The village leader Doing his utmost to bring about change and foster community-based development
73-yearold Christopher Clarke is one of the first settlers of Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area, Linden. He relocated there 23 years ago and is seen as a village leader among the residents. In this photo, Clarke proudly displays freshly picked vegetables from his farm (Delano Williams photo)
Sunday December 19, 2021
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
‘I allow my hands to do the talking for me’ - Art opened up worthwhile opportunities for local artist
By Telesha Ramnarine LOCAL artist Alyce Cameron can still remember the day that she felt unusually upset and worthless. Nowhere to turn, she picked up a canvas and started painting whatever came to mind. She couldn’t even see the colours that she was mixing with the tears flowing down. But wouldn’t you know, she ended up displaying this piece at an event at the Conference Centre and won the admiration of many. In fact, it was the piece that got the most attention, the 34-year-old who was born in Bartica told Pepperpot Magazine a few days ago. To her, art means everything, and Alyce wishes that more opportunities would be opened to artists here in Guyana. To be in this field means that more often than not, your income would not be stable; it would be a gig here and there, and Alyce, like most persons, would prefer to have a more regular income. So things didn’t start exactly great for her especially as she had to listen to the naysayers tell her that there’s no money in art. “Think about something else to do,” is what she’d constantly hear, but what else would she choose over the thing that she’s most passionate about?
Alyce can do portraits, landscapes and pieces in any subject
Local artist Alyce Cameron
And so, it was a struggle to decide where she really wanted to go in life. And her school life made it no easier. At the time, there were no art teachers at North Ruimveldt Multilateral where she attended, so when it was time to pick a stream, she had to settle for the general one. Even so, though, she’d always be the student in class drawing something, and when it was time to draw diagrams, she’d be the first to finish. Her classmates would even ask for her help to draw their diagrams! Career Day was the worst for Alyce. There would be every single profession dis-
played except for one in art. So she was a bit lost as to what to do with her talent; the one that even her teachers recognised in her. Leaving school, she decided that she’d forget all the negative things she heard and just go with what she knew her strong point was. So she signed up with Burrowes School of Arts to become a professional artist and did the certificate programme for three years. Eventually, she went back for one more year to obtain her diploma. Having trained herself, there were still hardly any SEE PAGE XVII
A piece by Alyce honouring nature and promoting the care of the planet
Alyce stuck with art irrespective of the negative things that people told her
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
Over 1,800 businesses afforded opportunities through training & mentoring By Telesha Ramnarine OVER the past four years or so, the Centre for Local Business Development has been helping hundreds of Guyanese-owned businesses
themselves in line to eventually benefit from oil and gas. Explaining why this particular programme was designed, Director of the Centre Natasha Gaskin-Peters told Pepperpot Magazine: “We
lected to move on to the next phase of training. It focused not only on oil and gas but on broader sectors so that women in tourism, agro-processing, construction, and hospitality could’ve benefit-
financial management, human resource management, among others, and had access to coaches and mentors who worked with them individually. The Centre also just com-
The HSSE Management System Awards lately celebrating 25 local companies
in training, coaching, and mentorship to have more access to opportunities in the Oil and Gas sector. But the Centre has gone even further to design the Accelerate-Her Women Entrepreneurship Programme to help female-owned businesses build their overall capacity so that they can put
wanted to reach out to the female-owned businesses because we recognised that their participation in oil and gas is very low. We wanted to ensure that we build their capacity to support the broader economy.” The project, which started in September, took in 35 businesses, but 16 were se-
ted. “Our support is not only to the Oil and Gas industry because that industry has a lot of spill off impact into other sectors, so we support local Guyanese businesses in general,” Gaskin-Peters pointed out. The women, who graduated last week Saturday, took courses in digital marketing,
Last week, the Accelerate-Her Women Entrepreneurship Programme saw 16 women-led businesses graduating
pleted its HSSE Management System Awards ceremony, celebrating 25 local companies that have completed the programme this year. “They have built their health and safety systems, now have manuals in place and are implementing health and safety in their working en-
Director of the Centre for Local Business Development, Natasha Gaskin-Peters
vironment. We’re focusing on the importance of people; workers who are our most valuable asset and we need to ensure that they are always safe,” Gaskin-Peters said. Opened in 2017, the Centre has trained over 1,800 businesses in Guyana that
support the Oil and Gas industry and the broader economy. “That’s the culture we’ve started to build among the local businesses because it is very crucial in terms of them winning opportunities.” SEE PAGE IV
The Centre has trained hundreds of local businesses since its establishment in 2014
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
Moving Guyana’s youths in the Agricultural Sector forward By Dillon Goring “Agriculture will be back on top the way how it is supposed to be. Let us keep pushing towards Agro-Processing because if we ought to feed a country or a nation, we need to stand for food security, where Guyanese will actually go and tilt their land, whatever they produce, they can feed the family and the surplus they can sell it,” these are the words expressed by Nathan Whitney, a farmer from Black Bush Polder, Berbice. Whitney was at the time addressing the importance of farming and its benefits among the youths at a National Multi – Stakeholder Meeting on Vegetable Market System, which was held at the Cara Lodge Hotel in Georgetown on Tuesday. The session was facilitated by the Ministry of Agriculture, along with its subsidiaries, inclusive of the National Agricultural and Research Institute (NARI) and Agro In - a private sector entity which provides agriculturural crop solutions from seeds to crop protection inclusive of pesticides- to address and bring solutions as it relates to the needs of poor farmers in the country. The meeting also focused the needs of women and men farm producers, which further strengthened the point that farming must be appreciated as the basic necessity of life. It was also noted that an upgrade in our farming methodologies if we are going to attract the next generation. Whitney made the point that more emphasis and benefits should be placed on young people as it pertains to Agriculture. He strongly advocated the need for more programmes to be rolled out to attract youths since Agriculture isn’t just for the traditional farmer. Whitney believes that shade house farming is of great
importance since the farmer can actually attend to his crops in a better way. The benefits of shade house faming There are great benefits when it comes to shade house farming, Whitney pointed out during an interview with this publication during Tuesday’s meeting. “ With shade over the crops, it will actually give him an ease. It will actually reduce the heat of the sun, so that he can go on and tend to his crop even better and the benefits of that is better crop production, hence there will be quality fruits, quality plants, healthy plants,” Whitney was quoted as saying. Remarks were also given by High Commissioner to Canada Mark Berman. The Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) Proj-
ect is implemented by the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) with funding support from the Canadian Government through the Global Affairs Canada (GAC). High Commissioner Berman assured the audience gathered that the sustainable Agricultural Project is very important to Canada’s development efforts here in Guyana and other Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, Suriname, St Lucia and Dominica. There are also beneficiaries of this SAC project. He noted that in October of this year, there was a virtual launch of the project in which 25 agricultural markets across the five countries were engaged and local organisations benefitted from capacity building sessions. The Canadian High Commissioner noted that in a fast-changing world, innovation is a central strategy for achieving economic goals. During the virtual launch in October, it was noted that Guyana’s agricultural sector is vulnerable to climate change, projects such as the SAC are essential to bolster the effects of climate change and economic resistance. In a recent article posted by the Guyana Chronicle dated October 27, 2021 and specifically, at the virtual launch earlier this year, Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha outlined in brief remarks that the project will increase opportunities and capacity for women and youths in various agricultural markets. “The Government of Guyana aims to help farmers grow more, be better connected to markets, thereby earning more and living better lives,” he said. The minister noted that the private sector also has a pivotal role to play. “At the same time, the private sector has a role to play as enablers in this system to increase their productivity, improve the quality of their production and their reliability as suppliers, and help build strong producer organisations to access the markets,” he added.
Over 1,800 businesses ...
Commenting on why the Centre focuses on training, she shared how even when businesses look huge and flourishing,
they may not be promoting the quality products and services needed. “The oil and gas industry is new and they need to
Building the capacity of female-owned businesses to help them win opportunities in oil and gas
FROM PAGE III
build quality management systems and other technical capabilities.” For next year, the Centre will launch a Project Management Mentorship Programme that will seek to help businesses that still have problems delivering a product or service on time and in an efficient manner. “We need to help them to properly manage those projects. Again, it’s going to be about training. We don’t train alone, but we mentor and coach because this is more effective for the businesses,” Gaskin-Peters stated. The Centre has also launched a costing course because businesses have been having challenges with pricing. Noting that Guyana is one of the “most compelling places” to be doing business today, the Centre was established to assist Guyanese companies to better understand and access opportunities, primarily in the oil and gas sector, by improving their overall competitiveness. “The Centre is uniquely positioned to grasp the evolution of Guyana’s marketplace and to promote inclusive growth,” it said on its website, centreguyana.com. “Since its inception, the Centre continues to evolve to meet the needs of Guyanese businesses and the oil and gas sector. It responds to market trends by broadening its reach and diversifying its products and services. With decades of transformative growth ahead, the Centre is well positioned as the nexus of Guyanese and international business,” it continued. To benefit from the training and other opportunities that the centre provides, a business simply needs to be legally registered with the Deeds Registry, and useful information on how to access training opportunities can be found on the Centre’s website.
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
Addressing the Geopolitical state of the Caribbean
By Francis Quamina Farrier
THERE are those Caribbean citizens who have travelled to all or most of the Caribbean and Caricom countries. Their journeys include Suriname and Guyana on the continent of South America and the many beautiful Caribbean islands, the Bahamas, and Belize in Central America. These individuals who have visited all or most of those countries have a relatively good idea of the geopolitics of the Region at first-hand and the really, not-so-different cultures of those countries. Veteran Guyanese educator and geopolitical commentator Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, explains it in his most recent scholarly long paper. Knowing more than most of that geopolitical functioning of the Caribbean Region is usually garnered by Caribbean educators like Professor Griffith. They engage in such intensive travels and scholarly studies and research of the geopolitics of the Region. There are those who travel within the Caribbean for sheer personal geopolitical exploration endeavours. Indeed, there are those CARICOM citizens who travel the Region without any mental complex of being “Children of a lesser God” bearing in mind the special treatment usually afforded tourists from North America and Europe, which is sometimes not fully extended to the Caribbean travellers in their home region. For example, there is what transpired during the difficult period of shortages of varying types of consumer goods in Guyana during the 1970s and 1980s. Guyanese citizens were treated extremely shabbily on arrival at the international ports of entry in most sister CARICOM Countries. There are records of Guyanese being made to wait at arrival areas at airports until other passengers who arrived on flights from North America and Europe after theirs, have been processed by Immigration and Customs. There was also that shameful illegal body search of a Jamaican woman at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados, which ended with a hefty
Veteran Guyanese Educator and geopolitical commentator, Professor Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith. (Photo by Francis Quamina Farrier)
financial settlement. Further, it would be recalled the way travellers who wore dreadlocks were denied their civil rights when they arrived at many Caribbean international airports. In some of my news reports during that period of the 1980s and 1990s, I identified Antigua and Barbados as the two worst offenders of Trave Hassel for Guyanese, especially the hucksters with their jumbo-size red, white and blue bags. There is the well-known case of a Guyanese who was detained at the police station in St. John’s, Antigua, when he allegedly refused to give a bribe of Guyana gold which was allegedly demanded by two Immigration Officers at the Vere Bird International Airport. Guyanese have memories of sub-human treatment which they experienced at the hands of some Immigration Officers at other Caricom countries. That came about when the Guyana
government put restrictions on how much foreign currency each traveller was legally allowed to take with them when leaving the country, which was less than US$20. However, most of the small business travellers found ways to get around the restrictions. Smuggling foreign currency they bought on the street on the black market and smuggling gold was another means of paying for goods and services overseas. During all of that ongoing travel hassle, neither CARICOM nor individual governments of the Region, intervened on behalf of those Caribbean citizens. No attempt was made to solve that well-known problem. Over the decades, the Regional Airline BWIA/Caribbean Airlines often stated that their Guyanese passengers kept the company financially successful. Yet, the airline did not receive positive reviews from the Guyanese travelling public. Instead, many were the stories of Guyanese being treated very shabbily by some airline personnel; on the ground and in the air. Flying around the Region north of Trinidad was much more relaxing for Guyanese than between Trinidad and Guyana. The inhuman treatment meted out to the Guyanese hucksters; the ladies who travelled with those large red-white-an d blue bags would be recalled. They were treated almost like criminals by security and other airline operatives. Nonetheless, because they achieved “Frequent Flyer” status, they were entitled to and received invitations as guests to some very posh cocktail receptions held by the airline at some of the most prestigious venues in Trinidad. These women usually attended those receptions dressed like celebrities and conducted themselves appropriately. Further, these hard-working Guyanese women improved their financial status by their hard work and resilience, and some are now more financially stable, even owning cars and their own properties. Professor Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith ensures that such accomplishments are properly recorded for posterity.
