Guyana Chronicle Pepperpot 03-07-2021

Women in Business ‘Show up and get it done’

Businesswoman and one of the cofounders of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry Guyana (WCCIG), Kerensa Gravesande-Bart says gender equity once achieved, will allow women to be afforded the same opportunities as men in society (Samuel Maughn photo)

SUNDAY MARCH 07, 2021

II Kerensa Gravesande-Bart

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

Women in Business ‘Show up and get it done’ By Naomi Parris A SUCCESSFUL woman is one who can build a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at her, and the perfect example of such a woman is Kerensa Gravesande-Bart, popularly known as ‘Kerri.’ Kerri, like many young children, grew up with her grandparents and was surrounded by what she described as some of the most brilliant women in her life. “My maternal grandmother and aunts taught me everything about church and being a lady. Their lessons are forever entrenched. How a lady sits, talks and walks. I truly believe their wide range of career paths has also impacted me -from certified electrician to chemist to medical technology to banker to deaconess,” she explained. Kerri told this week’s Pepperpot Magazine that it was the pivotal role her grandparents and aunts played in her life that made her into the woman she is today. A holder of many professional hats, Kerri is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the only ISO 9001-2015 and Trace Certified stand-alone Recruitment Firm in Guyana, Strategic Recruitment Solutions Inc (SRSGY). As the company’s originating founder, Kerri serves as

Kerri photographed with her husband, Lloyd Bart and daughter during a graduation celebration

Chair of the Board of Directors with executive responsibilities for the company’s overall operations, business development, and financial management. Her role also extends to risk management, contract negotiations, human resources, and the oversight of all corporate and employee policies and benefits. Outside of her professional life, Kerri is a firm believer and advocate for women’s rights and equity and lives by the mantra that women and girls can be and do whatever they put their minds to. She is also one of the cofounders of Guyana’s first Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCIG). Speaking on the topic of fighting for women to be treated fairly, she said, “We should be fighting for equity; there is no way we will ever be equal to a man or equal in a man’s world or a man could be equal to us, they can’t give birth and we can’t do certain things, so really and truly we should be fighting for gender equity.” She told the Pepperpot magazine, that the topic and discussion of equity became somewhat the light bulb that led to the birth of the cre-

ation of the WCCIG. “That was the drive behind it, women getting finance here in our country for their businesses, women being able to access procurement opportunities as well as networking opportunities and it’s a challenge,” she said. She stated that there is an unspoken and unconscious bias with regard to opportunities that are afforded to men, seeing many times too often women not being treated fairly, especially as it relates to finances and business. “Sometimes we are asked do you know to write a proposal, sometimes these are not a questions a man will be asked but we will be asked. Our competence is forever in question; we get into the boardroom and it is thought that we are there to make coffee or take notes, so there is a need for women to step up, represent themselves, educate themselves and get themselves in the right networking group,” she said. She stated that the goal is to see gender equity prevail, to allow for young women and girls afforded the same opportunities in SEE PAGE IV

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

Making better representation for women with disabilities By Telesha Ramnarine IT’S now been about 12 years since Rosemarie ‘Rosie’ Ramitt has been dealing with a vision disability that completely changed her life, but she’s allowed nothing to keep her from going after great things and making a difference in the lives of others. In fact, she has been working to form a group – which might be the first of its kind - that will specifically cater to the needs of women with disabilities. At the moment, she is smoothing out the rough edges of the project in hopes that she will be able to launch it this very month. Rosie believes that this may be the perfect way for her to continue making a contribution to the disability community, especially as women with disabilities have very little representation in certain important sectors. “The group will be focused on different areas affecting women like sexual reproductive health, sexual rights, education and training and capacity building because I want women to be advocates so it wouldn’t only be me or a handful of other women in society; it will be an entire group,” Rosie expressed in an interview with

Rosemarie lost perfect vision when she was just 13 years old

Rosie teaching a class in Essequibo

the Pepperpot Magazine. Rosie, of Mon Repos Village, East Coast Demerara, was leading a normal, healthy life when she suddenly lost proper sight. She was just 13 years old. At one point, she was able to see bright colours and discern when an object or person was in front of her but her eye condition has gotten worse so that she is hardly able to tell anymore. Rosie has a condition called Panuveitis where her immune system basically attacks her eyes and results in inflammation in different parts of them. Having graduated from the Cyril Potter College of

Education in 2017, Rosie has a special interest in contributing more to education in the disability community, and has therefore steered her path towards qualifying herself in blind education. In 2018, she graduated with an Associate Degree in Social Work from the University of Guyana (UG), and is now wrapping up her Bachelor’s Degree in Education. Speaking about the need for the women’s group, Rosie said it will be an arm of the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities and provide tremendous benefits to women in disability who have to deal

with the regular issues that other women face, topped with having to also cope with an infirmity. Disability and Technology Rosie has also been doing her share to provide practical assistance to those in the disability community, at times on a voluntary basis. As an assistant technology trainer, she works with individuals who are blind, teaching them how to use JAWS – a screen reading software – and their computer. For the past seven years, in addition to studying at UG,

she’s been helping youths in disability to learn technology. She would kindly assist individuals who may have acquired a new device to install the relevant software and teach them how to browse the internet, send an email, and submit work to their school online. Explaining how it is that she manages to teach Information Technology despite her vision disability, she said: “The screen reading software helps us read everything that is typed and that’s how I am able to know if they’ve done the correct thing. Now they are working online and I put them in breakout rooms on Zoom and then I would move between rooms and have them work. There’s an option in screen sharing to share audio and once they activate that, I am able to hear their computer and what

they’re doing and be able to guide them.” As tedious as it may sound to navigate through breakout rooms, Rosie makes nothing a problem. “I know my computer extremely well. It’s really just a matter of listening to what you’re doing and then moving accordingly.” With the onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic, she started off teaching the children how to use Skype because she was unfamiliar with Zoom. However, as she got the hang of Zoom, she recorded a tutorial session and sent it to her students on WhatsApp so that they were able to try it out on their computer. “Once they join the meeting with me on Zoom, I was able to show them how to activate other features.”

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

Peer-led community ‘Women2Women’ launches virtually today

MENTAL Health Advocate and Founder of Eagles Empowered to Soar Inc. Sharmin Prince will today launch ‘Women2Women’ (W2W), a peer-led women’s community group created to provide support, encouragement, and safe spaces for participants to share their journey in life so far. Prince emigrated to the United States of America on March 7, 1999 after having spent most of her formative years in Norton Street, Lodge and East La Penitence, and has since been working to create a social empire that she said is aimed at filling every identifiable gap in the social circles.

“I may have left Guyana physically but maintained my involvement in the social sector,” Prince told the Pepperpot Magazine recently as she readies herself to launch W2W, which was partially birthed in 2009 in a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership class. W2W Resilience Campaign is also intended to develop women’s interpersonal relations, navigate complex systems, and create support networks and environments for the community. “I created a model programme for a class assignment, got an A+, and was encouraged to follow through,” she recalled, adding, “I detest

hearing nonprofit leaders use lack of funding as an excuse for not providing services to vulnerable populations, so the NGOs in my network system will never have to make that statement. I know I have a role to play in the… healing of trauma survivors.” Director of Logistics for ‘Eagles Empowered’ and Peer Leader for W2W, Councillor Trichria Richards, is thankful for the support that she’s gotten from the group and says she is happy to pay it forward. “W2W is a platform where women meet to encourage and lift each other up in a positive light; a community of people who are a

The W2W Initiative was birthed out of ‘Eagles Empowered’

Women in ... FROM PAGE II

fields which are considered to be dominated by males. “Gender equity is ensuring that the opportunities that are provided to men, that these same opportunities are provided to women, that it is fair and it is without being prejudiced biased or sexist,” she highlighted. “We can’t ask for them to be equal to us or for us to be equal to them, we can’t be equal, we could never be equal but we can ask for fairness and the same opportunities to be afforded to us.” When asked what mes-

sage she’d like to share with the scores of women and girls across the country, she said, “Little girls you are your ancestor’s wildest dreams, think about what your ancestor would be thinking about you now putting your dreams into action. Do not ever limit yourself and do not ever let anybody tell [you] that you cannot do it, show up and get it done.” The businesswoman noted that while she has been thriving in her career, her biggest achievement is being an inspiration to her 18-year-old daughter and other young girls across the country.

support system. Being an advocate for mental health awareness and having suffered from intense panic attacks, I found a support group in Eagles Empowered and self-discovery. I am truly happy to be a part of this launch,” Richards expressed. ‘Eagles Empowered’ i s a N e w Yo r k - b a s e d Non-Governmental Organisation operating nationally and internationally. “Our goal is to reduce inequalities by empowering and igniting support through personal transformation and humanistic services. I created a transformational intervention called Self-Discovery IGNITE to transform lives. W2W began in 2009, logo in 2017, and launch in 2021,” Prince explained. Prince organises a ‘safe space’ for women in a supported environment with peer coaches. “Peer coaches are not professional experts, but a woman who chooses to face her life experiences, unclutter the mind to find who and what lies at the core.” Prince said she is creating a social empire to fill gaps that will ensure dignity and respect reflected through services. “I aim to serve vulnerable populations around the world and to accomplish this I have to create a well-designed, reliable, and replicable system.”

Councillor Trichria Richards

Apart from launching the W2W network, Prince has managed to distribute more than 2,000 face masks in Guyana at the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic, fed more than 200 street homeless, distributed more than 100 toys for children, secured funding for 2021 projects and registered the organization in two other states. ‘Eagles Empowered’ was registered as a Trust Deed in Guyana in August 2020 with a feeding program for the street homeless population. This program expanded during the Christmas

holiday and also distributed more than 100 toys to vulnerable children. These three events are added to the annual calendar. Prince said her next step is to share her gifts, talents, and abilities where they are welcomed, and solidify and expand her international collaborations to bring to assist t h e world. The W2W campaign will be launched today at 3 pm (EST) and 4 pm (GMT) on Zoom with ID 821 4607 5952 and passcode 625250.

