Guyana Chronicle Pepperpot E-paper by Guyana Chronicle

SUNDAY, October 11, 2020

Seeta Dalloo uses yoga to promote her mental, physical and spiritual well-being

By Marissa Victoria Foster

EETA Dalloo hails from the closely knit community of Blairmont in West Berbice. She is a devoted Hindu and for as long as she can remember, she has been attending Mandir. This helped her to develop the love she now has for her culture. It was here where she managed to join and be a part of multiple organisations and take part in numerous cultural activities. Seeta specialised in traditional dance, music, drama and even martial arts. She also performed on stage for various cultural and religious events. Her background is deeply rooted in cultural engagements, but it was only recently she learned of the art of yoga. She developed a keen interest in the practice and gravitated towards it. “The benefits I experienced from yoga were not just physical, but also mental. I realised that whilst consistently practising yoga, I found a new avenue for relaxation and gaining control over my mental state, especially in stressful situations.” Seeta said that yoga helped her physically by maintaining a good and healthy physique, while it also made her more aware of any bad or unhealthy habits. “I became more mindful of my diet and as such, I was able to feel more confident about my physical appearance and overall well-being.” Growing up, she has always been passionate about the mental and social development of children. This is evident in her areas of study, as Seeta is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work at the University of Guyana. “Since I’ve known of the importance of a sound Seeta Dalloo and well-rounded upbringing, I’ve been passionate about providing the same opportunities to children. I came to the realisation that many opportunities are not readily available where I am from. With this in mind, I recognised that the platform that I have as a member of the Blairmont Hindu Youth Organisation, it is ideal for implementing and introducing classes where I can engage with children and teach them the different cultural activities I would have had the opportunity of learning at a young age.” These activities, inclusive of yoga, will aid the children in character-building by helping them to develop self-esteem, foster self-confidence, and communication Seeta Dalloo and two of her yoga students skills. This will definitely practising the Vrksasana (Tree Pose) benefit them throughout their lifetimes. Weekly classes were held where the children were engaged in different

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2020

extra-curricular activities such as music, dance, yoga, etc. Due to the pandemic, classes were discontinued. However, Seeta and the Mandir recently created a youth group on Facebook to keep the children engaged. She strongly believes that yoga can be used by children to better their life experiences and mindsets. She wants others to recognise the importance of maintaining a healthy (mentally and physically) and spiritual lifestyle throughout this pandemic. This yoga devotee urges all to grab a mat and some comfortable clothing, stick to a schedule that suits and practise some simple yoga and meditation methods. For beginners to yoga, she suggests that they practise some simple asanas (poses); Trikonasana (triangle pose), Vyaghrasana (tiger pose), Balasana (child’s pose), Padmasana (lotus pose), Ustrasana (camel pose) and the Bhujangasana (cobra pose). According to Seeta, Surya Namaskar, also known as Sun Salutation is a very common yoga practice. It is a routine that she practises every day and she finds that it can be very helpful in many areas. It comprises 12 postures which engage different parts of our bodies; aids in reducing bodily tension, breath regulation, and stimulating our central nervous system. Research shows that Surya Namaskar also has positive impacts on our psychological and emotional states. Despite being a full-time student and employee, Seeta still finds time to practise yoga every day. She believes the best time to practise is during the sunrise, as it is a great way to start your day. Yoga has helped her and the children in the community of Blairmont to remain focused, calm and healthy during this global pandemic with social restrictions—she hopes it can do the same for you too.

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Owner of Wax Wonders Saleena Hack.

By Jared Liddell

ANDLE making can be a simple and relaxing activity, and many persons take up this form of creativity as a hobby, this was the same for the creator of Wax Wonders, Saleena Hack. The young entrepreneur recently started her candle business, which creates handmade scented soy wax candles. She told the Pepperpot magazine that her journey with candle making started about a year ago as a form of relaxation, adding that creating the candles and the scents allowed her the opportunity to also express her feelings. She stated that the varying scents, mixes and colours represented what she was feeling when creating them. Hack said that initially there wasn’t a plan to have a candle business, she would only make candles for herself and family members and would always get comments from persons asking where she got her candles. Soon she decided to take her recreational activity to the next level. A lack of time hindered her from progressing on a large scare, but that time and a renewed desire to live her passion was realised during the COVID-19 pandemic. “After covid [started] I had a lot more time, so I started working on more recipes and making sure I got all my packaging, my containers, and my labels.” The key was to deliver a quality product. Hack said that although it was easy to get her business up and running there were challenges that she faced in its initial stages. “After the COVID pandemic shut down everything we just has to think about other ways to get the candles to people. We would hop in the car and go take the candles to people’s homes, their workplaces and so on. And we had so much support my first batch was sold out in a shorter time than I expected.” Hack further stated that in figuring out what types of candles she wanted to produce she landed on Soy way candles due to its Eco- Friendly nature. Wax Wonders presently produces six scents including, blueberry cheesecake, caramel latte and apple spice. Another scent, pumpkin spice was created for the season of fall with Halloween in mind.

Additionally Hack would look to merge her talent in poetry and candle making. “It’s going to be personalised poems, so if maybe it’s your significant others birthday or an anniversary I would have a specialised poem…And it’s not just about romantic connections. There would be poems that would just uplift you and make you feel calm or rested and there will be a scent related to specifically that feeling.” The Wax Wonder aromatic candles can be purchased at KAOS at the Giftland Mall, as well as through the businesses Instagram page @waxwonders_gy.

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Guyanese group of ‘Shapers’ making significant contributions to impoverished communities

By Telesha Ramnarine WHEN the team made its first trip to Paramakatoi, an indigenous community in Region Eight (Potaro/ Siparuni), it was stunned to see that the children all wore a string around their necks with a pencil tied to it. This was essentially to keep them from losing the one and only pencil that would have to take them throughout the term. At this point, many of the selfless and hardworking young volunteers of The Georgetown Hub – Global Shapers, were convinced that their efforts to volunteer their time and energies were well worth it. And so for six years now, the local group of 24 volunteers has been work-

Hard at work preparing for the distribution of books and stationery to schoolchildren. The Georgetown Hub was established in 2014.

The group co

ntinues to do

ing to better the lives of youths across various parts of Guyana who may be disadvantaged in one way or another. Big on their agenda too are mental health issues, literacy and women empowerment. Born out of the World Economic Forum, the Global Shapers Community is a network of inspiring young people under the age of 30 working together to address local, regional and global challenges. With approximately 10,000 members, the Global Shapers Community spans 400 city-based hubs in about 200 countries. The current members overseeing the Global Shapers Guyana arm are Curator Leota King, Vice Curator Daryl Watson, and Outgoing Curator Richard Leo. It

its bit to help

better comm

w a s founded by George Asafa, Rosh Khan, Hubert Forrester, Yaphet Jackman, Ryan Hoppie and Venus Persaud. Leo, who is especially fond of working with people to help them develop themselves academically and otherwise, also joined the body because he saw it as a way to further develop himself. He spoke to the Pepperpot Magazine recently about some of the work that the local arm of the organisation has put in since its establishment, including its signature ‘Headstart’ Project which was able to impact the lives of approximately 300 children in the outlying regions of the country. “Current shapers are a diverse group of people com-

unities.

ing from all walks of society and from all six races of Guyana, and the members include lawyers, investors, students, dentists, project officers and teachers. Our values are passion, integrity, service, co-operation and commitment,” expressed Leo. According to him, it was those children who could not otherwise afford to attend school or acquire stationery that was helped under the ‘Headstart’ Project, which had its genesis at Paramakatoi. “So every year we would give them a backpack with books and stationery. Now with the pandemic, we are SEE PAGE XX

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From cake lover to

artistic baker

Owner of Satisfyingly Sweet, Shavane Smith.

