Category: Features

By Lakhram Bhagirat She stands just above five feet tall, yet her personality towers over my five foot eight-inch frame. At 81 years old, she is by all means the embodiment of the cliché – small but powerful — and I was taken aback by the wisdom she had to share. I felt an instant connection when I saw Kathoon DeNobrega as I saw her peeking out of the door while I made my way up the stairs. “Good morning and what will you be asking me today,” she greeted…

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The Rupununi is one of the most picturesque places in Guyana. it is filled with lush grasslands, exotic animals, beautiful mountains and wonderful people. The Rupununi is mostly inhabited by the Indigenous tribes and way of life remains almost the same. The name Rupununi originates from the word rapon in Makushi which is a black-bellied whistling duck found along the river. The Rupununi River is one of the main tributaries of the Essequibo River and is located in southern Guyana. The river originates in the Kanuku Mountains, which are located…

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By Lakhram Bhagirat If you have ever met David Dewar and had a conversation with him or even heard him perform, I am sure you could never forget him. He has a presence that is larger than life, a voice that emanates from his core and the uncanny ability to make you forget your issues. Dewar is not your average 70-year-old; he is full of life and enjoys the simplest things in life. He is one of the most versatile persons in Guyana and could easily switch between engineering and…

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By Lakhram Bhagirat At 72, Charles Gilkes now he spends his days reminiscing on the golden days of his youth and keeping up with the current affairs of the country. He explains that he is particularly interested in the developmental boom that is on Guyana’s horizon. “We have so much oil and is a good thing I can listen to the news. I am very happy about how the country will develop from all the oil money. I am following it very closely and it will be nice when we…

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by Petamber Persaud The book ‘Jungle Cowboy’ first published in 1972 was in 1999 reissued as ‘All the Cowboys were Indians’, a title that sits well with the current celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month in Guyana, an annual event held during the month of September initiated by President Cheddi Jagan in the late 1990s, setting aside a whole month to honour the contributions of our indigenous people. Apart from the adventures of Brock, ‘All the Cowboys were Indians’ celebrates the indomitable spirit, skill and knowledge of the ‘Indians’ – in…

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By Lakhram Bhagirat Nobility is the fundamental principle of the teaching profession and teachers are epitomes of nobleness. They are the ones who take in a stranger’s child and instill knowledge beyond bounds and encourages that child to aim for beyond the skies. Teachers are the ones who teach us to define ourselves and make our mark and that is exactly what Kamal Persaud has been doing for over 36 years. It is surprising that she can make such a commitment to caring for a stranger’s child as she would…

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By Shemuel Fanfair As time goes by, how can a mother stand to bear the burden to daily care for her once sprightly and promising son without harbouring feelings of great dismay over the fact that at present, he cannot respond audibly whenever she speaks to him? This is the battlefield of emotions Lot 22 Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, mother of five Sharon Davidson faces, two years after her son; Shamar Henry, was struck down three houses away from their family home. On May 29, 2016 Henry, as positive…

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by Petamber Persaud There are many endearing characteristics of the Indigenous People of Guyana. Some of those features are captured in ‘Encyclopaedia of the Guyanese Amerindians (Including other South American Native Terms, Issues and Events)’ compiled by Lal Balkaran. Most fascinating for me are the legend, folklore and myth, notwithstanding the other interesting features of the people. Here are a few samples: A Creation Story. Amalivaca and his brother, Vochi, created the world according to Carib folklore. But the legend bears more on Amalivaca who was sent to earth to…

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By Lakhram Bhagirat “I was scared because I didn’t know what is happening and what will happen. When they told me that I may lose my sight, I was depressed and I was about seven years old at that time. Just in Grade Two and I was shame because I didn’t want my friends to laugh at me…” the now 17-year-old Anjalie Sookra tells me. Anjalie was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease after her parents discovered she had problems with her vision. Stargardt disease is the most common form of inherited…

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