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Works are progressing on the new Bean Conditioning and Storage Facility at Kimbia, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) – a major agricultural infrastructure project aimed at strengthening Guyana’s capacity to store, condition and process beans.
On Saturday, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha conducted a site visit to inspect the progress at the location.
The facility includes the development of six 250-tonne silos, providing a total storage capacity of 1500 tonnes. The facility will also include two wet bins, two dry bins, a warehouse, and a processing plant.
Once completed and operational, the facility will provide critical post-harvest infrastructure for the growing bean industry, improving the country’s capacity to properly store, condition, and process beans while reducing post-harvest losses.
The investment is also expected to provide greater support to farmers in Region 10 and surrounding communities, thus creating opportunities for increased production and contributing to the Government’s broader efforts to expand agricultural production, strengthen food security and develop new markets for locally produced commodities.
According to Minister Mustapha, “The development of modern agricultural infrastructure is essential to supporting farmers and ensuring that increased production is matched by adequate storage, processing and market opportunities.”
The Kimbia facility is part of the Government’s efforts to modernise the agriculture sector and unlock new areas for agricultural development.
Also in Region 10, the Government has already invested in the facilities, such as three 3000-tonne silos and one 80-tonne-per-hour drying tower at the Tacama Landing, to assist with the large-scale processing of corn and soya as Guyana moves towards becoming self-sufficient in the production of inputs for feed for the livestock sector.
These storage facilities will be further bolstered by the Regional Food Hub currently under construction at Yarrowkabra on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway – another major investment that will strengthen Guyana’s capacity to store, handle and export fresh agricultural produce.

Game changer
Just over a week ago, Mustapha visited the facility to assess the progress of construction, noting that the facility is on schedule and is expected to be completed within the contractual timeframe.
“This will be a game changer for us in terms of food production and proper storage of perishable commodities. This food hub will have modern cold storage facilities,” he said.
Mustapha added that the building is expected to be completed within the next four weeks and handed over to Blumberg Grains, the United States-based company that will install the cold storage facilities.
The Minister said the facility will provide farmers with an important outlet for storing their produce while also strengthening Guyana’s ability to supply fresh commodities to other CARICOM countries.
He said the Regional Food Hub represents one of the investments through which Guyana is positioning itself to make a meaningful contribution to the 25 by 2025+5 Initiative, which targets a 25 per cent reduction in the region’s food import bill by 2030.
“I’ve always said that for this initiative to be successful, Guyana has to be successful, and this is one of the areas that we are investing in to make our contribution to the 25 by 2025+5 Initiative,” Mustapha noted.

Support to farmers
Meanwhile, Saturday’s visit to the Kimbia storage facility coincides with the Agriculture Minister’s visit along the Berbice River, where he handed over eight tractors, eight rotovators and a harvester to support farmers in DeVeldt, Geatroy, Fort Nassau, Sand Hills, Kimbia, Ebini, Wiruni, and Wikki, as part of efforts to ramp up the production of beans for both the local and export markets.
The handover fulfils a commitment made by President Dr Irfaan Ali to farmers in the Berbice River communities.
The tractors are specifically designed to operate with the implements that will facilitate mechanised land preparation and planting of beans, including black-eyed peas and red beans. The equipment will significantly improve farmers’ capacity to cultivate larger acreages and increase productivity.
This intervention will help move farmers from subsistence-level production to large-scale commercial agriculture, creating greater opportunities for income generation and expanding Guyana’s agricultural production.
According to the Agriculture Ministry, the handover reflects the Government’s sustained commitment to strengthening national food security, reducing the food-import bill, increasing local production and placing modern productive assets directly in the hands of farmers.

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As Rambishoon settled into his new life, he looked forward to his first payday after working for six days in the week following his arrival at De Willem. This was the reason he has left his wife, son and home in Ishmailpur, and he was quite excited. Payday was on Saturday afternoon, and he followed the workers in his gang to a window at the pay office window from where his overseer doled out the coins in shillings and pence that he had determined to be their payment for the tasks they had completed. The standard was one shilling per task per day, and Rambishoon discovered there were always disputes by some workers on the amount received. Invariably, the overseer – with his driver interpreting – would point out some deficiency in the completion of the tasks for which full wage was not paid. Rambishoon was disappointed to receive four shillings instead of the six he had expected and was reminded brusquely by the driver that two shillings had been deducted for the rations he had collected for the week on the Saturday after his arrival.
Rambishoon was shocked to say the least. He had found the rations to be rather generous: three and a half pounds rice; one and a half pounds Dal or peas; half a pint coconut oil; four oz masala; one pound sugar; four oz salt; and several pounds of either wheat flour, yams, plantains, sweet potatoes, tannias or cassava. He determined there and then that after the compulsory three months of supplied rations, he would be able to live on, at maximum, one shilling weekly. He did not realise that after the three months he would have to pay for the pot he thought he had been given.
In his second week, he was taken to the end of the three-mile depth of Plantation De Willem – field #24, he was told by the driver – where he could see the actual “back dam” that had been created across the width of the fields extending east and west as far as his eyes could see. The backdam held back water collected from further inland to create a large reservoir that was released through locks to provide irrigation via the canals that flanked the Middle Walk that traversed the plantation all the way to the Public Road. This arrangement reminded him so much of the Ahar-Pyne system in his homeland that allowed him, his family and other farmers to cultivate three different crops annually – in his family’s case, rice, corn and lentils.
The Ahars were reservoirs with dams on three sides designed to store rainwater or diverted river water, while the Pynes were canals that moved the water between the Ahars and into the surrounding fields. Unlike the system in British Guiana, where the irrigation waters into the fields were channelled into drainage canals adjoining the side-line dams between plantations and emptied into the ocean, these form an interconnected water storage and distribution system for the entire region. As such, it demanded a high level of disciplined cooperation by the farmers to ensure that everyone benefitted. Rambishoon was also aware that the British had constructed a massive canal from the Sone River to the west of Ishmailpur just before he had been born, which supplemented the ancient Ahars and Pynes.
Rambishoon’s Ahars and Pynes had been in operation for over 2000 years, and had pretty much shaped farming and daily life in his region so that they were not at the mercy of the monsoons and rainfall that created floods and droughts. All the farmers in his district cooperated in this community-managed water network designed to store, distribute, and conserve water during both the monsoon and dry seasons.
Rambishoon had not quite finished his first month of indentureship when he began to dream how productive this new land could be in replicating the wet rice cultivation culture of Ishmailpur. Talking to some of the older, time-expired labourers on his Sunday day off, he learns that in order to encourage them to remain in British Guiana to work for the low wages that made sugar viable for the planters, the plantation would lease small plots of nearby swamplands to time-expired labourers, where they could cultivate rice. While Rambishoon’s initial idea was to earn and save as much money as he could to return to his wife and son, this thought was to play a major role in making him break his word.

