Thoughts of a minibus traveller

  Dear Janelly David, I am sorry we , your nation,  your community, other men around you could not stop t he man from killing you. Y ou are 16 years old and many people hope that 16 years old would be close to completing school. I am sorry that we could not make things good for you to be in school. What dreams did you have? What did you like to do? What did you want for yourself? What did you want to be when you grew up?   I am sorry that if you were experiencing problems, that we did not do enough to make sure that you knew how to be in a good relationship, and where to get help if things went bad.   I am sorry, that even though you are living in a place with a lot of gold, and a lot of oil, that the man killed you.   Did you know about the One Guyana Ministerial Task Force which was set up to tackle the "social ills" , which resulted in the man killing you? Did you feel a part of President Ali's One Guyana, living in the mining camp?  The Village ...

  Doing your own thing..   Sunset on the Friday of a difficult week and the woman I first met in 2000 is walking briskly down the road. Finishing her walk, 'I am 71 now you know' and this is her second set of exercise for the day after doing gym earlier.  We talk about the seawall and walking there now..she has been attacked twice on the seawall, 'you gotta know when to go' She is managing some circulation issues so the exercise is key..'you gotta do your own thing'.. she tells me. Thinking of 'doing your own thing', deciding how you win and lose and so.. Nobody winning..  A letter from French President Macron after the elections noted that 'nobody won' in an appeal for the coalition building across differences to form a majority, and he felt that there has to be some power sharing. Power.. and winning. A mother tells her children 'If I abuse yall, I gun go to jail fuh life.. I don't abuse yall, I does just hit yall fuh yall know how fu...

  Walking with the 18 year old survivor 8pm or so, some drizzles in the night. The 18 year old tells her story. She was working with her friends. The man who is a powerful man in the village came up behind her, slapped her , took away the phone. She had ended the relationship with him. The man had started to contact her when she was under 16. He has 'spoiled other girl children' Her friend brought her on advice of a village leader.  The 18 year old says she will make a report, since the police cannot do anything unless a report is made. We feel that she is certain and understands the process. Even as she knows that he has paid off other persons he has attacked. My colleagues and I go, walking with the 18 year old and her friend. Rain drizzles a bit more. For the first time, I use the umbrella I bought- swag for the commemoration of the rebuilding of the Ram Ayodhya mandir in India. Ram returning to Ayodhya, Ram is not here though in the village. Her friend turns back at the ...

   Mothers.. "Hi Mr Kissoon.. " the woman smiles at me. My shoulders tense up. Social gathering for a baby's christening. Woman calls out to her daughter.. "come come.. see Mr Kissoon' .My head goes.. no no.. , smile is on my face. "Tell Mr Kissoon how you doing.. ' woman tells the child  who is not looking at me., body language showing discomfort. 'Okay' she says. I say.. .look how place hot eh.. . how you doing.. to the smiling mother. I met the child and her mother 12 months or so before the christening. The woman had brought her child for counselling (frontline). 'Her father want to sex with her.. I trying to tell her to bear up and that I would not leave her at home.. is since she was 5 years old .. but I trying to leave and go away and he supposed to go away.. but i hope you could counsel her.."  I am horrified at the mother. Face calm thinking of the 'non-judgemental thing' . Trying to listen to the child, while not hating...

Bus driver wearing mask on his chin. I next to him on the jump seat with cloth on my face. Woman next to me with mask on. Covid-19 regulations relaxed. I had opened conversation by saying that I forget my manners by not saying morning. Woman said 'is okay'. Midday news on radio. Story about the baby who died from Covid-19 at West Demerara Regional Hospital.  The Chief Medical Officer had confirmed that the b aby might have contracted Covid at the hospital   I mutter something about nothing aint gun happen.  Baby dead in Guyana's public hospital system. Woman is silent. Mask on. Looking out the window. Probably wishing I shut my mouth too to keep in the Covid.  Bus driver says.. 'well leh we see what dey gun do about dat' .   Nothing has happened we know about. Babies and other people might still contract Covid in the hospitals. This story coming at the same time as the story of a baby girl, found floating in a trench at Crane. West Coast Demerara. Left ...