By Jared Liddell

THE love of complex, beautiful and tasty cakes and cupcakes have pushed a young entrepreneur to launch her own business— one which is complemented by her appreciation for

food art. Shavane Smith is the proud owner and baker at Satisfyingly Sweet. The young entrepreneur who works fulltime as a General Manager of a private company stated that she has always had a sweet tooth, which

resulted in her mixing and matching different flavours of cakes. Despite having an assortment of goodies at her disposal and a niche market for the taking, the 23-yearold wanted to perfect her craft, so she opted to take

cake-decoration classes. “I was passionate about these things, about cakes and cupcakes; I like seeing the colours of the frosting and the fondant and the intricate designs that the bakers and cake decorators envision and

bring to life. I love it and I was really passionate about baking, so I decided to give it a try.” Smith stated that she launched her business in October last year and was very excited to showcase

Satifsyingly Sweet’s Minecraft Creation.

her creations and to work with customers to bring their visions to life. She added that getting that first order all finished and delivered gave her “butterflies” as she saw the excitement in the eyes of her first customers when they received their colourful and tasty treat—this motivated her to work harder. Satisfyingly Sweet creates cheesecakes, cupcakes, and several six and eightinch cake flavours including Oreo, strawberry, salted caramel, passion fruit, and Irish cream bailey. Smith said that her plan was to create cakes that were not available in Guyana. Due to her desire to take her creations to a higher level, she opted to buy the best-quality equipment. “It was difficult at first, mainly because I had to import the equipment and templates and so on, but I didn’t let that stop me., I said it’s something I love and I just waitSee page XVII

By Vishani Ragobeer

T seems as though there is scant regard for the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 in Guyana. Wearing a mask (and wearing it properly) is not common and physical distancing is a myth, apparently, in too many places. Yet, COVID-19 continues to infect persons and claim lives almost every day. For me, personally, this scant regard for a very real virus and the pandemic is disap-

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2020

pointing. I was scheduled to return home in May, but instead, I came back at the end of September. During that time, I had to follow the guidelines and protocols initiated by the Trinidad government. And I am not exaggerating when I say that it has been a culture shock for me (a strange reverse culture shock, at that) returning from Trinidad, where it is very rare to see someone without a mask. I use public transportation to get to work; I have to take two buses to get to the office. Each time I go into a mini-bus, I

look around to see who is wearing a mask and who isn’t. There has not been a single time I have travelled that all passengers were wearing masks. Today, the driver of the first bus I took wore his mask on his chin and was talking to another man in the front seat throughout my entire journey. He did not have a conductor either, so he was collecting the fare and interacting with many people. Even with these adventures in public transportation, the stark reality of COVID-19 hit me when I was doing a Vox Populi (a ‘man in the street’), along Regent Street. After speaking to the second vendor, I made my way to another woman who was selling soft drinks and water on the pavement. I found out that she contracted COVID-19 in April, and gave it to her daughter and grand-daughter. What are the odds of me speaking to random vendors on Regent Street and meeting someone who has COVID-19?

understand that constant sanitisation feels ‘extra’- I walked into four consecutive stores and each of them requires me to sanitise before entering. But, precautions are necessary. This virus has literally caused a global pandemic, forcing airports to close and productivity to slow down. Just as I’m writing this article, Guyana has done 15,078 COVID-19 tests. Out of that number, 3,188 persons tested positive. I couldn’t find the data on how many people have been tested more than once, but if we were to use this data, as is, it means that almost every fifth person has COVID-19. Furthermore, for today’s daily update, 95 positive cases out of 263 tests were recorded. This is not inconsistent with the daily updates we have been getting in the over 200 days we’ve had COVID-19 in Guyana. I say this to show the very possible reality that COVID-19 is closer to each of us than we think. We cannot keep operating

She chatted with me for a bit and told me about the stigma she faced as a vendor; persons are hesitant to purchase from her because they are fearful that they might contract the virus (though she has recovered since May). There is disconnect between fear of purchasing from this woman and peoples’ willingness to take other precautions. She told me that she has tried to tell the other business persons around her to wear masks, since they are in contact with a number of persons frequently, but they refuse to. She said that she was even ‘cussed out’ for telling someone to wear a mask. I understand that wearing a mask is strange and it can feel like an imposition (particularly those tight ones which feel as though they’re pulling down my ears). I

as though we are invincible and cannot be affected by COVID-19. I do not believe that safeguarding ourselves from COVID-19 is a burden of government or higher authority. These authorities have the responsibility to facilitate and provide services, help sustain livelihoods, and generally, create an environment that is conscious of the effects of COVID-19. We must be the ones who choose to wear a mask and wash our hands; we must be the ones who avoid large and non-essential gatherings. We have to pull up our loved ones when they are endangering themselves and others around them by not taking the necessary precautions. Each person has that responsibility.

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an entire crop of sweet peppers and I had to cut it out and burn it so in this kind of work you have to expect the unexpected and be able to bounce back or you will get discouraged easily.” This young farmer does not reside in No. 74 Village but has his plot of farm land there and would journey from No. 68 Village daily to oversee his crops. Rohman disclosed that he started farming last March and soon dropped his electrician and his buying and selling jobs to focus all of his attention on agriculture. “There is no greater feeling than having your own small business because you don’t have to work with people and you can do it on your own time however, you wish.”

Saeed Rohman as he tends to his cabbages (Carl Croker photos)

By Michel Outridge

T was the will to grow his own food that prompted Saeed Rohman to leave his job as an electrician to become a cash crop farmer. He had inherited a plot of land from his father and was focused on putting it to good use. Rohman was in a hammock under a small shed when the Pepperpot Mag-

Relaxing after a hard way of farming

Rasheed Ali as he does his work on the farm

The cabbage cultivation

azine caught up with him as he was supervising an employee, who was tasked with watering the plants. The one and a half acre of land is used to cultivate cabbage, peppers and tomatoes. The 25-year-old said that he plants mostly cabbage, which takes 90 days (three months) to grow after which he would reap and sell it to wholesale buyers or go to Port Mourant Market on weekends. The father of one reported that he is providing employment for eight workers, who work on a shift system. “Farming for me is something natural and seeing my plants grow from seed to harvesting is fulfilling because I am promoting food production and it makes me feel good by providing my service to the community as well as employing the residents,” he said. Rohman stated that the land was just sitting there and now it is being utilised to bring in an income in his home, but there are problems. “Farming is not what it is cut out to be at times because due to disease I lost

Focus on the Village

Rasheed Ali

Saeed Rohman

He explained that he can safely say he gets it easier than some farmers, who have their cultivation in the backlands area. Meanwhile, Rasheed Ali, who was tasked with watering the plants told the Pepperpot Magazine that it is not a whole day job. “You come early before sunrise and do your work and return in the afternoon to do the same and you get $3,000 for the day which is reasonable,” he said. The 19-year-old added that they have a shift system so the workers know when they have to work. Ali is taking care of his elderly mother and is expected to earn so he decided to work in the agricultural field since jobs are not easy to get.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2020

By Michel Outridge

Heerawattie Mangaldeen, better known as ‘Radha’ (Carl Croker photos)