Eco-friendly ‘Tis the season to be sustainable’ Christmas tips
BEING environmentally conscious is not all about using fewer plastic bags; it’s about making everyday choices that will determine our success or failure as a species. This Christmas, let’s practise being more conscious about reducing pollution, protecting wildlife, conserving natural resources and taking other action that can help slow the rate of climate change and biodiversity loss. What does being eco-friendly mean? Eco-friendly means earth-friendly or not harmful to the environment. In other words, being eco-friendly helps prevent contributions to air, water, land and noise pollution. Engaging in eco-friendly habits or practices by being more conscious of how you use resources will also affect the environment and people’s well-being. Why should we be eco-friendly? Earth is faced with much worse danger than it has in the past decades. Numerous reports show that human consumption of Earth’s natural resources has tripled over the last four decades. Oxygen depletion and the depletion of clean drinking water and other notable resources are on the rise. Therefore, while undoing the havoc created over time may be difficult,
we can carry out some committed efforts to cut back on the rate of resource depletion and save the planet from extinction. These efforts will in turn: - Preserve the environment; - Save money; - Save energy; - Produce less waste; and - Improve human lives. Ecofriendly tips EPA recommends this Christmas 1. Try more plant-based dishes when planning your Christmas menu, as meat production has several negative environ-
mental impacts. 2. Buying local supports the local economy by reducing fuel for transportation and paper & plastic used for packaging. 3. Reduce your lightings and displays, save energy and money on your electricity bill. 4. Take your reusable shopping bags when shopping. 5. Consider donating excess food to orphanages and shelters. 6. Reduce waste by buying in bulk and purchasing from local vendors. 7. Avoid disposable products. 8. Unplug lights when not in use. What can you do to help with eco-friendly awareness this Christmas? Planning is key to reducing your waste this Christmas, whether it’s your meal plan or saving in on your groceries and your spending to cash in on those holiday deals. Remember to make that list; check it twice. This year, the EPA encourages the general public to post how you plan to be eco-friendly this Christmas and share it with us on our social media platforms and with your friends. You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O Communications Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
‘Block 22’ Wismar A lovely hilltop village
Bloc 22 Wismar Squatting Area (Delano Williams photos)
By Michel Outridge THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine journeyed over land to Block 22, Wismar Squatting Area, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) to highlight the way of life of the people. This small hill top village is on a steep decline. The hillside village is bordered by Canvas City and Christianburg and parts of the village is called Canvas City Extension and Block 22 Success Avenue and also
Block 22 Squatting Area. The community was established more than 23 years ago when a few persons of Indigenous descent settled there and they did so on top of a steep hill. But over time, more people began occupying the lands and the place later became very populated. Among the early settlers were Christopher Clarke and Walter Moses, both elders of the village and they still reside there with their families. When they moved there,
it was just a small track, and the area was thickly forested. Within recent years a lot of people have relocated. Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area has a potable water supply, electricity, landline phones, and internet services. There is a sandy makeshift road developed by residents, but when it rains the water goes downhill through the village, and it causes erosion. At the rear, of the village there is a creek and
Focus on the Village
it is often used by locals, who are Afro-Guyanese, Indo-Guyanese, Indigenous Guyanese and a large number of mixed-race people. Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area is managed by the Community Development Council (CDC) and they also had an active Policing Group, which is somewhat defunct. The community is a relatively safe place to reside and raise a family and the people are amiable and hospitable. This small but beautiful village is surrounded by Wisroc, Canvas City,
One Mile, Half Mile, Silvertown, Silver City and Christianburg. The community has many nooks and crannies and it has large and small hills and it goes up and downhill. It is quite a climb and a lot of people have a very scenic view because they live on hills and in several tracks in the village, which are not easy to climb. Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area has about 300 residents and about 40 houses with some new ones going up, and it is a village with a lot of children.
The village has many small shops and the people grow their own foods in their kitchen gardens, and some have farms, at the back of the village. It is a clean community and it has well-kept yards and the surroundings are quite pleasing to the eye. It is a lovely place to settle, and the people are very neighbourly. It is a place of many trees, flowers, fruits and vegetables and fine leaf thyme and broadleaf thyme is grown all over the village, even on the roadside. SEE PAGE XXI
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
The people of Block 22 Wismar
By Michel Outridge FOR most people, Christmas is a big deal and they would do things they haven’t done all year just to usher this festive season in where they ensure there is enough to eat, drink and even some to share with family, friends and neighbours. The same can be said for Shaun George. He is a resident of Block 22 Wismar and that day when the team visited he was preparing a pig for the holidays. Annually, it is his way of celebrating the season by buying a pig and rearing it for months until December he would use that meat for his Pepperpot, curry, barbeque and would sell off some of the pork to his relatives only. George told the Pepperpot Magazine that in May, he purchased the pig and wanted to do some ham like he would every other year but this time around, the time was too short for that. It was also too late for some garlic pork which takes 21 days to cure, so this year, he will just have to be contended with pork curry, roast pork, barbeque pork and some pork Pepperpot, he said. George was in the process of scraping all the hairs off the pig after he had doused it with hot water and he had
help. It is a process that takes a few hours and with the right expertise. “This pig I assume will give me about 200 pounds of meat which is too much for me and my family so I will sell some and use the rest for the holidays,” he said. George is self-employed and he rears meat birds and layers and would also sell the eggs he collects twice daily. Trevlon Blair, the utility operator/auto electrician Also in the village is the home of Trevlon Blair, a utility operator and auto electrician who resides in a cute little cottage on a hill. The 29-year-old stated that he has been living there for the past ten years after his grandmother went to live with her sister and finds life in the village to be very quiet and tranquil. The father of two related that he was doing some cleaning for the holidays before he goes to work. Blair reported that living on a hill in a hideout is nice because he is by himself and his neighbours are not nosy people and things are really as it should be. His house is tucked away through a narrow track, on a hill which overlooks vast villages and valleys.
Gloria Craig’s yard (Delano Williams photos)
Gloria Craig, the homemaker One of his neighbours is Gloria Craig, who resides on another hill several yards away and she was engaged in re-painting some household furniture and doing chores.
The 58-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she worked in the city and only returned home recently. The mother of one pointed out that life there is good
because the place is nice and the area is quiet and safe. Her yard is fenced and it is one of the cleanest and well-kept and she also has a variety of plants and flowers.
Craig would use plants and herbs from the environment to make ‘bush tea’ and other homemade remedies SEE PAGE XI
Home of Velita Trotman
Focus on the Village
Trevlon Blair poses in front his home
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
The village leader Doing his utmost to bring about change and foster community-based development
By Michel Outridge CHRISTOPHER Clarke is 73 years old, and he is among the first settlers of Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area, Linden. He relocated there 23 years ago when the place was under-developed, and it has grown from then to now into a semi self-sufficient community. He has been married for 15 years and these days, he tends to his crop and is in his farm often and takes care of the yard work and assists his wife in tending to their shop. Clarke is a Community Development Council (CDC) member and joined the project two months ago when fresh elections were held. He was also a part of the Community Policing Group, which has become inactive. When the Pepperpot Magazine visited, he was picking some ripened vegetables from his trees which decorate his front fence. These days, Clarke takes things easy and doesn’t fight
Wismar Squatting Area 23 years ago after exiting some difficult circumstances. “I always dream of living in Linden and here I am and today. I can say I am living life to the fullest and it is quite fulfilling to see your grandchildren grow and be able to play a part in their lives,” he said. Clarke reported that the CDC has 25 members and they have in stream some community-based projects to be rolled out eventually, but their main focus is getting an upgraded access road in the village. He stated that the drainage situation also needs to be looked at and the issue of erosion, as well. The village leader stated that there isn’t much to complain about in the community apart from the road and drainage things are reasonably good and the people do what they have to earn honestly. Clarke told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is the father of five but one of his children
Christopher Clarke harvesting his crop in his yard (Delano Williams photos)
he grows ground provisions, pineapples, legumes, fine thyme, broadleaf thyme, tomatoes, ochro, and peppers.
Grandchildren of Christopher Clarke assisting to clean the yard.
up with certain things he has no control over. He is originally from Kitty but grew up in Kingston and relocated to Block 22
have since passed away and he has 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He has a farm aback the village near the creek and
Clarke added that he would sell his produce right at his shop and at home he has a bearing garden of fresh fruits and vegetables.
He also has hundreds of seedlings he has to transfer to his farm in his yard, but he is watching the weather before
making a move. Clarke also has different types of cherries in his yard and it is one of the cleanest places you will ever see. His grandchildren assisted him in pulling weeds from the garden that day and he was just supervising and also lend a helping hand. “Crops grow rapidly up here because of the soil composition. Certain things grow well, but we have a real problem with the acushi ants which would destroy most of my crops but I would spray it and try to control their movements,” he said. Clarke reported that Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area is home to teachers, nurses, wood cutters, weeders, shop owners and other professionals, and ordinary folk, who use their skills to earn. Since moving to Linden, Clarke said his life has changed, and he is at peace. He is assisted by his wife, Wendella Benjamin-Clarke,
who was away in the city doing some bulk shopping for their shop. Back in the days when Clarke first relocated to Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area it had a few small houses, cottage-style, modest homes and just a handful of people were living there. It had a small track leading into a clearing and the place was heavily wooded, but over time more people came and constructed bigger and more modern houses and the place developed into a village. “Most of the elders, the ones that first came here to live, have passed away but some of their offspring are still living there,” he said. Clarke describes life in that section of Linden as good and it is a nice place to be contended with a simple life that entails hard work but rewarding to do something meaningful with time.
Focus on the Village
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
Residents have a lot to look forward to in the hilltop village of Block 22 Wismar By Michel Outridge DAVID Garraway is a resident of Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area and these days he is closer to home, his family and has given up working in the interior for extended time. He has a small roadside shop just at the edge of the village, and he spends most of his daylight hours there tending to customers, mostly locals. The 32-year-old is pleased to be a small business owner where he sells cold beverages, packaged snacks, sweets, groceries and other things including, water coconuts. Garraway explained that he used to be a miner and was away from home a lot but he realised his children were growing up and he needed to be home, as such, he decided to utilise his savings to build a small shop and established his small business, two years ago.
Today, although business is not a real-profit making venture he is at it, taking things one day at a time and he seems contended that some days will be slower than others. The father of three related that life is comfortable because he is humble and in that part of the country, the people live in harmony with no racial overtones or scalding issues and they do not worry about bandits and thieves since their neighbourhood is free of that. “This place has a lot of children and with that in mind, we need a play park or some sort of recreational facility where the children and go and play and interact through games,” he said. Garraway is a very friendly guy who is quite the talker with a genuine personality of goodness says there isn’t a lot to get you upset in Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area since the place is nice and everything is okay.