Kerensa Gravesande-Bart (Samuel Maughn photo)

>>>>>> Picture saved as: Kerri 1 Caption: Kerensa Gravesande-Bart (Samuel Maughn photo) Picture saved as: Kerri 2 Caption: Kerri photographed with her husband, Lloyd Bart and daughter during a graduation celebration Picture saved as: Kerri 3 *no caption needed*

Founder of Eagles Empowered to Soar Inc. Sharmin Prince

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

Breaking the Glass Ceiling in observance of International Women’s Day

By Dillon Goring

AS International Women’s Day is being observed on March 8, women the world over have been at the cutting edge and breaking the glass ceiling on the stage of social status, economic development and academic achievements. Guyanese Women aren’t being left out in this mon-

umental, but great achievement. Wendy Hermonstine, a local Guyanese Author has been one of those persons, who has broken the ceiling and has written a book titled “A Compilation of Daily Reminders”, which speaks to the enhancement of one’s spirituality, thus motivation being the catapults for the day ahead. At a recent launch, several persons lauded the achievements of Hermonstine for such a bold but great step in this direction. Well-known fashion designer and fellow author Dr Sonia Noel told the audience present that someone is waiting to read your story to be inspired because everyone has a story. Noel also assured that within the next six to twelve months, Guyanese can expect to see so many first time authors after her workshop for creative writers and authors. Noel said, “She is so blessed to assist people to write and publish their books, because of her language of multiplication and addition.” Hermonstine in brief remarks said that she feels so inspired to push someone to their destiny. “What is gratifying along

this journey is the fact that after you would have moulded, you would have counselled and you would have averted disastrous situations and people come back to you smiling, you recognise that you are not on this earth plane by chance, but God has put each and every one of us here for a purpose,” she testified. Hermonstine recalled that she knew that she always

wanted to write, but thought that writing was set aside for special people, but with constant persistence from Dr Sonia Noel she attended a writer’s workshop to achieve her goal. Hermonstine assured that life isn’t static or stationary, but the ominous is on us all to decide where we want to be and to put systems in place to achieve our goal. “In order to achieve our goal, we must adopt the ‘I can, I must, and I will’ attitude,” she said. Hermonstine encouraged the audience to surround themselves with positivity and you will get to the tape faster. In response to a question posed by Pepperpot Magazine regarding the importance of raising the voice of women authors Hermonstine responded with the following: “ ‘If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it ’ -Toni Morrison. Female authors have been blazing trails for ages. These incredible women don’t hesitate to tell their stories, to write about what is happening or what has happened in their lives. Many of these stories are uniquely empowering, motivational,

fictional, spiritual, romantic, relationship, love, instructional and the list continues. More recently there has been an emergence of female writer’s. I strongly believe in each woman there are many stories which need to be told and those who have not started should commence writing. As we celebrate hard-working and dedicated women in their own right, let us take some time to read a publication written by powerful women. Some of these include Michelle Obama – Becoming; Arundhati Roy who won the Man Booker Prize in 1997 for her book the gorgeous, lyrical The God of Small Things; J.K Rowling a popular British author who created the popular and critically acclaimed Harry Potter series between 1997 and 2007. [These are] a minute example of women rising to the occasion. I think the recent rise in book publishing is due to the availability to self-publish. People are also becoming aware that their stories matter. For years people with good manuscript heard NO from publishing houses and now they can publish and have the rights to their content. Right here in Guyana, I was privileged to attend the first virtual writers’ retreat which opened my eyes to many options in this industry other than writing. It was the most amazing weekend ever! The presenters were Claudia Vidal, a holistic and integrative Psychotherapist, Trainer and Developmental, Social Motivator Consultant and bestselling author, Richard Young, a Fashion Guru extraordinaire, editor and creative genius. Along with Dr Sonia Noel, an extraordinary international fashion designer by profession, bestselling author had a tremendous impact on participants drawn from eleven different countries, including Africa. The facilitators were able to inspire, motivate, educate, empower, and prodded attendees to talk about and write compelling stories that could impact the world. Other aspects of the interactive sessions dealt with mindfulness and how the right atmosphere and mindset can significantly make a difference in one’s life. Introduction to self-publishing, marketing ideas,

self-confidence, and how to become a change maker were all compacted into that one weekend. By the end of the workshop, my hidden talents came to the fore. I never knew I was such a good storyteller. Also, I discussed elements of what my first book will be based on, which participants well received. We were all encouraged to start writing our first book. I doubted myself thinking that I did not understand what it takes to become an author, but I proved myself wrong. With the constant banging and motivation by Dr Sonia Noel, I started to write, I was given

deadlines, and almost every day Dr Noel would call to find out how I was getting through and advised on any challenge I may have had. Today I can smile with joy even as I express thankfulness to God for guiding me through the process of becoming an author. My first inspirational book was published in November 2020 on Amazon - “A Compilation of Daily Reminders”. It is available on Amazon in both kindle and hard copy. The book can also be obtained at Austin’s Book Store in Georgetown or myself.” This year’s theme celebrates the tremendous efforts

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by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also aligned with the priority theme of the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, “making”, and the flagship Generation Equality campaign, which calls for women’s right to decision-making in all areas of life, equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end all forms of violence against women and girls, and health-care services that respond to their needs.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

La Grange A bustling village

By Michel Outridge

The La Grange Health Centre

THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine visited La Grange Village, West Bank Demerara, a developing community of mixed ethnicities and a people that is resilient in their bid to earn. This village is located between Meer Zorgen and Bagotville and it is a busy place with a flurry of activities.

It has a gas station, sawmills, shops, supermarkets, roadside stalls with fresh fruits and vegetables, stores, a mall, three Chinese restaurants, Chinese supermarkets, hardware stores, a primary and a nursery school, a community centre ground, a playground, a branch of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), a health centre, a Police Station, a library, the home of West Side Taxi Service and Prestige products- a line of

being busy would take the time out to have a quick chat. La Grange is an agricultural-based village with many cash crop farmers and it is the home of fine thyme and other seasonings and lovely, blooming plants and trees that enhance the place. It is a place where you don’t have to leave the community to get fresh-caught fish, fruits and vegetables and groceries since the vegetable vans and the fish-man

Nurse Andrea Wrights

locally made essence, cassareep, miracle sauce, vinegar, achars, pepper sauce among other products. La Grange is a large village with long streets, Independence Street which runs for more than a mile and it connects La Parfaite Harmonie to that village and Unity Street which is also more than a mile long. The population consists of about 3,000 and the people, many of whom lost their jobs when the Wales Sugar Estate closed had to seek alternative jobs. They went into other lines of work such as labourers, mechanics, farmers, poultry farmers, livestock farmers, self-employed with small shops, landscapers and weeders, vendors, skilled tradesmen, professionals and other people, who have office jobs outside the village. La Grange Village is a clean place where the people take pride in beautifying their houses and surrounding and they do not dump garbage. The people are friendly and welcoming and despite

would frequent the village. The NDC and the village Meanwhile, the Pepperpot Magazine spoke to Chairman of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Anjanie Narine, a resident of La Grange, who had been at the post for the past four years. She reported that the La Grange/Nismes/Bagotville NDC is located in Bagotville and the building houses the Community Centre, the NDC and the Bagotville National Library. Narine added that La Grange is the first village on the West Bank Demerara section just over the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB). The village has 10 internal streets most of which was recently re-paved from crush and run to all-weather. Narine stated that the village is a developing place with almost everything within the community and its environs and the people are very cooperative. SEE PAGE XII

Focus on the Village

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

The women of La Grange Village are empowered with their own small businesses By Michel Outridge WITH a leap of faith, time and money invested, the women of La Grange Village, West Bank Demerara took the bold step of establishing their own small businesses and are earning steady incomes to support their families. One such woman is Rebeeca Ramlall, a mother of one, who operates Rebeeca’s Hair and Nails Salon right from her home in Independence Street, La Grange, West Bank Demerara. She is originally from Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast but relocated to La Grange two years ago when

Bhagmattie Jaikissoon spraying pesticide on her cultivation

Shivanie Ramdass

they would commute to her residence to have their hair and nails done noting that they come for the profession-

Bar owner, Laleeta Doodnauth

she got married. Ramlall however, grew up in Adventure Village, also on the Essequibo Coast and related that her daughter will be six years old in April. She has another job in Diary, La Parfaite Harmonie Village which can be accessed through Independence Street, La Grange where she works the midday to 20:00hrs shift at a shop. The beautician reported that she would do nails and hair when she can and works by appointment so she can manage her time and has a cosy corner in her verandah where she attends to clients. Ramlall disclosed that later she plans to build a small salon in her yard where she can have a more suitable place to entertain customers. She has customers from all across the counties and

al service and price. “Being a beautician is not a full-time job if you don’t have a salon because people will only do their nails and hair when they have money and it is not an everyday business so I have another job to supplement my husband’s income as an excavator operator,” she said. She explained that she would get up early to prepare meals for her husband to go to work and then complete household chores before midday when she would go to work. “If you want to enjoy a comfortable life you have to do more than one job and both partners have to be employed,” she said. Ramlall has a small signboard on her fence in which she advertises her small busi-

Focus on the Village

ness. The bar owner The Pepperpot Magazine also met Laleeta Doodnauth better known as Jean, who has a family bar in La Grange, a nice hideout place where customers can sit and indulge in some cold beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Her shop is noted for its tasty cutters such as fried fish, fried chicken with gravel, channa, chips and other dishes to appease the taste buds. The 56-year-old stated that she had a shop on the Public Road but that place was rented to GECOM and she moved down the street, to another shop, owned by her father-in-law. She began the bar business in 2016 at the road front and after her husband died she had to manage it all alone. Doodnauth explained that her husband died 18 years ago and she never remarried and spend her time running her business. She had been married for just 15 years and is originally from Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown and relocated to La Grange when she got married. Doodnauth moved to La Grange in 1987 and has developed skills in managing a bar and cooking but would get help from her relatives from time to time. She is well-known in the community and is an approachable person, who always wears a smile. The shopkeeper /housewife Shivanie Ramdass is assisting her aunt to operate a SEE PAGE XIII

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

The landscapers of La Grange Village are upbeat about their small business ventures

By Michel Outridge LA GRANGE Village, West Bank Demerara is noted for a lot of things including having skilled people, who find ways and means to earn. Among those folk are landscapers, whose main source of income is from landscaping and they work within the community and further afield. Hemraj Boodram is a resident of Independence Street, La Grange and has his small business of landscaping and has in his employ, five persons. The 64-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is a local, born and bred in the village and when he was looking for a job, he could

Landscaper, Hemraj Boodram (Carl Croker photos)

not get any so after some brainstorming, he decided to buy a brush cutter and began weeding for people in the community, of course at a

reasonable cost. Over time, his small business began to grow and he was in demand, he saved up and bought five brush cutters

Focus on the Village

and employed five persons to assist him in his weeding jobs which moved on to a few large monthly contracts at different parts across the country. The father of two stated that his small business began 10 years ago when he was laid off at the Wales Sugar Estate when it closed and he was desperately looking for work. Boodram, who is a wellknown elder in the village reported that depending on the land size he would set a price that would meet the pockets of his customers and over the years he had established a wide base of people he would weed for. “I don’t have a standard price because I have regular customers and I would charge them a good price and it fluctuates because of how tall the grass is and the size of the land that needs weeding,” he said. Boodram added that since establishing his small business he feels good working with himself and has developed a good relationship with his employees and they have a good thing going because they can sit and chat after work. He has registered his small business as being an official establishment with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and has his

Weeder man/farmer, Rajendra Deonarine

business stamp and can issue receipts for large contracting jobs to both private and public sector. Boodram stated that the work is all week and even on weekends with no dayoffs and it keeps him busy and active and he doesn’t function as a supervisor or a boss but as an employee, as well, who would weed too. His job would start from 05:00hrs and run late into the night at times when he has a particular job to finish. “If a regular customer relates to me that they are not doing well financially I would do a few credit jobs and collect the money later because I know at times things don’t be nice with people and we have a verbal understanding,” he said. Boodram disclosed that he is a straight-up man, who believes that having a positive mind-set is necessary to be successful and he has taken that as a motto. The weeder man and farmer Meanwhile, the Pepperpot Magazine met another landscaper, Rajendra Deonarine, who is also a resident of La Grange Village and at the time he was off-duty and taking a day of rest, in his hammock. The 50-year-old stated that he has lived all his life

in the community and knows no other place that he wants to be and is quite comfortable there. “Life is not a bed of roses but you have to find ways of earning by doing many things as jobs because if you want to work with yourself, you have to be a like-minded person,” he said. He has a brush cutter and would do weeding jobs in the village but when it rains he would be out of work and decided to cultivate his backyard. Deonarine has a large plot of fine thyme and when he harvests them, his wife would go to the markets and sell it to bring in an income. The father of two stated that his life is simple and when there isn’t work you have to find things to do to earn and he would work in his back yard garden to supply fine thyme to his regular buyers. “When it rains the back yard would be flooded and destroy my crop and I have no other choice than start over again after cutting my losses since the place has no drainage,” he said. Deonarine has three grandchildren and only one of his sons reside with him and he seems quite at home when the Pepperpot Magazine visited.