EERAWATTIE Mangaldeen has the Number 74 Village, in Lower Corentyne, Berbice, in her heart, given that her main objectives are to protect it and promote it. The 52-year-old disclosed that she is originally from Skeldon, but relocated to the village after marriage and became

interested in its development. Mangaldeen, better known as ‘Radha,’ is the founding member of the village’s Community Policing Group (CPG). Established in 2013, the group now has 15 active members. The group would patrol the area mostly on foot; due to COVID-19 restrictions, this is done up to 20:30hrs. “We mostly settle domestic issues at the community level and we really don’t have serious social ills in this village which requires police intervention, so household disputes and drunken brawls are resolved ami- ably.” She noted that mostly people who were born and raised in the village reside there, so there are no strangers; as such, the people co-exist in relative peace and quiet and go about their usual business in a civilised way.

project. Mangaldeen pointed out that the CPG has a feeding programme, but on behalf of herself she would sponsor a feeding project annually for the needy as her way of giving back to society. “The CPG would sponsor a night wake if there is a death within the village and that has been ongoing for many years, so they have close relations with the people.” Along with her policing work, she had also started a small tour guide business prior to the pandemic. “My children are grown, so I finally have the leisure to do whatever I want and I choose to earn as a woman to supplement my husband’s income; as such, the recreational tour business was established.” Radha Recreational Tours which is both overland and waterbased, started some years ago as a small business, but as a

result o f COVID-19 all tours are on hold until it is safe to resume operations. The mother of two told the Pepperpot Magazine that she provided a safe tour via a Home of Heerawattie Mangaldeen 30-seater fully air-conditioned “The only little issue we have is the bus to Brazil, Suriyoung boys would drink up and would get up name, Orealla and Essequibo. to some mischief, and we call them ‘kitchen She would serve as the tour guide on the thieves’ but they mean no real harm.” trip and would even have river tours to places The Number 74 Village resident said located within the Corentyne River. that there are a lot of developmental plans Mangaldeen’s husband is a large-scale on the cards with the CPG, but they need a cash-crop farmer, whose farm lands are little help to get them off the ground. Among located deep within the backlands of the the plans is the installation of internal street- village. He has an employee who assists lights. him on the farm daily. He would sell his She disclosed that the CPG constructed a produce to wholesalers or at the nearby bus shed in 2014 as part of their community markets along the Corentyne.

Focus on the Village

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2020

d i j s a M a m a l U l u t a j j Hu and hope y t u a e b f o A beacon

The #74 Village, Corentyne, Berbice

The Islamic School

By Michel Outridge

HE Hujjatul Ulama Masjid, an Institute of Higher Islamic Education, is an impressive structure that sits just off the public road at #74 Village, Lower Corentyne, Berbice. This beautiful, two-flat mosque doubles as an Islamic Boarding School for youngsters of the faith. Faraz Khan, who oversees the smooth operation of the masjid and school, told the Pepperpot Magazine that after considerable research, which included analysing various designs of masjids, construction of the building commenced in 2010. Faraz noted that he and his brother Ramzan Khan decided to draft the design together, so that it would be a unique structure. “When we constructed this masjid we didn’t want to copy any designs of other mosques, so we looked through many other designs of such buildings of in-

Teacher Taahir

Haniff was once

ternational standards and we got an idea of how we wanted this masjid to be built,” he said. Khan disclosed that the designs inside and outside were intricately done with tiled walls in the interior and plush rugs on the floor, which was imported from Turkey.

a student

He related that the masjid has two flats, upstairs for women outfitted with modern washroom facilities and the lower flat, used by men. At any given time, the masjid can accommodate 500 worshippers, but reSEE PAGE XI

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Focus on the Village

NDC’s vision for Berbice villages

By Michel Outridge

HIS week the Pepperpot Magazine journeyed to Lower Corentyne, Berbice to Number 74 Village, which is

also called Stockholm. There, the team interacted with the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Chairman, Anil Ramgahan, who gave an insight into the village and its residents as

Signage to the village.

well as developmental works in the pipeline. Number 74 Village with a population of 1200, is the third largest community under Ramgahan’s stewardship. The chair disclosed that they have a koker/sluice which is used to regulate water to and from the farmlands were cash crops and rice are cultivation. The economic activities

Villagers.

of villagers include fishing, cash crops farming, rice cultivation, self-employed folk, shops, other businesses and sugar workers. Ramgahan added that the NDC is responsible for 23 villages, which stretches from Number 52 to Number 74. They have a sub-office at Number 71 Village, and prior to 1973, they had three separate NDCs to controlled

villages. Ramgahan explained that one NDC had responsibility of Number 52 to Number 58, while, another NDC controlled from Number 59 to Number 66 and the other from Number 67 to Number 74. In 1973, the three NDCs were merged. Ramgahan added that in total the villages have 11,023

voters but the overall population from Number 52 to Number 74 is 15400. As for educational institution, the villages have one secondary school, five primary schools and seven nursery schools. He pointed out that they also have health centres, one police outpost, two animal pounds, 16 SEE PAGE XXIII

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT â€• Sunday, October 11, 2020

Hujjatul Ulama Masjid.... FROM PAGE IX strictions due to COVID-19 have resulted in far fewer attending. Khan added that the place of worship also has its regular feeding and outreach programmes, which targets less fortunate members of the community, especially needy children. He explained that the Islamic School is their focus and it is a full-time boarding facility for children from broken homes. The school was established in 1999 and they admit children from age 12. Along with an Islamic education, it also provides all basic necessities such as clothing, food and stationery to go with a weekly stipend.

The youngsters have allday classes that go way up to 21:00hrs. Students are allowed to go home at least three times per year, during Easter, Christmas and Ramadan breaks. Presently, the Islamic Boarding School has 15 students, but it has the capacity to house 100 at any given time. SELF-SUFFICIENT Khan revealed that school funds are garnered from a 15acre farm of coconuts, cash crops and fruits, which the Masjid sells to wholesalers and the markets. Meanwhile, teacher Taahir Haniff told the

Pepperpot Magazine that the non-profit Muslim organisation teaches jurisprudence and Islamic law for students who have reached puberty. He pointed out that it is a full-time, six-year course and after completion, the student is awarded a degree in Islamic Law and Jurisprudence, which is internationally recognised. The 22-year-old related that he was a student of the school and took up the role of a teacher as his way of giving back.

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The Songbird T

HE first rays of the splendid golden sunrise gently crawled through the open bedroom window, kissing the baby’s face as she laid half asleep in her crib. The bright light did the trick and she welcomed herself to the world with a long stretch. She laughed sweetly as her chubby little hands tried to catch the sun beams. “Priya.” It was her father’s voice calling her name, the voice she heard every morning and late afternoon, deep but calming. She cooed in answer, kicking up her legs as he picked her up gently in his arms. It was time for her bath and morning meal, something he did every day while singing a special song her mother loved. Before leaving for the day, he would kiss her goodbye and whisper in her ear: “Daddy has to work to earn money, to take care of his little girl.” The nanny, an old humble woman, came in before he left, but Priya did not notice, her eyes were trailing her father to the door and not once did she cry. Despite her tender age, she was already accustomed to him returning. Arvin on the other hand left his home in an emotional

state; leaving Priya was painful, adding to that his heart was still heavy with grief for only six months had passed since that tragic night. He meandered gingerly to the gate

looking at the garden hoping to see his devoted wife picking flowers for her morning prayers. But it was not to be, she was gone and he was left all alone with their baby.