David Garraway displaying his coconut cutting skills as he serves a customer
David Garraway at his shop (Delano Williams photos)
Focus on the Village
He explained that the people of the village has no real jobs but they are ‘hustlers’ who go out and do things to earn honestly and they have skilled people and those that have small businesses. Garraway told the Pepperpot Magazine that some people have farms and gardens and sell their produce in the community while others have wash bays and some men have brush cutters and work as landscapers. “It is a very close-knit community and the people look out for each other and things are just as it should be and visitors are welcome at any time and we are very hospitable people as you can see,” he said. Garraway reported that he and others in the village would get together and try to develop the road but when nature takes over, when it rains it is quickly eroded
and they have to do it all over again. The expectant mother Meanwhile, in the same village, further down the street is the home of an expectant mother, Roshanna Rodrigues. She is heavily pregnant and is expecting her second child and is quite excited about welcoming her new baby. The 26-year-old has lived all her life in the village and is a stay-at-home mom and says life in that area is quite peaceful and quiet. She was in between cleaning and parenting and is also looking forward to spending the holidays with her family. Rodrigues lives in an extended family setting with two large houses in one yard and just next door is the home of her grandparents and other relatives, all of
whom have three houses in one large yard and there is no shortage of cousins, either. Her grandfather, Walter Moses is among the first settlers in the village and he is the village elder. “This village is quiet and the people are good and some people are related so we know each other and we live in harmony and things are just as we expect,” she said. Rodrigues stated that the people of the village are of mixed races and they live in unity and peace with no issues except they need a good access road because the taxis hardly ever wants to traverse there. Besides that, the village is a good place to reside. It is certainly home where she is most comfortable and among family, even a large one that occupies several houses in that community.
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
Home is where the heart is for these villagers of Block 22 Wismar
By Michel Outridge
WALTER Moses has lived a full life, working hard mostly but these days he is relaxing at home in Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area because his grandchildren and children have asked
village for the past 30 years and when he first settled there, he constructed a little house which was adequate for his family back then and the place was overgrown with trees and thick forest and it had just a small track leading into a small clearing
Dawn Holder
him to stay at home. The 79-year-old is a native of Kara Kara Creek but he relocated to Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area and is one of the early settlers there. He has been living in the
in the area. Moses added that it just had a few persons and they had cottage-style houses and eventually more people learnt of the place and began occupying the lands and today it is
a populated village. To be exact, Moses told the Pepperpot Magazine that there were only three small houses and that was in 1984 when he moved from Blueberry Hill to there and made it his home. Moses will be celebrating his 80th birth anniversary on February 17, 2022, and he is looking forward to that day. He is the father of two daughters, both of whom work in the interior as he did when he was younger and they reside with three houses in one big yard in an extended family setting. Moses has his own house and is the grandfather of 15 and the great grandfather of 10, most of whom were running around the yard playing. “I stopped going bush two years ago when my grandchildren begged me to stay home because they wanted me to stop working, and I did fulfil their request and I am here just doing things,” he said. Being accustomed to hard work, it is not easy for Moses to be at home, but he is almost used to this new way of life and seems to be adapting well. The village elder used to cut wood and make paling staves, handles for gardening tools and bora sticks and other things. “Most of the people I
Dawn Holder at her sewing machine (Delano Williams photos)
Home of Walter Moses and his family
Home of Dawn Holder
Focus on the Village
came here and reach have since passed away, the old Amerindians, and they have other people here now but some of their families still live here,” he said. Moses revealed that they have about 100 Amerindians residing at Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area and he is believed to be the oldest. He stated that the village is developing and from when he first moved there to now a lot has changed because more people are living there and it is a mixture of ethnicities. Moses disclosed that the village is a place of children, they have a lot of children and they need a place to play since there are no ball fields or playgrounds in that community. The elder told the Pepperpot Magazine that these days, he hardly ever worries about
anything and would spend his time quietly reflecting on life. His wife, Cecilia Smith, 80, is always by his side to lend support and she takes care of things around the house. The Moses clan seems to be a happy bunch and they also have a shop and there is always a lot of activities in this big yard with the many children that reside there. This elder is in good health and he seems way younger than his age. Dawn Holder, the seamstress Dawn Hector is a resident of Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area and she was busy that day trying to finish some dresses she was sewing for a wedding. She is an enterprising woman who also operates a
private internet small business from her home and is in the process of constructing a five-bedroom guest house. Holder has been living in the village for the past 28 years and is the mother of seven. She is originally from Georgetown but grew up in Berbice and relocated to Linden when she was 17. Hector related that she would take orders to make dresses, especially bridal but since COVID-19, things have scaled-down a lot and these days she would get a few jobs but not like before. “Sometimes I used to have to complete 16 to 23 dresses for weddings but now I would get seven the most because of the restrictions to large gatherings and so on,” she said.
CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
The people of ...
Gloria Craig doing some painting
FROM PAGE VII
for illnesses. “I am cleaning in preparation for the holidays, I always like Christmas so it is a big thing for me and I would ensure the table has black cake, Pepperpot and some ham,” she said. Craig is from Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast but grew up in Half Mile, Wismar, Linden and is from mixed-race origins, her mother is Indigenous. She and her husband lives comfortably in their modest house which is set high on a hill and they have a few neighbours, not many and they seem to like their life there. Craig told the Pepperpot Magazine that her mother was a ‘bush tea’ specialist and she learned a few things from her. She passed away 15 years ago and she has four sisters since her two brothers have since passed on. “I don’t really socialise a lot, or mix up because I want peace and quiet in my life and I am always doing something in and around the house so life is busy for me,” she said. Craig was in high spirits and she was playing some Christmas songs that day. Velita Trotman Velita Trotman is also a villager and a housewife, who was doing some household cleaning for the upcoming holidays. She had already decorated the outside of her two-storey
house and was ensuring the inside is clean before other decorations are outfitted. Trotman has been living there for the past 10 years and her house is on the main access road and it is a huge structure. She is originally from Canvas City and a mother of three. “Christmas here does be nice, everybody does come out
XI
Boiling water in the yard
and enjoy each other’s company and cook and share whatever they have in their pots and it does be indeed a merry time,” she said. Trotman stated that she likes it because it is safe in those parts and the people know each other.
XII XII
WHEN I CAN BE Ai want HAND TO BY HOLD All for KISSED DAWN III CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, August 8, 2021 CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
Christmas cont’d
For tiredness lies On my lids My body like a Broken goblet The Earth can feel No more my feet ‘I just want myhome, own, dear Lord,” was the hoarse plea “So I you mustfor come More than ever knowlying in a recliner on the patio. from theyou lips could of the old woman, Make my come true Thewish middle-aged nurse aid sitting close by reading the All Inewspaper want for inquired Christmas is you’ of the old woman, “What is it, Sharda?” SARAHShe closed heranswer, eyes as looking the beautiful Christmas song did not up at the clear blue sky, on the radio serenaded her mind. hercar eyes not so dim, her hearing stillHer fine.baby She was couldasleep see the on her lapflowers and looking at hear her the adorable face,ofmoments lovely bloom and sweet songs the birds in later, wondered, would thisforChristmas beslowly for hershe garden, but her“What love and passion nature were fading away. us, Isabella? Will a star in the sky twinkle for us so we can does oneorcontinue embrace lifeand when the body feel joyHow and cheers, will ourtopath be dark rough?” has become aged memory into down. But the thought of her Questions she hadand notfeeble, the answers for,sometimes but in herfloating heart she intrusion of tragedy of a difHER became a new urged “You go gave nothingness, whennow you need a young, strong hand to hold andto baby her the strength wished that shename could have something andher special inhave her ferent nature leaving trails great part of the home and home.” thereChristmas. was none? to holdlike on.scattered That tragic lossof sadlife this leaves whendid they of her, The lying comfortThe boy took the soup but “My dad’s a nice guy, he “Yes?” thisspoke happen?” sheheasked misting brought drastic changes in She “How sighed deeply, no tears left, just anherself, achepuppy intears her heart ness, fear and loneliness. how their eyes up. thehad rug gotten in front of her the life, hesitated for a moment then never hurt my mother.” “I’m sorry to disturb you hersaw eyes, “Why thislithappen?” and now being a frominthe tragedy thatdid intruded in her ably life. on She knewwork yet how children to provide care temperaand she had Sleepless walked away rich asked, lifestyles them,Neither her hard andmuch “She is nice,” said Aashi, TVher paid no heed and Shamita “Whymade don’tthem you come again,from that night so late, but Aashi’s loneliness wassweetheart a deep ache in heart, craving for single mother, she had to marriedThe to her childhood from church and though they needed each other to companionship for they hardher matrimonial home with forget where they came from, sacrifices laying a foundation “She has pretty brown eyes.” picking her up gently, let her and see her?” she sat up in bed writing in ture has risen again and she’s children she loved and missed much hear their the rented, comfy theythe were both young, they had goodso plans forjust thetofuture. A give exile the fear and loneliness ly found any theirknow her four children into the was for up the successes they had and for “Ithe aged “And shewere knows to bake out the adults door. She barked in can’t gomother, out looking her diary when there calling fortime you. Iindon’t voices. But they gone, now matured pursuing two-bedroom house that had food business with cookies,” his culinary skills was the venture; they and that love was dailywhat schedules to can spendyou with throesa of an unknown world. therelike wasthis” no time. achieved in their lives.waiting But on awesome Aiden protest and did not run to she answered pullrapping at the door. The to do, come, careers and sharing their lives with new loves and interests. been home. She great couldn’t afhad drawn out plans to astart with a small loan. Henot haduntil a few a threshold. their mother. She had worked long A lone tear trickled down after reaching heights added pausing little before the father, Shamita ing the hair over the one side sound startled her and for a please?” The mother now lived alone in the home where they had ford the rent alone and now years experience as “Just a cook the Marriott Hotel she, a The mirror on their the wall That The nightquiver as sheinlaid every day build a world, her wrinkled face, a face still hoursmoment continuing, likeatlife. mom.” stepped outand the of her face. she to froze, wonderhisinvoice shared a beautiful family She had moulded anddoor. guided in the business she was going back to her server at theThe Pegasus hotel. They were a young couple withpatientknew. bed, she looked at the paintnice little home with comfort beautiful“My never mind her age father froze in his He was standing dad can take you in ing who could be at the door and the tearful look on Aid- the one big dreams butand onedid latenot night, aftergate their baby Shamita drewfamthe cur- his car,” he suggested. work saythree any- months ly at the and raised grandmother his then she heard the children’s en’s face touched her heart ily shetains wasopen closehalfway to, where and light