Coil: Nothing is happening..
by Vidyaratha Kissoon
“Nutting ain really doin’” the cheerful driver said. We had just passed Whim village on the Corentyne. There has been a broken Alliance For Change sign for a while now on the Whim roadside. It is probably touchy to bring up AFC in Berbice in a car. There must be a reason why the
AFC has not fixed the sign. The driver laughed when I asked about the sign. “Yeah.. dem musse learn now, how nutting aint change.. de odder set was bad but at least you earn, now it rough suh. “
“Me aint racial, but look is whuh.. yuh cyan just wake up one marning and find de economy gone”
A young man who came back to do good work in the public sector is feeling the frustration. I told him that scholarships were available and he said ‘No. I can’t live like this ‘.. living like this under the contract. He has not been able to achieve anything as the inertia in the public sector left over from the PPP continues and ‘the powers that be remain the same’
“Come and see.. how bored we are… friends in other Ministries are experiencing the same thing.. Some days absolutely nothing to do” .
It isn’t as though he doesn’t want to work. He has been frustrated, as all proposals have been rejected or he has not received any replies. His predecessor also had similar experiences before she left the job. It seems that technocrats are underutilised and political advisers fill the gaps. There is a lot of energy around special days and walks and workshops and training sessions , but underneath though, it seems that the nothing aint really doing.
There are strange disconnects. For example, President Granger and the Minister of Education have said that there should be no beating children in schools. This should be a catalyst for change.
But, the Chief Education Officer(ag) who is the person really responsible for ensuring that teachers do not beat children in schools has not made any clear or direct statements. The CEO seems to have dodged the issue. It could be that the CEO knows already that things are tough and it is perhaps the only way to let the teachers vent on the children, rather than vent on their bosses. Unlike the politicians who can talk nice things, the CEO would have to do actions and enable the transformation.
There was another busy and active and intense week for Child Protection in September. The Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency and others called for help in reporting cases of abuse. I shared the hotline number (227-0979) with a group of young men. One of them asked me “Sir, but look how dem two children dead in the fire. You still tink we should report and den de chirren would dead?”
He is right. The intense week of activities and rallies did not include any information on how the Ministry of Social Protection would be moving ahead on ensuring safety at the homes. There were no reports of the Visiting Committee to monitor the homes. There were many awareness events and so on, all necessary, but no real commitment to improving the system.
The public sector likes a lot of training and workshops. According to a GINA report, Minister Valerie Patterson commented at the end of a recent workshop for community development councillors “Many times we come up with workshops and people come up with plans, when you get back to your communities its put on the shelves. I trust that this will not happen, because the organisers of this workshop expect that with knowledge acquired there will be change of behaviour, attitude and change in all its form,” “
I have facilitated training and other awareness activities. I think they are important . With issues such as child abuse and domestic violence, there is need for unlearning and then learning again. The trouble has always been, that if there are no accountability mechanisms in place, or ogoing support or leadership to push the changes, then nothing will happen.
The young man who is fed up has all the skills and knowledge necessary, and is eager to share.
However, there are systemic issues which apparently prevent him and others from doing their work, and which are not changing even though the Government has changed.
Some problems require people to read and write to help solutions. The problem of illiteracy is every where. Who would have known that there was a National Literacy Unit in the Ministry of Education? They recently held an event, a rap festival. There is no news though of how the National Literacy Unit deals with adult remedial literacy, or how they measure the literacy rates or how they support literacy work on an every day basis. Are there classes in communities? Are there incentives for teachers? Many of the youth who were born during the PPP administration cannot read and write. Beyond facilitating rapping, is there anything else about a real national movement to deal with illiteracy?
Nothing aint happening must be a difficult things for the news people who have to find something to report on.
The media reports on suicides – case by suicide case. The personal lives of people are all known.
There are no obvious media guidelines which are being followed. Readers pass judgement. But it must be difficult, because.. well there is probably nothing else to report on.
The Facebook page of the Mental Health Unit indicates that they are busy with events. A fair in Essequibo, another one in Georgetown – all for special days. Nothing though, about progress being made on the deliverables identified in the Mental Health Strategic Plan or the Suicide Prevention Strategy.
I walked one evening last week in Springlands, near Skeldon. In the space of about 5 minutes, I encountered more addicts and persons with other mental illness than I have in a similar environment in Georgetown.
I asked one man if there was anything at the hospital for him. He said no and asked me for money.
There is nothing on the Mental Health Unit Facebook page about addiction clinics at the health
facilities in Skeldon. Ms Caitlin Viera who writes in the Sunday Chronicle promotes clinics and support groups which are held in Georgetown at the GPHC and at Woodlands.
It is probably easier then for the media to just report on suicide by suicide, without thinking of questioning any of the systemic or cultural issues which enable suicide.