“How could something like this happen?” he often wondered, “Why did God take her away from her baby?” A bitter lump formed in his throat as he walked out

the yard. In an instant, a songbird flew up from the Frangipani tree to the house. It stood on the ledge outside of the open bay window and sang sweetly. The baby laughed gleefully, stretching

her little arms to the bird and soon her eyes closed in blissful sleep. This was the routine since the baby was brought SEE PAGE XVIII

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The Songbird...

FROM PAGE XII

since the baby was brought home from the hospital. The bird came every morning after Arvin left for work and stayed outside the window until he returned late afternoon, then it would fly back into the garden. No one except the elderly nanny noticed, but she kept it to herself—she felt it was divine intervention. People were shocked that Arvin was able to support his child the way he did, knowing how shattered his life had been when his wife died. Just two years after they were married, tragedy had walked unannounced into their lives, and had ripped apart the script of their plans for the future. Yet, Arvin’s deep love for his wife had kept her in his heart and had given him the power to stay strong for his daughter. The night he lost her was a night he knew he would never forget. She was about to deliver their first child, for nine months she counted down the days to motherhood. It had been a dark cold night when the labour pain began. He had driven her to the hospital, nervous like never before, but he kept calm. As he sat outside the ward, he heard her screams and like an ominous warning, the sky reciprocated. At that moment, Arvin knew something was wrong; he had asked a nurse to let him in so he could be by his wife’s side but he was turned away. He tried desperately to meet a doctor but could not. His calm composure soon dissipated and eventually he was gripped with fear. Sometime later, a nurse with a somber expression called him in the ward. He sat by his wife’s bedside and as he held her hands and looked at her tired face his world fell apart. The glow on her face was gone and with the slightest of squeeze she whispered wearily, “I am sorry, please take care of our baby and remind her always that mommy loves her.” The sky had opened angrily and lightning flashed menacingly as she closed her eyes. He couldn’t remember how he walked out of the hospital, the deep pain numbed his entire body as he unknowingly stepping into the rain. Wet and broken he dropped down on his knees in anguish.

“Why dear God, why!” The years went by and the baby grew into a pretty and sweet young girl. Arvin’s deep grief had slowly ebbed away. He treasured his wife’s memories through the growth of his daughter. She was the beautiful picture of her mother, her voice, her smile and her love for the flower garden. One day, standing at the upstairs veranda, he looked down and saw her on the garden swing, humming softly the song he used to sing to her as a baby. He smiled, looking up at the Heavens and said, “I did what you asked of me, to take care of our daughter. I wish you were here to see how beautiful she has grown.” She was there, she had never left, but he didn’t know. On Priya’s thirteen birthday, she wanted a garden party with an animal theme of butterflies and birds. Arvin happily gave into her wishes and had surprised her with a magnificent threetiered pink butterfly themed birthday cake. Priya cut the cake with her father and thanked him with all the beautiful words she knew, for the great role he played in her life, which brought tears to his eyes. Late in the afternoon when her friends were gone and only close family members were left, she said, “I want to speak also, of someone who has been in my life since I was a baby. During the SEE PAGE XVIII

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Munchy Chest- keeping the COVID-19 blues at bay

By Naomi Parris

W I T H th e n u mb er of COVID-19 cases on the rise in Guyana, fears and anxieties are through the roof and what is needed more than ever is something to chase the COVID-19 blues

away. Making available several treats that can be delivered at your doorstep, Seon King a graphic designer and entrepreneur is providing what can be described as a package filled sweet savory—he has a healthy snacks option.

Having been home like everyone else to limit the spread of the virus, King noted that he would often find himself bored and craving a quick snack and would make his way down to his local supermarket. However, standing in

Sadiya Yahya, MunchyChest’s brand ambassador

long lines to grab a few of his favourite snacks especially during the pandemic seemed a little hazardous, the young man disclosed that it was due to this experience and his frustrations of being in a partial lockdown for some time that sparked the idea of having some of your favourite treats at hand during the pandemic. “When COVID-19 came…I

was home basically frustrated and bored so I started thinking about business ideas.” Having some experience in the world of business and online marketing the idea for Munchy Chest was birthed. “This is not the first business venture that I’ve gone into and apart from that I’ve been working from home since before the pandemic

like a year ago, so I’ve been working closely with social media and technology this came easy to me to push [my business] on social media and do graphics,” King said. The Munch Chest offers a variety of snack combinations fit for a ‘Netflix and chill’ or even just a Zen event. If you’re feeling snacky, Munchy Chest will offer you a random handful of snacks to choose from or if you have a sweet tooth, the Munchy Chest -Sweety is for you, a selection of some of the sweetest tastiest treats to satisfy your cravings. Munchy Chest – Healthy is made up of healthy snacks for the health enthusiast while Munchy Chest – Chill is made up of premium jumbo snacks that are perfect for that chill movie night. Not forgetting the savory lovers Munchy Chest has a combo filled with treats for the cheesy, spicy lover, and finally Munchy Chest Mystery where subscribers do not know what to expect since every box will be different but rest assured that you will love what will be in the box. That box is slightly customisable. Those who are interested in having a Munchy Chest can visit their face book page @MunchyChest or call 643 6479.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2020

-Why Amarnauth Hemraj switched careers er you will get a good catch or not, because one can make target the same day within one throw of the net and then nothing,” he said. The catch is sold to wholesalers, who then place them in refrigerated trucks and re-sell them at different locations. Hemraj explained that the boat-owner would clear his expenses and for ration and fuel and then decide how workers are paid. “I never got seasick, even though I am not a fish-

h Hemraj

Fisherman Amarnaut

By Michel Outridge

TYPICAL day in the life of a fisherman is not for the faint-hearted, it is not for the weak and definitely not for people who get seasick easily. To survive the elements, to manoeuvre the seine, to haul the catch, all take some amount of skills. If anyone would have told Amarnauth Hemraj that he would become a fisherman following the closure of the Skeldon Sugar Estate some years ago, he would have laughed and thought that they were crazy to even suggest that idea. Due to the unavailability of jobs in his No. 74 Village however, he decided to turn to the sea, where he eventually became the captain of a fishing boat and a regular in open water. The father of three told the Pepperpot Magazine that he was a cane-cutter, which entailed hard labour in humid conditions, but he was accustomed to it. Hemraj explained that he thought long and hard about his next move when the estate was closed and with little or no options, he opted to become a fisherman. The 42-year-old worked his way up the ladder quickly and was soon given captaincy of one of three fishing boats owned by a Skeldon resident. Transitioning from the estate to the water was no easy task and rewards were few and far apart. Hemraj and his crew of six would venture out to the Corentyne River, which separates Guyana from Suriname and would fish for five to six days at a time before returning to shore. “We would fish mostly in an area called Jumbie Island, just off Orealla Village in the Corentyne River and sometimes we throw our net and make our catch in one day and other times we would not get any fish, despite being there for six days.” Hemraj disclosed that the boats are licensed to fish up to that location. He reported that they would catch ‘sweet water’ fish such as ‘basha’ and ‘Lou-Lou,’ among others. “Fishing is luck and chance, there is no guarantee wheth-

Focus on the Village

erman by trade, but to me the ‘sweet water’ doesn’t make you sick like fishing in ‘salt-water which is more difficult.” Due to the pandemic, the Corentyne River is closed, so there is no fishing activities; as such, for the past five months Hemraj has been forced to work as a labourer two times per week to earn money for his home. Hemraj is waiting for the pandemic to end, so that he can return to the sea.

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AS A NEW OIL COUNTRY, GUYANA HAS BEGUN TO ATTRACT A STREAM OF FRAUDSTERS INTENT ON PREYING ON THE POPULATION. GPF NEEDS TO ESTABLISH A SPECIALIST UNIT TO ADDRESS THESE NOVEL CRIMES.