was born,thing he was far from home, twoto men foraccosted a long not moment, hand abylittle sayon“Thank A glimmer of fear flashed father’s voice. deeply and she said without there was loveinto andthewarm streamed little coun- in her eyes and the child a motorbike, fatally shot. suchrobbed was theand deep effect of you,” but she turned and “Can I speak to you, hesitation, “Just give me a tryinhouse, fresh air through asked, “Why are you so please?” comfort her little home. She had whenThen she received the shocking news Somehis screamed son’s words. he walked in the house. moment.” the open seeming afraid of him?” voicewindows aroused her and had cried so much, she hint came to a she nervous breakresponded with the ofclose a how did not feel that A loud She wondered how he got To be continued… smile, “That’s nice.” intense fear on seeing him to breathe new life into her. She did not answer, not in, then remembered giving He did not sleep well, and in her mind she could In the afternoon, the children sure what to tell the child, but Aiden a key to the gate and Pic saved as fables capagain, that night, the chil- not deny his casual good stopped by Aashi bringing a he was a smart kid and at the opening the window she an- tion: Prasad photography dren’s joy replaying in his looks that any woman would picture for her she had drawn door he said to her, swered ih a concerned tone, mind, knowing how much notice. She sighed deeply as in class. As the children they missed having a mother. she stood in front the mirror enjoyed the special chicken For the past three years since and pulled off the veil, letting dish she had prepared for them, Shamita noticed the she was gone he had never it fall slowly to the floor. little girl’s paleness. thought of another wom“One day at a time…” “Are you feeling okay, an until now. Someone the That evening she called from her thoughts, startling pleased smile, saying, “This on his laptop. His alluring children became attracted to, her younger sister, “Can you Aashi?” The child shook herthe baby in her sleep. It was gentleman will pay for both fragrance compelled her to who in their little hearts was come when you have the head, “Not too good.” glance at him again and she a passenger, the driver had seats so we can go now.” special. time? I need a hair cut.” Shamita checked hersecured a heavy-set woman “Thank goodness,” Sarah could tell he was a confident “I wonder, though,” he She had her hair cut in a mused, “How can she em- different style so it partially temperature and the readingwith a few heavy bags. and refined man. said with relief. brace them in her heart when hid the scars on her face, giv- showed above normal. As the car pulled out of She glanced at the gen“I need two more, Sis,” “I think you’re develop-he told Sarah, a little apolo- tleman who got in the car be- the park, the driver asked she is battling her own prob- ing her a new look. A change lems?” had begun much to her tear- ing a fever.” side her, as she made herself him, “So how did your car getically. The child stretched her She smiled a little, under- and her baby comfortable. A few streets away, ful mother’s relief and, now, break down, man?” I Shamita laid in bed sleepless since that horrific attack, she arms out to Shamita, “Can standing “I’m not sure what hapHe was young with a but hoping he could stay with you, please?” too, thinking of the children. saw her daughter smile. pened,” he answered in a business casual outlook but secure the other passengers, “Yes you can,” she said and she lifted a trembling for them and today, instead ing on the wall facing her and She just couldn’t get their sad “Thank you, dear Lord,” for she had been sitting in the there was a tense expression deep, smooth voice, “The hugging her, “But I think hand to wipe it. A hand that of holding her hand, like a smile touched her lips, lessfaces out of her mind when she whispered, “For sending car at the park for almost half on his face. He glanced at her once strong, that held her she had held theirs, they ening the pain in her heart. they mentioned the loss of two little angels in her life to your dad would need youwas briefly,their saidbacks, a barely audible It was theSEE of an hour. Notones longevery after turned PAGE home to take care of you.” children’s picture of XXV three leaving small their mother. help her heal.” ‘Good morning’ and turned children, her father working the driver came back with a her When the father came for alone. step of the way. “Such a great loss,” she The thoughts of the chilA choked sob escaped in the garden and her mother thought, “Their father must dren’s father were no differ- them, she watched the chil- A wry smile crossed have been…” ent, for since his children met dren go, concerned about theher face and a faraway look her lips and once again she standing not far off with a shone in her eyes as her whispered, “It’s time for me bucket of fresh vegetables She turned her face in the Shamita, something changed little girl, sorry she couldn’t thoughts took her back to a to come home, dear Lord, on her arm, smiling warmly pillow to shut out the thought for them. They were more have the child stay with her. as she watched her children. time when she was a young there’s nothing left here.” of him, but the children and cheerful, not because he Aiden stopped by in the A portrait that captured The nurse aid got up and woman. She was so full of the puppy would bring the wasn’t a good father, but morning before he went to life, like a butterfly with took her hand, urging her a simple life and a beautiful father close to her. because they missed the love school to give her an update amazing colours and a sim- gently, “Come on, Sharda, family. One late morning, whilst and care of a mother. Sitting on Aashi. “Her fever got a little “You have left so long ple, little home filled with it’s time for your meal and the children were at school, alone on the upper veranago, mother,” she said in a love, then her father gave medication.” Crystal ran away from home dah, an empty chair next to higher, so dad is taking her She sighed and looking weak voice, “I can’t rememher hand in marriage to a again and Shamita hearing him, he thought of the young to the doctor.” But two days passed and rice farmer’s son; a new life up at the nurse. She inquired, ber much for now I have the barking opened the door woman, grown too old.” as a bride and later, a young puzzled, “Who are you?” for her. During the lunch “She seems nice and kind the child still had not reThe brother and sister “I’m Jeanette,” the wommother. Paths she had walked period, she heard a familiar but she lives with such fear, I covered from the fever despite the doctor’s treatment. paved with love, compassion, an answered patiently, as she playing with her had also car at the gate and knew the can’t even talk to her.” tears and pain, episodes of assisted her to her feet, “Your left, their names now written children’s father was looking But fate had designed Shamita made a healthy vegon tombstones whilst she, the her life written on the leaves nurse aid.” for the puppy. their lives to cross for their etable soup for her and gave “Oh,” she exclaimed soft- youngest, waited still alone. of time. “Come on Crystal,” she life stories were similar. The it to Aiden, “This should be good for her.” “Whisper my name, Then one day, fourteen ly, a momentary lapse in her mother,” she said, “And I years later, when she could memory. The kind woman had shall come, so we can be have borne no more of her husband’s arrogance and abu- been with her for the past SEE PAGE XXIX sive behaviour towards her, three years, financed by the
CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, February 28, 2021XIII
CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
XVI
CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 03, 2021
How to get through a Miscarriage Christmas is not meant
ot always know what I’m looking losing your phone would be on a scale of 1-10. 98 percent phone is such a normal part of my said 10theand percent said allif you claimed that it would is completely your choice. anonymous prefer. There 9. are They TODAY I would like to can also happen later during overlooked during preg- 2 mother/parent. I think it requires menvarious reasons why a womdiscuss athat topic that many thecount pregnancy termtypi- nancy. This is rarely true. hand I cannot the numbe the worst material possession thatis emotional they discould tioningever that menlose. also do feel As there an would miscarry, which find uncomfortable and cally called a stillbirth. My Most miscarriages occur include chronic conditions tress, there may also be phys- this loss. However, I have despite how comresearch showed thatin the risk the foetuscontinued just isn’t d taboo, for it, while it was actually my becauseThey say thatdiabefeelings ofasanxiety, counselled manyand couples ical as well relationship irritation such to as uncontrolled mon it actually is. Many of miscarriage is 12 percent developing normally. through a miscarriage where distress. You will feel a wide tes, hormonal abnormalities, when I column getknow up inpersonal the morning people don’t how to 15 percent women in Unfortunately, while overwhelming sadness would be felt if they losethistheir THIS is quite for me.for I feel as and though some kind of inappropriate and unwanted advice coming I know it soundswere difficult toto respond way and while uterine or cervical abnor- range of emotions which the expecting mother and to reach out or respond their 20s and rises to about a miscarriage is a relatively every time I seem to get on a good path- both physically your way. I used to argue, insult, or try to prove them wrong, it can be hard to control the emotions these comments incite, malities, infection, or age. are not limited to sadness, father’s relationship seemed oing to sleep check myforcomes phone. I common to someone who has is been 25 something percent women overthat —a much it today. and psychologically healthyalong butphone I experience have adapted calmer approachyou can control responses. Emotional intelligence in as though it was deteriorating anger,your guilt, However, most of empathy the time,andhopelessness, through this trauma – and age 40. doesn’t make the situation interrupts my schedule and therefore tends to hinder understanding. First, I acknowledge that people’s opinions action means mastering your internal and external compolthy andthat’s something musta be done. come from as the woman felt her partner of other parents and the fertilised egg has right? an ab- jealousy sometimes, okay. many Having miscarriage ItIt is their impossible seems harmless, Caring so much about a my progression. While look forward to Christmasany easier. own expectation of what is right, wrong, sure. Internal composure occurs when you acknowledge normal number of chromo- intense feelings of loneliness didn’t care or understand her knowledge helpsthisdoes necessarily meancol-for anyone to understand the and, I’m sure, expect to benot a happy Christmas or normal, but it absolutely doesn’tgenes, mean that is any a negative emotion experiencing, andfathers external ndHowever, that women were more grief. While expectant (especially if there arepaying a you lot are somes/ and itthis is of anyfound situation and often phone? Well, this week I’ve been really attention that you have a fertility probpain of someone who has umn, mental health issues do not take a break during the the aforementioned. Also, when you realise that people’s composure occurs when you manage your responses to the very random. Unfortunately, of parents in your social cir- absolutely do feel this loss, take away discomfort. lem. Most women (87struggle per- beenopinions through have an event that nothing holidays. Rather than excitement, many people absolutely to do with you, you adapt negative emotion. It takes practising but mastering it allows o does their phones simply because men bondgive betweento a pregnant Please take my advice the this meansthat that there was cle). to For the importance Iregrets and others around me a A miscarriage the loss during cent) who couples who their with various is challenges thishave time.miscarriagI know thattraumatic. elegance. People project own insecurities or caused on– allow for a yourself much better andand more woman peacefuland life.the baby growto feel nothing done to have of a pregnancy where the es have subsequent normal have recently been through many feel this way- whether have finally begun to state your boundarieswhile you do notAneed to you; sad but true. Most people tell me I need toactually haveexpressClearly alembryo media apps. Also,theyolder people ing inside her is unique. these emotions. it,than andwho nothing can be done what’s going onstate around them. or foetus does not pregnancies and births. A this, it phone, is important torather know eat healthily, lower alcohol consumption, limit smokto react to everything, clearly what you are willing to children already are those that regret having them so young. The only thing I would woman can begin bonding to prevent it. Normal activdevelop enoughItobelieve survive. miscarriage is because a somewhat that 98 percent of the time, ddicted. this is ing or monetary spending or cut out toxic people that do and what you are not. You and those around Those who tell me I need to -focus more on family than career Our phones whether we are speaking to other people, hasmust ities such as work, exercise, say you are not allowed to from the moment sheyou It typically happens within loaded term — possibly sug- a miscarriage is not caused you feel you now must see. Whatever it is, you