    Candice Ramessar led a conversation about home schooling in Guyana. The conversation was on 15 August, 2020.    There was a lot of discussion about education, education and the economy, credentials, getting a job, about the learning styles, the oppression in the current system, the need for varieties of testing such as oral and other non-written methods, how to bypass the system, and that home schooling should not be seen as a way out of changing a systemic problem related to schooling for a progressive society which values all human beings.   These are some of the things I learned from the conversation, noted from a presentation which Candice also shared.   What is homeschooling ?   Home schooling or home education is NOT bringing the school home and trying to replicate the school system in your house.  The definition which was shared is "is the education of children at home, typically by parents or by tutors, rather than in other formal sett...

People have told me I that I sexually abused children. People have told me that I have defended child abusers and that I have otherwise endangered the lives of children (especially in the LGBT advocacy work). Accusations come and there are no follow up investigations and they die away. One organisation , Help & Shelter with which I has involved, has a child protection policy . The policy is clear that any person associated with Help & Shelter and who is accused of harming children has to  step aside and allow an investigation which has to be concluded within five days. All persons who work with Help & Shelter are supposed to sign on and agree to this. It is clear also that not all investigations will conclude in court cases. Due process. course of the law People have faith that the justice system will provide justice for survivors of sexual violence.  The justice system, in Guyana, and elsewhere, most times does not provide justice, nor healing. Cases ...

Saturday morning. Baigan choka and roti at the roti shop on the East Coast.  Some mornings there is vicious cussing and so but it is a nice quiet morning . A 'gay' walks in.. (male to female transgender). Normal occurrence in many parts of 'rural' Guyana where there is acknowledgement that people can be different. A man in shades and with tattoos hails up and there is banter between the two.. the 'gay' playfully brushing his hand on the young man's head before going to eat.  Free space.   Saturday morning. Strange headline in the Chronicle " Can’t fight hate with hate — Simpson calls on Guyanese to reject Islamophobia.  There was a private function hosted by Scheherazade and Kashir Khan who have rejected the violence committed in the name of Islam.  The event was co-hosted with SASOD.   I know the Khan family and I do not believe they have to accept responsibility for anything that any other person does in the name of Islam. I was a member o...

( Two men reportedly killed 9 year old Ashley Boodhoo a nd her grandmother and another man in the house in which Ashley lived with her siblings  and relatives.) I am sorry Ashley that I only saw the headline about your death and did not read the story because it 'was another one'   I am sorry Ashley that two men like me killed you when you tried to find your mother. I am sorry Ashley that as a man that I could not stop the men who went to kill you and your mother and grandmother I am sorry Ashley that the reason I am writing this is that I am thinking of the children I know whose fathers are abusive.  I am sorry Ashley that I cannot stop the abuse by the men I know and the only thing I seem to do is to tell the children not to bother with the abuse, and to stop depending on their abusive fathers for love. I am sorry Ashley that even though your mother used the justice system, it did not stop the man and his friend from killing you. I am sorry Ashley that dom...

(The United Nationals Population Fund (UNFPA) in Guyana engaged in a consultative dialogue with faith based organisations on 19th June, 2013 in Georgetown, Guyana. This is the rough text of a presentation which was made as part of a panel on perspectives related to the ICPD Programme of Action  ) Namaste - which means I bow to the divine in you. I also am a bit nervous as I contemplate that I am talking from behind a pulpit to persons who are accustomed to speaking from pulpits or singhasana s, so please bear with me. Hinduism is diverse, so this is rightfully - a Hindu perspective. I think however that many Hindus would agree with some of these perspectives. The topic is interesting as it starts with the issue of Positive masculinities - contemplating I think that there is a diversity in masculinity, and that some of it is not good. I have never heard of positive femininity though - and I wonder if it is because each woman or female struggles in finding their way in a s...

The Clerk of the Committee Special Select Committee On Guyana’s Commitment To The United Nations Human Rights Council With Regard To The Abolition Of Corporal Punishment In The Schools, The Abolition Of The Death Penalty And The Decriminalization Of Consensual Adult Same Sex Relations And Discrimination Against Lesbians, Gays, Bi-Sexual And Transgender Persons (Resolution No. 23 Of 2012) Committees Division Parliament Office Public Buildings Georgetown   Dear Sir/Madam Re : Submission on the attitude of Guyanese, especially parents and children, to corporal punishment and its possible abolition; We are writing as grassroots women who are mothers and grandmothers of school-age children, and who also work with Red Thread and its networks. Both in our own homes and in Red Thread, an organisation which promotes the welfare and rights of women and children, we are familiar with the trials of both parenting and teaching. In the case of corporal...