate court, in the exercise of its appellate power, is no doubt entirely justified in saying that normally it will not interfere with the exercise of a judge’s discretion except on grounds of law, yet if it sees that on other grounds the decision will result in injustice being done, it has both the power and the duty to remedy it.” Justice Churaman declared, “We adopt Lord Atkin’s view so admirably expressed. He added, the appeal is accordingly dismissed, the order of the magistrate affirmed with costs to the respondent.

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019 ◄◄◄ From page XXVIII

The newest addition to the long list of Indian authors whose works have come my way is the writer of “Girls Burn Brighter,” Shobha Rao. In her book, she presents a poor village in India, where many of the people gain money by making a living at the loom or through menial jobs. One of her central characters, for example, once worked as a garbage-picker. The society of the novel seems to present a section of Indian in which our major characters, two young women, have nothing left for themselves but dowries to find, and stability and a safe life through arranged marriages. It is a bleak and daunting dramatic opening that is only countered by the strong relationship that blossoms between the two central characters. Poornima’s mother has died and as she await the day when she will have to marry a man she has never met before, she works at her father’s loom, weaving cloth so that the family may make enough money to get by. Coming from even poorer circumstances is Savitha, who, navigating her way through a poverty-stricken life, finds herself working for Poornima’s father. Eventually, the girls become very close friends. This is where Rao’s writing is at its best. It is in those moments when the author presents hope and beauty to us in moments of bleakness and squalor that she truly demonstrates her skills at writing. Her ability to portray the purity and life-changing effects of Poornima and Savitha’s friendship, especially in the slightest and most subtle of ways, having them bond through food or their love of cloth and weaving or their dedication to having a future that is not presided over by the masculine and the powerful are elements that are sure to make the reader ache when he/she reads them. This is because Rao makes us care for her characters. She makes us want to see Poornima and Savitha succeed. She makes us root for them, and she then pulls the rug from under our feet by inserting a shard of violence into the narrative that permanently destroys the lives of the two women, violence that begets even more violence, violence that causes the girls to become lost to each other for many, many years. The search for each other is what really forms the crux of Poornima and Savitha’s relationship in “Girls Burn Brighter,” because it is in their respective journeys that we learn about all of the lessons that Rao is trying to impart to us through her novel. Themes like the power dynamics between men and women, trafficking, sexual assault, and friendship are explored in the novel, and they are all extremely well-integrated and essential to a narrative that reaffirms the soul-shaking power of friendship and the heart-stopping power of terrible men who exploit their strength. There is no doubt that with this work of fiction, Shobha Rao has joined the list of authors who continue to convince me that Indian literature is one of the strongest genres of writing that exists today. ◄◄◄ From page V

And for her sustenance, she claims she has been showing up at a particular diner in the city where friends and family she’s known through the years would give her offerings (lunch and breakfast), enabling her to get back home before dark. The Pepperpot Magazine observed that the woman who lives in Wortmanville travels alone and without a guide. Asked whether she’s not skeptical about that she responded: “The anonymous Desiderata, found in an old Church in Baltimore’ Canada decades ago, until this day exhorts: “Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.” For this cause, she says, her exhortation would be for persons to be kind and show love and compassion to people living in a dark world, groping to move around with only the will to survive. Admitting that she could be exposed to risks, the woman recalled that just recently she had some notes of mixed denominations in her purse. As she was about to pay her fare to the conductor of the bus, he began hastening her. Becoming nervous, she pulled out what she perceived to be three twenty dollar notes and handed them over to him, but it turned out that she paid him three notes of a higher denomination. Fletchman also recalls having literally developed an aversion for moving around with the use of a cane, recalling that sometime ago she stuck the cane into a metal grill, fell and broke her back. But despite these challenges, she continues to press forward in the hopes that one day she will be able to see again.