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…vessel cleared by experts to sail for 3 more months but Suriname wants immediate repairs – Edghill

…passengers left stranded

Days after the MV Canawaima was cleared to sail following a reinspection amid an imminent sailing ban, Suriname has insisted that the service be temporarily suspended to conduct repairs, leaving passengers stranded in both Guyana and Suriname.
The Canawaima Ferry Service Inc, in a public notice posted on the Facebook page of Guyana’s Embassy in Suriname, announced that the ferry service was suspended effective Saturday, August 22, due to “scheduled works”.
No date was given for the resumption of the service.
“Once the regular ferry service resumes, further information will be communicated through the official channels,” the notice stated, while asking passengers, transport operators and other users to continue monitoring official communications.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill subsequently provided further clarification, saying two technical inspections had been conducted in recent days by maritime experts from Guyana and Suriname.
According to Edghill, the experts from both countries concluded that the vessel could remain in operation until it entered drydock within the next three months.
“Despite these assurances which were provided in writing the Maritime Authority in Suriname (MAS) insisted that certain matters which would have been addressed during drydocking, should be undertaken immediately,” Edghill said.
He stressed that responsibility for the maintenance and drydocking of the MV Canawaima rests with Suriname.
“The Boards on the Guyana and Suriname sides remain in close and continuous communication and are jointly working to ensure a prompt resumption of the ferry service,” he said.
Edghill also acknowledged the disruption caused to passengers and other users of the service, saying efforts were being made to restore operations as soon as possible.
The Public Works Ministry had earlier said the service was suspended “due to technical issues on board the MV Canawaima” and that management was working to have the matter resolved soonest.
The suspension comes amid continuing scrutiny over the condition of the MV Canawaima and only a day after a marine surveyor issued a detailed clarification on the vessel’s condition.
In a letter dated August 21, 2026, and addressed to the President of the Board of Canawaima Management Company and Canawaima Ferry Services, Marine Consulting and Surveyor Waldo Liauw Kwie Fong said the bottom of the vessel had been declared to be in “poor” condition based on a visual inspection which revealed heavy corrosion.
The letter, which referenced Survey Report No. 0801/2026 MCS and an August 13 statement, said the Suriname Drydock Company was requested to conduct ultrasonic thickness measurements at suspected locations identified by the surveyor during the week of August 24.
According to the document, however, the last ultrasonic thickness measurement report from the drydock showed that areas which had fallen below the diminution criteria of International Association of Classification Societies members had been corrected, while the remaining areas were expected to be further measured during the vessel’s next dry-docking.

Vessel declared safe
The surveyor said there were no further leakages or water in the compartments and that previous ultrasonic thickness measurements showed no significant diminution.
On that basis, the vessel was declared safe to operate for three months until dry-docking, with an intermediate ultrasonic thickness measurement exercise to be conducted during the week of August 24.
“Based on the above the undersigned declares the vessel safe to be operated this date of 21st of August 2026,” the letter concluded.
The surveyor also stated that, with regard to the integrity of the hull, corrective works would be undertaken by the Suriname Drydock Company during the week of August 24 to guarantee safe operations until January 2027. Those works were expected to be carried out under the supervision of Liauw Kwie Fong.
The letter also addressed the age and remaining service life of the Canawaima.
“Since the vessel is 30 years old, the economic and service life has been expired,” the letter stated.
It proposed extending the service life of the ferry by another 10 years through a rehabilitation programme.
The document additionally raised several issues relating to the vessel’s documentation and regulatory compliance.
According to the surveyor, the vessel was not in compliance with requirements of MAS Suriname and several international maritime regulations and conventions, including SOLAS, MARPOL, the Tonnage Measurement Convention 1969 and the Load Line Convention.
The letter stated that the vessel did not have a safety construction certificate, tonnage certificate, registry certificate, or load line certificate. It further stated that the Surinamese crew did not have STCW certificates and that an ISM certificate was also missing despite the vessel operating on an international voyage.

