Guyana Chronicle Pepperpot E-Paper 10-07-2022

Life in

Mora Village

We continue this week with a visit to another riverain community: Mora Village, located up the Mahaicony River, Mahaica-Berbice (Region Five). In this photo, residents are travelling by boat to go about their daily business. (Carl Croker photo)

Sunday, July 10, 2022

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

Businesswoman promoting good mental health through multiple initiatives

AISHA ‘A/TayJAH’ Jones is a full-time creative artist and entrepreneur who wears many other hats. Throughout all of her endeavours, though, one major commonality is present. It is something that she feels strongly about and thus tries to intertwine in all of her undertakings. It is the big subject of mental health. The 29-year-old, known as a dancer, poet, musician, and photographer, has more recently invested in a fashion brand called ‘Raggarebel Style and Fashion’ and another business called ‘Smudging White Sage Products’ which produces botanical herbs that are used for boosting mental health wellness. The fashion business, launched during the pandemic in 2020, focuses on Guyanese and West Indian culture, “highlighting a common culture we have, which to me, is the ‘ragamuffin’ culture,” Aisha related in an interview with Pepperpot

Local creative and entrepreneur Aisha Jones

Aisha is known as a dancer, poet, musician, and photographer

Magazine. “The tagline is Different Vibes, One Tribe’ and the slogan, which has been

trademarked, is ‘Stay above the Lows’ [and] is targeted towards mental health wellness and bringing more of a

positive approach to such an issue through fashion and style,” she explained. The store, online for now, features an assortment called the Guyana Patriot Collection with images that were taken by Aisha’s photography business, The’EyeART’. It highlights street life and the everyday life of a Guyanese in a “beautifully graphic way.” The items in this collection are meant to be long-lasting wearable souvenirs that promote a sense

of pride when promoting Guyana. As for the ‘tees’, Aisha said they do not easily wrinkle or tear because of their quality. “So it’s a forever piece once you buy something from Raggarebel.” Aisha aims to put out designs that are new and fresh every month, thus making them limited editions. “So collectors and customers would have more value added to their purchase, should they decide to gift, trade or resell.” Regarding her ‘White

Sage’ business, Aisha said she sources her herbs from overseas and wants to take the business to another level by looking to see if she can have them grown locally. However, she has to take into consideration the climate and other factors. “I have a farm in California, and I ship in a fresh bundle every month to sell; I have it in different sizes, different blends,” she offered, noting that she learned about the value of the herbs through social media and from interacting with people who use them. Empathetic The struggles that Aisha has been dealing with motivated her to use her energies toward promoting good mental health. “I thought about what I wanted to leave behind as an artist. Being in a population with mental health SEE PAGE XXII

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

New programme by aspiring public health specialist geared at ending stigma and discrimination TWENTY-NINE-YEAROLD Laurel Seales, an aspiring Public Health Specialist, has developed a passion for queer health education and is now developing a project geared towards training medical students and healthcare workers within three of the country’s biggest public health institutions on LGBTQ+ care provision. Seales, a member of the Global Shapers Community - Georgetown Hub and an Alumnus of the U.S. Department of State - Youth Ambassadors Program, has been into volunteer work for most of his life and wants to contribute to the reforming of Guyana’s public health system to ensure that everyone receives the necessary information and services to increase their overall wellbeing. Based on his own research, Seales has found a high prevalence of STDs and other diseases among the LGBTQ+ community simply because of a lack of information. “A lot of people don’t know how to get to the information they need, and many of them are not comfortable in approaching public health institutions because of stigma and discrimination,” he told Pepperpot Magazine recently. “People are hesitant to go to public institutions to get the care that they need and of

Aspiring Public Health Specialist Laurel Seales

and health information. One other component of the project will comprise various training sessions among final-year medical students

health needs and better ways to communicate with members of the LGBTQ+ community in the healthcare setting,” Seales shared.

Degree in Youth and Community Development at the University of Guyana. In addition to the lack of friendly, free and non-discriminatory access to healthcare services by the LGBTQIA+ community in Guyana, he has found that there is also a lack of universal provision and education on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PREP) “which research has shown has a 99.9 percent rate of reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community.” He believes the issues identified can also be addressed through programs for medical students that offer substantial depth and training in multiple aspects of healthcare for LGBTQ+ patients, with the goal of increasing the number of LGBTQ+ competent medical professionals both regionally and nationally. The training will provide modules and didactic courses geared at educating medical professionals on topics such

With a member of his club

course, if you’re not willing to go, then you’ll neglect the signs and symptoms that will make your condition worse,” he continued. He is partnering with local LGBTQ+ support groups and organisations as he intends to bring awareness to

issues uncovered through the medium of social media and the creation of LGBTQ+ friendly virtual spaces that promote, educate and provide the public with meaningful and necessary health information, particularly the use of Pre-Exposure prophylaxis

Conducting a training session with young people at the U.S Embassy

An exchange U.S. Department of State - Youth Ambassadors Program that Seales participated in

and health workers within the various target institutions: the Georgetown, West Demerara Regional Hospital, and New Amsterdam Hospitals. Fifty healthcare workers across various departments will be trained at Georgetown Hospital, whereas 25 each from the two other hospitals will receive the specialised training, along with 30 final-year UG medical students. “These training sessions will seek to educate students and workers on best practices, specific to LGBTQ+

Meanwhile, Seales has been a youth leader and volunteer for the past ten years and has since developed a great passion for youth development and public health. After leaving high school, he received training from the Government of Guyana in medical laboratory science and served at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory and later the National Blood Transfusion Service. He then began in medical studies at the Greenheart Medical University while also pursuing a Bachelor’s

as Trans health, communications skills, gender and sexuality and overall LGBTQ+ competent care. “Discrimination within public healthcare settings can prevent LGBT persons from accessing the care they desperately need due to verbal or physical abuse within these facilities, or even breaches of confidentiality. Because of such discrimination, a significant proportion of LGBTQ+ persons either seek healthcare rarely or not at all,” he pointed out.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

How a love of driving turned into an entrepreneurial venture

DARYL Peters was once a taxi driver by profession, but when the job stopped reaping sufficient economic benefits for him, he decided to go in another direction. Because he loved to drive, he decided not to go too far from his previous work, so he decided to teach others how to drive. So in 2014, he started the Defensive Driving School, initially focusing on teaching persons to drive manual cars. Today, Peters is proud of how far his business has come. “We are the only driving school that teaches manual driving. We are the only

driving school accredited. We are also the only driving school that teaches manual and automatic driving as well as learning how to ride motorcycles,” Peters proudly explained in an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine . Peters stated that persons who undertake lessons with his driving school are exposed to critical knowledge, and once they pass, they would have had a joyous learning experience. Peters said that the school caters for not only the practical aspect of driving, but also the inclass sessions. Peters added that some-

times it could get a bit tough and recalled the experience of one woman who gave up in the middle of her lessons. He also noted the experience of another person, whom he described as having a great fear of the road, but after much talk and motivation from him, she had learnt after a period of time. “The thing that I do to motivate my students is to basically talk to them, like I would in a brother-to-sister conversation to get them to feel comfortable, while at the same time, giving them the assurance that ] you got this, you can do this’,” Peters said

Owner and Director of Defensive Driving School Daryl Peters (Carl Croker photos)

One of the vehicles used at Defensive Driving School (Carl Croker photos)

during his interview with the Pepperpot Magazine. Additionally, he noted that his recent certification of a trainer of trainers course makes him stand out. He is also licensed to drive all the classes of vehicles in Guyana. Peters added that he has completed a shield driving

course with the Guyana Police Force, but more specifically, the Presidential Guard. Added to his portfolio, he is a certified mechanic and a heavy-duty vehicle operator. Motivation and Incentive packages As an incentive and a further boost to your confidence, Peters noted that he tells his

students that if they could perform certain functions as required while leaving to drive, he would give an incentive package as a reward for the confident effort. “At the end of the course, I give my drivers a certificate and a key ring at the end of the course,” Peters told the Pepperpot Magazine. While noting that 98 percent of students are females, he reports that the business has grown because of the students. “ When you come to the Defensive Driving School, a premium is placed on learning. When a driving school can put a guarantee to training, you know that you are dealing with the best. Persons are requesting us in Berbice, Essequibo, Linden to start training, but we must strengthen Georgetown first and then move on,” Peters told the Pepperpot Magazine. He assured that he wants his school and staff to focus on results, thus addressing the weak areas of the students or, as he puts it, addressing the clients’ concerns so that quality results can be achieved . He declared that, like all other institutions, there are down days, but according to him, the business is accelerating in this time, now that things are back to some sense of normalcy.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