OME time ago, this column had an offering on foreign frauds enmeshing and robbing Guyanese of millions of dollars. Many of these frauds originated in Nigeria. Now that Guyana has become an oil country, fraudsters from all parts of the world are making their way here as they have done in small countries with oil economies. Recently, a major Ponzi Scheme was uncovered to the

great surprise of the whole nation. The Scheme had been operating here from 2018, but it is only in 2019 that the Guyana Securities Commission (GSC) became aware of its activities. The Commission immediately issued newspaper advertisements warning the public against the Scheme and pointed out that it infringed several Fiscal Regulatory Laws including the Anti-Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act and failure to provide information required by the GSC under the Securities Industry Act of 1998. Further, it had been operating

without a licence from the GSC and when it did apply for a licence on August 5, 2020, that application was not granted. When the Cuban manager of the Scheme had applied for Guyanese naturalisation, the GSC informed the Minister of Citizenship and the Minister of Home Affairs of the applicant’s involvement in the illegal Ponzi Scheme. The Cuban manager was however granted Guyanese nationality and no Police inquiry was undertaken. It was only recently that a high-level team consisting of the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Police, the Governor of the Central Bank, Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit and Head of the Guyana Securities Council got involved and the two managers of the Scheme were taken into custody and charged. Thousands of persons were enmeshed in the Scheme and it is so far estimated that US$30M had been collected. The Courts will eventually resolve the matter but many persons would be losing large sums of money.

Dubai, a small oil producing country, has attracted fraudsters from all over the world. Recently, the BBC reported that a gang of a dozen Nigerians fraudsters were arrested by the Dubai Police, the two most prominent being Olalekan Jacob Ponle known by his Instagram name of “mrwoodberry” and Ramon Olorunwa Abbas known to his 2.4 million Instagram followers as”hushpuppi”. The Dubai experience has been replicating itself in several other countries. The types of fraud are more ingenious using modern IT technology. The Law enforcement bodies at all levels will have to be made aware of the problem and the most effective training should be sourced to deal with this novel type of criminality. The Police Force should urgently begin work on establishing a specialist unit to deal with such genre of criminality. A decade ago, the foreign frauds were simpler and the two most known here were sweepstakes fraud and offers to place large sums of money in the victim’s foreign bank accounts. The sweepstakes fraud was simply an offer of buying a share in the world’s richest lotteries such the El Gordo of Spain. The fraudster researched the name, address and other personal information of prospective victim, who would be written a very convincing letter and once he sends the fraudster money to purchase the first share, he will continue to do so until he realises his remittances have been embezzled. The other fraud, mostly emanating from Nigeria was the prospective victim receiving a well-written letter saying that the writer has access to millions of dollars of Government funds which had been abandoned which he will send to the victim’s foreign bank account. The victim will receive 40% of the money. The fraudster’s aim was to secure the victim’s bank account number and details. Several Guyanese were robbed by these and other frauds. How could Guyana protect itself against these frauds? In the first place, the Citizenship and Immigration Laws need to be urgently modernised or the country will find itself with a plethora of criminals and unwanted residents. In the second place, the Guyana Police Force must establish a specialist unit, the personnel of which should be well trained. Citizens should also protect themselves by resisting the temptation of believing that one could get something for nothing or the temptation of easy money. The fraudster assumes that the victim is naturally greedy and is naive or stupid; the citizen must prove the fraudster wrong.

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From cake lover to From page V

ed until everything got here and then I was back on track and I was so excited to move forward.” Initially it was just cupcakes, but then she moved on to cakes after receiving reviews from her customers who started requesting that she make a similar flavour as the cupcakes, but full-sized. She said that the support she received kept her going every day, and prompted her to produce more quality products. Despite the competition in the market, Shavane is confident about the quality of her goodies. Cakes and cupcakes can be made to order via the Business’s Instagram account @Satisfyinglysweetgy and through 622-2207.

One of Satisfyingly Sweet 8” three topping Cheesecakes.

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$15.75M to assist in setting up 300 shade houses Dr. Oudho Homenauth, Chief Executive Officer of NAREI examines the crops grown in the shade house.

HE National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) is gearing to assist approximately 300 farmers to construct shade houses equipped with climate smart technologies. This is being made possible through a budgetary allocation made by government. The sum of $15.75M was earmarked to purchase UV plastic 500 sprinkler hoses and shade net/ mesh. These materials could construct and equip about three hundred 50ft*20ft shade houses. According to Dr. Oudho Homenauth, Chief Executive Officer of NAREI, “The intention is to sell these materials to farmers and utilize the funds for future purchases. It is an opportunity for farmers to set up shade houses and incorporate climate smart technologies on their farmers at a reduced cost.” This initiative characterizes the theme for Agriculture Month: “Investing in Agriculture for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development.” Farming is a lucrative business capable of reducing poverty but climate change has posed many threats. As such, NAREI is promoting climate smart practices geared towards reducing the cost of production and environmental threats. Even though, farmers are the direct beneficiaries of this programme, consumers will also benefit. Shade house technology allows year-round production of crops regardless of the prevailing weather conditions. Therefore, crops will be readily available on the local market at affordable prices. For instance, green leafy vegetables (that are usually destroyed after heavy downpours) and high-value crops such as bell sweet peppers and broccoli grow well under shaded conditions.

The Songbird...

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hours when daddy was at work, she sang songs to put me to sleep, played with me, watched over me.” Everyone turned to look at the nanny appreciatively, but she just smiled as Priya continued, “No one knew she was there but I did.” She picked up a crumb of the birthday cake and stretched out her arm. “Today, I want to thank you, mommy, for staying to take care of your little girl.” The family and more so, her father looked around in bewilderment wanting to know how she could be talking to her mother who had died during childbirth 13 years ago. The songbird was sitting on the branch of a colourful tree when she heard Priya calling for her. She flew down and perched on her hand, picking the crumb of birthday cake. Priya lifted her arm with the bird and said, “My mother, God’s angel.” There was a loud gasp of disbelief by everyone. How could the songbird be her mother? Arvin was stunned! He looked at the nanny who nodded her heard slowly, tears in her eyes. He had often heard the bird sing in the garden and saw it sometimes but he never knew that she had returned to help him with their baby. Tears streamed down his face and he said a prayer. The bird flew onto his shoulder, pecked him lightly on the cheek, and flew into the sky. It was time for her to return, for her work was now done.