Home of Rajendra Deonarine of La Grange, West Bank Demerara

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

A family tradition

Horse-drawn cart operator follows in father’s footsteps By Michel Outridge ZAMEER ABDOOL is a resident of La Grange, West Bank Demerara, whose small business of horse-drawn cart puts food on his table for a family of four, send his children to school and pay his bills. The 40-year-old reported that he comes from a family of men who practised the profession and it is the only job he knows. “This horse cart work isn’t anything fancy or glamour with sparkles that glitter but it is an honest job that feeds myself and family and that is all that matters, it is my hustle and earning and I am proud to be providing a service for people,” he said. Abdool, a plain-spoken, mild-mannered kind of a man, stated that he is not ashamed of his job because

them and work out a reasonable fare for transporting their sales to the requested location. He is fully aware that because of the pandemic people are not ‘holding’ as before but are trying to stay afloat and he would ‘flex’ with them. The father of two related that he started working horse-drawn cart at Plaisance Market, East Coast Demerara since he used to reside in Better Hope, two villages away and he used to fetch load via his horse and cart. He started this type of work 13 years ago when he had a simple donkey cart and as he began to earn he saved up enough to buy a horse and custom-made a cart and his business blossomed. Today, he has five horses and that day he was with Easter, a female, whom he

mate small business. He, however, applied for a plot of land, years ago and was allocated a house lot at La Grange and he relocated and knew he had to work. At the time, the team caught up with Abdool he was sitting under a tree and was having his lunch, a quick snack he had brought from home before soliciting customers, outside the sawmill. Abdool added that his father was a horse man, who had a horse named Royal Champion and with that horse-drawn cart it provided for himself and four siblings adequately. He explained that the horse was his father’s pet and with that horse, he worked to build a house and lived comfortably. Abdool disclosed that Royal Champion was indeed a champion of a horse

Zameer Abdool and his horse, Easter (Carl Croker photos)

it is his incomer garner and he is self-employed and his own boss. He has five horses and he would work with one every day because he is sensitive about the feelings for his animals and he treats them as his own. “Not because they are animals you treat them anyhow they have feelings just like humans and I depend on the horses to earn and they depend on me to take care of them so I see it as a partnership between us,” he said. Abdool, who is a normal person trying to work and live peacefully pointed out that he works outside of a sawmill/hardware store in the village, at Independence Street and when people show up to buy building materials and wood he would engage

bought three weeks ago and she is six years old. Abdool disclosed that he purchased Easter for $140,000 and from the way he treated the horse, it was evident he adores her and they have an understanding. He added that he would take care of his horses and he doesn’t work them too much and would use a different horse every day for work because like humans they too, needs rest. The self-employed man stated that he is licensed with the Guyana Revenue Authority to operate his horsedrawn cart and it is $5,000 per year and he has a legiti-

because he lived for 28 years and worked even and straight with his father to accomplish a lot. He added that his relatives, all have horses and operates their own horse-drawn carts at Better Hope South, East Coast Demerara and it is their way of life to earn. The Abdool family has been breeding horses for many generations and it has passed down from the older men in the family to the younger ones and that is how he learned all about horses and develop skills to become a horse-drawn cart operator. He is one of a handful of horse-drawn cart operators

Focus on the Village

vying for work at the location and they co-exist in peace and with understanding. “This is a nice job if you know what to do and how to do it because you have to know how to talk to people and you must charge a fair price for transporting their load and that way everybody is happy, you have money in your pocket and the customer had their load delivered,” he said.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

Bring back reading Bagotville National Library ready and willing

By Michel Outridge THERE is a popular saying ‘Reading is Fundamental’ but these days a lot of people, including children, prefer to bury their heads in a mobile device or watch

television rather than read a book like most folks did in the olden days. As a result of this trend, the Bagotville National Library is providing a service that is unutilised and these days both adults and children

Focus on the Village

are not visiting the facility to borrow books or use the reference section for research. This government-owned facility is located at the Bagotville Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) building and it is a well-kept place with a lot of new books, internet-ready computers, printing services, newspapers, two sections for adults and children and profession-

Supervisor of the Bagotville National Library, Katyana George

al staffers to assist. Yet, people in the community are not using this service that is within reach and it is practically free. Supervisor, Katyana George oversees the operations of the library and has a staff of three, the facility is cosy and conducive for learning and reading, it is a quiet place. She has been at the library for the past two years and she is from Parika, East Bank Essequibo and would commute daily, for the love of the job and earning. George told the Pepperpot Magazine that they have computers with internet service for school children to use, free of cost while, adults pay only $100 for every half hour of usage. She related that there is no fee attached for mem-

bership but if the books are overdue a cost of $20 per day is incurred by the borrower. The Bagotville National Library has very affordable printing services and general photocopying. George added that the Reference Section, for which she is responsible, is a cosy corner which has seating accommodation with a large table, computer stations for research, well-stacked shelves with books that doesn’t leave the place including gazettes, encyclopaedia, a learning corner, a newspaper section for daily reading, a fan for a cooler atmosphere, sanitising station for COVID-19 prevention and face mask is a must for entry. “The books in this section remain here and are not for lending, it is just used here for research purposes

because it is all hard copies and expensive,” she said. George told the Pepperpot Magazine that the Adult Department is located on the lower flat of the building and borrowers can sit and read right there or borrow and take away available books. Meanwhile, in the Juvenile Department which is housed in another section of the upper flat of the wooden building, they have a wide array of books for the taking but hardly anybody visits that library. George added that in total the library has in its collection more than 1,000 books some of which were donated and others bought and procured by the National Library which is headquartered in Georgetown. She disclosed that the National Library has five branches which are in Linden, Corriverton, New Amsterdam, Bagotville and Ruimveldt. The Library Supervisor stated that National Library has 20 active centres countrywide and opens three days per week and the staffers are given a stipend instead of a salary. She noted that the service at these smaller facilities is from 14:00hrs to 18:00hrs and it also comes under the National Library in the city. The Bagotville National Library has a membership of 20 in the Adult Section while in the Juvenile Department they have about 30 and they collectively utilise the facility once a month or don’t show up at all. “We have tried different things such as awareness campaigns at schools and

The Reference Department of the Bagotville National Library

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

Bring back ... FROM PAGE X by way of flyers to sensitise people about the library and its benefits but still people are not coming to borrow or read these books and it is quite sad that people don’t

want to read,” she said. In the Adult Department of the Bagotville National Library just and identification card is required to become a mem-

ber and for the Juvenile Department, the parent’s or guardian must produce an identification card to get the child or children registered.

A visitor utilising the Adult Department of the Bagotville National Library (Carl Croker photos)

The Bagotville National Library

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La Grange FROM PAGE VI She related that the two longest streets are Independence and Unity which runs for more than a mile and a quarter. “This village has electricity, potable water supply, internet access, and landline and cell phone services with a few government facilities with good roads and other infrastructure,” she said. Narine disclosed that the village is home to aviation and civil engineers, truck drivers, heavy-duty operators, doctors, deceased politician, Komal Chand and other skilled professionals. As for developmental

works, Narine told the Pepperpot Magazine that they had street lights installed, several internal streets are being upgraded, and the drainage and irrigations system within the village is being upgraded which will be of great benefit to farmers since they have had a flooding problem when it rains. She pointed out that the playground near the Health Centre and the other one behind the La Grange Primary School will be upgraded. Narine reported that there is a high level of unemployment among the youths and young people in the village and some

have turned to drug abuse and have been reportedly breaking-in the homes of residents while, they are asleep and taking away kitchen utensils, ducks, chickens and other valuables. She is of the view that if the village has a skills training facility the youths can be equipped with a skill to eventually open their own small business and become gainfully employed. Narine revealed that a large number of school dropputs reside in the community and they had to exit the school system prematurely due to economic reasons

Staffers of the La Grange Health Centre (Carl Croker photos)

when the Wales Sugar Estate closed. The NDC Chair stated that the Community Centre will be rehabilitated and the Community Infrastructure Improvement Programme (CIIP), which has 10 workers, maintains the drains, trenches and parapets in the community. The La Grange Health Centre The La Grange Health Centre provides primary health care for villagers with its Dental Department and other services offered. Registered Nurse Andrea Wrights told the Pepperpot Magazine that they would

La Grange Village

have clinics for chronic diseases, pre-natal, ante-natal, childcare and maternal health, and family planning and outpatient services. She related that they have a staff of seven including a doctor and they would accommodate student nurses from the Guyana Nursing School for clinical exercise. Wrights added that they have more than 80 persons passing through the health facility per day depending on the clinic and they do visits to shut-ins and outreaches. “We would telephone patients to ask them why they are not coming to clinic and try to get them to bring the

children to receive vaccines and reach out to others, as well,” she said. Nurse Wrights reported that their catchment area is La Grange, Nismes and Bagotville and they cover a total of 4,675 patients. She explained that the dressing room is out of order and they would try to do simple dressings for diabetic patients and some they would refer to West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH). Wrights disclosed that it would be nice if a separate washroom can be constructed for the staff and they need filing cabinets, a steriliser, and a refrigerator.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

The women of La Grange Village ... FROM PAGE VII grocery shop in La Grange Village and is the mother of one. The 20-year-old said she doesn’t reside at the same address but would visit daily to ensure things are in order and to tend to customers in the shop. She is also a resident of Independence Street, La Grange, who likes the community because it is quiet and a good place to live. Ramdass added that they don’t really have armed robberies but a few incidents of break-ins from time to time. “The people of this village are nice and even the Spanish folk have moved in the community and they were welcomed since it is a village with people of all races,” she said. She noted that life in La Grange Village is very simple and most people are

self-employed and others work outside the village. The team also met Bhagmattie Jaikissoon of Unity Street, La Grange, who was at the time spraying pesticide to her garden of cash crops on the roadside. The 47-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is a stay-at-home mother and a farmer, who has a cultivation of bora, ochro, boulanger, pigeon peas, plantain, banana, tomato, pepper and fruits. She would sell her produce at the Bagotville Market, a short distance away every Sunday. Jaikissoon has been a resident of La Grange for the past 20 years and while, at home tending to the children and house she realised she had to do something to bring in an income to the home and started her small farm. “I feel about myself because I am doing something to earn and it is a

The shop where Shivanie Ramdass assists her aunt

good feeling overall because you are not wasting time but using your time to plant and grow foods,” she said.

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Overcoming heartbreak

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021 CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, February 28, 2021

To phone or not to phone?