Dr Norton reported that there is need for a new psychiatric hospital – a “fairy godmother wish”. He had indicated at the UG Turkeyne and Tain talk that money was a problem. PAHO apparently does not give money to build mental health facilities.
People would probably wonder, how come the money from the Marriot, described as immoral by the APNU opposition, is being used to build Casino and Entertainment Complex and not satisfy Dr Norton’s fairy god mother wish for a better psychiatric facility.
The Marriot had been eloquently described by Stabroek News columnist Christopher Ram as “…a monument to the extent to which egomania has gripped President Jagdeo, testimony that civil society is dead and it will explain why Guyana lags far behind even the smallest Caribbean island, barring Haiti. It will be our beacon of arrogance and attitude to spending public funds on the one hand, and the cowardice of a nation on the other.”
Maybe something happened and the Marriott is now a good thing for many who had condemned it.
Maybe the cowardice has changed to bravery and the beacon of arrogance is now a beacon of hope for many.
Dr Norton had recently confirmed that the government has no policy on alcohol abuse. It must be difficult in a society which encourages alcohol consumption to deal with alcohol abuse. A smart woman I know who has survived many personal challenges told me about being concerned about her drinking and wondering about how to reverse . She is not alcoholic but has realised that once she starts, she continues beyond her desired limits. Some youths after a recent self reflection activity talked about being concerned about their alcohol drinking. They had tried to stop but could not as it meant a change to a lot of social and personal structures “when the beats of the music at the wedding house sound it mek you want fuh drink so you could loosen up’.
President Granger has been concerned about the illegal narcotics trade. Alcohol is a drug too. There is a reality that nothing will happen to curb alcohol consumption. There are no moves to create facilities to deal with alcohol problems. Two Essequibo citizens who tried to provide an alternative to the liquor culture had their efforts thwarted in ‘democracy’. Nothing aint happening to deal with the alcohol problems.
The public is being told that Operation Safeway is reducing traffic accidents, and that the crime rate is reducing, . Road accidents on the brand new roads seem to be prevalent. The improved infrastructure which is meant to improve access and transportation also seems to create opportunities for injury and death. Maybe there are fewer deaths as the police say they are clamping down.
The crime seems random, nowhere is safe, no time is safe.
The IMF had predicted economic growth for Guyana. Maybe some are benefiting. It seems though the figures are not matching with the reality of many of the citizens and a lot of work is needed to make something happen to develop Guyana.
“Nutting ain really doin’” the cheerful driver said. We had just passed Whim village on the Corentyne. There has been a broken Alliance For Change sign for a while now on the Whim roadside. It is probably touchy to bring up AFC in Berbice in a car. There must be a reason why the
AFC has not fixed the sign. The driver laughed when I asked about the sign. “Yeah.. dem musse learn now, how nutting aint change.. de odder set was bad but at least you earn, now it rough suh. “
“Me aint racial, but look is whuh.. yuh cyan just wake up one marning and find de economy gone”
A young man who came back to do good work in the public sector is feeling the frustration. I told him that scholarships were available and he said ‘No. I can’t live like this ‘.. living like this under the contract. He has not been able to achieve anything as the inertia in the public sector left over from the PPP continues and ‘the powers that be remain the same’
“Come and see.. how bored we are… friends in other Ministries are experiencing the same thing.. Some days absolutely nothing to do” .
It isn’t as though he doesn’t want to work. He has been frustrated, as all proposals have been rejected or he has not received any replies. His predecessor also had similar experiences before she left the job. It seems that technocrats are underutilised and political advisers fill the gaps. There is a lot of energy around special days and walks and workshops and training sessions , but underneath though, it seems that the nothing aint really doing.
There are strange disconnects. For example, President Granger and the Minister of Education have said that there should be no beating children in schools. This should be a catalyst for change.
But, the Chief Education Officer(ag) who is the person really responsible for ensuring that teachers do not beat children in schools has not made any clear or direct statements. The CEO seems to have dodged the issue. It could be that the CEO knows already that things are tough and it is perhaps the only way to let the teachers vent on the children, rather than vent on their bosses. Unlike the politicians who can talk nice things, the CEO would have to do actions and enable the transformation.
There was another busy and active and intense week for Child Protection in September. The Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency and others called for help in reporting cases of abuse. I shared the hotline number (227-0979) with a group of young men. One of them asked me “Sir, but look how dem two children dead in the fire. You still tink we should report and den de chirren would dead?”
He is right. The intense week of activities and rallies did not include any information on how the Ministry of Social Protection would be moving ahead on ensuring safety at the homes. There were no reports of the Visiting Committee to monitor the homes. There were many awareness events and so on, all necessary, but no real commitment to improving the system.
