A most memorable trip to Guyana was rounded off with an equally memorable sample of Guyana’s multi-ethnic cultural displays for the 85 visitors from St. Vincent & the Grenadines who spent just over a week in Guyana.
Fourteen adults, including 11 teachers, three parents, and 71 Fourth Form students from the Geography and Natural Science Department of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Girls High School (GHS), created a lifetime of memories under the leadership of Shereline Roberts, Head of the Department, who also served as team leader and coordinator.
Some of the students when they arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on March 11
“I believe the students have learnt a lot.” I think overall it was a wonderful experience. The people we came in contact with made us very, very comfortable,” Roberts said.
She explained that the Social Services Department of the GHS organise tours to different Caribbean countries as part of the curriculum under the recognition that students think that geography and history are boring subjects.
“One of the ways to encourage them to do it and make it more interesting, is to carry them on field trips to different Caribbean territories,” she added. “We feel if they can experience for themselves, when they hear examples mentioned, they can identify with them what they have seen for themselves”.
To add another memory to their trip, the group was invited to share socially and culturally with members of the Allied Arts Department of the Ministry of Education which presented a farewell cultural presentation – ‘Sharing our Culture’.
Items from the Children’s Mashramani Competition were presented including poems, African drumming, Indian dance, a steel pan solo, a masquerade dance and presentations by students of the St. Vincent group. Each item was greeted with resounding applause and appreciation.
Speaking for the team, Ms. Roberts said they were honoured and happy at the event, since they did not live in a plural society like Guyana’s, “sharing this and socialising with you, we can show the Caricom Secretariat what true unity is all about, by coming together and communing with each other,” she posited.
Chief Education Officer of Guyana Olato Sam pointed out that Guyana’s pluralistic society provided an ideal opportunity to other regions to really explore the multi-faceted, multicultural society that “makes us unique as we are as part of the broader Caribbean milieu.”
Senior Education Officer of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Jessimiah Hamilton said exposure to Guyana allowed the students to bring alive the experiences from the classroom.
“The amount of information you were able to get here on the tour, you could not have gotten it in the classroom or from a text book. It was well worth our time coming to Guyana,” she stated, “it is something the children would take with them for a lifetime and they would have lots of memories to share with their children and grandchildren.”
Nasha, a history student said the trip was quite educational, “much different from most trips I have been on…Coming here and going to Caricom I got a firsthand look at how people were living. The fun part of the trip I really enjoyed, especially enjoyed, was Baganara, which I consider a beach, a river, because our rivers in St. Vincent are really small compared to the Demerara.” Baganara is a resort located in the Essequibo River.
Tanya, another student said she gained a lot of knowledge which she will use later on in life.
“Guyana has a lot of geographical information that I could learn. It is the first time we have seen rivers that do not have clear waters. So it’s quite a shock to us. Overall the trip has been quite worthwhile, and an experience I know I will take back to St. Vincent and share,” she said.
“Meeting teenagers in Guyana shows we are no different from each other, we all like fun. We met with students of Queen’s College and realised we have the same interest, and they like to do what we do. It was just amazing. Teenagers are the same wherever you go,” added Tanya. (GINA)
A most memorable trip to Guyana was rounded off with an equally memorable sample of Guyana’s multi-ethnic cultural displays for the 85 visitors from St. Vincent & the Grenadines who spent just over a week in Guyana. Fourteen adults, including 11 teachers, three parents, and 71 Fourth Form students from the Geography and Natural Science Department of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Girls High School (GHS), created a lifetime of memories under the leadership of Shereline Roberts, Head of the Department, who also served as team leader and coordinator. “I believe the students have learnt a lot.” I think overall it was a wonderful experience. The people we came in contact with made us very, very comfortable,” Roberts said.She explained that the Social Services Department of the GHS organise tours to different Caribbean countries as part of the curriculum under the recognition that students think that geography and history are boring subjects. “One of the ways to encourage them to do it and make it more interesting, is to carry them on field trips to different Caribbean territories,” she added. “We feel if they can experience for themselves, when they hear examples mentioned, they can identify with them what they have seen for themselves”.To add another memory to their trip, the group was invited to share socially and culturally with members of the Allied Arts Department of the Ministry of Education which presented a farewell cultural presentation – ‘Sharing our Culture’. Items from the Children’s Mashramani Competition were presented including poems, African drumming, Indian dance, a steel pan solo, a masquerade dance and presentations by students of the St. Vincent group. Each item was greeted with resounding applause and appreciation.Speaking for the team, Ms. Roberts said they were honoured and happy at the event, since they did not live in a plural society like Guyana’s, “sharing this and socialising with you, we can show the Caricom Secretariat what true unity is all about, by coming together and communing with each other,” she posited.Chief Education Officer of Guyana Olato Sam pointed out that Guyana’s pluralistic society provided an ideal opportunity to other regions to really explore the multi-faceted, multicultural society that “makes us unique as we are as part of the broader Caribbean milieu.”Senior Education Officer of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Jessimiah Hamilton said exposure to Guyana allowed the students to bring alive the experiences from the classroom. “The amount of information you were able to get here on the tour, you could not have gotten it in the classroom or from a text book. It was well worth our time coming to Guyana,” she stated, “it is something the children would take with them for a lifetime and they would have lots of memories to share with their children and grandchildren.”Nasha, a history student said the trip was quite educational, “much different from most trips I have been on…Coming here and going to Caricom I got a firsthand look at how people were living. The fun part of the trip I really enjoyed, especially enjoyed, was Baganara, which I consider a beach, a river, because our rivers in St. Vincent are really small compared to the Demerara.” Baganara is a resort located in the Essequibo River. Tanya, another student said she gained a lot of knowledge which she will use later on in life. “Guyana has a lot of geographical information that I could learn. It is the first time we have seen rivers that do not have clear waters. So it’s quite a shock to us. Overall the trip has been quite worthwhile, and an experience I know I will take back to St. Vincent and share,” she said.“Meeting teenagers in Guyana shows we are no different from each other, we all like fun. We met with students of Queen’s College and realised we have the same interest, and they like to do what we do. It was just amazing. Teenagers are the same wherever you go,” added Tanya. (GINA)