HAVE received many emails from worried readers over every 10-15 minutes. I do not always know what I’m looking losing your phone would beI on a scalethink of 1-10. 98 percent feel never-ending. actually people go through he lastAS fewCOVID monthshas about their excessive cellphone I for but I always look. My phoneisisto such of my loss. said 10 the andfive 2 percent said 9. They all claimed that it of would taken so many things from us,use. it shouldn’t To feel heartbreak feela normal a deep part emotional stages of grief during the process a breakave written about this few years ago, I knew life andThe so constantly hand acceptance that I cannot–count thethat num-you are be the worst material possession that they could ever lose. be a surprise thatbefore, one ofathose things arebut healthy relationfirst stepinismy always accept up. These are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, wouldships. be asked again considering thetosocial restrictions ber of times I have searched for it, while wasafter actually in amytrauma, They continued to say that feelingsFor of instance, anxiety, irritation I was asked by a reader discuss the above topic hurting as we are supposed to ithurt such and, finally, acceptance. during aand typical f Covid, as well as the increase in the number of social hand. The first thing I do when I get up in the morning and overwhelming sadness would be felt if they were to lose their as they claimed that distance due to COVID, as well as it’s the only healthy way to overcome it. breakup, we don’t want to believe that it’s actually media apps. the last thing I do before going to sleep is check my phone. I phone today. different beliefs in terms of safety and precaution, ended over, which causes us to make unrealistic promises to As some of you know, one of my specialities is addiction thatWhile this wasn’t healthyexperiences and something must be harmless, right? Caring so much about a a relationship that was thought to be strong and real. decided I’m all human differ, thedone. universal It seems both our partners and ourselves. We then become angry nd I have written about many types. Today, I would like to I did some research and found that women were more phone? Well, this week I’ve been really paying attention sure that many of you have ended relationships during symptoms of heartbreak are persistent sadness, anger, with or blame the breakup on either our partners or ourlk about a different kind of addiction, one that just like any likely to become addicted to their phones simply because men to the importance that I and others around me give to a this pandemic and I hope this piece may possibly alleviate crying, isolation and overthinking, as well as an inability selves. We may then plead with our former significant ubstance, isolates us, causes insomnia, loss of productivity are less likely to have social media apps. Also, older people phone, rather than what’s actually going on around them. even some of that pain. to eat or sleep (or eat and sleep too much). It really does other -towhether try one last time to maketothings nd motivation, as well as a loss of previously enjoyed activ- are less likely to become addicted. I believe this is because Our phones we are speaking other work. people,When this does not have our desired effect, we fall into the ies. So, are you addicted to your phone? Particularly, your they do not know how to use smartphones (My father actually using social media or playing games -- can be addictive deep sadness that accompanies this loss until enough martphone? still uses a Nokia). as they alter our moods, beliefs and trigger enjoyable time has passed for us to finally accept the situation I must admit, I check my phone compulsively; I would say I asked some of my colleagues and friends how bad and unenjoyable feelings. Apart from obviously being my and move forward. main source of communication, my phone is my newspaWhile time really is the day bestplanner, medicine, in this case, per, watch, alarm, map, recorder, calendar, things can be done atoweapon speed (sometimes) up the recovery camera,some music player, calculator, and myprocess. friend when I’m bored or lonely- basically everything. However, it is also my constant interrupter and about psychology a form distractor.The I (I thing imagine much like mostisofthat youit’s out there)of scithere been research that conducted toon. support have a ence deepand desire to has know everything is going the effectiveness of everything I’m about to mention I believe that is human nature. But when does it become -- all you have to do is apply it where and when you too much? can. A particular research study itconducted in the United Well, I believe it’s too much when has a name. ‘NoStates nowterm comes to mind. mophobia’ is the coined to describe the fear of being Researchers test have threewe methods without a mobile phone. decided Seriously,towhat come to?to determine which led to athedecrease in negative feelings It becomes an addiction when object begins to control towards an ex-partner. recruitedwork, newly your life and interferes with your They daily activities, andsingle participants divided them into four groups. The first relationships. I readand somewhere that “The biggest obstacle group was asked to thinkbut negative abouta their to productivity is connectivity,” overusethings can affect these were the things thatis,really bothered lot moreexes than--our productivity. The truth overuse of our them theyuswere in the relationship. Thephysically. second group phones while can harm psychologically, socially and asked to accept feelings were of currently Withwas regard to affecting ourthe social skills, they how many us without beating themselves –- giving miss outhaving on a joke or good conversation as weupwere on our them to times read such ok toour love someone phones?sentences How many have as, we “It’s annoyed good friend I’m or family we were social media nomember longer because with.” The thirdposting group on was asked to think how much funthings we arethat having with them? truly happy affects -ourthings about generally madeItthem that did not involve their past significant others at all. The fourth and final group was used as a neutral group and were asked to just sit in the room, without thinking of anything in particular –- their thoughts could wander wherever they wanted them to. After the participants were placed into these groups, they were shown lovethemed scenes (pictures or movies) as well as pictures of their exes. The frequency and intensity of their emotions were again measured by the researchers. All three of the strategies were found to decrease the negative emotional responses that the participants initially had. This means that by practising any of the three above strategies, they felt less anger and sadness when seeing their exes. Although painful, I never understood why people relationships uslove. even Knowing realising it.that A common thing of regretwithout being in you’re capable that some us (yes, myself included) do ashave wellaisloving, to be oncaring thatofemotion is knowing that you our phone when are leftnot alone in aof public just out heart andwe you’re afraid beingsetting-vulnerable with it. of sheerHaving discomfort. This stops other people from engaging said that, accept what you are feeling, as the with you. more you fight these negative emotions, the longer you will feel them. Drowning out the pain with alcohol or Now, thedo psychological of as you otherwhat drugsare will nothing but implications extend the pain cellphone overuse? are not allowing yourself to truly feel and overcome. Get the negative energy out in a healthy way -- cry, Thisscream is doneinto mainly by our--apps on ouritphone theto do a pillow whatever is youthan need phone itself. Social to really feelmedia it. apps such as Snapchat and Instagram are associated withpain bullying, privacy violations, stress Despite the that comes with it, realism is your and anxiety. depression are also comfriendLow rightself-esteem now -- in and every way possible. Most people mon when decide to compare of ourselves and our lives to haveweskewed memories their relationships after a what others ‘share’ about theirs. Cellphones break-up, only remembering the fewhave goodsomehow times or peralso become a representation of social status, so there reasons is sonal wrongs. Many forget all the arguments, pressurenot to get the newest releases. can their of course resultmade to trust and the timesThis where partners in monetary times) legal themand feel(atworthless -- issues. the realistic and truthful view Finally, cellphone overuse physically Forin the of what it actually wascan (most of the affect time) us. helps example, car accidents. It is a law of physics that no one recovery process. thing can occupy the me same space it’s at the time into your Don’t get wrong, notsame beneficial pretend mind. Ifthat your eyes arenever on your they areperson. not even a key you were in phone, love with that The little bitison the road. Overuse can also give us headaches, acknowledging and accepting what qualities you did blurred vision, impair our memory and concentration and even dizziness. I have paid attention my use lately and SEE PAGE to XVI have experienced all of the above, along with neck pain and less sleep. I also tend to get sick quite often and I now

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FINDING LOVE FROM WITHIN THE BROKEN PIECES OF THE PAST PART 4 – THE CONCLUSION A FEELING of gloom hung over the beautiful house as he rang the doorbell. The housekeeper answered, a sad look on her face and she said quietly before Alvin could ask, “She’s in the garden.” She was standing by the water fountain, staring at nothingness and he stood for a while watching her before quietly calling her name, “Marissa.” She turned and he inhaled deeply upon seeing the deep grief on her face, before she bent her head, trying to fight back the tears. He had to be strong, even though he too

was grieving because much depended on him and touching her shoulders, he said comfortingly, “You can cry.” She looked at him, her lips trembling and leaning her head on his shoulders, she cried, the shock of her loss and the sadness flowing with the tears. He put his arms around her until her crying subsided and they sat there silently for a while in the garden. “Did you know anything about his illness?” Alvin asked her after her emotions had calmed down a little. She shook her head, “No. I knew he wasn’t too well because of the special diet he had to follow but I had no idea it was so serious.” “Maybe, he didn’t want you to worry.” “I know, he was always so caring, but now he’s gone what do I do?” she started to cry again. In comforting her, Alvin understood now why in his dream his father asked him to take care of her. The shock had shaken her so much, she hadn’t the mental strength to deal with the sudden tragedy. The housekeeper called to say the children had come downstairs and she dried her tears as she walked up to the house. Alvin watched a little curious as she embraced the two young boys. “My two brothers,” she told him, “They’re all the family I have.” “No mother and father?” She sent the boys to the playroom before answering. “They died the same night my eldest brother did.” “How?” he asked, concern added to curiosity. A deep sad look crossed her face as she answered, “Murdered.” He looked shocked, not expecting to hear that and if his mind had been searching for an answer why she married a man so much older than her, he knew now it was for comfort and security. The house phone rang before he could say anything and the housekeeper said to Alvin, “People have been calling since last night to extend their sympathies, you may want to take care of them because the mistress is quite shaken.” Alvin complied and after making sure Marissa was resting, he took immediate control of everything and in a few hours, all arrangements were in place for his father’s funeral. The family did not approve of what he did, thinking that Marissa should be left on her own but Alvin took a strong stance against their objections. “This is not the time for hateful sentiments, it’s the

time to support each other and the fact remains that she is his wife who had been sharing his life and I am his son. Why is it so wrong for me to help her?” No one made any further comments and with Alvin’s calm composure and high level of responsibility, all plans went smoothly at both homes, for friends and family to extend their sympathies until the final day. It wasn’t a day Alvin wanted to remember, not for the grief, sadness and deep regrets. Three days after the funeral he could still hear the sounds of Marissa crying and see the grief on her face. “What would she do now? How do I lend her my support without my family’s objections and society judging me because she was my father’s wife?” Uncertain and confused, he prayed, “Lord, if there is

an answer, please help me find it.” The answer came two days later when the lawyer who had drawn up his father’s will called the family. The details specified what he bequeathed to his three children and his second wife. But what was of more importance was the letter he left for Alvin. The letter stated, “Son, I am sorry I did not play the role of a great father in your life, but sometimes we fall short of expectations. The divorce that broke our family was because of my refusal to accept my faults, arrogance and selfishness. I realized a few years after you left how wrong I had been but it was too late for reconciliation, SEE PAGE XXIII

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WAB-SNFCA Women’s Month Celebrations

THE International Women’s Day 2021 theme is ‘Choose to Challenge”. A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. I love this theme because it is an appropriate time in this time which calls for a change of mindset. Albert Einstein said “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” Lots of changes are happening in these challenging times but we still need to maintain a positive perspective. Growth happens outside our comfort zones and that is why we need to stretch ourselves. The month of March highlights the achievements of women from around the world and many empowering platforms are available, even more this month. Sonia Noel Foundation for Creative Arts and the Women Across Borders will be hosting multiple events. I believe in the guidance from God so the first virtual event on the calendar of events was Prayer, Worship and meditation. Sister Sanola Shepherd led us in prayers which set the tone to an anointed atmosphere. I am so proud of her and her spirit. She hosts a spirit-filled podcast called Prayer Closet. When I decided on this event her name was the first name that was dropped in my spirit and God made her availability possible to join us. We constantly discuss how grateful we are for the foundation from pastor Claude and Carole Brooks from Love and Faith Ministry. It was a mighty session and that was the feedback from all the women who participated. Many shared the clarity and downloads received during and after the session. I am revisiting my whys for everything I do and was encouraged to continue building a strong spiritual foundation. Monica shared her take away. The opening prayer was revitalising and mystical for me. By the way, Sanola has a divine voice, she set the tone for the spiritual expression to flow. I felt the Holy Spirit among us, and the echo of trusting and listening to God’s guidance through meditation and prayer request! Everyone sincerely shared their special prayer request and at the end we received confirmation that the Holy Spirit will speak to us as we wait on the lord for wisdom, insight and direction. The one-minute meditation was a pause button where we waited on God in the time of silence, giving the Lord the opportunity to speak to us. I focused my time of prayer on intentional, purposeful listening and I was able to receive the guidance from God to read what the Bible says about my purpose! I finally got my answer to my prayer request Amen! Sonia’s closing prayer articulated God’s vision for our lives and how we must trust him to show us more as we begin to live it. There were other highlights but it will take time to write but the main purpose of the meeting I am sure was achieved. Everyone left the meeting feeling blessed and very hopeful.

INTENTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE HELPING YOU TO LIVE OUT YOUR CALLING.

March 2 was a Women Across Borders interview with Charles Ellis from the Power within and another interview on March 6th on the Connection Show. March 7 is 21st Century Thinking for Wealth Creation and Management. Pastor Joseph Persaud (Liberty Church

Overcoming ...

FROM PAGE XIV love about them, but also believe that you can find those qualities in other people. For those really struggling to get to grips with reality, it is best to list reasons why the relationship did not work out, or reasons why that particular person may not be for you. Read this every day if you have to. Practise forgiveness, with or without an apology, because any anger or hatred that you hold on to will only extend your grief period. Set aside a grieving time –- this has been very helpful with many of my clients. I ask them to set aside half-hour a day to fully feel the pain of the breakup. Throughout the day, the mind will wander toward it, but you can say to yourself for example, ‘I will deal with this at 7 pm’. Find a comfortable and quiet place to look at pictures, listen to music that may bring up memories -- anything that makes you feel and acknowledge what happened. Most people cry for the whole half-hour and then they automatically start to see the grieving time decreasing

-- without even trying to –- because they are organically letting themselves feel what they need to. If you have social media, unfollow your ex-partner. This may seem childish but it’s definitely not to be mean. Out of sight, out of mind is a cliché for a reason. Ask those around you not to bring it to your attention. I feel everyone in Guyana does this --’ I saw your ex out last night, he was happy or talking to this other person.’ This is such a hurtful thing to do to someone. Even if you tell them that their ex looks broken without them, you are hindering their recovery. Do not become friends with an ex right away. I nev-

NY) will be the facilitator for the virtual event. He is CEO of Philia Foundation Poverty Reduction and an Executive in an Insurance Firm. He is also the founder of Hope is Rising. On the 8th Co-author, Andrea Sampson in Florida Women Across Book Signing and excerpts reading. Senior Citizen Afternoon Tea and Storytelling is in March as well. Another interview WAB on the 15th and16th.Women in Business Virtual Expo (live stream) on the 17th and 18th. Booking Signing and Excepts readings at the National Library on March 19. Confidence Becomes You Virtual event for girls on March 20 and Co-author Isabella Ngcobo, one of the Co-authors will be hosting a Book Signing and Excerpt Reading. WAB Interview on Watch Radio NY on the 21st. The Women Across Borders Co-authors will be sharing their stories from the 25th to the 27th at the WAB Virtual Summit. Penny Phakathi, another co-author from South Africa will be hosting her event on the 27th . Women Across Border Tea Party and Book Signing will be hosted by co-author Nadira Budram on the 28th March and one will be hosted in Guyana on that same day. On the 29th, Wilma Mulcare will be hosting we will be hosting storytelling. Another session of Prayer, Worship and Meditation. Last year we hosted INSPIRE YOU for the first time streaming live from with the intentions of hosting an in-person event in 2021 but God had other plans and now it will be on the 30th March in the virtual space. 95 percent of these events are free and we encourage you to join us (livingwithintention11@gmail.com or WhatsApp 5926848129) as we continue to give GOD the glory for the great things he is doing BEYOND THE RUNWAY.

er get how people do this, as it is nearly impossible to become friends immediately after a break-up -- please, don’t even try. I know that person was once close to you and will remain very near and dear, but you need to have mentally moved on before even attempting a friendship. Friendship comes later. It’s common to be curious about what your ex is doing, but does it feel good knowing that you are actively contributing to your own pain and slow recovery? Finally, I hope you all know by now how much better we feel when we maintain a healthy lifestyle - eat well, sleep well, exercise and don’t abuse substances. Incorporating these suggestions will decrease the ache until time heals it. Do not allow this experience to harden your loving heart. Thank you for reading. Please keep sending any topics you’d like to talk about to caitlinvieira@gmail.com. If you’d like personal counselling sessions, please reach out to me at +592 623 0433 Suicide Prevention Helpline numbers: 223-0001, 2230009, 623-4444, 600-7896 Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always

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Corn

AS we continue to observe the UN General Assembly’s International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (IYFV) to raise awareness on the important role of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition, food security and health and as

well in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals, NAREI in Focus will be sharing information on corn. Corn (Zea mays) could be grown in both hinterland and coastal communities. The crop takes between 105 and 120 days to mature. Intermediate Savannah Soil type is sandy loamy with a pH of around 5.0. Apply NPK fertilizer at 130:60:60 kg/ha to the crop. The full dose of P and K should be used at sowing along with a half dose of N (Urea). The remaining N (Urea) is applied in two equal split doses of 30 and 60 days after sowing. The pre-emergence application of Round-Up weedicide @ 3lit/ha is used to control weeds. Cultivating Rows should have a distance of 60cm from each other.

Use planting distance of 30cm. Recommended sowing depth of 5-7cm and cover the seed with soil Harvesting Harvesting of ears should be done once the outer cover is dried. The harvested ears are peeled and sun-dried. The threshing of corn is done manually or mechanically. Coastland Soil type is clay loam with pH of about 5.5. Planting done on ridges (15-20cm high) using a planting distance of only 15 cm and row distance of 60cm. Plant seeds using a depth of about 5cm. Irrigation Use sprinklers to ensure proper germination and crop establishment. Harvest manually or mechanically after 105 days of sowing. Maturity is assessed by looking at the drying of the outer cover of the ear and grain moisture. Harvest ears once the outer cover is dried. The harvested ears are SEE PAGE XXV

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

FROM A HEALTHY HIGH, THEN MASHRAMANI LOST ITS VIBE CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, February 28, 2021

MASHRAMANI unfolded in 1970 with our republican status, its cultural twin expressed itself in celebration of the first major slave revolution on the wild coast, the Berbice event of 1763 that preceded Washington, Toussaint and Bolivar, and the Amerindian name of Mashramani from the Arawak word- masaramani, that embodied work done cooperatively. Its expression was thrown out as a challenge to the top costume designers at home and abroad to develop ‘Theme Costume Bands and Floats that would necessarily showcase in-house industry, the local flora, fauna, culture and history. Accompanying all this would be the music of the steel bands, Silvertones, Guybaux-Invaders, Chronicle Atlantic Symphony were among the top of the 70s food chain. Coming respectively from Leopold Street, Charlotte Street and Campbellville; these steel bands were a profound element of initial MASH life, the steel bands were the summoning of the tough young of communities, males and females. The around-the-town tramp would commence after the bands had entered the National Park accompanying their designated floats before the judges, and circling the park in an expression of Float and Costume display and the enthrallment of rhythm and melody from the symphonies of pan music. The ‘Tramp’ would follow, beginning as the band emerged out of the National Park. In 1974, the bridge from the park to the Thomas Lands road shook under the movement of the tramp. Was it Invaders? Was it Silvertones? The music was to memory, Sparrow’s 1973 hit-“ Same time, same place” etc.... the rhythm of the ‘TRAMP’ was with the discipline of a phalanx, chanting “Inside, Outside” each band was organised and had its own route around Georgetown, accompanied by hundreds of trampers. This however did not last because some street hustlers travelled along with the bands outside of the tramp and ordered wine and other drinks and ran out of shops without paying, so by 1977 the street tramp was cut back and revellers were censured. Flag-raising night at the National Park was programmed with a dramatic rendition of the 1763 revolution and other cultural skits about the significance of Mashramani. Calypsos and items revolving around the mood to entertain an almost filled National Park (the COVID era must be viewed as an extreme exception). Flag-raising was always constructed with a cultural itinerary that always left the park audience fulfilled and satisfied. Steel bands emerged in Trinidad as a tough, competitive cultural industry, to quote our own Cy Grant: “According to legend, one of the first steel band clashes took place after the ping pong belonging to ‘Fish Eye’ of hell yard in Gonzalez (later to become the Trinidad All-stars) was presumed stolen by members of Tokyo from John John behind the bridge, when, accompanied by some of his friends, he went to retrieve his pan, serious fighting followed. On another occasion, the famous ‘Barracuda ‘ pan of Ellie Mannette of INVADERS was seized by Tokyo and put on display as a war trophy. Outbreaks of violence took place frequently, sometimes leading to riots, as in Belmont in 1948. –see ‘Cy Grant’s ‘RING OF STEEL Pan sound and symbol’. The essential essence of “Mash” was always intended to differ in many ways from the Trinidadian Carnival in design and content, though similar in its mood of revelry. Each Caribbean and Latin American Carnival or named festival of this kind differs from country to country using content from their own experiences, though all can be recognised as emerging from the common prototype. The Guyanese expression was intended to capture in content ‘Themes of imagery from our National Story, mainly’ but other creative themes were also accepted and applauded. However, without knowledgeable cultural management having hands-on participation, coupled with slim national budgets from the late 80s onward, the original concept deteriorated to “Mash” becoming rather a national duty that was expressed and supplemented by any borrowed and ambiguous festive imagery -- period. One of the last major admirable float parades was a tribute to

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, February 28, 2021

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

our bird-kind by a young female designer, then there was a float developed around ‘Helen of Troy’ that is also memorable. Talking to designers, many of them were constrained within budgets that could not afford intricate and complex designs, having to import crucial costume textiles and accessories. The sensible thing to do, which I have written about before, is to create a storage facility for certain high-end costumes and floats rather than just leave them to collapse in front of ministries and organisations that sponsor them. It is well possible that some floats can be rented for other events and morphed into other required images for other dramatic and creative purposes. Over the past few years I did miss paying attention to costume and float-design for one reason or the other, and no doubt there may have been commendable designs, so my observations were made on IN concluding thisup discussion, which is2013-15. intended to raise those I saw to around questions within the reader and inspire responsible actions among those that acquire decision making positions or are already there, we cannot arrive at a sensible without considerations in retrospect. So in a brief flashback, we must recognise, what we have lost to our physical memory reference archive, and use this as inspiration, to be able to raise a natural alarm, a connection to the aesthetic sensitivity alerting us to the fact that we need to have a historical memory in respect to our surroundings, as buildings, landscapes and architecture are inherent of memories in both the conscious and subconscious awareness. We have to become other than people who occupy a geographic space on this planet, and relate to what is the necessary thinking that will enable us to address from the now onward what is significant to telling our stories, especially stories important to our timelines. When we became independent, the euphoria of self-governed nationhood intoxicated us, it had its grounds for intoxication alongside sober examination. We did not make the observation that all around us within the borders of countries we still held controlled admiration for, had retained the edifices of past times. Our own coloniser England never dismantled Hadrian’s Wall. In more ways than one, from previous colonisers and also from despised local leaders, they kept the memory for reflection, in our Caribbean, Christophe’s spectacular fortress of defence in Haiti will remain, regardless of his history. Europe with the obvious white supremacy that emerged with colonisation did not destroy the sculptures of Afro-European Knights, artworks and literature that spoke of, or alluded to the African presence in a much older Europe, of course, they didn’t in-depth celebrate them either, and also hid their identities with new portraits and in movies. Where we erred in Guyana was not to use the structures that became available with the decline of trademark services like the Trains, to build museums dedicated to that part of our historical memory. Why preserve the physical imagery of the past? Simple, our ancestors lived it, for the historian, the creative mind, the investigative journalist, the physical location is important. The development of museums was a continuous peeve of the late Dr. Dennis Williams, who had identified Five Museums to be built, he insisted that a marine museum would have been a must. I can now imagine a display of the ship’s kitchen on Lady Northcourt with its cook, the portrait of indifference ‘John’, ‘keep away from John’s kitchen, and why?’ A caption should read before this rude faced ship’s cook made of papier máché –“whose kitchen lay beneath a toilet, from which water dripped continuously, or so we were made See Page XIX