Life in Mora Village NONE of Manuwatie Panday’s six children was born at a hospital. The older folks in the Mahaicony River, known as the village nannies, had come to her aid each time she was in labour, especially as she did not have her mother around to help. Although she found it an amazing experience though, to this day, she still remembers the pain of labour. But the village nannies, who operated on a payment arrangement, made things easier. “The nannies were so gentle and would cuddle you as if they were your own parents. They would cook and wash for you until nine days,” she recalled in an interview with Pepperpot Magazine. These were not trained nurses but persons who were experienced. “They would

according to Panday. Arranged Marriage When she heard her elders discussing her marriage to Drishtanand Panday (now deceased), who was one year her senior in school, she thought to herself, ‘anyone but him.’ They fought in school and he was not very nice to her. “But one day, my father told me that he didn’t think he had long more to live and that he wanted to marry me before he passed away. I would cry my heart out when he would tell me those things,” she recalled. So at age 20, she was married to Mr. Panday. “Three months before, as we were preparing the wedding, my father said he felt he was going to get a stroke in his head. I got

Back in the day, Panday said travelling by canoe was the only option available

anything but lazy. He was always helpful around the home, she said. Driving the Tractor Now 72 years old, Panday still drives the tractor in the backdam as she aids her sons in their work of farming. Born and raised in a family of farmers, she learned from her father how to drive the tractor when she was still very young. A resident of Water Dog Creek, on the left bank of the Mahaicony River, she reflected on how she’d go with her father in the backdam to mind the cows.

That’s where she learned everything about farming. “My husband and I did rice farming for a living. He died four years now, but I still go in the backdam with my sons to help.” “I would drive up the tractor and go to where my sons would end up while they would work the spray cans. I would have to look to see when they would raise their hand for me to stop,” she explained about the role she plays in the backdam. Panday attended Karamat Canadian Mission School, which is now Karamat Primary School. One of the oldest residents in the com-

Manuwatie Panday (Carl Croker photos)

come to your home and work for you. Even though none of them was trained, no one ever died in their care. You would pay them, and they would do this service for you.” The nannies came early in the morning and left in the afternoon. During the day, they’d help to cook, wash, pick up and fold the clothes, and then leave to do the same again the following day. The arrangement worked well,

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married on that Sunday and, by the Tuesday, he got a swing head, had a stroke and before he reached to the hospital, he died,” Panday shared. This was just two days after her wedding on July 21, 1970. Although hesitant at first, she is happy that she went along with her father’s choice for her as Mr. Panday turned out to be a wonderful and supportive husband who was

Panday is still driving the tractor to this day

munity at the moment, she couldn’t share exactly how Mora Point got its name, but she knows for sure that Water Dog Creek was named after the many waterdogs that so often come up on land when the water in the river is high. “I asked my father why the other side of the river bank has a different name to where we lived and he said there was a big Mora tree near the health centre, along with a few others in the community. So the place was named after that big tree. And there [were] a lot of waterdogs when the flood come; you would see them playing. Recently when the

flood was there, you would see them come up on the land biting the fish they catch,” she shared. According to her, the community had a lot more people back in the day and so a lot of the trees had to be cut down to help them construct their landings. Over the years, she couldn’t help but notice the many changes that her community has seen. “We were coming with canoe; only one outboard was available to take the children to school. Now we have schools, health centre, and police outpost.”

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

Happy for part-time work Housewives making most of job-sharing initiative

By Telesha Ramnarine RESIDENTS in communities along the Mahaicony River are happy to be beneficiaries of one of the smartest and most practical measures recently announced by the Government of Guyana – the provision of parttime employment to several persons in need of work across the country. Vi c e - P r e s i d e n t , D r. Bharrat Jagdeo, had said that roughly five billion dollars would be spent on the payment of stipends for an

women who are involved in the initiative: Nandodrie Mangru, of Pine Ground: I am a mother of four. My husband does boat work. I am usually at home. He alone works; sometimes he gets work and sometimes he doesn’t. I am happy about the part-time work; at least you can come out and work and get something. It’s a one-year job. I feel so good about it; that I can support my husband. Rohini Deosaran, 25: I am a mother of two. My husband does watchman Roneka Ram

Rohini Deosaran

Nandodrie Mangru (Carl Croker photos)

estimated 11,000 persons who will benefit from the initiative. The income from such an engagement is $40,000 for 10 days of employment per month. The Pepperpot Magazine caught up with several women at the building which houses the Gordon Table Nursery and Primary Schools. With school now closed, the women were busy doing general cleaning of the building. They are required to work for four hours a day, five days a week, on a fortnightly basis. They explained that there are two groups of workers who would take turns each week to get the work done. Here are the comments of some of the

work at the pump; only that. I am home with the chores and the kids. You have to try; it’s very hard. We are happy for this job to assist us. To go out and come in with the gas situation is very hard now. Everything is getting harder. We would go out for once a month to buy food. We are now working on the school and when school re-opens, we will work outside, cleaning up the yard and digging drains, etc. Roneka Ram, 27: I am a mother of two from Pine Ground. I am from Wales, but I married and came in here. My husband is employed at the government pumping station, but the cost of living raise so high that the little bit

Regina Sookram

money he works for can barely make ends meet. The parttime job is really something good. I am happy for the opportunity because you’re at home all the time and when you finish your work, you have nothing else to do, so at least you come out, and when the month reach, you have some money to collect. You don’t have to depend on your husband money alone to make ends meet because things very hard now. Regina Sookram, 30: I have four children, including a 15-year-old who is sickly. I get public assistance for him, but the expenses are too many. It’s expensive to get out on the road. When you

go out and come in back, by the time you buy some pampers and medication, the money is finished. The other children are 16, 12, and 11. My husband catches fish, but when the rain falls, you don’t get a lot of fish. Whatever little you get, you have to accept; what are you going to do?

Somowattie Charandeo

Somowattie Charandeo, 30: I am a mother of four. I have one child in high school and one writing exams. My husband is a labourer; he would do any kind of work. His work is not steady. I’m glad for this work because you know something will come in; there is nothing more to get

anywhere. We have to make much with the little that he gets. All the foodstuff gone up. The boat takes $5,000 to go out and $5,000 to come in and then the taxi from the Green Mill to go out to the Mahaicony public road is $2,000 one way. Because it’s so hard, we don’t really get out of here.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

Glad to have a job! Meet some of the delightful women at Mora Point Health Centre

By Telesha Ramnarine FRANCINE Charles had never worked a day in her life since she got married and moved to Pine Ground,

nate enough to find a job she knew how to do. With job opportunities very limited in these parts of the country, the mother of four was happy to take up a cleaning job at the

Naomi Singh

in the Mahaicony River, 11 years ago. Economic hardships, though, became too many to bear, thus forcing her to get a job to support her family. It wasn’t too difficult for her because she was fortu-

Mora Point Health Centre. Originally from Moraikobai, a village further up the Mahaicony River, Francine chose to use her time as a housewife to adequately care for her husband and children, ages 11, seven, five, and

three. But when the floods struck last year, destroying the family’s cows, ducks, chickens, fruit trees and other plants, it seemed as if their lives were turned upside down. “My husband plants rice, but now he cannot do so. We usually get two crops per year but couldn’t get that since last year, so it’s very hard because that’s what we depend on. I never worked before until recently when I had no other choice than to support him in making ends meet,” Francine told Pepperpot Magazine in an interview at the health centre lately. “I decided to take a chance and come out to work because things are very hard,” she continued, ever so happy that her mother-in-law has willingly taken up the task of lovingly caring for the children in her absence. Almost in tears, Francine spoke about what she described as an unfair situation that has bothered her ever since the flooding, where she alleged that the bigger farmers were the ones to benefit from the government’s relief measures. She has no issues with the government itself

but criticised the people who were chosen to overlook the initiative. Her husband received $100,000, but the other benefits promised were not given to her family, although she said many who hardly suffered losses got the bulk of the benefits. “We still call them, and they keep telling us they will look into the matter. It’s very sad that the poorer class of people cannot get access to whatever the government is giving,” she expressed. Francine tries not to dwell on the situation and instead focuses on how she can assist her family, especially on getting her children the best education possible. “I plan to give my children their education and support them. We bring them to school every day, whether rain or sun and try to help them