The document separately advised that issues concerning the Guyanese crew should be addressed with the Maritime Administration Department in Georgetown, since the vessel is jointly owned by Guyana and Suriname and the Guyanese crew is required to satisfy Guyanese law.
On fire safety, the surveyor said CO2 extinguishers were not required and that the vessel was outfitted with foam extinguishers certified for Classes A, B, C, and electrical fires. A fire pump and backup were also reported to be present.

Stranded passengers
The suspension had immediate consequences for travellers who turned up at Moleson Creek on Saturday expecting to cross the Corentyne River.
When this publication visited the terminal, several passengers were waiting for information on how they could continue their journeys, including travellers heading through Suriname to French Guiana.
Joséphine Chitou Carole, who had spent a week vacationing in Guyana with her family, said the return journey had become complicated.
She said the group woke early and travelled to Moleson Creek, only to discover that the ferry was not operating.
“We arrived here, where the ferry is closed. We had a few explanations, but very few. And we are waiting to be able to stamp our passports to legally leave Guyana, to legally arrive in Suriname, to legally leave Suriname again, to be able to arrive in French Guiana,” Carole explained.
She said the uncertainty was particularly troubling because she is expected to return to work on Monday morning.
“It’s complicated because I work on Monday morning. So, if my boss sees me, he knows that I might be late,” she said.
Another passenger, Geneva Rabraun, who said she lives in the United States, was also travelling through Suriname on her way to Cayenne.
She told this publication that the group left its hotel at approximately 05:00h and arrived at Moleson Creek around 06:00h, only to learn that the ferry was not operating.
“We came here and they say that the ferry doesn’t work. And we were waiting to stamp our passport to go across,” Rabraun related.
She said the passengers were subsequently told that they would have to wait until clearance was received from Suriname before their passports could be processed to allow them to cross.
With some members of the group expected to return to work, Rabraun said they were considering whatever alternatives might become available.
“We probably would because if the ferry doesn’t work and there’s a couple of people that have to go back to work for the week. So, we have no options,” she said.
Also stranded was Randy, a Paramaribo-based transport operator who said he has been transporting tourists on and off since 2016.
He related that when the group arrived at Moleson Creek, they learnt that the ferry was not working and were left awaiting further information.
For Randy, his immediate concern was getting his passengers across the river so that he could make arrangements for another vehicle to collect them in Suriname.
“For me, it’s important if my passengers can go over, then I arrange a bus on the other side. I don’t care if I have to stay a few more days, but my passengers, because they are tourists, they are not from here,” he explained.
The operator said this was not the first time he had experienced a disruption involving the ferry, estimating that it was the fourth or fifth such occasion.
With no indication at the time of when the ferry would resume operating, Randy said he was hoping arrangements could be made for immigration formalities to be completed so that the passengers could cross the river using a smaller vessel and continue their journey from Suriname.
“For now, I hope that we can stamp our passports and go over with a small boat…and stamp on the other side,” he said.
Tour operators affected
The suspension has also affected tour operators.
Georgetown-based Tropical Tours said it was closely monitoring the situation and would provide updates to clients who booked upcoming tours.
“Due to the unexpected and sudden halt of the Canawaima Ferry service today, Saturday, August 22, 2026, we are currently awaiting an official update regarding the situation,” the tour company said.
Tropical Tours added that it was assessing the situation and would make the necessary arrangements once further information became available.
“Our priority is to ensure that any decisions made are in the best interest, safety, and convenience of our passengers,” the company said.
Sailing ban
The suspension follows weeks of concern over the MV Canawaima after Surinamese maritime authorities identified safety deficiencies aboard the vessel.
Earlier this month, the ferry faced the prospect of being prohibited from sailing after authorities found that a number of previously identified deficiencies had not been remedied.
Following a reinspection on August 13, however, the vessel was permitted to continue operating, allowing the river link between Guyana and Suriname to remain in service while technical follow-up continued.
The latest suspension has now raised fresh uncertainty over when the regular ferry service will resume.
Edghill said the Guyana and Suriname boards remain in communication and are working together to secure a prompt resumption of the service.
“The Canawaima Ferry Service understands the inconvenience this situation is causing to users of the service and wishes to assure the public that everything possible is being done to resume the service as soon as possible,” he said.
The service has apologised to passengers and users for the inconvenience and asked for their patience and understanding.

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Guyana’s candidate for United Nations Secretary General (UNSG), Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, has said that one of her priorities if elected would be to help make the international financial system fairer for developing countries, arguing that even incremental changes could significantly improve their ability to access financing for development.
Speaking in separate interviews with CGTN Europe and the Global Dispatches podcast on Wednesday, Rodrigues-Birkett said that developing countries have long advocated for changes to the international financial institutions that would give them better and more equitable access to finance.
She said the UN, while not itself a financial institution, has an important role to play in advancing those discussions by using its global voice and working more closely with institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
She said the developing countries are heavily involved in the UN’s norm-setting work, but noted that decisions on financing are made largely outside the UN system. Developing countries have therefore been calling for reforms that would create a more level playing field.
“The developing countries in the United Nations, it’s a very important block. The G77 and China, its 134 countries. They lead quite a lot of processes. They are very much part of the norm-setting in the United Nations,” Rodrigues-Birkett noted.
“Developing countries have been calling for certain types of reforms that would make the playing field fairer. Access to finance has been a very important aspect of the advocacy of developing countries. And as Secretary General, I would work very closely with the IFIs, using some of the information that we have in the UN to advance these discussions.”
If appointed SG, she said she would work closely with the international financial institutions and use information available within the UN to advance the case for reform.
Rodrigues-Birkett does not envisage an overhaul of the global financial system as the only route to progress. Instead, she believes relatively small but systemic changes could produce meaningful results.
“The United Nations is not where the decisions on financing…is made. This is made by the international financial institutions… I do not believe that we have to have an entire huge reform of the IFIs to see progress. So even incremental steps that are systemic, that would, for example, make it easier for developing countries to access finance so that they can work on their development goals would be a priority of mine.”