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Aye or no for A year of parliamentary decorum? COVID-19

DURING this past week’s edition of ‘In the National ON March 11Parliamentarians last year, COVID-19 became a stark realAssembly,’ debated the 2021 National ityBudget, in Guyana. Though it had already begun spreading which was presented earlier in the month by Seacross the globeinathe fewOffice months before, this novel nior Minister of the President with coronaresponsivirus a great for Guyana and many of bilitybecame for finance, Dr.concern Ashni Singh. The debate, however, the Caribbean countries only during From the spotlighted a lack of decorum in the March. Parliament. very It beginning, Guyana was and exposed to thefor stark is both understandable acceptable the reality different because the first person the local health authorities dis--sides of the house -- the government and opposition sides covered infected, died. to have was opposing views on the budget. After all, the national Guyana’s story ofthe thegovernment’s pandemic, at least in the beginning, budget illustrates vision, priority areas, isand a truly unique one. Certainly, the country was not as pregeneral policy direction, since it points towards what pared as it programmes should have been to conduct testing, dointends contactto policies, and plans the government use Guyana’s money to fund. It would be strange for each member to agree on every single thing, since various individuals have different priorities and views and perhaps different sides of the house have different plans, projects, or policies that would guide Guyana’s developments; and, that is completely fine. It is neither understandable nor remotely acceptable, however, for elected officials, sworn in as Members of Parliament (MPs), to openly hurl insults at each other and make racist, sexist, homophobic remarks. It is not acceptable for this level of disrespect to be entertained in the National Assembly. The normalisation of racist, sexist, and homophobic remarks in our common, social spaces might be a conversation for another day, but for crying out loud, this is our National Assembly! Or, our Parliament, as it is more commonly called. It is not touting at the bus park! Imagine the astonishment one would experience, years from now, if they were to revisit the hansards. Instead of only well-articulated, thorough analyses of the $383.1 billion budget that was presented for the year 2021, there would be remarks signalling homophobia or thinly veiled insults of an MP’s reproductive capabilities. To be fair, however, there were a few salient presentations. On the first day of the debate, it is a point of pride that two women -- MPs Susan Rodrigues and Amanza Walton-Desir who are also new Parliamentarians -- made good presentations that one would expect at this forum. Though this absence of decorum from many of the MPs,is perhaps, not a new occurrence in the local context, it begs us to ask ourselves: what valuable contributions are our elected officials making at this forum? One would hope that the leaders elected by the people of Guyana, whether in government or opposition, would maintain a certain level of decorum in the house. In discharging their duties towards the people of the nation, at the very least, it is expected that they would engage in critical analyses of the budget. The budget debate should attempt to pinpoint deficiencies in allocations, or indicate what other areas of priority should be focused on. This is how you operate in a democracy, where transparency and accountability are underpinning tenets. This is how you respect the sanctity of Parliament. And above all else, is this how you adequately represent the people of the nation you committed to serve? Parliamentary affairs -- every single aspect-- should be geared towards enhancing the development of the nation and its citizenry. Admittedly, clever innuendos and witty remarks have long been part of parliamentary presentations, not only in Guyana, but around the world. The addition of clever satire has its usefulness in communication, no doubt. Much of what we saw last week, however, appeared to be a common bottom house or rumshop debacle, replete with “props” and all, that left much to be desired. Last December, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, told the Guyana Chronicle that the Parliament Office would arrange and conduct training sessions for MPs. Training, the clerk said, is essential because Parliamentarians need to learn how to draft questions and motions, deal with standing orders, and, most importantly, need to learn about the duties of a Member of Parliament. This is particularly necessary for those “new faces” in the house. The recent events have indeed spotlighted the need for

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tracing, and patients to getsoahead the pandemic. But, training of treat Parliamentarians that aof semblance of decorum that was not unusual; all countries across the globe had to could be maintained in the National Assembly. It is enviadapt quickly and contend with the pandemic. What was sioned that such training sessions would also help to guide unique about Guyana was its unfolding elections quagmire. the officials on proper parliamentary procedures. It is not unreasonable to assume--because there is no But also, these events should force us to reconsider what real empirical evidence--that the protracted elections’ pewe accept from our encompassed--distracted elected officials -- all of riod--expect and alland of the shenanigans them-while they discharge their responsibilities towards Guyanese from this pandemic. While the pandemic ragedus. Are they articulating our collective values when they on during the first few months, and we were embroiledmake in racist, sexist, homophobic, and not other derogatoryfor statements? our post-elections drama, it was uncommon there to be large gatherings and we had not yet developed an under-

standing the need forrepresenting the face masks, so cluster spreading Are theyofadequately us and our best interests was very possible. We owe our gratitude to all the frontline at all times? workers who were trying to keep the nation safe then, and who continue to do so even now. I hope we can do better. Aside from the political occurrences, however, it is wellknown that the pandemic also impacted every other sector. If you would like discussschools this column or anyand of Business productivity wastostymied, were closed my previous writings, please feel free to contact me the tourism sector took the hardest hit with the closure via of vish14ragobeer@gmail.com borders and email: the constraints to leisure activities. The closure of schools eventually prompted a shift to virtual learning— ‘Zoom school’—which has been fraught with challenges due to inherent inequalities and disparities. Social services, too, have been constrained, which has been particularly worrisome since the pandemic has disproportionately impacted the vulnerable groups in our society. With the slowdown in business directly contributing to a reduction or loss of income, social safety nets were necessary to support persons. Moreover, it has been found that the pandemic— perhaps due to the ‘stay-at-home’ focus— has contributed to a rise in abuse and domestic violence. These present even greater concerns over the construction of social services. As time and the pandemic progressed, however, efforts would be made to ensure that these disproportionate effects were mitigated, on all fronts. To a large extent, nevertheless, we’re still navigating the complexities of this pandemic and trying to manage ourselves better. Now, however, we’re also contending with the emergence of newer, modified forms of the virus -- the variants, or strains as they are commonly called. The scientific and medical communities expected these variants would arrive at some point or the other, since viruses do mutate. The variants that have emerged so far — the United Kingdom(UK), Brazil, and South African variants — all have the ability to infect more persons. If we’re not careful, their increased transmissibility could lead to a sharp rise in our cases, additional deaths, and an overwhelmed healthcare system. Guyana has not been able to identify whether we do any of these variants without our borders. We have been sending a few COVID-19 samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for testing, but those few samples were not variants. That is not enough to rule out the possibility that we have variants. On the other hand, we’ve been able to secure a number of the COVID-19 vaccines and we have been vaccinating our frontline healthcare workers. Soon, other frontline workers, the elderly, and persons with comorbidities (underlying and undetected health conditions, such as diabetes) will be vaccinated too. The importance of vaccines is that they allow the body to create an immune response to the virus, thereby fighting off infection. And Guyana, incredibly, has been able to secure several vaccines in a short period amid global concerns of vaccine nationalism, where larger, wealthier countries are hoarding these vaccines for themselves. But, even so, vaccines are not necessarily the ‘magic bullet’ for the population and there are, understandably, many concerns. Due to the perceived short period during which the vaccines were developed and granted emergency-use authorisation, concerns about the long-term benefits and impact of the vaccines linger. Additionally, the efficacy of the vaccines on the variants is still evolving. In Guyana, these concerns may contribute to the vaccine-acceptance rates unless greater efforts are made (or continued) to promote greater education, communication, and trust. Despite this, we are still unsure when this pandemic may be over. Reasonable estimates project that we should return to a greater sense of normalcy by 2023 when all countries are finally expected to receive their vaccines and immunise their populations. We don’t yet know for certain, so this means that as we approach our ‘COVID anniversary’ we should be mindful that we still have to take all necessary precautions. If you would like to discuss this column or any of my previous writings, please feel free to contact me via email: vish14ragobeer@gmail.com

XXI THE PUC REGULATES WATER, ELECTRICITY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS TO THE BENEFIT OF THEIR CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ―― Sunday, CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT Sunday,February January 28, 10, 2021 2021 XX XIV INDUSTRIES AND PROTECTS CONSUMER RIGHTS REVISITING THE GUYANA/ VENEZUELA CONTROVERSY SOON TO COME BEFORE THE ICJ CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

THE SEAWALLS FOREVER!

IN Guyana, five agencies are devoted to assisting con- recent order is one concerning billing, whereby they have to sumers and ensuring that they are treated fairly. They continue sending hard copies of bills with a detailed stateare the Consumers Division of the Ministry of Business ment of usage, but GTT has not been effectuating this Order. With regard to the other two utilities-- GWI and GPL headed by Ms Cheryl Tinnis, The Competition and Consumer Commission, The Public Utilities Commis- -- the PUC monitors them to ascertain that they are mainsion (PUC) chaired by Ms Dela Britton and the Guyana taining a good quality of service and products and that their Consumers Association and Consumer Advisory Bureau. rates are fair. Relations between the PUC and both the water In this offering, we will focus on the Public Utilities and electricity utilities have been cordial and cooperative to Commission (PUC), which celebrated its 30th anniversary the benefit of consumers. THE controversy will againtheshortly andThough discussions where regulatory factual bases invariably become the PUC’s duties are exacting in the Guyana/Venezuela last quarter of last year. The PUC, unlike other come up beforebodies the International of Justice (ICJ). with blurred. regards to the utilities per se, the consumer facet of four consumer which addressCourt all types of consumer In Guyana, most oflie thedeep writings thethe controversy have its work In thisisisoffering, weand will depart from this norm and tryitto impacting in the period 2005 toseashells 2020, THE Seawalls in theon consciousness of which Guyanese today rather muddy was once covered with and complaints, is confined to dealing with utilities approximately complaints. been of a historical factual nature and and this a good answer questions many have been asking theup people, but especially Georgetowners. Yet Light itis has rarelyaddressed are Guyana Water Incand (GWI), Guyana Power Inc theretwo would alwaysthat be 8,400 children exploring and since picking (GPL) and thethe Guyana Telephone and are Telegraph Co time (GTT). thing, since Guyanese of theoftwo Guyanese fishing boats inthey Guyana’s terribeen noticed by the newspublic media andnot the encouraged last it wasseizure seashells different colours; sometimes may find large Themove PUC was just time the mentioned as an item ofabout national concern was five or sixtorial conch shells. to theirestablished attention into thethe realms of state-owned arguments waters by a Venezuelan navy ship. The first question Guyana Telephone (GTC)) wasthe sold toand a small years ago whenCorporation the Ocean overtopped wall flooded The foreshore or continental shelf gradually rises and falls American company, Atlantic ATNthe re-first every 20 years and today, the foreshore land between Camp the yards parallel to theTelenetwork (ATN); Public Road. This was named GTC ‘Guyana Telephone and Telegraph time in living memory that there was suchCo.’ an occurrence Street and the Pegasus Hotel has almost risen to the height of The first chairman of the PUC was Joseph hurriedly Tyndall, acon- the wall and coconut trees and other vegetation grow on it. and it led to great panic. The authorities nationalist and a man of great learning and extraordinary structed a barrier of standing concrete brilliance became Caribbean’s prominent teleslabs who on the Wallsthe to counter suchmost overtopcoms expert. In the purchase agreement, GT&T (later GTT) ping. In the last few weeks, the Seawalls was given a renewable 25-year monopoly of the industry have featured theinnews, in aGT&T and which theyagain exploited fullyinand ATN but circles, happier vein. Guyana were known as the cash cows. From Camp to the Demerara River, as a posGTT’s entry into Street the industry was first regarded the wall had become disfigured by an accuitive force for the industry again became functional. Immemulation unsightly and no one between diately after theoffirst flush ofgarbage satisfaction, relations assumed and the responsibility of cleaning it. A since the the company consumers became adversarial, homeless man, Carl who sometimes company embarked on aMelville, course of action that was exploitthere was noticed by Dwayne Hackett ativeslept of the consumer and anti-national, their only concern was trying garnering as many improper as they could. to clean the garbage andgains immediately

