Category: Features

“After they saw everything on the news and then the newspaper too, he know that his mother died. But I still sit him down and I talked to him and explain things to him. Now I have him with me and I have to be strong for him. I can’t breakdown every time I miss her because he will be affected too,” says Mala Mahabir. Mala’s 25-year-old stepdaughter, Simone Hackett, was brutally murdered by her reputed husband Clevaughn Hamilton on April 16, 2016 leaving behind their then three-year-old son Clevaughn…

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…after 28 years of abuse By Lakhram Bhagirat For almost a decade, Omawattie Alvin or Ann as she loves to be called was the subject of constant physical and verbal violence at the hands of her then husband. But one day she said enough was just enough and left the relationship with her two children in tow. A few years later, she would meet the sweetest man possible. He fathered her four other children and treated her the way she wanted to be treated, but little did she know the…

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Interior designer Gary Hinds is always looking to top himself, to improve upon the last job, to be better. That is his definition of success – to do better in the next job. Born and raised on the serene island of Wakenaam in the Essequibo River, Hinds was exposed to the creative world from a very young age as he helped to decorate the nearby church for special occasions. Coming from a single-parent family, Hinds quickly learnt that hard work and dedication would aid tremendously in achieving his goals. Leaving…

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When we think about planting rice the scene of men large tractors hauling plows through large flooded fields preparing the land for men to “throw” paddy and manure to ensure a successful crop. The vision never entails seeing a woman in the field because of the misconception that it is a man’s world but for 62-year old Kussilla Jugdeo it is the only world she knows. Kussilla, the daughter of a rice farmer, said growing up she always enjoyed being in the field with her father and cherished those moments.…

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“Bees should not be killed. They should be protected and cared for because without them we would have no fruits, flower and honey among other things. That is what we need the people to know because of how important they are,” says beekeeper Janice Fraser. The 62-year old has been a pioneer in the local apiculture sector, often imparting her knowledge and wealth of experience to younger generation beekeepers. Janice, a one-time Foreign Service Officer, explains that while on overseas assignment her interests in a lot of things developed and…

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By Lakhram Bhagirat The loss of a parent, particularly the sole breadwinner for the family, is a big blow and it often means the other has to step up, take the mantle and carry the family forward which is exactly what Indera Thakurdin did when her husband, Calvin, died over two years ago. Indera is the mother of two children and lives in Jacklow, Pomeroon. Her husband died suddenly in January of 2016 leaving her to care for their two children. Both of Indera’s children would have performed outstandingly at…

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For many countrywomen, rearing a few fowls or sheep in the yard comes as second nature since they know the value of subsistence farming but not much of them ventures into the business on a large or even medium scale basis as Anita Sammy did. Anita made it her business in order to supplement the income of her husband and ensure that her family gets the best life possible. Anita, a Bath Settlement West Coast Berbice native, met her husband Louis Isaacs at the age of 20 and since the…

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We quite often dream of the day we can be truly independent and be our own boss, but in order for us to become successful business owners there are some key traits one must possess. Among those traits are determination, commitment and hard word. Apart from possessing the three fundamental traits, there must be a complete understanding of the field of business one decides to enter and that is where the Small Business Development Finance Trust Inc (SBDF) comes in. The SBDF was formed with the main objective of providing…

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by Petamber Persaud A Play Subtitled Medal of Service. (Extract of interview with Desiree Edghill, Georgetown, Guyana, November 2016. Edghill is Director of Artiste in Direct Support, a versatile theatre personality, a health activist and educator. Edghill was recently awarded a Medal of Service.) PP: We cannot divorce the drama from theatre in Guyana because the history of theatre in Guyana is characterized mainly by highs [high drama] and lows [low gravy]. There is a school of thought that views the fortunes of theatre as a reflection of the state…

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