“Sit down together as partners”
She made a similar point in her interview with Mark Leon Goldberg of the Global Dispatches podcast, arguing that the UN should approach the international financial institutions as partners rather than adversaries.
“I would not be the Secretary General to stand on a pedestal with a moral stick to beat the IFIs,” Rodrigues-Birkett said. “I think we need to sit down together as partners.”
She said the UN has a long-standing global voice on the issue of access to finance and that some progress has already been made, including changes in the way countries affected by natural disasters are treated.
“What we need is some incremental steps, I would say, that would have a systemic effect across developing countries to make the system more fair,” she said.
One concern, she noted, is that developing countries can face significantly higher borrowing costs than larger countries, despite facing similar challenges.
“…you would not have to be borrowing at extremely high rates compared to a similar country that is larger, let’s just say that,” she said.
Rodrigues-Birkett also highlighted the UN’s work on the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, which seeks to give greater consideration to the vulnerabilities faced by small island developing states when assessing their access to finance.
She said the challenge now is to determine how such measures, or aspects of them, can be incorporated into the way international financial institutions make decisions. The issue of finance is also central to her broader development agenda.

“Rapidly changing”
Speaking to CGTN Europe, Rodrigues-Birkett described the present international environment as “rapidly changing”.
She pointed to rapid technological advances, including artificial intelligence, geopolitical shifts, climate change, and the spread of misinformation and disinformation, as forces placing increasing pressure on societies and individuals.
Against that backdrop, Rodrigues-Birkett said the UN must focus on its three core pillars of peace and security, development and human rights, while making better use of the tools available to the SG.
Noting that “the UN was not built for easy times”, Rodrigues-Birkett noted that a central part of her agenda would be preventing and ending conflicts.
“I’ve outlined what would be some of my priorities. The UN was not built for easy times. It came after very difficult times after World War II. And so it was established to deal with global challenges,” she said.
“And as we look at the three pillars of the UN, whether it is on the peace and security pillar, on the development pillar, or the human rights pillar, there is much more that we can do. And so in setting my priorities, I’ve situated them along the pillars, looking at how we can work harder to prevent and to end conflicts.”
Rodrigues-Birkett said the SG should work with the Security Council, parties to conflicts and those capable of influencing them, noting that there are now many actors operating in the peace and mediation space.
“There are many different actors today in the peace and mediation space. So it will be important to form partnerships as we move forward,” she said.
She also stressed the importance of prevention, arguing that the UN should not wait until crises have fully developed before acting.

Interconnected priorities
Rodrigues-Birkett said the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also remain valid, but acknowledged that the 2030 targets were highly ambitious and that the international community needs to be realistic about the resources and time required to achieve them.
“As we consider the post-2030 agenda, we have to be realistic in several ways in terms of the timelines,” she said.
She argued that development, peace and security, and human rights should be treated as interconnected priorities rather than separate areas of UN activity.
“My view is that the best prophylactic against conflict will be development,” she said.
Rodrigues-Birkett also sees greater private-sector investment as part of the answer to the development financing gap. She said the UN could assist countries in preparing themselves to attract investment and help them understand the conditions required to bring private capital into their economies.
“There’s lots of money out there in the private sector, but how do we help countries to be able to attract investment?” she said.
She acknowledged that investment would be more difficult in countries experiencing conflict, but argued that there are other developing countries where greater assistance could help unlock private capital. Her proposed approach would therefore combine advocacy for improved financing conditions with technical assistance to countries seeking to attract investment.
By the end of a potential five-year term, Rodrigues-Birkett said she would want to see measurable progress in access to finance and private-sector investment in developing countries, alongside improvements in conflict prevention, human rights and the delivery of UN programmes.
“On the development side, I would like to see that we made progress with the IFIs, and that the needle has moved in terms of access to finance, but also in terms of private sector investment,” she said.
Looking ahead to the end of a potential five-year term, Rodrigues-Birkett said she would want to see tangible improvements in how the UN delivers for people on the ground, progress in resolving and preventing conflicts, greater access to finance and private-sector investment for developing countries, and an improved human rights situation.
She also identified a historic objective.
“I would also like to see that the question on whether a woman can lead the UN was answered resoundingly and affirmatively,” she said.
More than eight decades after the creation of the United Nations, Rodrigues-Birkett is seeking to become the first woman to serve as SG, bringing to the campaign a vision centred on conflict prevention, development, financial access, human rights and a UN that she says must adjust to the realities of a rapidly changing world.