can still be aware of your limitations. Just because you have done are in unhappy marriages and wish they spent more time a positive pregnancy test. feel, is self-blame. It’s hard sex or minor injuries do not first three months, but gesting that something was by any action taken by the ethesmartphones (My actually achieve your goals and not letfather the holiday season derail something in the does be not mean thattheyou wanttypito coneducating themselves. Do not let people’s projections derailnot to using social media or playing games --didpast can addictive Bonding for father feel as if you somecause a miscarriage. you; there are always things we can do. you; make your internal validation more than yourthing wrong when you lose a cally does start later – after Now,important since a miscarSEE PAGE XXII as they our moods, trigger First, and most importantly, acknowledge how you feel. external needs. alterriage start to see the physical pregnancy.and However, guilt they enjoyable is a trauma, it typicallybeliefs You may be worried that you will experience more stress symptoms or some men until is a completely unhelpful brings forward the five stagcolleagues and friends how bad and unenjoyable feelings. Apart from obviously being and inconvenience than usual or that when you see certain is born.my You can emotion when there is noth- the baby es of griefdenial, anger, people, they will tell you things that you do not want to hear help your relationship to main source of communication, my phone is survive my bynewspaetc. Whatever it is you are feeling, acknowledge it because being understandthe more you fight it, the longer you will feel it. ing, respectful and sensitive per, watch, alarm, map, recorder, day planner, calendar, Start by taking control of your time and schedule. It to each other’s needs and really helps to write this all down. I call it visual progreskeeping the lines of camera, music player, calculator, a weapon feelings, (sometimes) sion and it’s extremely helpful. When you write things in communication open about a list, it makes it look more realistic and achievable. You the situation- onceevyou are and my friend when I’m bored or lonely- basically make these goals as simple as possible. If they are large both comfortable doing that, with many components, break them into smaller deliverand accept each other’s erything. However, it is also my constant interrupter andcopables, again to avoid you becoming overwhelmed and for ing mechanisms as they may be quite different. the goals themselves to seem more attainable. When you distractor. I (I imagine much like most of you out there) If you have suffered a achieve one of the goals, physically scratch it off. This have a deep desire to know everything that miscarriage is going on.trying and are brings an acknowledgement of progression in the mind and to conceive again or already increases motivation to continue to do complete items on I believe that is human nature. But when does it become pregnant, unfortunately there the list; motivation mainly comes from seeing the benefits bargaining, depression, and ing you could have done to is nothing absolute that you of what you are doing. too much? acceptance. Regarding grief, change the outcome of your can do to ensure there is no Be realistic in your expectations of what you can control there is no right or wrong pregnancy. When something miscarriage but like anything and what cannot. Detailed planning can help with this. Well, I believe it’s too when it stretch has aelse,name. there are ‘Noactions you we all way to experience it. Theremuch is goes wrong, Learn to recognise your triggers to prevent negative also no appropriate timeline to find someone, something can take to make the possibilreactions or adapt to stressful circumstances. Learn to say mophobia’ is that themustterm coined describe the fear of being ity less likely. This includes blame. With miscarriagbe followed - you toto no if you believe participating in an activity or seeing a seeking regular prenatal care, es, there’s rarely anyone or will simply recover when particular person will derail any progress that you have without a mobile phone. Seriously, what have we come to?vitataking the appropriate thing to blame, and it leaves you do. However, there are made thus far; just because someone has expectations of mins, to avoiding known misfeeling object empty. So, accepthat can be done that us the you, it doesn’t mean you have to fulfill them. Changing It becomes anthings addiction when begins control would help through this dif- tance of the normalcy of this carriage risk factors — such your perspective in a more positive direction also helps. as smoking, drinking alcohol tragic event is key.activities, ficult process. Instead of saying “I have to”, it’s now “I choose to.” This your life and interferes with your daily work, and and illicit drug use. RememAlso, do what makes The first to realise is that will make you feel more empowered and in control of many ber than obstacle you CAN have a good -“The despite what are not alone – finding you feel relationships. you I accepting read somewhere that biggest situations. When you can’t avoid, you can adapt; if somesuccessful pregnancy after others think. Many people and healthy supthing you MUST do rearranges your schedule, still find time a miscarriage. Most women have so unwarranted opinport is crucial during this to productivity is connectivity,” but overuse can affect a for your goals as these should be your priorities- remember, who have miscarriages have ions and criticisms when time. This can be friends, you cannot pour from an empty cup. Doing this also helps subsequent normal pregthey have never been through family, or someone whom lot more than our productivity. The truth is, overuse of our with your adaptability and resilience skills. you know has also experi- such trauma. Many believe nancies and births. Having Enjoy your freedom of choice; it’s okay to diverge a phones can harm psychologically, socially physically. a miscarriage does not necshouldn’t beand enced us a miscarriage. This that such grief little bit. If you are trying to eat better or consume less alcoessarily mean you have a experienced if the miscarcan and should also include hol, do not make everything completely off limits; that will With regard to affecting social how many of us fertility problem. occurredskills, early during professional help fromour a riage make you want it more. However, whenever you do decide My final piece of advice counsellor, social worker, the pregnancy (even though to indulge, make it completely worth your while- you will miss out on a psychologist, joke orreligious goodlead-conversation as we were onisour either parent to respect most do), but that woman or for know where, when and what that is. er, or anyone who makes you couple may have been plan- your own needs and limitaDealing with and learning to ignore unsolicited advice phones? How feel many times we annoyed ourtions good as you friend work through a pregnancy for years or comfortable. Therehave are ning is probably the most difficult for me. Now, I’m not talking also online support groups just felt a great rush of love your grief and begin to heal. or family member because we and were posting social about the justified, constructive criticism that comes from a rush it,media acceptance will excitement and that on is Don’t that are free and include peotrusted, well-intentioned soul. I’m talking about the aggracome. difficult to just simply forget ple from all over the world. how much funYouwe are having with them? It truly Thank affects our vating and unexpected words that can turn a productive day you everyone can literally google and move on from.
to derail progress
into an unproductive one. I deal with this often. If it’s not about marriage, children, work or weight, there is always
“online support groups for miscarriages” and thousands
If you’d like to name your baby, plant a tree for
for reading. Please include sending topics to caitlinvie-
XIV
CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
‘VALUE FOR MONEY’ SHOULD BE YOUR XX XIV MOTTO IN THE SHOPPING SEASON
s
I AM celebrating Across Borders A When the hos view with me, I a life changers to jo their stories. Dr. Jackie Ev Connecticut CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ―― Sunday, My 2021 journey CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT Sunday,February January 28, 10, 2021 to through stages of facet of the Christmas season. restored. Thro “Value for Money,” the motto of the Guyana ConsumThe annual Christmas blitzkrieg is mounted on the earned a doctorate ers Association, should be a guiding principle as we consumers by the shops and markets: They are invitingfrom a higher e enter the shopping season, harbingered by the advent ly spruced up with colourful decorations and new and with this journey w of the Christmas holiday season. The Christmas seaattractively packaged merchandise are put on display. or shifts in m son is a time when the population becomes relaxed; These range from haberdashery such as clothes, cloths of realise that your c when there is feasting, of enjoyment of the “Christmas various colours and textures and curtains; furniture which circumstances. Th Weather” with its cool trade winds, its pastel sunsets appear more comfortable than they actually are and washhigher mode of th and lengthy blue dusks and its ubiquitous decorations ing machines, toasters, blenders and grinders; groceries spirit and align yo of various shiny tinsel formations and fairy lights from the world over, including special hams, sausages and Christine Nebl and Christmas trees, all dominated by the Christmas cheeses of varieties not seen during the year; decorations HE Guyana/Venezuela controversy will again shortly and discussions where factual bases invariably become That day I be colours of red,green, gold and blue. Children look forand ingenious toys. ing and bringing m me upward before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). blurred. to this season with dreamy expectations and the Inisoffering, confronting this blitzkrieg, wethis would remind conscheduled for an in Guyana, most of the writings on the controversy have In this we will depart from norm and try to THE Seawalls lie deep in the consciousness of Guyanese today rather muddy was once covered with seashells and religious are reminded of the touching story of the Lord sumers of the following: resist impulsive buying and buy my proficiency in enpeople, ofJesus’ a historical and the factual nature and this aChristian good questions have been asking theup the sun had risen. but especially Georgetowners. Yet itis has rarelyanswer theretwo would alwaysthat be many children exploring and since picking birth and ethical teachings of the only items you need; compare prices before buying and is, why is the Venezuelan public so convinced that they On moonlit nights the Seawalls were always a crowded ing, since theand Guyanese of theoftwo Guyanese fishing boats inthey Guyana’s terrireligion Christmas music with its itcarols been noticed byevergreen the newspublic mediaare andnot the encouraged last time wasseizure seashells different colours; sometimes may find large ensure you are given a proper bill or receipt stating the a valid claim two-thirds of with Guyana’s territory and promenade. Many to went to socialise friends, but all went and songs air. realms Shopping an five important mentioned as permeate an item into ofthe national concern was or sixtorial conch shells. move their attention the of isarguments waters by a Venezuelan navy ship. The first question have
THE SEAWALLS FOREVER!
REVISITING THE GUYANA/ VENEZUELA CONTROVERSY SOON TO COME BEFORE THE ICJ years ago when the Ocean overtopped the wall and flooded the yards parallel to the Public Road. This was the first time in living memory that there was such an occurrence and it led to great panic. The authorities hurriedly constructed a barrier of standing concrete slabs on the Walls to counter such overtopping. In the last few weeks, the Seawalls have again featured in the news, but in a happier vein. From Camp Street to the Demerara River, the wall had become disfigured by an accumulation of unsightly garbage and no one assumed the responsibility of cleaning it. A homeless man, Carl Melville, who sometimes slept there was noticed by Dwayne Hackett trying to clean the garbage and 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 high in their praises of this example of civic responsibility. The Seawalls had always been the promenade and park for the people of Georgetown and the surrounding villages from the last quarter of the 19th century and continued to be so until the 1960s when the country became plagued with political tension and there were robberies on the Seawalls. For most of the 1960s, therefore, fewer and fewer people visited the Seawalls. In its heyday, the Seawalls were the most delightful place in Georgetown. The vast openness of the seascape and the surrounding landscape, the blue skies and silver clouds, the ever-present seagulls and the steady flow of the health-giving trade winds and the enveloping peace and quietude attracted hundreds of people at all times of the day. The beach which
The foreshore or continental shelf gradually rises and falls every 20 years and today, the foreshore land between Camp Street and the Pegasus Hotel has almost risen to the height of the wall and coconut trees and other vegetation grow on it.
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
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
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.