The public sector likes a lot of training and workshops. According to a GINA report, Minister Valerie Patterson commented at the end of a recent workshop for community development councillors “Many times we come up with workshops and people come up with plans, when you get back to your communities its put on the shelves. I trust that this will not happen, because the organisers of this workshop expect that with knowledge acquired there will be change of behaviour, attitude and change in all its form,” “
I have facilitated training and other awareness activities. I think they are important . With issues such as child abuse and domestic violence, there is need for unlearning and then learning again. The trouble has always been, that if there are no accountability mechanisms in place, or ogoing support or leadership to push the changes, then nothing will happen.
The young man who is fed up has all the skills and knowledge necessary, and is eager to share.
However, there are systemic issues which apparently prevent him and others from doing their work, and which are not changing even though the Government has changed.
Some problems require people to read and write to help solutions. The problem of illiteracy is every where. Who would have known that there was a National Literacy Unit in the Ministry of Education? They recently held an event, a rap festival. There is no news though of how the National Literacy Unit deals with adult remedial literacy, or how they measure the literacy rates or how they support literacy work on an every day basis. Are there classes in communities? Are there incentives for teachers? Many of the youth who were born during the PPP administration cannot read and write. Beyond facilitating rapping, is there anything else about a real national movement to deal with illiteracy?
Nothing aint happening must be a difficult things for the news people who have to find something to report on.
The media reports on suicides – case by suicide case. The personal lives of people are all known.
There are no obvious media guidelines which are being followed. Readers pass judgement. But it must be difficult, because.. well there is probably nothing else to report on.
The Facebook page of the Mental Health Unit indicates that they are busy with events. A fair in Essequibo, another one in Georgetown – all for special days. Nothing though, about progress being made on the deliverables identified in the Mental Health Strategic Plan or the Suicide Prevention Strategy.
I walked one evening last week in Springlands, near Skeldon. In the space of about 5 minutes, I encountered more addicts and persons with other mental illness than I have in a similar environment in Georgetown.
I asked one man if there was anything at the hospital for him. He said no and asked me for money.
There is nothing on the Mental Health Unit Facebook page about addiction clinics at the health
facilities in Skeldon. Ms Caitlin Viera who writes in the Sunday Chronicle promotes clinics and support groups which are held in Georgetown at the GPHC and at Woodlands.
It is probably easier then for the media to just report on suicide by suicide, without thinking of questioning any of the systemic or cultural issues which enable suicide.
Dr Norton reported that there is need for a new psychiatric hospital – a “fairy godmother wish”. He had indicated at the UG Turkeyne and Tain talk that money was a problem. PAHO apparently does not give money to build mental health facilities.
People would probably wonder, how come the money from the Marriot, described as immoral by the APNU opposition, is being used to build Casino and Entertainment Complex and not satisfy Dr Norton’s fairy god mother wish for a better psychiatric facility.
The Marriot had been eloquently described by Stabroek News columnist Christopher Ram as “…a monument to the extent to which egomania has gripped President Jagdeo, testimony that civil society is dead and it will explain why Guyana lags far behind even the smallest Caribbean island, barring Haiti. It will be our beacon of arrogance and attitude to spending public funds on the one hand, and the cowardice of a nation on the other.”
Maybe something happened and the Marriott is now a good thing for many who had condemned it.
Maybe the cowardice has changed to bravery and the beacon of arrogance is now a beacon of hope for many.
Dr Norton had recently confirmed that the government has no policy on alcohol abuse. It must be difficult in a society which encourages alcohol consumption to deal with alcohol abuse. A smart woman I know who has survived many personal challenges told me about being concerned about her drinking and wondering about how to reverse . She is not alcoholic but has realised that once she starts, she continues beyond her desired limits. Some youths after a recent self reflection activity talked about being concerned about their alcohol drinking. They had tried to stop but could not as it meant a change to a lot of social and personal structures “when the beats of the music at the wedding house sound it mek you want fuh drink so you could loosen up’.
President Granger has been concerned about the illegal narcotics trade. Alcohol is a drug too. There is a reality that nothing will happen to curb alcohol consumption. There are no moves to create facilities to deal with alcohol problems. Two Essequibo citizens who tried to provide an alternative to the liquor culture had their efforts thwarted in ‘democracy’. Nothing aint happening to deal with the alcohol problems.
The public is being told that Operation Safeway is reducing traffic accidents, and that the crime rate is reducing, . Road accidents on the brand new roads seem to be prevalent. The improved infrastructure which is meant to improve access and transportation also seems to create opportunities for injury and death. Maybe there are fewer deaths as the police say they are clamping down.
The crime seems random, nowhere is safe, no time is safe.
The IMF had predicted economic growth for Guyana. Maybe some are benefiting. It seems though the figures are not matching with the reality of many of the citizens and a lot of work is needed to make something happen to develop Guyana.
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