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Six students have made history by being the largest group of students to successfully undertake sitting both the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) simultaneously while in Fifth Form.
Juvell Allan Iaisiah Atherly, Arya Devi Murli, Obama Anthony Prosper, Cassidy Singh and Shanee Josanna Kesney all from Queen’s College took on the unprecedented challenge at their school of pursuing CAPE while simultaneously preparing for their CSEC examinations.
Ricardo Ryan Thakur from the St Joesph’s High School did the same as only the third student in his school to engage in both exams simultaneously. Dominic Enoe and Suraj Charran both of St Joseph’s High did CSEC and CAPE simultaneously last year.
As far as available records indicate, this is the first time the feat has been accomplished at Queen’s College and the second known instance of a public school in Guyana allowing students to sit both examinations at this stage.
The achievement required an extraordinary level of commitment as CAPE is significantly denser in content than CSEC and the students were often required to manage overlapping timetables and balance independent study with their regular Fifth Form responsibilities.
All of these children also engage in other interests and pursuits while also preparing for the examinations.
Juvell Atherly is a pannist and a writer who just won the Guyana Prize for Literature for short stories for his story “Saltwater Does Not Forget.”
Arya Murli enjoys watching and playing cricket and the guitar and swimming. Shanee Kesney likes hiking and trying new things and Obama Prosper, is an avid cricket fan, a fitness enthusiast and is highly involved in his Church while Ricardo Thakur used to play the tabla and enjoys playing chess.
For Juvell, the decision was driven by a desire to challenge conventional ideas about how education should progress.
“I knew I wanted to do something never done before, to show students that education is not as linear as we may have been led to think,” Juvell said. “We’re all different, so I charge you to sit down and truly envision what you want for yourself and push for it.”
The students had already demonstrated their willingness to challenge the norm in Fourth Form. Juvell, Arya and Cassidy each completed three subjects in Grade 9, earning Grade Ones in each of their respective subjects while Obama, Shanee and Ricardo each completed two subjects and earned Grade Ones.
Their choice to do CAPE in Grade 11 and their exemplary accompanying results further underscored their determination to push past the expected and excel.
At CAPE, Juvell earned three Grade Ones in Digital Media Unit 1, Law Unit 2, and Physical Education and Sport Unit 1. Arya earned Grade One in Communication Studies Unit 1, Ricardo earned a Grade One in Pure Mathematics Unit 1 while Shanae and Cassidy earned Grade Twos in Physical Education and Sport Unit 1, and Obama earned a Grade Two in Law Unit 1.

CSEC performances impressive
Juvell earned 15 Grade Ones and one Grade Two; Shanee earned 9 Grade Ones and four Grade Twos; Arya earned 9 Grade Ones and two Grade Twos; Ricardo earned 9 Grade ones, Obama earned six Grade Ones, four Grade Twos and one Grade Three; while Cassidy earned six Grade Ones, 10 Grade Twos and one Grade Three.
For Arya, the experience provided an early introduction to the demands of CAPE and helped her discover an appreciation for a subject she particularly enjoyed.
“Comms was one of my favorite subjects out of the batch I wrote this year. I enjoyed it.” She said the experience gave her “a taste as to what CAPE as a programme is like and how different it is from CSEC. It also gave me a taste as to what CAPE as a program is like and how different it is from CSEC. It is definitely denser in content and it requires more and deeper thought and effort than CSEC.”
Arya said the experience taught her that students should not be afraid to “push past the established expectations and limits,” adding that she hopes their collective achievement demonstrates to schools across the country, teachers and parents that “students do not all have to be the same and different pursuits can be had and done by different children in different ways.”

She credits her school with allowing the group of students the privilege to sit the exams and her teacher Ms. Hannah Singh for making her experience with this CAPE subject “totally enjoyable and for contributing to her getting a Grade One.”

Challenge yourself
For Shanee, taking CAPE in Fifth Form was both challenging and rewarding.
“Being among the first students to take CAPE in Fifth Form has been a rewarding and memorable experience,” she said.
She said the experience taught her the importance of discipline, commitment and time management, while also encouraging her to believe more strongly in her own abilities.
“To those coming after us, I encourage you not to let the expectations or limitations set by others define what you can achieve,” Shanee said. “Challenge yourself, step outside your comfort zone, and push beyond the limits others may have placed on you.”
Obama similarly described the experience as an eye-opener, particularly in understanding the level of commitment required at higher levels of education.
He said he hopes the achievement will encourage younger students “to not limit themselves because they can do anything they put their minds to, as we did.”
While the six students shared the common goal of challenging themselves academically, each ultimately pursued a different CAPE pathway, highlighting the diversity of their interests. This represents not only the first-time children at Queen’s College did CAPE in fifth form but in some cases the first time the first time fifth formers studied in the same class with sixth formers in Law, Communication Studies, Digital Media and Physical Education and Sport.

“Your best is limitless”
For Juvell, however, the significance of the achievement extends beyond the results themselves.
Reflecting on his earlier experiences with CSEC, he recalled feeling “insufficiency, intimidation, comparison, and doubt” because of the perception that students were expected to follow a predetermined path.
His experience ultimately led him to challenge that idea.
“I wanted, with some others, to change the way that people view education in the Caribbean,” he said.
Juvell also cautioned against allowing examination results to define a young person’s entire future, noting that there are many students outside of this particular group who he believes will go on to excel in fields ranging from medicine and engineering to politics, humanitarian work, the arts and skilled trades.
“Your best is limitless,” he said.

Dedication & perseverance
Ricardo Thakur of St Joseph’s High School, who moved from Canada to Guyana in Grade Nine, said he initially felt somewhat out of place as he adjusted to a new education system and syllabus. “For me, doing both CSEC and CAPE in Fifth Form definitely took a lot of dedication and perseverance to achieve my desired grades. However, even when I did not fully understand a topic, I never let that discourage me. I would go home and watch multiple videos to try to understand the concepts better,” he said.
That determination ultimately led him to take on CAPE Pure Mathematics in Form Five.
Ricardo credits his teacher, Sir Hubern Collins, for believing in his ability to take on Pure Mathematics and for making the time to teach him the entire syllabus and believing in him.
His advice to other students is simple, “believe in yourself and be willing to do more. Do not let anyone discourage you from pursuing your aspirations and always go the extra mile. When you see the end results, you will know that all your extra hard work paid off.”