Francine Charles

er, the 21-year-old did work study at the Mahaicony Hospital after completing CXC and then trained at the West

Hemawattie Jadunauth

with their school work and assignments.” Meanwhile, Francine’s colleague at the health centre, Hemawattie Jadunauth, is a 21-year-old Community Health Worker (CHW) who has been serving the community for the past three years. A resident of Yarrow Creek, right there in the rivThe staff of the Mora Point Health Centre (Carl Croker photos)

Demerara Regional Hospital for six months as a CHW. Growing up, she wanted to become a nurse, mostly due to the experiences she gained caring for her sick, bedridden grandmother. She was just about ten years old when she had to do almost everything for her grandmother. “Now, I am here

The Mora Point Health Centre

at the health centre helping people on a daily basis. We look after patients in the community. We don’t turn back anyone. We see about three to five persons coming. I love looking after people, including babies, and being able to interact with them and give advice,” she shared. Naomi Singh, of Water Dog Creek, located on the left bank of the Mahaicony River, is another CHW who supports the health centre. Her mother works as the sweeper/cleaner for the Mora Point Nursery School and her sister is a trained teacher there, so together, they all come to work in the morning and leave together. (The nursery school is located a stone’s throw away from the centre.) Due to circumstances, Naomi said she didn’t do well at CXC but was very happy that she could still be of service to the community as a CHW. “I really love it here. I am very proud of how far I’ve come because I didn’t pass my CXC but I got this job and I am really happy to be here.”

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

Rain or shine

– Nothing will keep the pupils of Karamat Primary from attending school By Telesha Ramnarine THE folks at Karamat Primary School in the Mahaicony River, including Headmistress Youlanda Simeon-Cummings, are grateful for the measures that are in place to support education in the community. Still, they woulde specially appreciate if the authorities could pay some more attention to the remote areas so that learners can be able to develop holistically. Simeon-Cummings has been in the teaching profession for 27 years, the last four of which she has been serving as headmistress. Orig-

Presently, the school has 26 pupils. The catchment area for the children attending there is from Bara Bara to Pine Ground, both locations along the Mahaicony River. Almost every family has a boat, so the parents would usually drop the children off in the morning and return for them in the afternoon. For as long as Simeon-Cummings can remember, there have been talks about a contract for constructing a road leading to the school. At the moment, the dam becomes slushy and slippery in the mud, making the commute difficult for the school children. If the weather is

The condition of the road, though, does not deter the children from attending school during rain, thus their performance level is like that of any other school. “We have highfliers, some average and some who are low performers, so it’s not much different from the coastland,” Simeon-Cummings, who was kind enough to come out to the boat with her long boots to speak with reporters, offered. “They are not fully exposed to some of the activities that would take place on the roadside. Sometimes, because of the remoteness,

Youlanda Simeon-Cummings has been in the teaching profession for 27 years

an all-weather road, she said the school doesn’t benefit from a supply of water from Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), which means that they would have to depend heavily on rain or from the water in the creek. “We have a well in our compound and we would pump up water from there; we will purify it or buy distilled water for the kids.”

Before coming to Karamat, she was in the senior leadership team at Number Five School, guiding and

supervising teachers. She plans to engage in further studies to achieve the required criteria for employment in the Measurement and Evaluation Unit of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD). “I want to become one of the officers at NCERD, she expressed, adding, “This unit ascertains the performance of learners and deals with testing and achievement performance. So after being in the teaching profession for so long and would have helped so many learners and teachers along the way, I want to see some of the barriers that would have affected performance of learners and see what I can do to aid in the delivery of standardised tests and assessments.”

Measurement and Evaluation Unit

An all-weather road is needed to help children attend school

inally from Number Nine Village, West Coast Berbice, she joined three other teachers at the school -- two from Mahaicony Creek and one from out on the road.

inclement, they’d have to attend school without shoes or wear long boots. When there is brilliant sunshine, though, and the dam is dry, they can use their footwear.

they are not allowed to attend some of those activities, but punctuality is great. We don’t have any challenges with that,” she continued. Apart from the need for

Headmistress Simeon-Cummings and Temporary Qualified Master, Class Three, Harnarine Naraindatt, were kind enough to come out with their long boots

Although it was not her dream to become a teacher, she opted to get into the profession due to circumstances. Her mom being a teacher, would have encouraged her to pursue the field. “In the countryside, there are not too many job opportunities, so after I finished school, mom said I should join. Today, almost three decades later, Simeon-Cummings has no regrets. “I have grown to love it,” she said. Having started at Number Five Primary School, West Coast Berbice, she ended up at Karamat due to a promotion. “Being an administrator and sharing your knowledge and guiding teachers under your charge, over time, you just grow to love what you do,” she continued.

Whether rain or sun, the children at Karamat Primary will attend school (Carl Croker photos)

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

‘It was hard in those days, but it was fun.’ – Rice farmer Krishandat Manickchand recalls ‘young days’

By Telesha Ramnarine KRISHANDAT Manickchand has worked hard all his life. As a boy, he’d wake up at 04:00hrs each day to help his father milk the cows. He’d then take the animals to the backdam and help to sell the milk, all the while hurrying so that he could finish in time to attend school. Rain or shine, this was the daily routine. From Governor’s Lyte, along the Mahaicony River where he lived, Mr. Manickchand would walk 30 to 45 minutes to get to the Karamat Primary School. “A boat to take me to school was a luxury in those days; people were poor,” he shared during an interview with Pepperpot Magazine, as he gestured to show how he’d instead have to run to school when he was late from his duties on the farm. “We had to milk the cow so we would get money to buy food. My father and mother had to go in the fields after milking the cows. When you were late, you had to run to school. It was hard in those days, but it was fun,” the businessman, now 74, shared. But the caring teachers

After milking the cow and selling the milk, Manickchand would make his way to the Karamat Primary School

Krishandat Manickchand (Carl Croker photos)

back in the day made things so much easier for the children. They genuinely cared and were some of the best in the profession that Mr. Manickchand said he’d ever meet. For instance, the teachers made uniforms for the children and kept them at the school so that any child who fell down in the mud on their way to school or got wet in the rain, would have been able to change into clean uniforms to attend classes. At the end of the school day, they would change back into their own uniforms, which had already been washed and dried. “You had wonderful headmasters in those days;

people who had the children at heart.” After primary school, Manickchand went to Georgetown to attend the Guyana Oriental College on Thomas Street. He’d eventually do some teaching after high school but returned to do what he knew best: rice farming. “I taught for a while, got married, set up a house in Georgetown and then came back here and did rice farming. I love farming; it is what I was born and raised in,” he related. His children - Jaya, Priya and Anil – were all in town pursuing school and univer-

sity. So it was a sacrifice for Manickchand to be away from his family for work, but one that was definitely worth it. Over the years, things have gotten better, and there have been improvements in the community. “It would have been totally different when I was a little boy; no roads, all bushes, but it has developed quite a lot. People farm, and they get more money and do more clearing and now they are putting in roads,” he observed. The area is still very remote, though, as the river continues to be used a lot. But in spite of the difficulties and limitations, Manickchand pointed out that quite a few notable personalities have come out of the communities along Mahaicony River. “This area produced some doctors and lawyers as the parents were very interested in educating their children. Quite a number of us went

to high school, and some of us came back here and did farming. The area has now become a skeleton area due to migration and other factors,” he said. According to him, when there’s flooding, it’s very difficult to live in the area. “We get flooding twice a year and that makes it difficult; you lose everything. The area still produces rice and we have cattle but there’s a difficulty finding labour, but I think that’s something throughout the country.” Proud Father Mr. Manickchand endured the hardships of living and working in a remote area because he said he didn’t want his children to have to go through the same. “I went through some of the hard times and didn’t want my children to go through that, so I worked hard to educate them. I had to burn the mid-

night oil in the fields, sometimes through rain. I believe that nothing falls from the heaven; you have to work. If you want to get something in life or want to do something for your children, you have to work,” the proud father expressed. When he looks at his children today, he feels that it was all worth it. “I feel fortunate to be their dad today. I remember when Priya [Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand] was going to the University of the West Indies, I had a little get-together right here and when she was leaving the afternoon, she said, ‘Dad I’m going to make you proud.’ She went and got her law degree, and she did make me proud.” As much as he loves rice farming, Mr. Manickchand has handed over the business to his son. He’d still go to visit the animals in the backdam though.