volunteered to help him. Hackett placed the incident on social media and immediately numbers of persons volunteered their services. First Lady Arya Ali was one of the first to volunteer and the Ministry of Public Works, the Director of Solid Waste Department of the Georgetown City Council and the Fire Service became involved with her. The Fire Service cleaned the bandstand and in a few days all the garbage was removed and Seawalls appeared as if they had always been maintained! Many have been highbriefly in theironpraises of this example We will touch three examples of such impropof civictoresponsibility. er action: inflate their profits, GTT brought in a fleet of The vehicles Seawalls had always the promenade park for 39 derelict which werebeen sprayed over andand which people of Georgetown and the surrounding villages they the were passing off as new. Tyndall uncovered the fraud. from lastoverseas quarter ofcall the rates 19th century and continued to world be so until Next,the their were the highest in the and this was purely And lastly, GTT a sex- tenthe 1960s when exploitative. the country became plagued withran political call system illegal and on exposed the country from sion andthat therewas were robberies the Seawalls. For most of the which such calls emanated to serious sanctions and other 1960s, therefore, fewer and fewer people visited the Seawalls. consequences. The Scandinavian countries, instance, In its heyday, the Seawalls were the mostfordelightful place discontinued all telephone contact with Guyana! in Georgetown. The vast openness of the seascape and the GTT’s monopoly was forthe landlines, but theysilver were able to the surrounding landscape, blue skies and clouds, blockever-present all cellular seagulls companies which tried to enter the Guyana and the steady flow of the health-giving market. French company, Umobile, to secure tradeOne winds and the enveloping peacewas and able quietude attracted a licence and GTT were determined to eliminate them. Behundreds of people at all times of the day. The beach which fore they could do so, Digicel bought them to be licensed. Digicel entered the market and in a very short time, Digicel had more cell subscribers than GTT and rates fell by half. A great part of the PUC’s time and activity had been absorbed by GTT and the telecoms industry and its most

Likewise, the sea has reclaimed the land along the Kitty Seawall where houses once stood. Indeed, a substantial building is still standing close to the wall near the Kitty Pump Station, but the sea is under it. Old fishermen who set their nets on the foreshore sea could vividly describe the cyclical rise and fall of the beach. The Seawalls provided a favourite place for health enthusiasts. Many would go there to practise deep breathing of the clean and fresh sea breezes. Others would be cycling or even training for cycle races. Probably the most notable were the ones who went for physical culture. Many of this group would go to the Seawalls by either jogging to get there or by cycle and they would arrive there at 5 o’clock, long before

Research work helping curb... From Page III

timate for that area and in the space of 18 months, some 33 Giant Anteaters were identified. According to Millar, researching the animals included going out on horseback and following them from a distance to be able to stock up on more scientific information. One of the things they discovered is that the animals love to climb trees.

zone in the village. “So we will work with the villagers to create certain rules and help them to know what they should and should not do. For example, no one is allowed to kill them, keep them as a pet, destroy their habitat, and light a fire in certain places, so that we can further protect the population.” The SRCS has been granted two years of addi-

several short documentaries called the “Secret Life of Giant Anteaters” and each episode focuses on different aspects of the work being done. Two more episodes are expected to be released this month. The team also does a lot of awareness work, including environmental education. They have another project for which they have designed an

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

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What is Parental Alienation Syndrome?

DIVORCE has gained popularity throughout this modern era, as more and more feel empowered to not stay in marriages that are incompatible. This goes against some of our Caribbean cultural norms, but I do believe it’s for the best because persons can freely leave marriages and relationships without having to face certain cultural consequences. However, every action in life comes with rewards and/or consequences. There are many factors to take into consideration as well, most of which are actively involved in this process. One such factor is the child/children that was/were produced by such a union and how they are af-

fected by the separation or divorce of their parents. It seems so familiar to many of us, because I’m sure we’ve heard of the heartbreaking stories that occurred because of this syndrome. There was never a specific name being used in the papers or in conversations around Guyana, but I hope that this article can change that, especially if we want to eradicate such an issue. Many couples who are in custody battles fear that their ex-partner will turn their children against them. Parental Alienation Syndrome entails just that. It is when a parent (the alienator) turns the child or children against the other parent (the alienated).

This term was coined by a child psychiatrist, Richard Gardener, in 1985. Gardener posits that this type of behaviour could be used to give a diagnosis on the psychological manipulation or negative influence one or even both parents can have on a child. While this “syndrome” is not recognised by most social work, medical and psychological institutions, and organisations, there’s no denying that the main arguments and concepts formulated by Richard are evident in many of the divorce/custody battle cases in our society. This “syndrome” can affect both the alienated parent

as well as the child. The alienated parent can feel a sense of frustration and even hurt by the action of the alienator. The child, on the other hand, feels most of the impacts. The child may not be aware of their false sense of reality and perception due to the alienator and the brainwashed claims. This not only affects the overall relationship the child has with their alienated parent, but also their general idea of self and the world. The child also may eventually develop a lost or misinterpreted sense of self, they may develop trust issues in their adult relationships and they can even fall into depression due to this. Prevention is always better than cure. Research shows that children who grow up to become adults may never recover from this syndrome. They might grow old believing the false perceptions painted by the alienator parent, without even realising it for a second. How then, can we prevent this from happening? We must first look for signs and symptoms in children. The child may constantly criticise their alienated parent, they may have only negative feelings towards them, the child does not feel guilty about mistreating the alienated parent and the child’s negative feelings might also extend to other family members of the alienated parent. This syndrome should not dissolve the fact that some parents are alienated from their children because they are actually toxic and any relationship they may have with their children can be detrimental for the child. Nonetheless, this article seeks to bring awareness to those parents who are genuine about their feelings for their children. Some parents may genuinely want to have a good relationship with their children, despite the separation from the other parent. If you are/ were a child who experienced this, then I hope that you can break free of this syndrome. If you’re an alienated parent, I hope you never give up on your children and their well-being and if you’re an alienator, remember that revenge may only last for a while, but the effects of this syndrome can last a lifetime on your child. Put them first above that.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, March 7, 2021

FINDING LOVE FROM WITHIN THE ... FROM PAGE XV

my family had moved away from me. I wondered each day what I can do to make up for my mistakes then one tragic night, my Brazilian business partner in gold mining, his wife and eldest son were shot and killed in the interior. Their deaths left a young daughter and two little sons alone in the world. What do I do to help? I brought them to my home for security and comfort until the daughter could manage on her own but the world is not such a safe place for a young girl with no family. I became protective, not wanting her to fall into the wrong hands that could cause harm to her and her two brothers. So after much thought, I made an arrangement with her so society can believe we were married. My reputation as a fearless, no-nonsense man was like an invisible bodyguard for her anywhere she went. Son, it was just a legal arrangement so she could be secure and have some rights. I owed that to her father and to myself because I had lost my own children. I had no intimate relationship with her, she was like a daughter to me. When I got diagnosed with cancer, I did not tell her to drive fear in her heart but I was thankful she was there to take care of me. When I saw you after ten years, I felt so proud of the kind of man you had become and I knew in my heart, you were the perfect one for her. If you can love her and share your life with her then I know I would have done the ultimate good, and my soul will rest in peace. - Dad” A shocking revelation! He couldn’t hold back the tears and only then did he cry, for the father he never truly knew – a man who turned stones of arrogance and selfishness into gems of kindness and compassion, and the selfless sacrifice he made for a murdered friend’s children. Alvin folded the letter slowly, putting it in his pocket and he took a few deep breaths to compose himself. The complexities of life – his father’s dying wish for him to love the one he had thought could not be his, the one he had fallen in love with the moment he saw her. She was alone in the living room of the beautiful house that was now hers, and from the puffiness of her eyes, he knew she was hadn’t yet stopped crying. He took the letter from his pocket and opening it, he handed her. “I just received this from my father’s lawyer.” She looked a little scared, not sure what it was about, but when she looked at him, after reading it, there were fresh tears in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked her in a quiet tone. “Would you have believed me?” He shook his head, “I can’t believe he changed that much.” “He was a good man,” she said, tears now streaming down her face, “He took good care of us when we lost our parents.” Alvin sat down beside her and wiped her tears, “You have to stop crying.” She leaned her head on his shoulder and for a while they sat there in silence, then he asked her, “Do you still think I’m a unique person you liked?” She raised her head and looked at him, a soft light dancing in her hazel eyes, “More than ever.” They had found love from within the broken pieces of the past, and now a new love story would begin.

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Wellington Park Mangrove Restoration Project THE Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP) since its inception has aimed to address the decline in the mangrove forest area in Guyana. As such, a number of large-scale mangrove-restoration projects were done. The Wellington Park Mangrove Restoration Project is one such project. The primary objective of this project is to seek the commitment of Guyanese towards the protection and development of sustainable mangrove forests as an inexpensive form of sea defence. Ecosystem services provided by Guyana’s mangroves: The mangrove forests of Guyana provide numerous ecosystem services including stabilisation of the Guyanese shoreline, provision of a buffer from storm surges, sustenance of coastal fisheries and as a habitat for water birds and other wildlife. Status of Guyana’s mangroves Despite their considerable value in terms of ecosystem services, Guyana’s mangrove cover has declined rapidly in recent years from an estimated 91,000 ha in 1980 to 22,632 ha in 2011, representing a 75 percent reduction over a three-decade period. It should be noted that estimates of Guyana’s mangrove extent vary widely in the literature (Holowell 2009, Saenger et al. 1983, Snedaker 1986, Spalding et al. 1997) and work is underway to improve these estimates. Major factors leading to the decline in Guyana’s mangrove area are: * Direct conversion of mangrove areas for agriculture; * Aquaculture; * Infrastructure (e.g. canals, power lines, bridges and sea

walls) and housing development, uncontrolled mangrove harvesting for firewood; and * Production of burnt earth for road construction and widespread grazing of livestock. The future The GMRP has planted about 54,000 mangrove plants at Wellington Park. This area has been helping to stabilise Guyana’s shorelines and provide a buffer from storm surges. It is also important to recognise that the scale of the problems facing Guyana’s mangroves requires an integrated response from the Government of Guyana, of which mangrove restoration is just one component. This requires recognition of the anthropogenic stresses impacting Guyana’s coastal mangroves. . The Wellington Park Mangrove Restoration Project is one of such projects that will help to stabilise Guyana’s shorelines and provide a buffer from storm surges. It is important to remember that according to the amended Forestry Act of 2010, mangroves are designated as protected species, and therefore it is illegal to destroy mangroves without prior permission from the commissioner. In addition to this, the EPA also encourages and works with communities and the public at large to spread awareness on the importance of having intact mangrove ecosystems along our coast. You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit. epaguyana@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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Corn FROM PAGE XVIII