In-the-moment decision
Cassidy Singh said “CAPE was an in-the-moment decision”
For Cassidy Ann Singh, the decision to write CAPE came unexpectedly, after encouragement from her friend and fellow student, Juvell Atherly.
“Writing CAPE was an in-the-moment decision presented to me by my dear friend Juvell Atherly,” Cassidy said.
After accepting the opportunity, Cassidy knew she would have to give the examination the same level of commitment as her CSEC subjects, despite having limited time to prepare.
“Having said yes to the opportunity, I knew that regardless of the limited time I had left and the other CSEC subjects I had ahead of me, I had to put forth just as much effort and attention, especially considering that CAPE is much more demanding than CSEC,” she said.
Although the task initially appeared daunting, Cassidy said the experience ultimately proved rewarding.
“Although it seemed like a daunting task at first, I can confidently say that my CAPE experience was a good one,” she said.
She credited the support of her friends and Physical Education teacher for helping her through the process.
“None of it, however, would have been possible without my exceptionally smart and talented friends and my Physical Education teacher, who supported me throughout the process,” Cassidy said.
For other students considering a similar challenge, Cassidy stressed the importance of having a strong support system.
“To those who are looking towards setting more ambitious goals for themselves, I would encourage you to surround yourself with friends, family and teachers who will support your endeavours and lift you up when you feel overwhelmed, just as mine did for me.”

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…9mm warhead found in compound

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has launched an investigation into the alleged discharge of a loaded firearm in the vicinity of the Office of the President in Georgetown on Friday night. The incident occurred at about 21:15h on August 21, when a police rank stationed at the location heard what sounded like a gunshot coming from the direction of the Square of the Revolution. During subsequent checks of the compound, police observed an indentation with surrounding cracks on the windscreen of a motor bus attached to the Office of the President. The bus was parked on the northeastern side of the compound and was facing south.
A 9mm warhead was also found on the ground in front of the vehicle. The item was lodged pending examination. Police are reviewing CCTV footage from the area and have questioned several persons as part of the investigation.
The GPF said investigations are ongoing.

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By Ryhaan Shah

We have been stressing the importance of movement and staying active as we grow older. Ageing brings changes to our balance and maybe some joint pain, both of which make us less confident about doing something as basic as going for a walk.
Taking a walk, preferably on a smooth, paved surface, a well-manicured grassy area, or on the sea wall, requires no expensive equipment; we just need the will to move comfortably at a pace that would not stress us out.
The only requirements are comfortable clothes and a pair of sneakers that fit well and give our feet proper support. Before we set out, let’s set ourselves a goal such as walking at a comfortable pace for just five minutes, then rest. We can increase the time, the pace and the number of days per week as our body adapts and can be pushed to perform longer periods of walking.
There is no need to go outdoors if you can only manage a few steps at home. Let someone clear a path in the house and walk from one room to another repeatedly, using familiar spaces for comfort. You can walk for two to three minutes, then rest and repeat for as many times as you are able.
For those of us with a higher fall risk, just use some support during walking, whether it’s a walker or a cane, or walking near a wall or railing for support, and you can keep a chair nearby for resting when you are tired.
Pay attention to how you feel and modify your routine if you feel extreme fatigue or tiredness, any discomfort or pain, or instability. It is better to scale back and be safe than push too hard and stop altogether. Consistency matters more than intensity.
There are many exercises such as yoga, stretching, weight-lifting, squatting – all of which are good for us and recommended movements – but a simple regular walk done consistently a few times per week is still one of the best activities we can do to help ourselves to better overall health.
Walking supports muscle tone and strength, joint flexibility, circulation, coordination, and balance. If done in a pleasant environment outdoors, it helps with our feeling of wellbeing. In our climate it is best undertaken early in the morning or at dusk, or in the evening hours when it is cooler.
Walking not only helps us maintain a healthy weight, but helps lower our blood pressure, improve our circulation, and reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke. Even a few steps after a meal can reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes.
As a low-impact exercise, it is easy on the knees, hips, and ankles, and helps build bone density, which can combat osteoporosis while keeping our joints flexible. By engaging key muscle groups, we can improve our balance, posture, and coordination, all of which keep us steadier on our feet.
This exercise can help us to sleep better and also triggers the release of those happy hormones, endorphins, which can help us reduce any stress or feelings of depression.
Walking should stay safe and manageable and the goal is to create a routine that can be achieved comfortably and can be repeated. The idea is to have an exercise that becomes a good habit that is enjoyable rather than a burden.
If there is a good friend, or friends, who can join you this provides a good incentive since you can encourage each other especially on days when one or more of you feel like giving it up. That happens. Walking with a group also reduces isolation and promotes the kind of engagement that keeps us socially active.
When done safely and consistently, walking can help reduce fall risk, help us to stay mobile and independent, and help us to be better able to manage our daily routines. It is a simple way to help ourselves stay healthy and active, and support our long-term wellness.
You can decide on the pace and length of time spent walking according to your own comfort and ability. If you can, you can try some brisk walking at intervals, which will get your heart pumping, and which is good for the health of your brain and your heart.
Walking is not complicated. We have been doing it since we took our first baby steps. Yet this simple movement, done safely and regularly, can help us build strength and confidence, and help us maintain our independence. It helps us build overall stamina and the functional strength we need to live independently for longer.