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Dear Student, Your present performance should not debar you from the need to continue proofreading your work. If you practise writing quickly and steadily, you will discover fewer mistakes in your work, which should not debar you from looking over what just passed from your faculties on to the paper. Use widely-approved proofreading symbols like those your tutors or

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

English

teachers use for guidance, as you check your work. Proofreading is the writer’s great tool. Be wise. Love you. THE PASSAGE Some students at this examination level still need to develop a keen ability to solve problems efficiently and easily. Their thinking patterns need to be improved. This

can be done by constant application of brain power and exercise, along with other A wit’s a feather, and a chief a rod; advice from health personnel. But this point should be firmly An honest man’s the taken: Our brain has the power noblest work of God. to rewire itself throughout our whole life. Rewiring is a ALEXANDER POPE (1688-1744), process. Comprehend this simple An Essay on Man Ep. iv, 1.247 passage in quick time. “All right, Your Honour. I will tell you exactly what happened as best I can recall, without GRAMMAR holding back.” A) Inconsistencies in sentences The witness, Sage Carter, shifted in An inconsistent sentence: A sentence is his seat and continued his testimony: “You inconsistent when its words and phrases do see, I called the police as soon as my mother, not occur in a specific pattern. Sonia, told me the car keys were gone. It Rewrite the following sentences so their was a strange day from the beginning, really. messages are clear and definite. Hint: elimSomething woke me up at 05:00 hours – inate all inconsistencies. much, much earlier than usual. I looked out 1. The great dancer appeared on stage the window and saw my car in the driveway. with her scarf trailing, and all her expensive That surprised me, because the night before costume was scattered. my mother asked me if she could borrow 2. Go to the next yard, and then you walk my car for the next day. Her car had broken in for four houses. down last week. So, I gave her my keys 3. She was tending the plants and upon and said ‘Sure – I get a bus ride to work hearing the bad news decides to respond to anyway.’ My car wasn’t supposed to be in the call at once. my driveway because my mother is a packer 4. The inexperienced tourists tried surfand on her present shift, she leaves at five ing in the Pacific and to ski on Mid-range in the morning! When I went downstairs, I Mountains, but they were far from skillful took one look at my car. That’s when I saw in none of them. the windshield broken on the driver’s side. 5. We must soon state either our eating I called my mother to ask her whether she or to fast. knew what had happened. My mother said B) Treatment of closely related sentences her shift had been changed and she hadn’t Sometimes we find it necessary to show taken the car yet. Then she realised the keys that two sentences are more closely related were not where she left them.” to each other than to the other sentences in the paragraph. This closeness in relationship SOMETHING TO DO can be achieved in a number of ways. Let’s 1. To whom was Sage Carter telling his look at three ways. experience? Examples a) a neighbour c) a lawyer It rained very heavily. The Curry Pork b) his mother d) a magistrate competition continued as scheduled. 2. “Without holding anything back” (a) It rained very heavily but the Curry means: Pork competition continued as scheduled. a) without telling all d) without (Use of the coordinating conjunction, but) being honest (b) Although it rained very heavily, the b) without spilling something Curry Pork competition continued as schedc) without being dishonest uled. (The first sentence is reduced to a 3. “A strange day” means: subordinate clause by the use of ‘although’. a) a day of confusion c) a single day Note the comma between clauses, and that b) a day not studied d) a not-normal the clauses can be removed.) day (c) In spite of the heavy rain, the Curry 4. Point out the sequence of events in Pork competition continued as scheduled. Sage’s testimony. (The first sentence is reduced to an introduci) Sage saw the broken windshield. tory phrase.) ii) Sage’s mother’s car broke down. Something to Do iii) Sage called the police. Show how the closeness in sentence iv) Sage’s mother asked to borrow his relationship can be achieved in a number of car. ways, using the pairs below. v) Sage’s mother said she had not taken 1. The new patrons worked hard at their the car. contributions. The president of the netball vi) Sage’s mother said she realised the association was not present. keys were missing. 2. The male weight-lifting contestants vii) Sage went downstairs to look at the were not punctual. The audience was treated car. to an interlude of folk dancing. viii) Something woke Sage early. 3. The displaced villagers continued a) i), ii), viii), v), vi), iii), iv), vii) to build large concrete structures on the b) v), vi), viii), iii), i), ii), iv), vii) embankment. The law forbade any unauc) vi), iii), viii), iv), ii), vii), i), v) thorised erections of homes on state land. d) ii), iv), i), vi), iii), vii), v), viii)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Chronicle Pepperpot January 20, 2019

Farine Coconut Rock Buns

INGREDIENTS 4 oz farine flour 2 tsp baking powder grated nutmeg pinch of salt 2 oz margarine 4 oz sugar 2 oz dried fruit 2 oz grated coconut 1 egg milk to mix, if necessary INSTRUCTIONS Mix together flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Add margarine and chop into flour. Using fingertips, lift mixture until crumbly. Add sugar, dried fruit, and coconut. Bind together with beaten egg, and milk if necessary. Grease muffin pans. Drop mixture into pans. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes until golden brown. Makes about 6

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