why theirthe politicians bellicose aggressive about to enjoy beauty ofarethesomoon risingand from the sea and the this claim? And the second question is, why did President blue-green moonlight which was brighter, since there 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, early evening Sunday concerts given by the Militia but it was very likely that the Prime Minister of the newly Band and the Police Band at the Bandstand which independent state would be Dr Cheddi Jagan, an avowed attracted hundreds of people. Their repertoire conMarxist. U.S. Cold War interests tried to persuade Britain item boughtsisted with of price and date clearly marked; checkand light classical music such as Strauss’ to alloffered that Britain could on delay expiryGuyana’s dates andindependence, whether one is but being seconds, other waltzes, ballet music such Delibes’ pizzicato promise was that she would hand over power to a non-Comespecially in the markets and small shops; always check andMinister. atAmerican least one English patriotic song such munist Prime Intelligence felton that on the quality ofSylvia, the goods bought as for example thethis as “This royal throne of Kings” and Guyanese and British needed further insurance anda so they guardevised stitchingoffer on garments, and always collect proper Caribbean folk songs. The concerts were arranged warrantytheir on consumer durables such as threaten washing to aantee planorwhereby client Venezuela would forcookers. early evening so thatonchildren could attend; machines and A warranty such items should many in later life have admitted be for at least oneGuyanese year. Many smaller stores have that suchtheir items priced lower than the recognised shops, they first exposure to classical music wasbut from these give a warranty for only a month or three months at most Bandstand concerts. and in any case,On they do notMonday have repairmen or spare parts. Easter thousands of kite-flyers It is wiser toturned buy such itemsfive from recognised stores. Kites out from o’clock in the morning. In Christmas shopping, there is were a prejudice which were all hand-made and in a variety of has shapes survived from past times when Guyana did not manufacsuch as boxes, birds and snakes, but the predomture anything, that one should always buy foreign goods. inant shape was the Guyanese octagon and in a Now, there are a number of Guyana-produced goods variety of colours. Singing engines, kite which which are world-class and sell cheaper than theira foreign made a loud droning sound, was one of the most equivalents. We will mention some of the productspopular. and Kite-flying was always combined with picnicking. The Easter producers: kite-flying today is a paleare reminiscence the their heyday. Banks DIH crackers world-classofand range As mentioned above, the political tensions and criminality of sweet biscuits compare with the equivalents imported. Danish cookies packed a lovely tin have fa- the kept people away frominthe Seawalls in thebecome 1960s. a By invade Guyana if gift, theremore was any possibility of isa in Marxist vourite Christmas but the beauty the gift the to 1990s life had become stable andofpeople again began government being installed in Guyana. tin rather the than the cookies; it ambience may be a had pleasant change frequent Seawalls, but the changed. There Theupa1899 Arbitral Award had settled the boundaries of togrew give few cartons of Banks sweet biscuits instead of the stalls lining the parapet of the Public Road from imported ones. Banks beer is among the best in the CaGuyana and Venezuela and these boundaries were fully Kitty Pump Station to the Pegasus, selling refreshments and ribbean and little difference between the local beer accepted bythere bothis parties and the communiall of these stalls were well-lit. TheInternational character of the Seawalls and the foreign imports. ty. One of the junior lawyers representing Venezuela had changedGuyanese from a peaceful promenade to a lively fair.of at company that produces goods the Another arbitration, MalletPrevost, left a letter that was not Now that the tourism is being revived, world-class quality is the EBindustry Beharry company. Indeed, the to have been opened until after his death. In that letter, Seawalls still offerare an ISO attractive attraction. all their products licensed and enter difficult he claimed theAmerican Arbitral market Award without was thethe result of an markets suchthat as the custom arrangement between Britain and the Russian arbitrator authorities rejecting their products. Their sweets, all Euto deprive Venezuela its rights. After more than half a ropean formulated andof wrapped in colourful high-quality century, Venezuela, based on Mallet-Prevost’s posthumous wrappings, are world-class. And so are the complete range of theirnow pastas. Their the curries and 50 varieties spices are letter, rejected Arbitral Award andofclaimed twosought after in foreign markets. And their prices are better thirds of Guyana’s territory. Mallet-Prevost’s posthumous than any thecausus imported equivalents. letter wasofthe Venezuela used to threaten Guyana Sterling Products is another that produces and this continued after the Coldcompany War, the raison d’etre for goods of the highest quality and their production manager the claim, had ended. and his team are uncompromising in respect of quality. Most lawyers and historians who took any notice Their margarine is superior to any other in the local market of Mallet-Prevost’s letter dismissed it as a historical and is the only margarine that uses a fermentation process. curiosity veryother flimsy evidence to attempt And so areortheir products suchon as which soap powders, ice to upset long-accepted Arbitral Venezuelan cream,a yoghurts and other food Award. products.But Andthe their prices are better than Caribbean equivalents. politicians andtheir the Venezuelan public gave credence and importance to Mallet-Prevost’s posthumous letter, which SEE PAGE XXI would have been dismissed in the modern world. But
sharing their journeys XVIII CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, December 19, 2021
g seven amazing women from the Women Anthologies. st of Watch Radio NY requested an interasked him if it was okay for me to invite oin me. I am sharing some excerpts from
CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 10, 2021
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van Phillips -- born in St Lucia, living in
owards being a Midwife of Purpose came being broken, displaced, and ough this journey, I experienced a divorce, e and got displaced education administrator’s position. Coupled were two major eclipses One week later I completed my life. An eclipse happens when you can my assignment with CTO calling becomes greater than your current and was now ready to move hrough this process, you can transcend to a on to my next career move. hinking where you can connect with your I called Monique to let her ourself as one with nature. know I was available as we lett – born in Guyana and living in NY agreed and she was so hapegan to have the real experience of dreampy to have me start my first my dream world alive. I was immediately temporary assignment with nterview with the agency where they tested Deutsche Bank. My first n using Microsoft Office and typing speed. WE recently celebrated the first year of the Virtual Writers Retreat and we had a lot to celebrate in such a When you are kind to others, no matter how much time how you made them feel.” WE recently Entrepreneurs for Sustainshort time. Welaunched have hadthe people from Guyana, French passes, they will always remember you for your kindness My grandmother was a very kind woman and my mom able Development at the Pegasus a miniSuriname, expo. The Guiana, Trinidad, Barbados, The with Bahamas, and your kindness might be the glimmer of hope that someinherited that from her. I can fit their shoes when it comes association a very hardworking steeringCameroon, committee, Antigua, St has Lucia, South Africa, Nigeria, one in a very dark place actually needs. to kindness and sharing everything out of the little they but as the trustee, had a few responsiCanada, andfounder variousand parts of theI United States. The It was really nice seeing you again and getting a few had. I find myself gravitating towards people who care and bilities. first person to publish was Wendy Hermonstine and she selfies with you. are willing to contribute to humanity. Persons like Joanne I was superon exhausted, andbook. maybe it showed, because is now working her second Alicia Amanda pubYou just never know when you are making a difference Prescod, owner of Le Treats Bakery and Sarah Khalil, Samantha Henry from Rejuvenate SpaIko-Ojo recommended I sit lished a couple of books, Phil Umoru and Bevin someone’s life and that post reminded me of a Maya founder of the World Care Organization. Le Treats Bakery for aBeen foot also massage after we closed the mini expo. I did erley published theirs. Angelou quote: partnered with the Sonia Noel Foundation for the “Bread notThe realise much I needed it untilfrom she started. A very mosthow recent author to publish the retreat is “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, peoI knew thatSEE I would be inXVII When I was six years assignment lasted two weeks, PAGE polite young man approached us asking for Ramario from Sara Khalil, who was born in Guyana and left for New York ple will forget what you did, but people neverschool forgetin Mesa, big trouble if I told my dad oldwill I started covering someone’s vacation. Lethem Apparel, because he wanted to purchase some in her teenage years. I had the honour to contribute the Due to my work ethic and Arizona, so I began staying what had happened. It was a T-Shirts. Hewas was wearing atomask, andmanuscript that can hide cover, and it a privilege read the first,your besecret: the desire to go the extra mile, with my mom features. Then he said, “Ms Noel, you may not remember cause I assisted her to publish her book ‘InComplete.’ I did kind that could get me and her husband routineI landed another assignment me, but we met at St Joseph Mercy Hospital(SJMH).” not want to put it down because her story is so compiling. into big trouble. I didn’t ly. It was like going from in the same department for After “we,” completed sentence together. Sarathe hasword always feltwe that her life isthe a solidarity joursix months, then another for heaven to hell. It was a horror know how much trouble, but I knew who he was in a split second, although we did not ney three months, which finally story that’s yet to be writ- I wasn’t willing to see each other until then. My brother was in the hospital take a chance. “Shhhh... led to my permanent posi- ten. While at grandma’s I extremely ill and some days I spent long hours at the hosDon’t tell anyone.” was filled with the love of tion, allowing me to live a pital. I can remember meeting this handsome man with his Maybe it’s the trauma of a grandma and Jesus daily. dream. Dr. Safeeya Mohamed – On the other hand, at my my experience, but for some mother’s house, I was filled reason I still cannot rememTrinidad We received the updates with Rock ‘N Roll, drugs ber how often it happened, when that the accident was horrific and inappropriate, wild sex and that the victim was stuck parties. Ultimately, from it started, or even when it such an environment you can ended in the car. The vehicle had to be cut imagine the kinds of abuse Penny Phakahi –South open to get to the victim. It that mom’s house provided. never occurred to me that When I was 11 years old, Africa I have had my share of grandma Shirley died and my my brother could be remotely in- stepdad left. My mom had turmoil and I strongly believe volved. The next thing I an emotional breakdown, so that it is these stints of turremember, I was looking at I ran away! I couldn’t take moil that brought me this far in my life. I was any more. the body of my brother and in thatblood we areinalla ridingAndrea a train through I got and her permission share an excerpt with you and I perhaps is to still in my Edwards – born covered ourstrident, hours, days, and years. believe many women can relate to her journey. refinery process. in Guyana, living in Florida hearse. The agonisthoughtful andI sat revealing As a young girl, I grew As in the back Excerpt: of ing scream of In mythis mother in upleave with today; one main my dad’s Nissan Bluebird,“II will the A&E that story of her journey, readers will accomjustambition, help me pack my belongings.” wanting far through the windows early morning pany one ofhas thenot most peered courageous women His mother startedtotoget packaway, his clothing in a suitcase. thepacking. system ofI was so upset and lost that the images on - a escaped my almost 17 toatself-discovery on mind her expedition Mikeaway also from started or the box fence years later as she howled remarkable life story ofthe trials andoftri-the IGuystarted to thinking cry and begged himthat to stay. I was in a place we often findmyself ourselves ana Botanical Gardensofand “my son died, my umphs. confusion, I hated andin. I blamed myself. I felt I Apart from Iunderstanding Zoological Park.inThe wasn’t radio good son died, nobody’s helpHer book ‘Incomplete’ offers enough. threw myself on the floor, in a foetal always dared blasted popular ing us!” But nobody sights into could, Sara Khalil fromthe childhood position,myself cryingI out as loud astoI could, more so screaming. be different, which wasIaloved him with all my calypso song “1985” by as his spirit departed at the to adulthood. She lived her childhood My world was upside down. constant sur- and hurt he caused a then-popular calypsonian. point of in Guyana then migrated beautiful sister looking very worried, and even without to the USA heart; even withstruggle all the when infidelity rounded bytomyhold situations. I for the sake of my would have just to celebrated impact.with Up her to this day,SheIwas thinking, I approached them. I learned their mom was family. determined me, I still wanted on to him grewmy up child. under aIstrict my sixth I ponder where strength ill, was scheduled for surgery and needed blood. Without fight the against all odds, even after two family and never wanted to let him go, no Christian my birthday, on quite came from failed to navigate that Reflecting hesitating, I volunteered to give her blood. Sometimes in marriages. heroblivious matter what. He hadfamily madewith his decision and wouldn’t be andevening, step granny, to the but grandfather night. life we have to forget about our problems to assist others. nomadic early years, we concept witnessofalltime, budged. At 6 pm that Mike left with his Mom. as my mother her mom song would not allow Just a few hours before, my brother doctor had told me that she faced as shethat doggedly pursued Our six-year-old son,lost Jayden, started to run behind me to forget Shanon Paar – Arizona SEE PAGE that there was no hope for my brother. This was one of her calling. his father, but Mike keptXXV walking; Jayden asked me, thatwarmth it was 1985. the most challenging times in my life, and my faith helped Sara shared with and “Mom, why daddy leaving again”? I didn’t have any me keep my sanity through that period. The young man, honesty how she dealt with betrayal, answers at that time. I quickly tried to control myself Jason and I got emotional when I saw his FB post, which forgiveness, and feelings of being and started engaging in other conversations with my I am sharing below. unloved. son, thinking he would get distracted and forget. Guess “Guyana and the world at large is[sic] blessed with This book is authentic, sassy, in- what? I was wrong. He kept crying and asking the same some beautiful, phenomenal women. Here is an example spiring, bold, and pragmatic, qualities question, over and over. Finally, after some time passed, of one such individual,Ms Sonia Noel. quite similar to the author herself. he stopped crying and asking questions and started to Two years ago, while at SJMH with mommy,Ms Sonia She launched her book at Artfest be himself again. It was close to bedtime, so I bathed was there and had the warmest of smiles and was encourin Atlanta and will be launching in Jayden, took a shower and we were off to bed. The very aging to us, even offering to donate her blood for mom. New York later this month and GuyThat day we were reminded that there are still good people ana in November. SEE PAGE XX out there.
People always remember Sara’s incomplete journey how you make them feel
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Whose holiday is Christmas? Is it paying attention to children’s or adults’ festive moods?
I GREW with my Godparents. I have always had a clear-cut perspective of where I stood with Christmas. Having good marks in the passing June/July school exams was a great incentive towards. If you went on the school trip over the August school holidays, and if Santa would answer your letter for Christmas, to consider it. There were a lot of reasons why children believed first in the magic of the converted German folk devil Krampus, who took bad children into his dark realm, merged somehow with Saint Nicolas and in European countries with Zwarte Piet ( Black-African Pete). The latter usually dressed up in the costume of a medieval Moor, said to be Santa’s (or sometimes Odin’s assistant) who re-
corded the behaviour of children over the year, with deeper symbolisms that harkened to the pagan, post-pagan, to the Moorish presence, then, to the era of Christendom. Then came the mesmerising collection of Christmas songs, my adult favourite album beng the Stevie Wonder Christmas Collection. The imagination of children must be allowed to exist and travel the fantastic worlds of imaginary creatures, beings and places, while bejng guarded and protected from the real threats from within and without the sanctuaries of childhood. Until with adolescent maturity and room for transition, can translating the incentives of symbolisms be discussed and understood.
