Category: Features

Ashmini Ramnauth is on a mission to empower youths and families in an effort to ultimately eradicate a growing social issue, child neglect In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Ashmini said her interest in addressing the issue of child neglect was prompted when she joined the Miss World Guyana pageant in 2016 as a contestant. “I was given an opportunity to launch the project under the pageant’s linked charity called Beauty With A Purpose. It was the Miss World Guyana pageant that helped me to secure a voice and…

Read More

By Andrew Carmichael The bordering town of Corriverton is known for the Tapir vehicle. The vehicles which were locally made were mostly used as a means of public transportation. Today, the signature vehicle of Corriverton is fast becoming extinct. Passengers who once craved to travel in the wagon-typed vehicles, are now shunning them. According to some residents of that town, cars are more comfortable. “If you have a child, dey want de child sit on you lap an you still have to pay for the child,” a 29-year-old female told…

Read More

While pursuing academic studies at Queen’s College, 18-year-old Satesh Persaud divided his time between studying and crafting a mobile application for local telecommunications company, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT). Notably, Persaud created a shortcut to provide customers with a simplified approach to GTT’s mobile services. “The app I designed is called GDial. It has one simple goal and that is to simplify the way users access options in GTT *100# menu. GDial presents the options from the *100# menu in a simple and organised manner. To select an option,…

Read More

By Ann Wood Emancipation Day is observed in many former European colonies in the Caribbean, South Africa, Canada and areas in the United States on various dates. This day commemorates the emancipation of African slaves. It also observes areas regBy Ann Woodarding the abolition of other forms of slavery. Emancipation Day in Guyana is celebrated on August 1 and commemorates the abolition of slavery in Guyana in 1834. A former slave, Cuffy, has become the symbol of the abolition of slavery in Guyana. Cuffy became famous due to his leading…

Read More

Visiting her mother’s homeland, Guyana, Danielle Hodge was inspired to create an avenue to not only promote her heritage, but to empower local communities. This inspiration gave birth to Indigenous Coconut Oil. In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Danielle said she was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Orlando, Florida, where she currently resides. Her mother is from Anna Regina, Guyana and her father from St. Martin. In 2016, Danielle visited Guyana to attend the first annual Coconut Festival. Out of the many trips she has taken to…

Read More

By Odeen Ishmael Deep within the forest stood a massive tree. This tree was a very unusual tree because it had magical qualities that enabled it to produce all kinds of fruits on its wide leafy branches. It also had an immense trunk and was much taller than any other tree, rising like a majestic mountain in the middle of the forest. Large knots protruded from its bark, and its branches were so thickly covered with leaves that they blocked the sunlight from reaching the ground. Nevertheless, it was always…

Read More

An ardent promoter of healthy living, recently crowned Miss Global International Guyana 2017, Cynthia Dookie, is convinced “that many life-threatening illnesses can be curbed and/or prevented if we make healthier choices as it relates to our diets and wellness”. In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, the 23-year-old said Miss Global International Guyana is not her first pageant. She was a contestant in the Miss India Guyana 2017 pageant, in which she placed second runner-up or “Second Princess”, was awarded Miss Fitness, and second place within the ‘Beautiful Heart’ category.…

Read More

Scholars will differ on the most defining event leading to the ‘full’ emancipation of enslaved Africans in Guyana. After reading the only fictional account of the 1823 Demerara slave uprising, it would appear that the above event was the most critical on the road to freedom. The fictional account in reference is a book titled “Ratoon”, published in 1962 and written by prolific Guyanese author, Christopher Nicole. “Ratoon” is based on an improbable romance of two protagonists – a white female plantation heiress and a black male slave and freedom…

Read More

The Indigenous Peoples Affairs Ministry launched the annual Heritage Festival at the Umana Yana, in Georgetown on Wednesday, under the theme “Guyana’s first peoples; sustaining a rich cultural environment”. The launch was done in the spirit of International Day of World Indigenous Peoples. Amerindian Heritage Month 2017 is geared at celebrating Guyana’s first peoples by reflecting on their contributions and to protect, pursue and promote Indigenous heritage while trying to recapture lost traditions. Minister within the Indigenous Peoples Affairs Ministry, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, highlighted the struggles of Indigenous peoples in their…

Read More