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World Food Day: Grow, Nourish and Sustain together THIS year’s World Food Day (October 16) marks the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In essence, it promotes global awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger. High on its agenda is also the need to ensure healthy diets for all. The 2020 theme is “Grow, Nourish, Sustain Together. Our actions are our future.” The World Food Day celebrations call for global cooperation and solidarity to make sure that the threats COVID-19 are posing to food security and agricultural livelihoods are confronted, and that the most vulnerable are able to get back on their feet. It is also an occasion to sensitise the public that everybody has a role to play in transforming our food systems by changing the way we produce, transport, consume, and waste our food. There is enough food for everyone on the planet today, yet about 800 million people are undernourished. Hunger today is not caused by a lack of supply but because hundreds of millions of people simply cannot afford to buy enough food. At the same time, almost 80% of the world’s poor live in rural areas, where people depend on the land: agriculture, fisheries, or forestry as their main source of income and food. Vulnerable to climate change and other shocks, they are disproportionately affected by crises, often the first victims of disasters and the degradation of natural resources. We need to produce most of the food we eat by working the land, raising animals, harvesting fish, and managing forests. As stewards of the planet’s natural resources, our daily management decisions are key to global food security and the health of the world’s ecosystems. To help nourish the theme we need to increase farmers’ access to resources, employment, income, and investment which will, in turn, improve food and nutrition security, the sustainability of natural resources, raising productivity and national growth Remember! Everybody has a role to play from farm to table to ensure the food we consume is safe and will not cause damage to our health. Even during this COVID-19 pandemic we are being reminded daily to wash our vegetables and fruits with warm salt water. Fuelling your body with whole foods that have been scientifically proven to boost your health will help to support insulin regulation, reduce inflammation, optimise digestion, and may even promote fat loss, which will help your body to function at its best. Never underestimate the importance of food and nutrition. References * https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/ emergencies/em2002chap9.pdf * food safety procedures, see: World Health Organization (1984a), World Health Organization (1989b), World Health Organization (1991d), Bryan (1992), World Health Organization (1992a); * supplementary and therapeutic feeding, see: Sphere Project (2000), World Health Organization (2000a); * breastfeeding and breast-milk substitutes, see: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (1989), Savage-King (1992), World Health Organization(2000b), Sphere Project (2000); * food storage, see: Walker (1992)s * https://www.cellnutrition.com/blogs/journal/the-importance-of-food-and-nutrition * https://www.fsinplatform.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/a-i7454e.pdf * https://www.foodforcenetwork.eu/events/ 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, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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The group has often travelled to the remote areas of Guyana to offer aid.

Outgoing Curator Richard Leo.

Guyanese group of ‘Shapers’ ... FROM PAGE IV trying to get tablets to Region One and Nine.” The ‘La Femme Force’ was another successful project that was undertaken that saw about 20 young women between the ages of 14 and 17 at the Sophia Foster Care Home benefitting. “Today, it has emerged into more of a mentorship with the females of the hub being role models,” Leo said. Further, three literacy workshops have so far been conducted at the University of Guyana, in collaboration with its Economics Society with the aim of raising awareness of financial literacy, budgeting, investing in stocks and preparing young people for a bright future. The Georgetown Hub also collaborates annually with the Blood Bank to host a donation drive. It also contributes to seawall and other cleaning, and other societal needs, such as road markings. The team members would raise funds from activities they organise, and members themselves would contribute financially. They also reach out to local businesses for help.

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IF YOU’RE one of the many, many people who has taken up embroidery as their lockdown hobby, read on for some serious inspiration of the wonders you can achieve with just a needle and thread. Inna Emelianova, 29, has been doing embroidery since her teens, but has recently turned her hobby into a business. She creates truly incredible embroidered versions of famous paintings, such as Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, da Vinci’s Lady With An Ermine, and Pablo Picasso’s Weeping Woman. The teacher, from Kolomna, Russia, also creates jewellery, which is sold all around the world. ‘I wanted to create embroidery that could be worn on clothes in the form of a brooch and I went from there. ‘My inspiration was famous paintings; being an art teacher, I drew a lot and every trip to the art gallery would make me excited. ‘The first artist whose paintings I started to embroider was Van Gogh. His technique is incredible because the paint strokes resemble stitches! ‘Later, I began to take on more complex paintings, such as portraits and now, my jewellery lives on four continents in the world.’ The pieces are stunning, but please, aspiring crafters, bear in mind that they are the result of skills honed over years and years. Your wobbly stitches are wonderful, too. Keep at it. (Metro.co.uk)

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It’s about time you turn your passion for advocacy into a career FOR as long as I can remember, I’ve always been passionate about youth development. I’ve been heavily involved in many projects and organisations from a very tender age. These experiences marinated with my existing passion to help youngsters like myself who may be disadvantaged— these experiences made me into the woman I am today. I was inspired by the response I received and decided to utilise social media to further my cause. I figured I would be able to reach a wide demographic of Guyanese youths just by the click of buttons. I was unaware of how impactful this could be at the time, but I did it purely out of the love I have for helping others. I was also unaware of the downsides of using social media for advocacy because sometimes it really can take a toll on one’s mental health. Nonetheless, my advocacy coupled with my hobby for writing creative pieces blossomed into my unique approach to youth development today. It also inspired this very column section you’re reading. Little did I know, my “passion” would’ve opened up a path to many jobs and career options. The next time someone tells you, your opinion, advocacy and activism are invalid, just remember there are people out there who actually make an honest living (cash) because of their voice, the perspectives they hold and the varied insights on topical issues that they introduce the world to. Money shouldn’t be your motive to write, advocate or speak up, but there are many career choices down this path that are hardly talked about. From columnist/writers, to community organ-

isers, project managers, social workers and even international aid workers—all esteemed options to choose from. While these are career choices and job opportunities that you can grab, it will not automatically make its way to you. Your desire to help others will not be enough in the world of work. Be sure to get qualified and gain more knowledge on your areas of focus, volunteer your time to help at organisations and/or in your community, be acquainted with those affected by the issues you’re passionate about and most importantly, learn the appropriate and effective approaches to use when fighting for your cause. Many of us are eager to advocate for or against issues and events, including myself. However, we have to be mindful and learn when to take some steps back to re-evaluate situations. Ask yourself, “Am I doing more harm than good?” Sometimes we advocate for the rights of others. As an ally, we have to remember that we are merely “lending” our voices to help victims or the disadvantaged, we must not overshadow their existing voices. Today, I am a youth writer and a social work student and that was possible because I followed my aspirations— don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Do not be afraid to follow this path, even if people disagree with you. Share what you see through your lens mixed with your unique experiences. Stand by your words and enjoy what you do. Use your voice for the voiceless. Maybe, one day someone will recognise your work by allowing you to turn your passion for activism and humanitarian work into a paying job.

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NDC’s vision for Berbice ... The NDC Office.

FROM PAGE X

active sports grounds, four horse race tracks, six burial grounds, three privately-run religious schools, 20 mandirs, seven mosques and 15 churches. Ramgahan added that some places of interest in Number 52 to 74 villages are the Number 63 Beach and Joe Park at Number 64 Village. In highlighting developmental works done last year, the NDC Chairman reported that they bought a canter truck, built a new sub office, repaired two heavy-duty bridges and three foot path bridges, installed pvc tubes to improve drainage, collected garbage for free once every two weeks for seven months, laid reef sand on clay streets and cleaned and maintained drains. This year, the NDC did four pipe extensions and revetment, spreading of 340 tons of crush and run to roads, the purchase of a tractor slasher, seven 12inch tubes and the clean-

ing and maintenance of drains with the catchment areas. Moving forward, the chair has plans for the villages. “I would also like to see all internal drains became concrete drains, all streets have asphalt, street lights in every street and the development of all sports grounds in the area,” he said. He added that the development and maintenance of the No. 63 beach would be necessary to attract both tourists and locals. He also hopes that they can development a farm to market roads and tarmac for farmers to dry their paddy and build modern bus shed at every street corner where there is a school. Eight permanent staffers, including three watchmen and a charwoman work at the NDC.