peeled and sun-dried. Pest and Disease Management Armyworm: The full-grown 1 ½ inch armyworm has a greenish-brown body with a thin stripe down the centre and two orange stripes along each side. The head is brown with dark honeycombed markings. Eggs are small, greenish-white, globular, and lay in clusters of 25 or more the leave of grasses. The adult moth is tanned with a tiny white spot centre the wings. Infestation of the armyworm usually first develops in fields of small grains or in other grass cover crop. In a conventional tillage system, partially grown larvae can migrate to cornfields through grassy waterways. Damage is first noticeable around the field margins adjacent to these areas. In no-till or reduced tillage system infestation may cover the entire field. In these systems, eggs may be laid on grasses within the field prior to planting and herbicides may force armyworm to feed on the corn as the weed dries up. Damage Armyworm feeding gives the corn a ragged appearance, with defoliation occurring from the leaf edge toward the midrib. Damage, maybe so extensive, that most of the plant except the leaf midribs and the stalk is consumed. Such a plant may recover if the growing point is not destroyed. Management Guidelines If more than 50 percent of plant shows armyworm feeding and numerous live larvae are less than 31mm, a control may be necessary. Larvae greater than 31mm will soon be pupating and application of control is not usually justified since the damage was already done. If the problem is identified early, particularly during migration spot treatment with Fasttac is applicable. Good grass control before planting would lower the chance of armyworm breakout. Watch for armyworms migrating out of maturing small grains into corn. Planting in standing grass cover crops and then applying burndown herbicides may increase the chance of armyworm attack. Grain Borer Both the larvae and adults bore irregularly shaped holes into whole, undamaged kernels and the larvae, immature stages, may develop inside the grain. Larval and adult feeding in and on grain kernels may leave only dust and thin brown shells. A sweet, musty odour is often associated with infestations of this insect. Description The adults are 0.1 inches long, brown to black beetles with cylindrical bodies and numerous small pits on the wing covers. The head is directed downward and covered by the prothorax, so that is t is not visible when the insect is viewed from above. The creamy white larva is a c-shaped grub with a small dark head that is partly retracted into the thorax. The thorax has three pairs of small legs. Control Prevention is always the most economical and efficient method of controlling these pests. Once they are distributed within the grain mass, fumigation is the only method of relieving the problem. The use of Bt is also recommended. Nutritional Value Corn is nutritious, providing fibre, which aids in digestion, plus folate, thiamin, phosphorus, vitamin C, and magnesium (about 10 percent of the daily value for each).

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The most import ant thing women have to d o is to stir up the zeal of w omen themse JOHN STUARlvTes. 1873) Letter toMILL (1806Alexander Bain, 14 July18 69

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MARCH 07, 2021 STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, Welcome, dear friend. After you have completed a task, no matter how small, you are likely to rest easier at night and participate fully in class the next day. Set the

stage right. Avoid indigestible food, excessive liquid and stimulants such as too much coffee or too strong tea. Monitor your alcoholic beverage intake as well. Frequent drinking is associated with lower grade point averages. More drinking will act as a depressant, cause fewer study hours, and a reduced ability to achieve or rest easily. Be wise. Love you. IMPROVING READING Making inferences improves reading comprehension Making inference is a strategy where readers, who are proficient, think about and search the text, and at times use personal knowledge to construct meaning beyond what is literally stated. This reading method includes making connections and drawing conclusions. Especially when studying literature, the proficient reader is enabled to gather from context clues within the passage, information from the author about plot, characters, setting, time period, and other elements of a story, by the things the writer infers. With inferencing, reading becomes more pleasurable; and language skills are improved such as vocabulary, memory, syntax, sentence structure, and listening comprehension. Here is an exercise that helps you use inferencing. Directions: Read this well-known selection. Then answer questions 1-5. One hot summer day, a fox with its tongue hanging out staggered down a long, dusty road. Suddenly he looked up at a fence by the side of the road. He saw a bunch of fat, juicy, purple grapes hanging from a vine at the top of the fence. He backed up, took a running start, and tried to jump to the top of the fence, but he just missed the grapes. With a determined look on his face, he took a deep breath and tried again. No luck. Huffing and puffing, he tried again and again, with no success. Finally, exhausted, he was forced to give up. “Oh well,” he said, walking away with his head held high, “no great loss. I didn’t want them anyway. I’m sure those grapes are sour.” 1. What can you infer

from the description of the fox at the beginning of the passage? A.. He is happy and contented. C.. He is hungry and thirsty. B.. He is fat and wellfed. D.. He is lonely and uncared-for. 2. What can you infer from the fox’s efforts to get the grapes? A.. He desperately wants to showcase his jumping capability. B. He desperately wants the tempting grapes. C.. He naturally likes making himself noticed. D.. He really does not know what he wants to happen. 3. What idea does the author probably want readers to connect with in the fox’s statement that the grapes are sour? A.. He does not want to taste the grapes. B.. He makes a flimsy excuse for not succeeding. C.. He cannot become a better jumper. D.. Others need the grapes. 4. Look at the connection in the story between the fox’s action and his words. What does it help the reader to infer? A.. Some people just do not try enough. B.. Some people just do not know when to quit. C.. Some people will do anything for a free meal. D.. Some people pretend not to want the things they cannot have. 5. What is the most logical inference about the fox? A.. He thinks about several approaches to a matter. B.. He does not try hard enough to problem-solve. C.. He approaches a problem only one way. D.. He carefully solves problems after great thought. THE PASSAGE A man rushed in to say tat he had seen smoke on Monrovia Peak. As I looked out of the window, I saw the two mountains facing the house on fire. The entire rim burned wildly in the night. The flames, driven by hot Santa Ana winds from the desert, were as tall as the tallest trees, the sky was already tinted coral, and the crackling noise of burning trees, the ashes and the smoke were already increasing. The fire raced along, sometimes descending behind the mountain

where I could only see the glow, sometimes descending toward us. I thought of the foresters in danger. I made coffee for the weary men who came down occasionally with horses they led out, or with old people from the isolated cabins. They were covered with soot from their battle with the flames... We were told to ready ourselves for evacuation. I packed the diaries. The saddest spectacle, beside that of the men fighting the fire as they would a war, were the animals, rabbits, coyotes, mountain lions, deer, driven by the fire to the edge of the mountain, taking a look at the crowd of people and panicking, choosing rather to rush back into the fire. Something to Do Respond clearly in writing to the following questions. 1. What do the following sentences and phrases indicate about the excerpt? a) “I saw two mountains facing the house on fire.” b) “Ashes fell, and the roar of the fire was now like thunder.” c) “The saddest spectacle, beside that of the men fighting the fire as they would at war, were the animals,” d) “driven by the fire to the edge of the mountain, taking a look at the crowd of people ... choosing rather to rush back into the fire.” 2. What is the meaning of each of the following terms? a) flames b) desert c) ashes d) descending e) evacuation f) foresters 3.Who is the narrator of the story? 4. How much does the writer show experience with forest fires so far in the story? 5. What clues indicate that this essay is organised chronologically? 6. Does relating the forest fire events in chronological order increase the drama? 7. Why would a mountain be an especially challenging place to fight a fire? 8. What would you take if firefighters asked you to evacuate your home? 9. How would you help people during their ordeal of fire? How does the writer help people? What do her actions reveal about her? 10. Write three images the writer uses to describe the fire. 11. Write about a fire that you either witnessed or read about in the local newspapers.

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One year since COVID-19 struck By Francis Quamina Farrier AT this time last year -- early March 2020 -- none of us quite knew that our lives, as we knew it, would be turned up-side-down. None of us, at that time, knew that a pandemic was about to surge across the world and that a year later, over 114.7 million people globally, would be sick with the disease. No one could have imagined that over 2.5 million people would be dead due to that devastating disease during the period of a year. Not one of us could have predicted such a catastrophe would have happened. COVID-19 protocols were established by the World Health Organization (WHO) which were adopted by the Guyana health authorities. The principals were: wear a face mask, wash hands regularly, keep a distance of at least six feet from others. Guyana lost quite a number of its citizens to the coronavirus; 197 so far here in Guyana, and an unknown number of Guyanese who were resident in the USA, the UK, Canada and many other countries scattered across the globe. The official figure of COVID-19 fatalities in Guyana is now given as 197. It can be safely stated, that with better discipline by Guyanese here in Guyana, that figure would have been much lower. Over the past year, I have written many articles about the spread of the coronavirus in a number of countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Australia, New Zealand and others. From our own continent, South America, I have written about the devastation which COVID-19 is doing in neighbouring Brazil, especially with the Indigenous population. Other countries in South America which I have written about include Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Chile. As you know, Brazil has recorded the highest number of coronavirus deaths in South America; 255,000 at this time and counting. Other South American countries with high death figures include Colombia with 59,800 and Argentina with 52,000. While Guyana has recorded 197 deaths at the time of writing this article, Suriname has recorded 173 coronavirus deaths. The death figure of Trinidad and Tobago, which has a much higher population than both Guyana and Suriname, is just 139. However, the death figure of sister CARICOM nation, Jamaica, is 406. The good news is that most of the smaller CARICOM countries have very small or no coronavirus deaths. For example, Grenada has recorded only a single death. Dominica, St. Kitts/Nevis, Montserrat and Anguilla have all recorded zero deaths so far from the COVID-19. While they are tiny islands, they must certainly have been doing the right things as regards the coronavirus, from day one. Since being appointed Minister of Health some months ago, Dr. Frank Anthony has had the fight against the coronavirus on the front burner of his ministerial activities. Regular updates via the media are disseminated to the public. The Ministry of Health has been carrying out many outreach programmes, especially in the hinterland regions. A recent DPI release stated that “Guyana to receive 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines in coming days.” Which of course, is good news for the Guyanese people. An area of great pride for Guyana and Guyanese as a whole in relation to COVID-19, is the production of a vaccine by the Pfizer company. Its principal research scientist, Guyana-born Vidia Surendra Roopchand, who hails from the Essequibo island of Wakenaam, has wide experience in scientific research. The 53-year-old received his early education at the San Souci Methodist school, Wakenaam, the Anna Regina Multilateral School, Essequibo Coast and the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus. Roopchand migrated to New York in 1990 where he continued his higher education at Columbia University. The Guyanese scientist has been working at the Pfizer company for 27 years and expressed the view that “What we’re doing here, matters.” Speaking about those who receive the Pfizer vaccine, Roopchand stated that there will be some side-effects such as feeling fatigued or experiencing headaches, chills, or muscle pains shortly after. Those physical reactions, “Just means that your immune system is working.” he explained. Scientist Roopchand has had wide experience working in many parts of the world, including countries in Africa where he worked with patients of polio and other diseases. We can now look back over the past 12 months and realise how we were able to survive what was a totally unexpected and extremely difficult health and social challenge. We found it necessary to adjust our every move to ensure

that we did not become a victim of the coronavirus during 2020. Now within the third month of 2021, we are not out of the woods as yet and as such, we need to remain vigilant and continue to observe all the recommended COVID-19 protocols. Continue to wear face masks that cover both the mouth and nose. We need to continue to wash our hands regularly, especially after holding foreign objects such as doorknobs in public places. We also need to stay away from crowded places. With such discipline, Guyana would be rid of the coronavirus sooner rather than later.

The Georgetown Public Hospital has had several coronavirus cases and deaths during the past 12 months (Photo by Francis Q. Farrier)

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