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When 15-year-old Nitya Narine decided to sit 27 subjects at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, the number was not chosen at random. Years earlier, 27 had been the number attached to another significant achievement in the Tagore Memorial Secondary School student’s life, the number she carried when she won a national spelling bee competition. It became something of a lucky number and, according to her mother, helped turn what had initially been thoughts of sitting about 25 subjects into an extraordinary 27-subject challenge. That challenge has now resulted in Narine securing 26 Grade Ones and one Grade Two in the preliminary 2026 CSEC results, placing her among the country’s most outstanding performers.
But for Narine, the decision to undertake a workload more than twice that of her regular Science stream was also about testing what she believed she was capable of and doing something special for her school. “I thank God for having blessed me with my academic abilities. And I always believed that I had the potential to do extremely well, judging by my performances throughout the years,” Narine said during an interview. She explained that once she had established the goal, she believed hard work could make it achievable. “I believed that if I had set my goal and worked extremely hard towards it, then my results would have been satisfactory, which was indeed what I had done. And I achieved, and I’m proud of myself, and I thank everyone who had helped me along the way.”
Then came another motivation.
“The 27 subjects were because I believed I could have done it. I wanted to do well, and I wanted to put my school on top,” she said. Narine was enrolled in Tagore Memorial’s Science stream, where she said the regular programme consisted of 12 subjects. Pursuing 27 therefore meant taking on another 15 beyond that programme. Her mother, Fariza Narine, revealed that there was also a sentimental reason her daughter settled on that particular number. “I think when she won the national spelling bee competition, her number was 27. On her clothes, she was number 27,” the proud mother recalled. “I think that motivated her to go 27 subjects because she won and she won it big. And it was a proud achievement for her. She felt very accomplished when she won that, and I think that motivated her with the number 27.” “But then she said she would like to do the 27 to match her number there. Like a lucky number; it’s like a lucky number for her.”
Years of preparation
Writing 27 subjects was not a decision Narine made on the eve of CSEC. “This was a goal that I had established a while now, so that means that throughout high school I have been studying for it,” she explained. Her preparation involved paying close attention in class and reinforcing what she learned when she returned home. Whenever she encountered difficulty, she sought assistance from her parents or turned to educational resources online. “I had all my textbooks, my past papers. Yes, and that’s how I studied,” she said. On average, Narine said she studied for five to six hours each day and followed a study timetable. The scale of her undertaking also meant that the family sometimes had to seek academic assistance beyond Tagore Memorial. Her mother said teachers at other schools were among those who helped both Nitya and her niece, who also studied with the family.
“We are very grateful for the numerous persons who would have assisted both girls, not only at Tagore Memorial Secondary, but many other schools would have assisted because 27 subjects, we had to go beyond the school for help,” Fariza said.
Narine also had the benefit of a study partner. She and her cousin worked together on subjects they shared, including going through compiled past papers. “It was comforting,” Narine said. “Sometimes when I didn’t understand a topic, and she understood, I asked her to help me. She’s brilliant, and she’s helpful… and I’m grateful I had a study buddy.”

4 examinations in one day
The true extent of the challenge became even clearer when the written examinations began. Narine’s written examinations ran from May 5 to June 9, and she recalled having examinations on consecutive days, although there were some afternoons when she had no paper.
On some days she sat three examinations. On one day, she sat four. For some of those papers, she said, there was only about a 15-minute break before she had to begin the next examination. “That was a bit of a challenge, but I did manage,” she recalled. Despite the gruelling schedule, Narine said anxiety did not overwhelm her.
“I feel like it was too quick to really feel anxious,” she explained. Her preparation gave her confidence. “From before, when I prepared, and I was confident in myself, there wasn’t really any anxiety because I know how I studied enough and I studied my best, the best that I could have done.” There was, she acknowledged, some nervousness. “But when you open a paper and say, ‘Yes, I studied this, I know what I have to write,’” that confidence returned.
‘You think it is too much?
For Fariza, however, supporting her daughter’s ambition also meant ensuring that the teenager did not feel compelled to continue simply because the family expected it. Both of Narine’s parents are involved in education, and her mother said there were conversations at home about whether 27 subjects were becoming too much. Fariza recalled occasions when her daughter would lie with her on the bed at night and she would ask directly whether she wanted to reduce the workload. “I would ask her, I said, ‘You think it is too much? Would you like us to take out one, take out two? So bring the list and let’s take out one subject, take out two subjects if you feel that that is too much.’” Her daughter’s answer remained the same.
“She said, ‘No mom, I want to do this.’” Fariza said she reassured Nitya that neither parent would be disappointed if she changed her mind. “I said, ‘If you feel that way, please don’t feel that we are pressuring you. And if you would want to take out one or two subjects, please know that we are with you, that we are okay with that.’ But she said no, she is going to do it.” For Nitya, growing up with a teacher for a mother and an education officer for a father was never intimidating. “That was more encouraging than intimidating. My parents are the two people who I look up to the most. They’ve always been my biggest support system,” she said.
“Whenever I needed help, I went to them.”

Signs from an early age
Fariza said the signs that her daughter possessed unusual academic ability appeared long before CSEC, in fact, before she had even begun formal schooling. She recalled Nitya being around two years old when the child surprised her while they were on a bed together. “Mama, I could write my name,” Fariza remembered her saying. She told her to go ahead. “Then she wrote her name, N-I-T-Y-A, and she never really started that, so I said, ‘Wow, this is brilliant.’” Another surprise came while Fariza was bringing her daughter home from daycare. The child announced that she could spell her name. Fariza expected her to spell the relatively short “Nitya”. Instead, she continued with “Vaishnavi”. “So from then on, I said that this is a brilliant child,” her mother recalled. The family subsequently nurtured that ability, providing resources and helping whenever she encountered something she did not understand. “And then she’s willing to learn.