The village, Number 74 Stockholm. (Carl Croker photos)

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Pregnancy and snoring

NORING in women is a sign of pregnancy-induced hypertension and a risk for growth retardation of the fetus, according to a study reported in CHEST, the journal of the American College of Chest physicians. Hypertension disorders during pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal death in the United States and Great Britain and are important causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The cause of these disorders is unknown. Because snoring is common in pregnancy, investigators in Sweden studied more than 500 pregnant women to see what effect snoring had on their health, but according to Karl Franklin, MD, and colleagues at the Umea University Hospital in Sweden, no one has investigated whether snoring is associated with hypersensitive disorders of pregnancy. Snoring is a sign of increased upper airway resistance and obstructive sleep apnea (temporary pause in breathing) and known to be associated with arterial hypertension and coronary artery disease. Investigators looked into the snoring-related occurrence of pre-emclampsia, a toxemia of pregnancy characterised by hypertension, proteinuria (excessive serum proteins), and edema (a buildup of fluids in body tissues), as well as daytime sleepiness, and infant outcome. The study included a questionnaire that women completed on the day of their delivery with the involvement of their husband or partner. It also included analysing Apagar scores that reflected the infant’s heart rate, respiratory effect, muscle tone, reflex irritability, and colour-all measured shortly after birth. Snoring increased during pregnancy. By the third trimester, 24 percent of the women reported that they had begun snoring or increased their level of snoring. Twenty-three percent said that their snoring had become habitual during the last week before delivery. Habitual snoring was described as snoring every night or almost every night. Sleep apnea was observed in 11 percent of habitual snores compared with 2 percent of the nonfrequent snorers. The habitual snorers also had a more pronounced weight increase during pregnancy. Fourteen percent of the women who snored habitually had pregnancy –induced hypertension as compared with 6 percent of the nonfrequent snorers. Ten percent of the women who habitually snored met the definition of pre-eclampsia with hypertension and proteinuria compared with 4 percent of the nonfrequent snorers. Daytime sleepiness increasingly grew among all women during pregnancy, and no marked differences were observed between the habitual snorers and nonfrequent snorers. Daytime sleepiness started earlier in pregnancy than did snoring. Edema of the face, hands, legs or feet occurred in 52 percent of the habitual snorers compared with 30 percent for others. Infants born to mothers who were habitual snorers more frequently had lower birth weight and lower Apgar scores, a finding researchers described as “novel.” More than seven percent of mothers who were habitual snorers delivered an infant with growth retardation at birth compared with 2.6 percent among nonhabitual snorers. After adjusting for weight, age, and smoking habits, snoring remained a significant predictor of growth retardation. In addition to snoring, smoking is also found to be an independent predictor of growth retardation. An Apgar score of less than seven was more common in infants born to habitual snorers as compared with infants born to occasional or nonsnorers. For example, 12.4 percent of infants of habitual snorers who were given an Apgar test at one minute after delivery had scores of less than seven compared with 3.6 percent of the infants of nonfrequent snorers who were given the Apgar test one minute after delivery. Statistically, the percentage differences were even greater when the test was administered five minutes after delivery, but less frequent for both habitual snorers and infrequent snorers. All the subjects who snored habitually and had pre-eclampsia started to snore before any sign of hypertension or proteinuria was present. The habitual snoring was related to sleep apneas and this found that nocturnal upper airway obstruction may contribute to the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-emclampsia. The experiment concludes that it is possible that pregnant women are especially vulnerable to increases in upper airway resistance, as breathing may also be restricted by an increase in the abdominal pressure affecting the diaphragm. Respiratory sleep studies, including the treatment of sleep apnea in women with pre-eclampsia, are desirable and may answer the question of whether there is an etiologic link between increased upper airway resistance and pre-emclampsia. Though dentists are in a position to identify and treat patients with obstructive sleep apnea, the above study may not have much impact on a typical daily practice as many women avoid dental treatment during pregnancy or do not comprehend the relationship between dental care and sleep apnea.

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By Francis Quamina Farrier D U R I N G the past four months, I have written feature articles about the COVID-19 pandemic focusing on a number of countries. These include Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Due to the spread of the respiratory disease globally, I consider it important for Guyanese to know a bit about how other countries around the world are dealing with the pandemic. Our neighbours Brazil is a case in point. They have had a whopping five million infections and 147,000 deaths. Only India and the USA have more cases. The United States is leading the world with 7.6 million infected, including the president, and 213,000 plus deaths. In this article, I invite you to join me as we go all the way down under to Australia and New Zealand and find out how those two sister Commonwealth countries are doing as they battle the coronavirus. Like Guyana, both Australia and New Zealand have indigenous citizens; the Aborigines of Australia and the Maoris

of New Zealand. It was my privilege to have interacted with both of those indigenous peoples while on visits to both countries. At this time, reports are that both Australia and New Zealand are doing fairly well in stemming the attack of the COVID-19 virus, even though the challenge remains great. With a population of 25.36 million, there are now 27,130 infected in Australia and 900 deaths. Those statics measure well over most other developed countries, especially the United States. In Australia, the medical authorities were firm in dealing with the pandemic from the very start. “We in Melbourne are under strict rules since March,” Australia-based Guyanese Alison Buchanan informed me. “We had a curfew between 9.00 p.m. and 5.00 a.m. which was lifted on September 27. We can now go out, but only once a day for groceries, exercise, work or caregiving, and that must be within 5 kilometers of our home.” she said. On a personal level, Alison Buchanan had to make the difficult decision to register her 96-year-old father into an aged care facility. Also in contact with me from Melbourne, Australia,

Farrier and Indigenous theatre colleague of New Zealand rubbing noses in the traditional Maori culture.

is Guyanese Tony Phillips. “The Federal Government has created an emergency National Cabinet from day one to address COVID-19 and this was a great move by Prime Minister

Scott Morrison,” he informed me. “They have also provided enormous sums of cash to keep the population going since so many are out of a job and more companies are going to

Farrier sandwiched by two Indigenous Australian theatre colleagues in Sydney, Australia in April 1993.

collapse if they are not allowed to reopen for business.” East of Australia is the twin island country of New Zealand, which is known as Aotearoa by the Indigenous Maori peoples. It is 103,799 square miles in size. With a population of 4.7 million, New Zealand has 1,855 citizens who have tested positive with the coronavirus, but amazingly only 25 deaths. In comparison, Guyana with a much smaller population, has over 3300 cases and 100 deaths. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand is regarded as the most successful female Head-of-State at this time. Added to her demanding duties as Prime Minister, the 40-year-old un-married, is also a mother. She gave birth to a 7.3 lb. baby girl on June 21, 2018. She is credited with giving her nation a strong woman’s approach to the pandemic - a wise and strong motherly course. She too activated early prevention in closing down the country in the very early stages of the arrival COVID-19. There was also a high number of tests carried out on citizens. Added to which there was a surveillance plan established to help keep the disease out of communities by stamping it out before it had the chance to spread widely. As such, Health officials established

anti-COVID-19 protocols. New Zealanders acted very responsibly by obeying the instructions of the Health authorities. That kind of discipline has paid great dividends in New Zealand resulting in the country having relative low numbers of coronavirus incidents and deaths. Because the Health authorities of New Zealand took preventative measures very early, the coronavirus was effectively blocked from spreading as rapidly as was the case in many other countries. In recent months, there has been a decrease in cases, and the lockdown, which was enforced very early, has recently been lifted. Because of the great success in stemming the coronavirus and other successes, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is expected to win the country’s General Elections of October 17, 2020, by a landslide, as indicated by many polls. Meanwhile, here in Guyana, September was the month of the highest surge. Rising from 35 deaths at the end of August to 73 by the end of September. That number has since risen to 100. In a recent address to the Private Sector Commission, President Dr. Irfaan Ali stated that “Government would be providing $25,000 per household as a relief due to the impact of COVID-19.”