“A boat to take me to school was a luxury in those days; people were poor.” –Manickchand

Although not doing a lot of work at present, Manickchand would still visit the animals in the backdam

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

A wonderful weekend

THE clay all over my body, including my face, reminded me of my childhood days at this same spot on the beach in my hometown. I was not aware of the benefits of clay on the skin back then, but now I am intentional about applying it. This natural spa was part of the Living with Intention Retreat in Bartica last weekend. I started that retreat with a select group of women a few years ago to relax, reflect and recharge. Over the last two years, we all have had our challenges and need to rejuvenate our mind, body and soul, and the ladies I invited were excited. Since my early teens, I have travelled to my hometown on the big boat, which takes hours, and it was awesome. We had a party to celebrate Sherica’s birthday with cake, wine and we sang for her. Imagine, I sang too! lol I was sharing my fond memories of my travels to Bartica

with my family and stopping at Fort Island stelling to buy roasted corn and dhal puri on the way. In those days, we had about three stops along the way for people to come on and get off. This changed since then, and my friend Phillipa who lived in the US for 40 years, was intrigued by the way a small boat pulled up at the side of the big boat, and the people skilfully disembarked. From all reports, the retreat exceeded these phenome-

nal women’s expectations, from the early morning meditation to breakfast on the boardwalk, fishing on the pier, swimming in the river, dancing the electric slide, miniature golf, zip-lining at the Backyard Resort or allowing the water from the falls to massage your body. We had the opportunity to interact with some of the ladies from the women in action group, and we will be collaborating on some community empowering projects together. Next week’s column will give you more details, but I will share the ladies’ comments with you. “It’s said if you’re the smartest person in a room, then you need to change the room. It was such a heartwarming experience being a part of the Retreat to Bartica. It created a sisterhood amongst a very diverse group of women. I also learned so much just listening to the various conversations and also formed a Business alliance with one of the women. Bartica is like an undiscovered gem. The people are amazing, and the town and its environs are also beautiful. The waterfalls are breathtaking. The fresh cold water felt so wonderful rushing along the current. Made you just want to lie back and relax, forget about the outside

world. In all the trip was rejuvenating and very therapeutic. Can’t wait for my next visit.” Ziningi Ngqondo “ It was a holiday weekend filled with excitement, relaxation, meeting new people, gaining new friends, visiting new places and rediscovering Bartica in a way I never thought possible. The ambience of Bartica as a town is breathtaking. The boardwalk, the karaoke, the restaurants and bars, and the people of different races intermingling in a way I envisioned Guyana to be were remarkable. Special shout out to the owner of the Backyard Resort for his hospitality, creativity and innovation and most of all, the ring slide. Bartica to me is now the new destination for tourists and also Guyanese.” Jenifer Tomside “This retreat with miss Sonia Noel and team was so awesome from the time we arrived in Bartica. The atmosphere was great. Meeting the ladies from the Women in Action group was a plus, and we had so much fun together. We dined, laughed, danced, and shared old-time stories. I felt so relaxed and was excited for the adventure of the next day.” Natasha David “Meeting amazing women like myself was the first to begin with. A trip to Bartica with these wonderful women was altogether an unforgettable experience. Real connections were made, and friendships began. Meeting hospitable Barticians, a clean environment, peacefulness, beautiful scenery were just some of the experiences I enjoyed, and every second was worth it. This trip allowed me to escape the busy world we all live in and was able to take a breath and enjoy the smallest, simplest yet beautiful moments of life. Today I am and feel much more at peace, inspired, focused and ready to take on what life has to offer me as I continue my journey as a make-up artist. I’m happy the way life has led me to someone who inspires me, Ms Sonia and all the other sisters that I met along the way!” Sherica Ambrose “The trip to Bartica opened up Guyana and the warmth of the Guyanese people in a completely new way. Meeting both female and male leaders who were excited to discuss future ventures to tap the untapped potential of the region was truly inspiring. I am very happy that I took the trip and look forward to my return visit.” Phillips Morrish “My trip to Bartica will always be a memorable one due to the fact that I got to spend it with some wonderful ladies, some of whom I met for the first time and felt as though I knew them for some time now, Sherica for example. It was hard to capture all of the moments and breathtaking sites! But I would always remember the smiles and laughter we shared. Bartica is one of the places I must visit again because it was hard to capture all the wonders in one trip! I am grateful that I had the opportunity to travel to this paradise in a tucked-away location.” Latoya Barton. We all need time out from our regular routine, and it helps was to be more productive. We have one life and I encourage us to be intentional about making it our best life as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

XI

WHEN CREATIVE TALENT FALLS, THERE IS A LESSON THAT SHOULD BE LEARNT

TROY Nero, aka Troy-C, went too soon. He fell into the barren landscape of options for creative expression in a real earning capacity in Guyana. With frustration, he went to ‘BIG BABYLON’ as the Rasta jargon defines America, only to discover that I was not lying to him when I told him that the line to get into the North American Music Industry is like the gates of hell. It is paved with many promising whispers of good intentions but with a line in-waiting, as long as from Georgetown to Rosignal, no shortcuts, with each enticing bridge filled with trolls ready to steal your creative ‘Soul.’ Troy C, Major Jobe, Lil Mandela and Buster were among numerous others all evolved in the explosive creative era of the early 90s, but like abandon offspring, the laws of Guyana ignored, and let them go. They were not the first explosion. There were others in the 60s, 70s and 80s: Jonny Braff, Mark Bryan, Otis Holder, Aubrey D’Aguiar, the incredible duet of Pamela Maynard and her mom, Sach Persaud, Sammy Baksh and Barbara Sookraj, Aubrey Cummings, Family Teach, Popular Jacob, Kenny Lawrence, Rita Forrestor and a host of others before and after. These include top talents in the formal classics, folk and concert musicians, singers like Sheila Grenardo and Lennox Greaves, the formidable Woodside Choir and numerous others in the echelons of ‘popular culture’ music, captured in the competing top ‘String bands’ and likewise, on stage to professional pianists. The lack of a projectionist vision by both state and organisational efforts by influential artistes created a no man’s land of non-activism that could not bring expectations into the reality. Also the mixed-up values of conflicting “ism’s” prevented the evolution towards the creation of a viable all-round ‘MusicCulture Industry’. The classic social hit that introduced Troy-C to the Guyanese audience was performed at a show that had a top leading Jamaican Artist in 1993. Troy-C was against the usual trend of mild reception for the local artiste. That was the standard programme. Troy, on this occasion, took the audience off their feet, with a robust response, from the first burst of the song ‘kill de Gal’ “Gal na want no man with no 4x4 – She prefer settle down with a man that is poor. One Friday night down in a Guyana is serious thing tek place in front ah Tower. When they all and pull up in 4x4 runner. Dump out Monica Reece and start move faster…” the song was an instant hit, rolling off the tragic but popular (cold case) murder in the air at that time. I had access to Troy-C, Major Jobe and other artistes. They were not without procedure flaws, but more so were the promoters who recognised that artistes were functioning outside of the legality of performing contracts. Thus, anything could go. Pay or no pay, or any kind of pay, of which there was no recourse to any local legal precedent to protect the artiste. Concerning the latter, in the case of the former, there was no commitment to pay what was formally agreed to. Excuses could be made and a negligible amount extended, regardless of frowns of disappointment. With the artistes, they incurred too much expenses in fashion presentation, towards dress ware for stage and did not recognise that they were, in many cases, even more expensively dressed than the featured Artiste. It would take years for that flawed trend to change. I worked with another group who had brought in Barrington Levy for a Christmas Night show. One of the promoters was a longtime friend, so I told him from experience what to expect with the Artiste payment arrangement. He shrugged it off. But the night in question, they would indeed learn that Levy’s people were not playing the GT thing of paying the advance and then counting on ticket sales to pay the balance. Backstage, Levy’s manager insisted that the other part of the contract had to be paid before, or the artiste was not going on stage. Confusion and plenty of phone calls followed as a grumbling National Park crowd grew into uneasiness. The crowd was sizeable but not enough at that point, so money was borrowed, Levy was paid, and the show went on. These were first-time promoters, and they learnt a viable lesson. My friend swore never again, but the truth stands that there was not enough research, experience, or the logic of simple preparedness executed to cover the entire programme.