The case I’m making for the focus on children revolves around the very New Testament’s narrative concerning the birth of the child Jesus, who became the Christ or the Khemetic ‘ ma? Kheru as referred to by the archaeologist Wallis Budge. The story of the presence of the birth of Christ, as defined by the astrologists of Elam-Persia, the Magi, according to the narrative, had led to the murder of countless male toddlers below the age of two years old, truly a gruesome act of human sacrifice, extracted upon innocence. Some years ago, I had drafted the treatment for a play based on this event, only that I had not linked it to Christmas but to the later death of the Christ; I had spoken then to a late priest who advised me against furthering my idea
from either into drama or as a graphic storyline. Due to respect for a good human being, with close ties to my wife’s family, I shelved the treatment. But this dreadful
event of infantile slaughter, when translated from its religious record, needs clarification, it remains a mystery and not contextualised. But in reference to this event
and the loss of innocence before and still in our age, Christmas is the only season that has an option (regardSEE PAGE XXII
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People always remember ... From page XV
Basket” mission. This mission provides free bread for underprivileged families and weekly snacks for the homeless. People will be receiving more than bread for the Christmas season because the World Care Organization provided food items for the hampers. One of their objectives is to connect people worldwide in the fight to end poverty. Working together, we invest in the lives of children and youth, build the healthy environments they need to thrive, and empower them to create lasting change in their own lives and communities. Some of the communities benefiting from these hampers are Tuschen, Parika, Bartica, Linden, Berbice and some areas in Georgetown. No pics will be taken with people receiving hampers. Thank you to Lisa Insanally for donating the bags for the hampers and Ryad for the cards. Thanks to Natasha, John, Meleesa, Raquel and Amrita for assisting with the packing and distribution of hampers. I believe soon I will be able to do so much more for people. We all can contribute to the livelihood of someone else, no matter how small it is. I try to spread love through the year, but try to do a little extra at Christmas time. Mother Teresa said, “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” Let us look around our community and we will find things we can do to make a difference in someone’s life, as we continue to celebrate the beautiful journey called live BEYOND THE RUNWAY.
‘I allow my hands... From page II
opportunities available to her, so imagine Alyce’s delight when the art school said they wanted to hire her as a teacher. It was just the steady job that she needed to care for herself while at the same time getting a chance to do what she loved every day. “I continued in the field because I knew this was my talent and what I was born to do,” she expressed, as she related her experience mentioned at the outset as to what art really does for her. “This was my dream job because I love art. I feel free. It’s a way of expression of what I am thinking, feeling; it’s therapeutic.” Alyce, who grew up watching her mom and grandmother do craft in their free time, can do portraits, landscapes, and anything under the sun. And so perhaps this was what sparked her interest at a very tender age. “So growing up, I was always that child in the corner just drawing quietly and minding my own business.” As someone who is quite reserved and who doesn’t like to talk a lot, Alyce said she is most able to express herself through her art. “I allow my hands to do the talking. It’s an easy way for me to express myself.” Improvement Alyce definitely feels that more can be done for those in the country’s creative industry. In fact, she feels that they can be included in just about every sector if only people would recognise their value and what a meaningful contribution that they can make. “I see that they started to do a lot of competitions which is very good. They can include artists in other careers like making movies, playing a bigger role in helping the police to sketch evidence, criminals, and other things; in literature regarding diagrams and pictures; we can be included in every field of life,” she posited.
Mostly quiet and reserved, Alyce allows her art to do the talking for her
Another observation she made was that people cannot comprehend the amount of work that an artist puts into a piece of art. She would love to have her own art school someday and share the same therapy that works for her.
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‘Block 22’ ... From page VI The people send their children to school in the nearby villages and access services there also and do their bulk shopping in the city or in McKenzie. Some have their own vehicles, and others use the roadside taxi service, which adds up to $300 per trip from McKenzie to inside the village per trip. The locals told the Pepperpot Magazine that life in Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area is fair, and it will be even better when they get a paved road. Block 22 Wismar Squatting Area is a small village tucked away among hills, and it is a quaint place where the air is fresh, and the people are very welcoming.
‘VALUE FOR MONEY’ SHOULD ... From page XIV
One could not speak of world-class local products without mentioning Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL). They produce the best rums globally, and the El Dorado brand has made Guyana famous worldwide. El Dorado rums are sold in all the main international airports, bars and hotels. Their variety of liquors, many of which are renowned brand names bottled under licence, are among Christmas bargains. Their other products,such as their fermented vinegar and Topco juices, are much appreciated. Topco fruit drinks are the only ones in the local market that use fresh fruit. All of DDL products are ISO licensed. There are several other local products of the highest quality produced by individuals or small companies. Pomeroon coconut oil, quite nicely packed in plastic bottles, is prefered to olive oil by many, both locally and abroad, and has regained its status as the main and prefered cooking oil. Locally produced honey is now preferred over foreign honey because they are pure, fresh and not diluted with various substances as foreign imports are. The market is almost completely inundated with clothes imports, mostly from East Asia, but there are still a few tailors who make pyjamas, shirts, and underwear; the locally produced clothes are better stitched and the parts stitched together broader. Alim Shah’s in Regent Street was one such store which assisted local tailors. At this shopping season, consumers would find it profitable to be guided by the motto “Value for money,” by buying local.
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Whose holiday is ... FROM PAGE XVI
less of its obviously narrow commercial objectives) that can be directed to a special joy of childhood. The toy industry recognised that toys were always a feature of humankind over thousands of years. This was a faculty that had matured and was inseparable from the needs of children. At times, it superseded feasting. Here, children had to be stopped from play-time to eat breakfast or lunch. It is also obvious that ‘evil’ also recognises the power of toys. On our platform, people who support the selling of narcotics to the stress-overcome parents of underprivileged children are out there at Christmas sharing toys to the very child victims, as instructed by their ‘Wuk People’ and the
faint residue of conscience that still lingers. The fact is that toys are integral to the growth of children, it plays a part in the maturity of the mind; the ancient peoples of all continents knew that, in interviews with astronauts, many of them confessed to childhood fascinations with Sci-Fi comics and movies. Without doubt, Christmas is a time for children-the nurturing of their creative faculties. What happened in Guyana? Simple, Guyana was caught in the clutches of the Cold War, and was fated as other non-oil producing nations to suffer to the ‘Oil Crisis’; private manufacturing suffered along with exports. Avoiding the tentacles of the IMF had its consequences, the economic squeeze forced redeployment, and survival in homes depended on con-
traband smuggled in from neighbouring states. Many of the old department stores could not import as the Guyana dollar declined. This was the age of the suitcase traders, following that however the narcotic trade provided the new money to some, misery for many others. Many of the traditional old department stores were sold, but the people who replaced them had no idea about the culture of department stores, nor for some reason, they could not have access to the standard manufacturers, among them the toy manufacturers, thus went the old window-shopping custom with ice cream and the children, and slowly the rise of street crime, Water Street died. The priorities for children slipped off the landscape, leaving cheap household items predominant.
The other factor is that of the owners who replaced the colonial to post-independence department stores, most of them lacked the display culture aesthetics, few sustained any such resemblance, for toy displays it’s Home and Beyond, Austin’s Bookstore Scientific Toys and Fogarty’s (used to, it seems) with the rest, it’s a minuscule stock, and not where the toys high interests are. What cannot be disputed is that beyond the Black Cake, Pepper-pot, Ham, Baked Chicken etc., the case has been made for Christmas as a children’s holiday, denied by economic realities, or lack of cultural awareness but deep down inside, whether we ignore the silent pleading in our children’s eyes, before the mirror, we do understand, it’s their holiday
Christmas is not meant... FROM PAGE XIII
tinue to do it. Your priorities could have changed, and other responsibilities may have taken precedence, which is okay. Another difficult thing for me during the holidays is taking time off. I know some of us internalise the feeling that leisure is wasteful, even if it doesn’t directly interfere with our goals. Leisure does not lack value, it revitalises us to have the time, patience, and mental stability to achieve all the above- enjoy it. And finally, of course, eat, sleep and exercise well to keep up your serotonin and dopamine (happy hormones) levels. It goes without saying but will anyway, seek help if you need it; this can be either a trusted friend or family member or a trained professional. Follow these simple guidelines and you may even end up enjoying the holidays more than you thought you would. Thank you all for reading. Please continue to send topics to caitlinvieira@gmail.com.
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When domestic abuse ends in death, are we doing enough?
YEARS of reported abuse experienced by a 48-year-old mother of two ended in her recent death. Her name was Malini Wahid, a domestic worker and caterer. And, based on eyewitness reports, she was beaten and strangled to death. When the news of the woman’s death emerged, it was noted that regular arguments between her and her partner would result in her being abused. This was seen by neighbours and known by numerous family members. I don’t know the intricacies of the situation, and so it would be unfair for me to say that the people around her could have done much more to protect her. Yet, I firmly believe that such tragedies occur when our understanding of and response to violence is not enough. When I reported on domestic violence, one of the more thought-provoking sentiments shared with me was that domestic violence and gender-based violence are not just a man getting drunk and beating his wife, or him beating his wife. Such occurrences are merely symptoms of a system that oppresses women and women’s rights- patriarchy. And, gender inequality, gender discrimination, and the social system of patriarchy are the ‘root causes’ for getting out of jail for free. According to Abeda Sultan (2010), feminists use the term ‘patriarchy’ to describe the power relationship between men and women and find out the root cause of women’s subordination. In Wahid’s case, based on reports, it appeared as though she needed to tend to the man ‘around the clock’ as though she was his caregiver or maid, and not his partner. Not doing so meant that she could be abused. For me, this illustrates the very same root causes that we ought to be interrogating more-the inequalities and discrimination between men and women and the uneven power dynamic between men and women. And, it means that programmes needed to tackle these root causes are necessary. In November, it was reported that more than 1,300 re-
ported cases had been recorded up to the end of October. Let me emphasise that these were only the reported cases; there may be many more unreported ones. Of course, these large figures illustrate the prevalence of the scourge, but it also reduces the tragedies to mere statistics. Certainly, statistics are crucial to decision-making, but I think it is important for us to remember that the people affected by violence are real human- just like the rest of us. And that means that when we think about how we can help, we are thinking about what we can do to help each individual. During the 16 Days of activism observance-a global, annual observance-several new initiatives were rolled out to help provide some sort of redress to people affected by violence. Community engagement and the provision of pro-bono legal services to 500 gender-based violence victims were among those initiatives that could have a more profound effect (at least, in my opinion). And I believe these are some of the initiatives that will help us tackle the root causes of violence. You see, I believe that our efforts at protecting vulnerable people in society, like women and children, means that we must be willing to look within our community spaces and clarify misconceptions that violence occurs as some ‘one-off’ event because of alcohol or drug abuse. We must think about
stigma and discrimination festering in our communities and preventing these vulnerable individuals from speaking out. We ought to think about what behaviours we allow people to perpetrate in our communities without stepping in to guarantee that there is appropriate social learning. And, we have to work to ensure that we provide all the support we possibly can- whether it’s shelter, legal recourse, or just a listening ear. We cannot only rely on the activists and advocates to en-
gage in the enduring work of fighting against the scourge of violence in our country. We each need to understand the threat that plagues our communities and we each need to know that there are things that we can do. 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
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All i want for ... FROM PAGE XII
mechanics are working on it.” His phone rang just that moment and there was a level of frustration in his voice, because apparently he was late for a very important meeting. He did not seem to be having a good day and a short while later, Isabella awoke crying. Sarah comforted her as best she could and after a bottle of milk, she became calm. All was well until the woman in the front seat changed the radio channel to music with explicit lyrics. It was not Sarah’s kind of music and after a while, she asked politely, “Can you please change that?” The woman gave her a cross look, “What do you want to hear, girl? Gospel?” “Not really, just softer music.” The woman grumbled but changed the channel and the young man looked at Sarah and smiled slightly. The warm feeling she felt from that look surprised her, but before she could dwell on it, Isabella, now in a playful mood, reached out her little hands to the stranger, laughing and bouncing on Sarah’s lap. “Isabella,” Sarah said sternly, in a low tone, “Quiet down.” “Let her be,” the young man said patiently, “It’s better she’s playing and not crying.” Sarah relaxed her hold a little and in a flash, Isabella launched herself and clapped down on the man’s laptop. “Oh my goodness!” Sarah exclaimed, “I’m so sorry.” The woman from the front turned and laughed, “She probably wants to Google something.” The young man said nothing, closed his laptop and laid back in his seat with a resigning sigh. It was a good while after Isabella fell asleep again and Sarah closed her eyes too, drifting off a little. She was suddenly jolted out of her sleep by the screeching of brakes and a sudden impact as something hit the car. The baby almost fell out of her arms, the young man steadied her and they braced themselves as the car spun out of control, the woman in front screamed in horror as the driver tried to keep control with the steering wheel until he miraculously brought the car to a stop.