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DECIDED to take a few days off to recharge after launching Men Across Borders and my virtual programmes on Teachable and Mastermind.com. I had an amazing zoom meeting before leaving with the Women Across Borders co-authors and they are fired up for their launch in November. Going to the countryside always replenishes my energy and reminds me of how important the simple exercises of inhaling and exhaling are. I think about

the many lives and applaud the contribution of people like my dad. I was excited to visit the Abary Conservancy because the water calms me. I selected white shorts and the pink t-shirt I wore for the breast cancer walk last October. I joined the march for many who died from cancer but in particular, for my aunt Avis Gibson who had died a few years prior. I got very emotional because I thought about my aunt Corin, who is now fighting to win breast cancer. She was such a

beautiful and positive inspiration for me growing up. I inherited a lot of my sense of fashion from her. I touched the pink t-shirt and thought about the many lives that had succumbed to cancer and about how it affected their immediate relatives. My cousin Clemmy is still trying to cope after all these years. I went down memory lane and reminisced about those years when my aunt Corin would give me outfits from her closet and I was excited to alter them to fit me because they were so beautiful. I often counted her shoes and most times they were over 20 pairs. She is one of the most fashionable women I know and family meant everything to her. Unfortunately, she had an amputation a few years ago but it did not stop the ultimate “fashionista.” She is going through chemo and the treatment had no mercy on that beautiful head of hair she had. I admire that even through the pain she still tries to be positive. “I will overcome. I will beat this! God has a plan for my life and I am not done on earth yet.” Imagine having already made all your wedding plans and now just counting down your days to wear that beautiful dress and this happened! Her faith is strengthening my faith and I am convinced that in any illness your mindset helps your recovery. Not everyone has the strength to do that, but I encourage anyone no matter what, keep the mindset positive because the main battle is in the mind. Travelling up the conservancy was so peaceful, I felt so relaxed. My mind drifted to things happening in my country

and around the world. As Helen Keller said, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” Although there are bad things happening, so too are many good things happening. My foundation recently honoured some amazing people from the indigenous community who have contributed to society. Persons such as 83-year-old Gibson Caesar, who was born in Waramadong and served in many communities. He was also the recipient of a National Award-- the Medal of Service. Ovid Williams who was the first indigenous pilot in Guyana. Benita Roberts who is co-coordinator of the Makushi

Research Unit and a stalwart in the preservation of the Makushi culture. Paulette Allicock is a teacher of traditional knowledge experiences and has hosted many students, including international students who learnt about indigenous farming, meals preps, cassava farine making etc. My late foster dad Allan John was also acknowledged for his contribution as a boat captain and the difference he has made in the lives of many. You probably noticed that these names may not be well known, but they are serving. Which reminds me of my favourite quote by Martin Luther King? “Not everyone can be famous, but everyone can be great because greatness is determined by service.” That is how you leave a legacy people will never forget. My aunt Corin always served and is still doing so, even though she is going through her challenges. I encourage us all to do whatever we can to help someone else because you never know when it will be your turn. May we all continue the awareness long after October has passed and try to make positive impressions on other peoples’ lives as we continue this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.

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XLIX

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2020

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Poetry is the sp ntaneous overflow of po o feelings: it take werful s its origins from emotion re co in tranquility.llected WILLIAM W (1770-1850) LOyrRDSWORTH preface to 2nd.ical Ballads, edn. (1802)

October 11, 2020 STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student,

EL-

COME, dear friend. Study skills or academic skills are

practices applied to learning. If you do not acquire or have not been taught them, you may not be successful while in school. As was said a few weeks back, study skills help you throughout life. These skills also include your classroom behaviour, your time management, organisation, and memorisation. You must not only be hearing your tutor, but be listening critically and trying hard to learn something from her. Also, make certain that you are sitting up straight and taking notes. Be wise. Love you. THE STORY PLOT Literary Analysis: Plot When you are analysing the plot of a story, you are looking deeper into the writer’s work by doing several things. First, you are examining and evaluating the twists and turns he puts in his plot. Second, you are looking at the literary devices, word choice, and sentence structures he has used. Third, you are looking at a story to know it better. The initial stage of looking can take some time for your eyes and mind to get acquainted with the writing style. If you analyse story plots often, it will help you critically examine yours, and point the way forward to self-improvement, and maybe into being a professional writer. Constant practice makes you perfect. Eventually, you will be enabled to identify and examine the following story stages at will: 1) Exposition/ Introduction: Setting and characters (especially the main character – the protagonist) 2) Rising Action: This contains a rousing or exciting incident 3) Climax: The turning point in the plot of a story Interacting with STORY PLOT is an immense help in story writing: 1. You get to know character types and become abled to express this knowledge easily. You get to improve your understanding of story conflict. 2. You also get to closely follow the build-up or rising action of conflict to its crisis point or climax. (This is where you, the reader, find

the writer deciding that things cannot continue the way they are going.) 3. Also, you are enabled to follow story resolution to its original problem, which depends on how the climax is played out. NOTE: a) When you delve into a story plot, it makes the writer’s use of literary devices more visible to you. You are compelled to go slowly to appreciate the writer’s word choice (tone) and discern his variety in sentence structures; the total of which helps you to analyse the power of a story plot. b) Story writers’ literary devices can consist of any of the following well-used ones: point of view; foreshadowing; imagery; irony, metaphors and similes; and repetition. HOW IS YOUR READING? Story Prediction When you make predictions about a story, you make informed guesses about what will happen next, based on story details and your own experience. You can support your predictions by finding clues in the story that hint at what will happen next. As you read, use a chart of your own design to fill in your findings. You may notice that the story may include details that support predictions of more than one outcome. Some stories keep you guessing in order to hold reader interest and to build suspense. Predicting Read the selection. Then answer the questions. When the last bell finally rang on Friday afternoon, Brian rushed to his locker and started jamming all his books and folders into his backpack. He was supposed to meet Steve at the video game store in five minutes, so he did not have time to figure out which stuff was really needed. It was a tight squeeze. The zipper stuck twice as he tried to close it, but he finally forced it close with one giant grinding tug. As he stood up and put the pack over his shoulders, there was a thunderous crash and then a roar of laughter from everyone in the hallway. The zipper had bro-

ken, and his books and papers were scattered all over the floor. It would take forever to gather them all, and his pack was useless now. A girl named Kelly approached with an empty shopping bag. “Need some help?” she asked. 1. Which details help you predict that the zipper would break? A.. It is a Friday afternoon, and Steve is at the video store. B.. Brian stands up and puts the pack on his shoulders. C.. Brian jams everything into the pack and forced it close. D.. Books and papers are scattered all over the floor. 2. What prior knowledge could someone use to predict that the zipper would break? A.. The zipper is plastic. B.. Zippers break when bags are overstuffed. C.. Brian never zippers his backpack. D.. The zipper is old. 3. Which kind of information might lead you to modify a prediction about what Kelly will do? A.. Everyone is laughing. B.. Brian and Steve had a fight earlier that day. C.. It is Friday afternoon, and all the stores are open. D.. Kelly is late to class. 4. Which prediction would not need to be revised, based on details in the passage? A.. Brian will be late in meeting Steve. B.. Brian will leave his things and go meet Steve. C.. It will take Brian a long time to gather the things that spilled from his backpack. D.. No one will help Brian. GRAMMAR Recognising words through taking them apart. Prefixes Here are four prefixes: re, in, un, dis. Use them with the words below to make as many new words as you can. easy direct qualify natural decent appoint.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT â€• Sunday, October 11, 2020

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT â€• Sunday, October 11, 2020