When Troy-C told me that he was leaving Guyana in frustration, I also told him to observe the Jamaican artistes, who would go to perform across the world and, upon completing that gig, would proceed back home, where he was domiciled. Hardly any Reggae artiste brought here, came from Jamaica directly. Most would have performed in French Guiana, Surinam etc., then proceed to fill the GT bill. The travel economics was always a priority. Troy-C didn’t listen. Obviously, closed doors in Guyana, where an artiste’s song could be played on Radio, sold on cassettes, and he would receive no royalties, were not inspirations but forced intense frustrations- not for Troy alone. But I had emphasised that in America, one had to be literate enough about systems etc. Troy Nero was born on April 1, 1968. He passed through a conflict with a young lady in NY City on September 26, 2016. He left a daughter, and volumes of creative work, to which currently, his brother Wayne is the custodian. I’ve advised him to PRS this work before release of any kind. Final farewell does not have to mean ‘forgotten’.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

Socially inept

I HAD a concerned parent reach out to me about her child being socially inept and does not want to seek professional help for it. Being socially inept involves lacking confidence, competence or skills within a social setting. These individuals have difficulty socialising, carrying on a conversation or accurately reading people’s moods or

the room entirely. There are many reasons why this may occur; some mild as being introverted and some a little more severe like social anxiety or being on the autism spectrum. In either case, some things can be done to improve these skills. She asked me to write this piece for him, and I also hope it will help any of you who may be

struggling with it. The first and most important part is to identify if you are in fact, socially inept. The following are some warning signs: Socially inept individuals are not very familiar with both the spoken and unspoken rules of social interaction. It’s not always that they dislike having conversations with others. It’s just that they

may not know how. Some can come off as “rude” when in fact, they’re just unaware of what they’re doing. A common missing trait in this type of individual is empathy, which many do not realise is a key component to socialising and building meaningful relationships. This makes reading the room or the specific emotions of individuals difficult. More specific experiences are if people often misunderstand your jokes or take offence, you can’t handle awkward silences and feel the need to fill any, you overthink everything before speaking, have difficulty maintaining eye contact during conversation, often mentally replay social interactions and feel embarrassed, or there is overcompensation in a conversation where people perceive you as arrogant. Now, if you would like to increase your social skills, there is good news; you are not alone, and you absolutely can. Social skills are just that- skills and like any other skill, to enhance it, we need to practise over and over and improvement does not happen overnight. We can start with the basics of conversation that I think people forget. If someone is telling you something, let’s say a story, it means something to them, so you already have their attention. All you have to do to start is listen. A trait of socially inept people is that they tend to be bad listeners. They tend to think about what they should say next while others talk. It’s just part of the social anxiety aspect. Socially apt people, on the other hand, focus their full attention on the story, clearly show that they are listening and making eye contact, ask questions after to cement their listening ability and interest and then share a relatable story to keep the conversation flowing. There is a practice called the IFR method, which stands for Inquire, Follow and Relate, and it allows for a natural flow in conversations. For example, Inquire would be a question such as “What do you do?” Follow would

be an interesting follow-up question when they give you an answer. If they say, “I am a columnist”, an interesting follow-up would be “What kind of topics do you write about” or “is it difficult coming up with topics?”. Finally, Relate means you share something relatable which validates their story, such as a time you tried writing or a columnist that you enjoy. This is a great way to add value to any conversation and future relationship. When practising other skills, we often have someone in the field whom we look up to and want to be like. This is the same- do you have someone in your life that you would like to mimic? Pay attention to them and see what they do differently. What are their conversational or socialising habits/skills? How do they start or end conversations? What’s their body language like? If you feel comfortable enough with them, there is no shame in asking for their help. There is a saying which goes, “Copy the masters until you master the craft. When you do, that’s when you can develop your own style.” Learn to build a rapport. I’ve heard people casually use the term rapport as if it just means creating a good conversation or relationship, but it has a deeper aspect. To build rapport means to be able to adjust to acting in whatever way is appropriate to the situation, a difficultly for socially inept individuals. It may seem very normal to many of us where we don’t even notice it. For example, we automatically act differently around our grandparents than we would our friends. However, bringing forward different parts of our personalities at certain times or around certain people is not so automatic or even easy to some. If this is difficult for you to do on your own at first, it helps to mimic others’ behaviours in that setting, one that seems to suit the majority. Increase your ability to empathise as this is highly important during socialising

and relationship building. This takes a lot of time, but there are specific things you can do and continuously practise, such as listening attentively, asking questions and showing genuine curiosity about what you are told. Use open body language such as facing your body toward the individual and eye contact, find similarities between you and that individual and voice them, avoid judgement and make sympathetic or encouraging statements whenever the situation calls for it. A tip that aids in self-improvement is adjusting your mindset to a more positive one. If you feel socially inept, you will be likely to have negative, self-deprecating thoughts. Your wanted improvements will come faster if you change these thought processes. For example, use rational thinking and change the thought of “That was such a stupid thing to say” to “Everyone says mindless things sometimes and they probably are not thinking about it anyway” or “Everyone is judging me” to “Most people are too focused on themselves to notice me.” More than getting people to like you, try getting them to like being around you. These are actually not the same thing as there are many people that I love, but I don’t like to be around often and some people that I don’t like but do often enjoy their company just because of their energy. This means adding enjoyment to the moment and having the right energy and attitude for the people and the environment that you are around. Another pro tip, especially when meeting someone for the first time, is to call his/her name often. I am really bad at remembering names, even if they are just said to me, so I try to repeat it right as it is said to me, so I hear it twice and have already said it once. This makes people feel noticed and special. An author Dale Carnegie said, “a person’s name is to that person, the SEE PAGE XVI

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

WIDENING AND BUILDING CONNECTOR ROADS IN GEORGETOWN AND EAST BANK ARE PART OF COUNTRYWIDE CONNECTIVITY PLAN

RECENTLY, Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, reported on a road widening and road-building drive his Ministry would be effectuating in Georgetown and East Bank Demerara. With rising incomes, more and more young persons are beginning to own motorcars, which has led to traffic jams, and an increase in traffic accidents, which results in a loss of valuable time. The widening of roads and the building of short connector roads are part of the wider Infrastructural Development Programme of the National Development Plan. All Development Plans regard the connectivity of the country as a sine qua non. For example, going from the Coast into the Hinterland to such areas as Lethem or the mining areas could be done only by air which is expensive and consequently limits developmental possibilities. Road connectivity would literally be breaking open the door of the rich Interior. When the United States was being developed with the railroads providing connectivity with the Prairies and the far West, the injunction to youth was “Go West, young man”; in Guyana, our equivalent would soon be “Go South, young man”. Unlike with the United States, one of the main objectives of Development is to bring the interior inhabitants, mostly Amerindians, into the mainstream so they could enjoy the goods and services and other facilities only coastlanders now enjoy. Two services which would be a great boon to interior inhabitants are educational and health services. The critics of the road connectivity programme who claim it is useless and a waste of money need to analyse its short and long-term effects, including its social effects. A survey has been done of the Georgetown and East Bank

The Georgetown roads to be upgraded have all been identified. For example, LaPenitence Road and Saffon Street, which lead into Albouystown and High Street will be transformed into three-lane roads while Cemetery Road will be widened to four lanes leading to the Back Road. Similar widening would be done on the road bordering the Russian embassy. In this road renewal programme, a number of provisos must be considered. The first of these is that all roads should have secure road shoulders. If road shoulders are not secure, the road will begin to crumble and break off from the sides. Brickdam, the oldest street in Georgetown, was started by the Dutch and continued by the British. When Mr. L.F.S. Burnham was President, he had Brickdam completely rebuilt. The mora slabs laid as part of the foundation were dug out and a great amount of concrete and steel was used for the new foundation. When it was complete, it was the best-built road in the City, except it had no continuous shoulders. The absence of shoulders has caused the sides of the road

Demerara road systems and the bottlenecks and choke points have been identified. These would be relieved by widening the roads and building short connector roads. The choke points at Grove and Eccles on the East Bank Demerara are examples. The Grove to Success road would be paved all the way to the Cheddi Jagan Airport. Also, tenders are soon to be issued for the paving of the Soesdyke - Linden highway.

