Guyana Community Scholars

In 2005 I visited Santa Rosa to record the Banchikilli Music of the Spanish Arawaks. One afternoon the musicians who called themselves the Mariaba Players agreed to meet with me at 3pm. They assembled and performed as I recorded. I sensed something untoward about the music. It was not the genre that had me puzzled (Amerindian music generally does) but it was the sound that was coming from the instruments that I just could not understand.

After they finished playing, we assembled into smaller groups chatting when the violinist sidled up and in very quiet tones said he had a request. He asked,  "When you come again please bring some violin strings for us." I said that was not a problem even though I was unsure where I could acquire violin strings in Georgetown. He continued, "You see, we don’t have any strings for the violin, banjo and ukulele so we used the strands from bicycle brakes cable." Then I realised what it was that was puzzling me throughout the little jam sessions they were having.

Jackie Wilson at the India ResidentialI work in the mining community of Mahdia, Guyana, which was established in 1884 by freed slaves.  I love it here, not because we walk on gold, but because development through grassroots empowerment and participation is recognised.  However, it is pellucid that women in Mahdia are trapped in a socio-cultural and economic cycle, which suppresses their true potential.

Love and Support for people living with HIV/AIDS

To say that there is no life after HIV infection is to be quoting a lie. Over the years, persons who were infected were led to believe this farce and unfortunately became victims of depression and frustration, and eventually succumbed to death. Sadly, in countries around the world, this belief is still prevalent. But after six years of working with people living with HIV/AIDS in Guyana, I have concluded that HIV is not a death sentence. Yes, it is a disease with potentially devastating consequences, but with love, care and support, a person’s life can be extended.

In February 2010, during my first residential in India, this fact was reinforced to me. I was privileged to meet a HIV+ young woman who shared a powerful story, a story of rejection and hopelessness that transitioned into  hope and the desire to live again. Becoming involved in the work of the late Dr. Raj Arole and his team in Jamkhed was empowering and also equipped her with practical skills that influenced her outlook on life. Today, she is a role model to many women in her community, especially those living with HIV/AIDS.

Forest in Guyana

Almost all of Guyana’s state-owned forests are under an avoided deforestation programme created to compensate Guyanese with the economic benefits under the Avoided Deforestation programme.  The opportunity cost which includes standing timber value, post-harvest land use value, avoided protection cost, and loss of local ecosystem services was estimated at US$580M annually. With avoided emissions estimated at 343 tons of carbon per hectare and the abatement cost of carbon at US$2-11 per ton, this proposal seems financially viable and important for this developing nation (Office of the President 2008).

Guyanese love their music and maybe per capita they rank, at least in the Caribbean, as amongst the highest with homes that have CD players. A significant number will debate with a fair degree of accuracy that amongst the present world of entertainment and those of the last two generations there would be an academic perspective to be added. But in the midst are underlying contradictions;  it was affirmed that a high percentage of the student population did not know all the verses of their National Anthem or know to sing with correct melody and rhythm. The situation worsened when it came to the other National and Patriotic Songs.

As the Music Coordinator within the Ministry of Education, I have the responsibility to oversee the development of regional choirs throughout all ten regions of Guyana. These choirs are formed within select schools and a core group will constitute the regional choir. Eventually this program will expand to cover more schools.

On February 2011, our class arrived in Lima for the Peru Residential where Future Generations country staff and their Peruvian associates warmly welcomed us.  To begin the residential, Dr. Laura Altobelli (Country Director of Future Generations Peru) delivered a presentation on the CLAS program in Peru. She espoused that CLAS Peru promotes community empowerment through shared administration. The idea behind CLAS is to build an enhanced model of decentralized primary health care for better aid effectiveness in Peru. Through classroom work and demonstration, we learned that CLAS does not tackle health issues on a generic level, but seeks to address health issues from the perspective of the economic, social and cultural determinants that are inextricably linked to health but are often ignored.