“Oh my God!” Sarah cried, scared and trembling. “Are you and the baby okay?” the young man asked. “I-I don’t know,” she answered in a little choked voice, and held onto his arm as he helped her out of the car. He turned to assist the woman in front who was close to a panic attack and asked the shaken, distraught driver, “What was that, man?” The driver shook his head, unable to talk and pointed to a minibus and another car involved in the accident. “It’s always speeding and overtaking,” the young businessman stated. He surveyed the scene from where he was standing and asked himself, “What the heck saved us?” A curious crowd gathered as the police and ambulance arrived at the scene. The heavy-set woman was taken to the hospital and the young man spoke to an associate on the phone, “This is really a bad day, send someone to pick me up.” He looked at Sarah standing there and asked, “How are you going home?” “I don’t know,” she replied, an uncertain look on her face, “I’ll probably get a bus.” He noted she was still shaken and he said, reaching to take Isabella, “Here, let me help you with her and when my ride gets here, I’ll give you a lift home.” “Thank you,” Sarah said with deep gratitude, “Umm, I don’t even know your name.” “Raj.” “And I’m Sarah.” Isabella made no fuss as the stranger held her while they waited on his ride. The ride that came for him was a luxury vehicle and it was the first time Sarah was riding in such posh comfort. She looked at Raj, his amiable personality igniting that warmth again within her, and she asked silently, somewhat perplexed, “What’s happening?” She reached the village where her grandmother lived, a small community and she asked him to put her off on the main road. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to your home?” “No, no, it’s not far in. I could walk, thank you.” She walked down the potholed street, three corners away to her grandmother’s
house. Her arms were tired with the baby and the bags, but it was like coming home and a joyous feeling filled her heart. Her grandmother’s eyes lit up at seeing her and the old lady helped her, tears of happiness in her eyes. “It is so great seeing you and my great grand-daughter.” That night after Sarah had put Isabella to bed, she sat
down to talk with her grandmother. The old lady asked, with a worried look on her face, “How are you doing, my child?” She smiled to hide the pain that was still in her heart, “I’m fine, grandma. I’ve come back home to you and this Christmas will be wonderful for us with what little we have until I go back to work.”
Her grandmother, a wise woman, knew she was still hurting from her shocking loss and said, “It’s God’s will, my child. Maybe your accident was fated to happen and maybe something new would find its way to you.” As she laid in bed that night, her grandmother’s words replayed in her mind and Sarah thought of that new feeling within her when
she looked at Raj. She got up and opening the door, looked up at the sky, saying silently, “I don’t understand what’s happening but we are from such different worlds, I’ll probably never see him again.” But she had made a wish and one never knows what miracles Christmas can bring.
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THOUGHT FOR TODAY Cromwell, I char ge thee, fling aw ambition: ay By that sin fell the an WILLIAM SHAK gels. ES PEARE (15641616) Henry VIII
December 19, 2021 STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, Welcome, dear friend. Do focus on self-care, the secret necessity to study success. Practise it from now. Care your mental and physical wellness. Enable
yourself to stay focused, rejuvenated, stress-free and sane, and stave off that dreaded burn out later. Be sensible about other things, too; help yourself to study well, before helping others. And be mindful of that final week – what about it? That week can hijack your time for being well. Pay attention from now. Love you. GRAMMAR Correcting errors as you practise to proofread A.. Read the following sentences carefully to correct any errors of comma use to separate words, phrases, and clauses as necessary. Write OK for any sentence that has no error. [NOTE: See key immediately after this set of exercises.] 1. Mrs. King indicated that she was favourably impressed after she interviewed her neighbour’s son, Vincent. 2. Rodwell is confident, that we will meet the January deadline for submitting our records. 3. Jason promised of course to give Mrs. Joseph a full repayment for the damaged side window. 4. Only Megan Simpson who is in charge of student’s welfare has the authority to sign out such documents. 5. His final proposal which we received only this morning offers the widest service coverage at the most reasonable terms. KEY: 1. (OK) ... 2. (confident that) ... 3. (promised, of course,) ... 4. (Simpson, . . welfare,) ... 5. (proposal, . . morning,) Placement of pronouns. B. Read the following sentences carefully to correct any errors of improper placement of pronouns. Write OK for any sentence that has no error. [NOTE: See key immediately after this set of exercises.] 1. The principal herself does not know why the project was cancelled by the Parent Teacher’s vice president. 2. My home economics teacher taught me to sew herself. 3. No, Brenda and myself were not informed that the new rule book is being printed. 4. Geneviève convinced herself that her plans would be approved by the board. 5. Solomon said that he would leave himself at 4
o’clock. KEY: 1. (OK) ... 2. (teacher herself taught me to sew.) ... 3. (I) ... 4. (OK) ... 5. (he himself would leave) FIRST PASSAGE “Mimi, wake up. You’re going to be late for school,” Mom’s voice cut through my dream. I got slowly out of bed, dazed and disoriented. For a few moments, I didn’t even know where I was. Then I remembered, and my dreams and memories came flooding back. I remembered that long journey and the day after my cousin’s death when we finally found land. We’d landed on a Malaysian island and stayed for sixteen months before being sponsored by St. Mary’s Church in Ohio. The Lord had answered all our prayers! Six years have passed, but I still occasionally have dreams about my long journey to America. I feel so lucky and grateful that we found land and a new life in America. I learned that life should be appreciated and loved. Above all, I learned never to give up hope. (Van Ngo, Thomas Jefferson High School) About the Passage: The writer’s strategy provides information at the end what she had deliberately omitted when the narration began. She ultimately states that the experience has more than one meaning for her. Point out these meanings to yourself. The writing is based on personal experience. What to Do: 1. Write a story in which you manipulate the order of events in this story. Share it with your study partners and listen to their comments. 2. Write a person experience of yours. Try the strategy of Van Ngo, the writer. 3. Pay attention to these four guidelines for producing a personal experience story. i. Maintain a first-person point of view using the first-person pronoun “I.” ii. Make your narrative live by including specific facts and details. iii. Use your language well using of vivid adjectives, precise verbs and adverbs, and concrete nouns. This strategy helps readers share your excitement, fear, or sorrow. iv. Build a good conclu-
sion about the thoughts and feelings you experienced. Then tell what the experience means to you. SECOND PASSAGE “Well, still day-dreaming?” my uncle asked. “Yes…No…I…” “If you go on like this, we’ll lose the lead.” “I was thinking about Uncle Bo. Where is he now?” “God only knows! On his last visit, he was … You see, I don’t know where he is any more! He’s never in the same place: he’s like a bird: he can’t stay quietly on one tree, he needs the whole sky.” “Will I, too, be like a bird some day?” “What are you talking about?” “Well, you’ve just told me that Uncle Bo is like a bird.” “Do you want to become like him?” “I don’t know yet.” “Well, you have plenty of time to make your mind up, anyhow. Meanwhile, take this sheaf.” And he would go on reaping. Even though his body was soaking wet, ... draughts of cold water were no longer any good, and so we would begin to fight our weariness with singing. “Sing with us,” my uncle would say. (Camara Laye’s “The African Child”) About the Passage This simply written dialogue is used to portray some of the following story characteristics in building a story: persons, feeling, conflict, and environment. Work out why the author uses dialogue in these story lines. Get your study partners’ attention on this. Do you find dialogue challenging to employ? Have you not yet quite recognised the great value of dialogue in story writing? Do persist in its use to soon overcome your barrier of fear. Some among you are already known to produce a better variety of stories. Something to Do 1. Write a short story based on any interesting thing that has happened around you. Use some purposeful and sprightly dialogue. 2. Allow your study partners to offer informed comments when you are sure your writing is complete.
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The shocking tooth
TOOTH sensitivity following placement of a filling is fairly common. A tooth may be sensitive to pressure, air, sweet foods, or temperature. Usually, the sensitivity resolves on its own within a few weeks. During this time, avoid those things that are causing the sensitivity. Pain relievers are generally not required. The general reason why teeth may become sensitive after being filled is because of the drilling and cutting of nerves which are done during preparation of the cavity for filling. Remember, the tooth is alive and needs some time to heal, but there are several other explanations for pain around fillings. For example, there may be pain you experience when you bite down, which may be observed soon after the anaesthesia wears off and continues over time. In this case, the
filling is interfering with your bite. You will need to return to your dentist and have the filling reshaped. Then there is pain when your teeth touch. This pain is a very sharp pain that occurs only when your teeth touch. The pain is likely caused by the touching of two different metal surfaces (for example, the silver amalgam in a newly filled tooth and a gold crown on another tooth with which it touches). Sometimes the teeth may even be some distance apart. The two metals form the poles of a “battery” with the saliva being the electrolyte. The pain is really from galvanic shock generated by the resulting electrical current. Sometimes the pain disappears by itself after a week or so. If the decay was very deep to the pulp (nerve) of the tooth, there might be a “toothache” pain. This response may indicate that this tissue is no longer healthy or the body has not reacted as it should. In either case, a root canal treatment is required. Then there is what is known as referred pain. With this type of pain, you experience pain or sensitivity in other teeth besides the one that received the filling. With this particular sensation, there is likely nothing wrong with your teeth. The filled tooth simply passes along “pain signals” it is receiving to other teeth. This pain should decrease on its own over one to two weeks. Allergic reactions to silver fillings are rare. In fact, there are less than 100 cases reported in over two centuries, according to the American Dental Association. In these rare circumstances, mercury or one of the metals used in an amalgam restoration is thought to trigger an allergic response. Symptoms of amalgam allergy are similar to those experienced in a typical skin allergy and include skin rashes and itching. Patients who suffer from amalgam allergies typically have a medical or family history of allergies to metals. Once an allergy is confirmed, another restoration material can be used. Constant pressure from chewing, grinding, or clenching can cause dental fillings to wear away, chip or crack. Although you may not be able to tell that your filling is wearing down, your dentist can identify weaknesses in your restorations during a regular check-up. If the seal between your filling and the tooth enamel breaks down, food particles and decay-causing bacteria can work their way under the filling—this is called seepage or recidivism. You then run the risk of developing additional decay in that tooth.
Decay that is left untreated can progress to infect the dental pulp and may cause an abscessed tooth. This can lead to terrible pain, loss of the tooth and even death from Vincent’s angina or encephalitis. If the filling is large or the recurrent decay is extensive, there may not be enough tooth structure remaining to support a replacement filling. In these cases, your dentist may need to replace the filling with a crown. New fillings that fall out are probably the result of improper cavity preparation, contamination of the prepa-
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ration prior to placement of the restoration or a fracture of the restoration from bite or chewing trauma. Older fillings will generally be lost due to decay or fracturing of the remaining tooth structure. Finally, whatever undesirable symptoms or doubts you may have after having a filling done, its best to check back with your dentist.
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