Category: Features

Guided by its motto, “Utilising Education Forces, Promoting Green Resources”, the young, energetic members of the Eco Trust Society are focused on the sustainability of their environment. In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Madhavi Indarjeet, one member of Eco Trust, spoke of her experiences working with the organisation and how it helped her become a guardian of her environment. “As a member of Eco Trust Society for the past two years, the experience has left me with a wider appreciation for the environment. It has impacted my lifestyle by…

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The man with the golden voice in the golden age of broadcasting In the history of broadcasting in Guyana, few people have made their mark as indelibly as Ayube Hamid Khan. On the occasion of what would have been his 90th birthday on September 20, 2016, we take a look back at the life of this true son of the soil. For 55 years, his mellow and mesmerizing voice made time stand still as he ushered in the country’s favourite programme, “Indian Memory Album” every Monday night at 8.30 p.m. Irrespective…

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Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative awardee When Shaunda Yarde of Golden Crunch Coconut Biscuits received the news that she was going to partake in the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI), she was “pretty excited”. Speaking to Sunday Times Magazine, Shaunda said that she “couldn’t believe it”; it was her “dream come through”. US President Obama’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Professional Fellows Program aims to develop entrepreneurial skills and enhance economic opportunities for young professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean. Of the nearly 4,000 applications…

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By Petamber Persaud Although there is a vast amount of literature written on and about the indigenous peoples of Guyana, only a small handful of that corpus is written in English by the indigenous. However that small amount ‘amounts’ to an importantdegree of insight into the joys and heartrending tribulationsof a life,because that small corpus really goes to the heart of the issues of the indigenous. This is not to say that the other writings do not address real issues, but the other writings cannot be substituted for “the real…

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Part II Many of the indigenous age-old postnatal customs are fading due to new technologies and urbanization. However, research done on these customs still make for a good read, and may even encourage youths of today to learn more about their heritage. Phyllis Jordan’s “Amerindians customs after birth”, a chapter found in the book “Focus on Amerindians” (May 1980), highlights some of these customs; the following are excerpts from her text. In some indigenous nations, the father is required to spend most of his time caring for his child during…

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A rare fruit in today’s markets, though it is said to be somewhat found at Parika market, is the red banana or what Guyanese call “buck banana” and “red buck banana”; “buck” being the derogatory local word for an indigenous person. The fruit has also been called “purple banana” and “Parika banana” here in Guyana. To date there is no literature as to the etymology of the derogatory local name. Its official scientific name is “musa acuminate (AAA Group)”, belonging to the Cavendish group (AAA), a cultivar of the wild…

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