to gradually break off. Accordingly, it is necessary to either seal the sides as was done in Main Street by the Trinidadian contractors or to have the sides merge into compacted earth. There are

other streets in the City where compacted earth shoulders could prolong their life. The Ministry of Works must closely liaise with the M&CC and the Ministry of Housing to make it a requirement for the large multi-storeyed buildings which are being constructed in Georgetown to have the bottom areas of the buildings and the space at the back of the building reserved for parking. These massive strucSEE PAGE XVI tures are commercial entities

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MY LITTLE TULSIE TREE

SIX O’CLOCK in the morning and the dawning

of a new day. Like the warmth of a

smile, the sun’s ray continued the celebration of life. The

sounds of crowing roosters, twittering birds, and the awaking aroma of breakfast wafting in the air were morning in the countryside. I was standing at the gate of my grandmother’s garden, the grass still wet from the early morning’s dew, my bare feet feeling cool to the touch. It is, my grandmother had said, a heavenly gift, the dew and drinking a few drops in the morning was good for the body. I wasn’t sure about that and come to think of it I wasn’t sure of many things she said or believed but I always went along with her stories, real or superstitious for she was an old woman, wise to the world. I knew when I was old enough and more learned, I would be able to separate the true from the make-believe. I picked a leaf from the hibiscus plant and drank the few glistening dew drops, letting my heart believe this was true. She lifted her head and saw me, “Aarti, yuh here already, come, chile.” She was standing between the rows of tomato plants, carefully harvesting her crop. It was why I sometimes come early, to help her, before I go to school, for she had to walk half of a mile to the local market to sell her produce. She was a hard-working woman, for all the twelve years of my life; I knew her jolly, cheerful and a little cranky. Her brown eyes with flecks of green always seemed to have a smile and she eluded a grandmotherly charm that seemed to pull me like a magnet. I don’t know, but there seemed to be something very special about her that I wasn’t sure of, a kind of power she probably inherited that came from the gods. She had a great passion for gardening, it was her love, her life and though her children didn’t share her passion and my brothers and cousins only came by for the fruits, I somehow bonded with her. I loved to listen to the stories of the Mahabarat, of plantation life, the little she knew of her mother’s life in India, mysteries and superstitions of the British and Dutch.

I guess, maybe, it was because I loved to read and had a very curious mind and even though, my brothers would make fun of her tales, I always listened fascinated for in between were precious words that gave life its value and real meaning, words that came from a generation older than her. She sang snatches of bhagans as she worked and at the sound of the sugar estate whistle, she packed my basket with celery, thyme and tomatoes for my mother and said, “Go, now, chile is time fuh school.” As I made to leave she called me back and put a small leaf in my hand, saying, “Is a tulsie leaf, a little blessing fuh yuh as yuh study today.” I sat in class wondering about the tulsie leaf, what kind of blessing can it bestow on me, for today was a big maths test. I really was not good at the subject and I simply did not like it, but I had to somehow conquer the world of Mathematics and totally forgot about the tulsie leaf in my hand as I worked. I wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but I scored a B+ on the test paper, something I never did and I seriously opened my heart to the fact that the tulsie plant had magical power. “All it tek,” my grandmother said, “is ah little belief.” I smiled and hugged her, the dear old woman, strong and wise, a gem of the past that helps light the road of the future for the young who cared to listen and the crankiness that always brought laughter. On my thirteenth birthday, she brought for me a nicely wrapped present and my second brother whisp e r e d , m i s c h i e v o u s l y, ” What she bring dis time, de skeleton of a cat?” ‘’Stop it,” I said, slightly annoyed. The last birthday she had brought for me a few books that had seen better days, from a box under her bed, the skeleton of a little lizard in one of them and a dead spider. Those books of poems were of great value, my teacher had said, written by old Indian poets, long dead. I opened my present and there in a clay pot was a little tulsie tree. The boys tried not to

laugh, but laugh they did and she said something to them in Hindi that they didn’t understand and I was quite sure it was not something nice. I thanked her with an affectionate kiss and together we planted my little tulsie tree in my garden. Time went on and I developed into a young woman of virtue and dignity with deep belief as I watered the tulsie tree every morning as the sun rose and say my prayers. I prayed for all those close to me and for those who needed it and today, I prayed for my friend, Damien, the pastor’s son, who was very ill, with a heart problem. Some days I read to him from the old book of poems and he would touch my hand and smile weakly and one day he said, “Aarthi you are a really good friend and though we have different beliefs, still pray for me.” I looked at his mother standing by his side and she smiled at me, tears in her eyes. I lent him a book of poems with a tulsie leaf between the pages, the morning he left for surgery. A few weeks later, as I stepped into my garden, early the morning, he was standing by the gate, a big smile on his face, to return my book. My heart exulted for him, for prayers, for belief and for that wonderful old woman, my grandmother, who taught me so much. One morning, I did not see her in her garden and she did not answer when I called. It was with deep sadness in my heart when I touched her almost cold hand and saw the light in her eyes, slowly going out. She held my hand and whispered my name and I felt that little sensation of something strong and pure entered my being as life left her body. The sun didn’t shine for me that morning, nor did I hear the birds singing and as her pyre was lit, my tears flowed for a loved one, now gone, sad that I will see her no more, happy for the time I spent with her. All I learnt that enriched my mind, blessed for the touch of power she imparted to me and the one thing, I will cherish in her name, the special gift of my little tulsie tree.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

The Caribbean supporting regional oil production? OIL production, at least within the Caribbean region, appears to be a complicated discussion where the region’s energy needs are balanced with its vulnerability to the harsh effects of climate change- of which the petroleum industry is a notorious contributor. Caribbean leaders spent much of the last few days engaging each other on critical issues affecting the people of the region. Among those issues emerged the need for regional energy security efforts, given the challenges (including rising prices and shortage) stemming from the Ukraine/ Russia crisis. That plan, if finalised in the coming months, could see Caribbean countries harnessing the abundant oil and

on the natural environment for sustenance. Guyana, for example, is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels; the increased water level threatens a vulnerable coastline where most of the population lives. Even so, it is logical to conclude that the global dependence on the resource constrains efforts to slow or stop oil production. Profits, too, if we’re being honest. But the situation is not so simple for small, developing states- like us here in the Caribbean. First, there is some historical context to consider. Caribbean historian Professor Verene Shepherd has said that the ecological crisis the Caribbean is confronted by has historical underpinnings.

land degradation caused by the monocropping of sugar and mass deforestation that led to the loss of valuable, protective forestry. The production of sugarcane, research Professor Shepherd referenced, has led to the loss of species and habitats. But even now, there are interesting factors to consider. Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the Financial Times reported, said that it should be a conversation on equity; developing nations need the revenues from oil and gas sales to protect their countries from the harsh effects of climate change and to fund the transition to the use of more renewable energy sources. Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, during a recent interview with the News Room, echoed similar

gas resources in Guyana and Suriname to meet the region’s energy needs. Trinidad and Tobago’s experience as a producer should also be harnessed. I think oil production and its adverse impact on the environment are well understood. Continued oil production globally will contribute to global warming and disproportionately impact small countries threatened by constant natural disasters and whose people depend largely

She explained that the geographic location where the Caribbean nations have been established is vulnerable to natural disasters- earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and volcanic eruptions. All of these are in one small region. The professor also underscored that our ancestors were “forcefully transported” to this region so that their labour could be exploited to enrich the European powers. Geography aside, however, she draws attention to the

sentiments, emphasising that developing nations need the “space” to exploit their natural resources and fund their development. Belizean Prime Minister John Briceño, the outgoing Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), also believes that Caribbean countries should be allowed to produce these resources because they have long practised environmental stewardship- even when developed SEE PAGE XVI

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WIDENING AND BUILDING CONNECTOR ROADS IN ... FROM PAGE XIII

and all of the persons utilising them have motor cars which they expect to park on the roads occupying one of the lanes and so narrowing the road. This requirement of using the bottom areas of multi-storeyed buildings needs to be quickly enforced, or the full success of the Ministry’s efforts at road renewal would be hampered. The population has already completely rejected the idea of parking meters, and parking lots have to be controlled in their charges and have to guarantee the safety of customers’ cars and should be within easy distance of the customer’s destination. There is a scarcity of space in the downtown areas for parking lots. Another improvement that could be made to the road renewal project is to have bays at the sides of the roads where vehicles which have broken down could be pushed. This would prevent impeding the flow of traffic. Finally, the aesthetics of the roads should always be kept in mind, such as having garbage collection containers, planting various flowering trees, building walkway pavements, bicycle racks and other modern improvements.

The Caribbean supporting ... countries used oil and gas to, literally, fuel their development. Though these calls could be seen as reasonable, let’s not forget that the actual production of these resources can lead to harmful ramifications. Aside from the harmful emissions released when oil and gas resources are burnt, an oil spill, for example, can wipe out entire marine ecosystems- killing animals and plants, and disrupting livelihoods for some (like fisher folk). All that said, the region seems intent on supporting oil and gas production within the region- because it just seems fair that way. While that happens, I think it is important for such efforts to be made with the utmost environmental safeguards in place- lest the Caribbean suffer much more than it already has. If you would like to connect with me to discuss the column or any of my previous work, please feel free to email me at: vish14ragobeer@gmail.com FROM PAGE XV

Socially ... FROM PAGE XII

sweetest, most important sound in any language.” Say their names often during the conversation, validating their existence. When you are saying goodbye, say their name again when doing so. Chances are, you will be the most memorable person they talked to. Finally, remember that awkward situations happen to everyone, probably more than you realise. Stop being afraid of making mistakes if you want to stop being socially inept. Mistakes happen to everyone and if it happens to you, let it happen and see it as an opportunity to learn. Research actually shows that embracing your imperfections makes you more likeable. This is called The Pratfall Effect, and it explains how small clumsy mistakes can humanise you and make you appear more relatable and likeable. Like any other skill, take the time to practise these and don’t be too hard on yourself. Thank you for reading and please continue to send topic suggestions to caitlinvieira@gmail.com

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, July 10, 2022

SEE PAGE XVIII

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MANAGING YOUR WASTE – COMPOSTING PART II LAST week, we talked about composting and its many benefits to the environment and plant health. We also shared the basic items you’ll need to start your compost, including your kitchen and yard waste and a turning device such as a shovel or a pitchfork. This week, we’ll go into detail about making and harvesting your compost and share a few tips on how to fix common issues with your pile/heap. How to compost 1. Start your compost pile on bare earth. This allows worms and other beneficial organisms to aerate the compost and be transported to your garden beds. 2. Lay twigs or straw first, a few inches deep. This aids drainage and helps aerate the pile. 3. Add compost materials in layers, alternating moist and dry. Moist ingredients are food scraps, tea bags, seaweed, etc. Dry materials are straw, leaves, sawdust pellets and wood ashes. If you have wood ashes, sprinkle in thin layers, or they will clump together and be slow to break down. 4. Add manure, green manure (clover, buckwheat, wheatgrass, grass clippings) or any nitrogen source. This activates the compost pile and speeds the process along. 5. Keep compost moist. Water occasionally, or let the rain do the job.

6. Cover with anything you have – wood, plastic sheeting, carpet scraps. Covering helps retain moisture and heat, two essentials for compost. Covering also prevents the compost from being over-watered by rain. The compost should be moist but not soaked and sodden. 7. Turn. Every few weeks, give the pile a quick turn with a pitchfork or shovel. This aerates the pile. Oxygen is required for the process to work, and turning “adds” oxygen. You can skip this step if you have a ready supply of coarse material like straw. Once you’ve established your compost pile, add new materials by mixing them in rather than by adding them in lay-

ers. Mixing, or turning, the compost pile is key to aerating the composting materials and speeding the process to completion. If you want to buy a composter, rather than build your own compost pile, you may consider buying a rotating compost tumbler which makes it easy to mix the compost regularly. Managing your compost Air - Air is necessary for organic matter to decompose in an aerobic environment. This will result in fast, odour-free decomposition. If there is a lack of oxygen in the compost pile, it will begin to smell like rotten eggs. Aerating will eliminate odours and speed up the decomposition process. Air can be incorporated into your pile in a couple of simple ways: Turn your pile with a pitchfork or shovel or use a special aerating tool. Turning the pile will also help the composting by mixing in new material. Heat - If a compost pile has enough water and oxygen, a good balance of material, and enough volume, temperatures in the pile may reach above 55C. The optimum range is between 30 and 60 °C. This heat is the result of the work of the micro-organisms that are decomposing the organic material. Higher temperatures mean more work is being done. The compost pile should feel warm or hot to the touch when you dig into it. Temperatures of 55C SEE PAGE XXI are desirable because they

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MANAGING YOUR... kill weed seeds and speed up the composting process. The temperature will rise to its highest at the beginning of the decomposing process, dropping to approximately 30°C. Moisture - Moisture is needed to maintain composting activity in your pile. The micro-organisms that decompose the organic matter need moisture to move around and break down the material. A good rule of thumb is to keep your pile about as moist as a well-wrung sponge. A good

way to test the moisture level is to take some compost and squeeze it in your fist. You should get a couple of drops of water coming through your fingers. If the pile becomes too dry, composting activity will slow down and eventually stop. Adding moisture to the pile is easy: use a hose or watering can. Turn the pile as you add water to allow for an even distribution of moisture. Troubleshooting your compost Unpleasant odours from your compost pile? This can be a concern in urban and suburban areas with small lots and neighbours living close by. Reduce or eliminate odours by following two practices: first, remember to not put bones or meat scraps into the compost; second, cover new additions to the compost pile with dry grass clippings or similar mulch. Adding lime or calcium will also neutralise odours. If the compost smells like ammonia, add carbon-rich elements such as straw, peat moss, or dried leaves. Flying insects attracted to your compost? Small fruit flies are naturally attracted to the compost pile. Discourage them by covering any exposed fruit or vegetable matter. Keep a small pile of grass clippings next to your compost bin, and when you add new kitchen waste to the pile, cover it with one or two inches of clippings. When is compost ready? Even though material is constantly added and the pile is often turned, a layer of finished compost will be formed towards the bottom. This finished layer can be harvested by removing the unfinished layer from the top and setting

it aside. The finished layer can then be taken out, and the unfinished layer placed in the bottom of the bin. In order to remove materials that have not completely decomposed from the finished layer, sift the compost through a framed piece of metal screening. The screen may be 7mm-21mm (1 / ¾ inches) depending on the desired coarseness of the compost. All of the incompletely decomposed materials can then be thrown back into the composter. Using compost before it is ready can damage plants. Undecayed “brown” materials in the soil can temporarily reduce plant-available nitrogen. Undecayed “green” materials can harbour pests and diseases. Immature compost can also introduce weed seeds and root-damaging organic

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acids. Compost is ready when: * it smells earthy, not sour, putrid, or like ammonia; * it no longer heats up after it is turned or wetted; and * it looks like dark soil; it is crumbly and not identifiable as food items, grass, leaves, etc. Give composting a try and do your part to save the environment. We guarantee that you’ll also enjoy seeing your plants bloom. For more information, visit https://www.

epaguyana.org/epa/resources/booklets/download/12-booklets/135-composting-booklet-updated. You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O Communications, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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Businesswoman promoting good mental health ... This ‘tee’ is a part of Aisha’s Guyana Patriot Collection

FROM PAGE II being a great issue…I personally struggled with it to the point of being suicidal with multiple attempts that have failed.” Thankfully, she is now at a place where she said she has more peace of mind than when she was a young adult. “I am very empathetic towards life and people due to my own circumstances. I felt I needed to promote mental With her mom, Paulette Paul (now deceased) wellness through something and I started doing so through fashion. I felt like if we don’t find a way to alter the mindset of our young people and help nourish their mental health, we’re going to lose [them],” she expressed. Recently, Aisha lost her mother, Paulette Paul, a former radio personality and retired PRO of the University of Guyana. Naturally, her passing especially took a toll on Aisha’s mental well-being as it was always just the two of them. “I was her only child and we were living together. This year has been the most challenging. Dealing with the emotions of being without her and stepping up to be a full adult and taking over everything…” Aisha has struggled with her mental health since she was a child. “I was not sure of who I was supposed to be. Dealing with society’s view of my sexuality and then going through it with my mom…My mom and I have been through a lot in terms of her seeing me for me and then having to re-love who I really am and not her idea or her expectations of me. I am really proud of the fact that we were able to grow through it and were at a good place, a much more peaceful place, when she died.” To top it off, Aisha said she was also dealing with a toxic relationship for several years. She did a lot of self-counselling, and it was the year 2020 when she felt like she was able to regain her balance and take control of her life.

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY That out of sight is out of mind Is true of most we leave behind. ARTHUR HUGH (1819-1861) Song CLOUGH s in Absence, That Out of Sight

July 10, 2022 STUDY SUCCESS

Dear Student, Welcome dear friend. Today we proceed with more insights into comprehension or understanding what you read. It really is a complex series of skills which, at this stage, you must show mastery. Can you peruse writings of poetry, drama/play, essay, short story, novel, article, and non-fiction and recognise main idea, anticipate outcomes, grasp author’s plan and intent, distinguish between fact and opinion, recognise character traits, understand figurative language; recognise mood, implied meaning, and relationships of thought? Do keep persevering. Love you. IMPROVING WRITING Writing about historical things The short story is a vital opportunity to score high marks at your Language examination, and mastery of this writing skill cannot be overemphasised. Here is someone telling about something historical. Read, analyse, and probably take pattern of it for your own writing. Reading the story about three times before you begin to check its features against the pointers following, should be good enough for this exercise: Setting: This makes time and place be readily understood by the reader. Characters: These are the persons in the story. Foremost is the protagonist character with much strength and at least one weakness. He or she faces a conflict caused by the story’s antagonist. There could be other characters by name only or with just a slight description or mention. Dialogue: Meaningful conversation which makes characters seem real. It helps to build up the story. Plot: An event near the beginning gets the story going. The foreshadowing technique can be used in this position to create suspense. Events place the protagonist in deep trouble. The climax is the turning point and most exciting part of the story. During the falling action, all remaining questions are answered. Style: The beginning of the story is made interesting to the reader. Apt description of characters and setting makes the story seem true to life, though only important details in each aspect are described. Let the language you use be suitable for the story. Use a sizeable percentage of Standard English structures

to show mastery in using that skill. Now, look at this ensuing story written about historical things or happenings. Once upon a time an innocent prisoner was condemned – for his religious beliefs. – to die by the cruelest tortures of the Spanish Inquisition. After the strain of the long trial, the prisoner fainted. Black-robed figures carried him unconscious – down – down – down far below the surface of the earth, into a dungeon where the mind of man had excelled itself in devising fiendish implements of torture. When he regained consciousness, he examined his surroundings. On the walls were grotesque carvings – figures of imps and demons – and on the ceiling was the figure of Father Time, pictured, as usual, with a scythe. Suddenly he observed something startling about the figure. Father Time’s scythe was a pendulum! The sharp blade was descending inch by inch - and he lay, bound securely, directly in its path. Now the full meaning of his sentence was clear. He was to die by the cruelest of all tortures, mental torture; for his was the anguish of watching death approach by slow degrees. Down – down – steadily – steadily down. Hours passed - perhaps days – he had no way of knowing; and still the pendulum descended. Nearer and nearer and nearer, until he could feel the rush of the swift blade as it swept past. Now the blade, as it passed, cut the folds of his garment. One more stroke and it would reach his heart…. About the Passage This writing is an example when treating stories with a far away setting of long ago, and where the vocabulary might be beyond some young writers preparing for examination. This is a teacher’s made-up story to provide a thumbnail background on the Inquisition and its extreme cruelty to persons called heretics. She told only the first part of the story - with dramatic flourish created by her pauses. Were you drawn into the setting and characters? Maybe you needed to find the meanings of some terms and a website, or the relevant history book or stories based upon the inquisition to help you, but let us not get too deep into the historical facts. What to Do You too can go back into history right in this part of the world. Do some reading up and plan your story of interest. What is being reinforced here is that a story can be written based upon facts. Discussion with your study partners

should help you further. THE PASSAGE One morning shortly after breakfast, Ahab, as was his wont, ascended the cabin gangway to the deck …Soon his steady, ivory stride was heard, as to and fro he paced his old rounds, upon planks so familiar to his tread, that they were all over dented, like geological stones, with the familiar mark of his walk… But on the occasion in question, those dents looked deeper, even as his nervous step that morning left a deeper mark. And so full of his thought was Ahab, that at every uniform turn that he made, now at the mainmast and now at the binnacle, you could almost see that thought turn in him as he turned, and pace in him as he paced; so completely possessing him, indeed, that it all but seemed the inward mold of every outer movement. “Dye mark him, Flask?” whispered Stubb, “the chick that’s in him pecks the shell. Twill soon be out.” The hours wore on – Ahab now shut up within his cabin; anon, pacing the deck, with the same intense bigotry of purpose in his aspect. It drew near the close of day. Suddenly he came to a halt by the bulwarks, and inserting his bone leg into the auger hole there, and one hand rasping a shroud, he ordered Starbuck to send everybody aft. “Sir!” said the mate, astonished at an order seldom or never given on shipboard except in some extraordinary case. “Send everybody aft,” repeated Ahab, “Mastheads, there! Come down!” ... “What do ye do when ye see a whale, man?” “Sing out for him!” was the impulsive rejoinder from a score of clubbed voices. “Good!” cried Ahab, with a wild approval in his tones; observing the hearty animation into which his unexpected question had so magnetically thrown them. “And what do ye do next, men?” “Lower away and after him!” “And what time is it ye pull to, men?” “A dead whale or a stove boat!” More and more strangely and fiercely and glad and approving, grew the countenance of the old man at every shout; while the mariners began to gaze curiously at each other, as if marvelling how it was that they themselves became so excited at such seemingly purposeless questions. …. (Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick”)

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Temperature-taste tie

TOUCH the tip of your tongue to an ice cube for a few seconds. If the flavour starts turning salty, you’ve passed the thermal taste test. Such an experiment exemplifies the finding that the temperature of the tongue tempers taste. Specifically, researchers have discovered that heating the tip of the taste and speech organ evokes sensations while cooling it produces sour and salty flavours. In other words, depending on the temperature of your food, you can consider whether the meal is tasty or not. The temperature-taste tie could help explain how the brain is told what the tongue is experiencing, said study authors Alberto Cruz and Barry Green of the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CN. They described the first evidence that warming and cooling regions of the tongue can produce tastes. While previous electrical recordings of taste nerves had pointed to their sensitivity to heat and cold well as to chemicals-scientist puzzled over whether the brain interprets such terminal stimulation as taste or as temperature.

flavour. To a salt-sensitive person, for example, an ice cube held to the tip of the tongue will begin to taste salty after a few seconds. The study is significant in at least three ways: First, thermal taste answers a very long-standing question about the temperature sensitivity of the taste nerves and indicates that the (central nervous system) interprets this stimulation as taste, not as thermal sensation. Second, the phenomenon raises several questions about the

New research showed cooling the tongue tip about 15 degrees Celsius below normal mouth temperature produced a sour taste. Chilling it another 10 degrees elicited a salty flavoUr and rewarming it induced a sweet taste sensation. While some of the 16 subjects noted no difference, the researchers said many others reported a surprising “clarity and strength” in the effect. Researchers have absolutely no idea about the mechanism underlying the phenomenon. These findings remind us how little we know about the coding of sensation in the oral cavity. How the nervous system filters out activity due to changes in the temperature, pH, and various concentration gradients from those associated with tastes per se remains somewhat mysterious. Understanding how the nervous system is fooled into registering a temperature change as taste may help us understand some basic taste coding processes. Knowing that manipulating the tongue’s temperature can produce the same gustatory effects as chemicals provides clues to the physiology of taste. It was discovered that specific tastes could be produced by temperature stimulation, just as certain chemicals can evoke only certain taste qualities. The implication is that the tongue’s receptors that respond to chemicals have properties that also make them sensitive to a change in temperature. Furthermore, the receptors that respond to cold and heat likely are not uniformly distributed since the thermal taste differs on different parts of the tongue, the tip being the most prone to perceive sweetness, the side, sourness, and the back, bitterness. Thermal taste probably does not affect the taste of most foods and beverages because the temperature conditions that produce it are rarely encountered during eating and drinking. When they are, the chemical taste of foods and beverages tends to mask thermal tastes. Frozen foods and desserts provide the best opportunity for determining how thermal taste can influence

physiology of taste. Most notably, what is it about transduction mechanisms for the types of temperature change? And third, the differences in the incidence of thermal taste on different parts of the tongue and across individuals indicate a great deal of diversity in taste innervations. Finding out more about this diversity should provide important new information about how the taste system works and how the perception of taste varies from person to person.

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