That is one thing about that child. She’s willing to learn,” Fariza said. That ability would become increasingly evident as she progressed academically.

NGSA in Grade 5
In 2021, while still in Grade Five, Narine sat the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and earned a place at The Bishops’ High School. Remarkably, she said the decision to attempt the examination was made only about three weeks before it was due to be written. There was initially some doubt when her parents asked whether she wanted to try it. “I thought about it for a while, they helped me, and then I was like, ‘Yes, I’m confident I can do this.’ And yes, I went ahead and wrote it.” Despite the workload associated with 27 CSEC subjects, Narine rejects the notion that academic success required her to abandon everything else in her teenage life. She said she did not have to give up her phone or social media. Neither did she abandon her hobbies. The key, she explained, was beginning early and maintaining discipline. “I did not have to sacrifice anything because, remember, I started a while back. So, because I started from early, there was more time for myself as well,” she said. “I didn’t have to give up anything. I didn’t have to give up my social media, my phone, anything.” There were rules, however. Whenever it was time to study, the phone went away.
Breaks were incorporated into her timetable, and those were periods when she could use her phone. Narine also ensured that despite studying late, she got sufficient sleep. “I was pretty disciplined,” she said. That balance also allowed her to continue painting and drawing, two of her favourite activities. “I had time for my hobbies, for example, painting and drawing because I love art.” It is that approach she now recommends to students preparing to enter Fifth Form. Narine advises them to identify what they want to achieve, establish their goal early and work consistently towards it. But she also cautions against allowing academics to consume their lives. “They should make time for themselves so that studying does not feel like a burden on them, because that would make their preparations easier for them,” she said.

Law is next
Having completed an extraordinary CSEC undertaking at just 15, Narine is already looking towards her next academic challenge. She has applied to the University of Guyana (UG) and plans to pursue studies in law. “I find the law to feel quite admirable,” she explained. “I like everything there is about law. I like fighting for justice, for all the good.” She also enjoys speaking, public speaking and interacting with people, and believes another of her strengths could serve her well in the legal profession. “I also have been commended on my memory. I believe that’s good for being a lawyer as well.” Her parents have no intention of steering her towards their own profession. Fariza said the family is pleased that Nitya has chosen a different path and, more importantly, one that she selected for herself. “We feel proud because she’s going to do something different from us, and we would want that for her,” she said. “Education is a beautiful field, but I think it’s her desire to go into law. We are going to support her, and we’re happy that she chose something that she wants and not that we are forcing her to do or go into our field.” For Fariza, the 26 Grade Ones and one Grade Two represent the culmination of years of work she watched at close range. “I’m very, very happy. I’m very excited. I’m very proud of her,” she said. “She has studied hard, many nights, many days. So, I am very proud of her.” For Nitya, however, the achievement is perhaps best captured by the simple belief that led her to choose that unusually ambitious number in the first place, she believed she could do it.

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There was a time when we were told to know our place – said place being a small, poor country with “resources” that gave us a large appetite for promises, but sadly a modest capacity for delivering them!! Then ExxonMobil found oil, and suddenly modesty became an increasingly difficult national virtue to maintain!!
Especially now that not only has our share of production from the Stabroek Block risen from the original PNC-Trotman “negotiated” 12.5 per cent to 39.8 per cent – and yes, plus that 2 per cent bonus!! – but production’s gonna go pass that million+ barrels daily to join Kuwait at #16 on the world’s hit parade!! A bigger bite of a bigger chunk of oil production AND finally reaching the point where the oil’s beginning to look less like somebody else’s money passing through our waters – and more like our own!!
But that ain’t all on the good-news front!! As we start digesting the idea that we’re an oil-producing country of some consequence that can make us put a swagger in our steps, another extraordinary possibility has appeared: a Guyanese could become Secretary General of the United Nations!! That’s right!! Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett just topped the second Security Council straw poll on which of the eight contestants is the fairest of them all!!
There’s something deliciously improbable about the juxtaposition, innit?? Guyana is emerging as an oil producer on a scale that would’ve seemed absurd a decade ago – while a Guyanese woman from Moruca’s emerging as a serious contender to become the world’s chief diplomat!! The oil boom gives us an opportunity to move from the margins of international affairs towards the centre of global attention, and the Guyanese Secretary General is gonna take that journey further!!
At this rate, the next visitor might soon assume we’re Qatar with cricket – and perhaps that’s the most delicious part of our current transformation!! For years we’ve complained the world was ignoring us, but now it’s gonna be paying attention because we got oil – and because one of our own’s in contention to preside over the institution where the world’s bickering and quarrels are supposed to be settled!!
Your (jaundiced?) Eyewitness, however, sees a danger in that we may start getting complacent based on our own hype!! We’ve seen that oil can make a country rich without making it wise, while a Secretary General can give a country prestige without giving it immunity from foolishness. Think Ghana and Kofi Anan!! ‘Cause neither oil revenues nor international prominence is gonna repair potholes, improve health delivery or keep the lights on – unless we have a govt that performs like the PPP rather than talk – like our Opposition!!
So let the good times roll – but let’s not fall for conmen’s hype at elections!!

…ending
They say “talk is cheap” – but Sanction Man may soon find out it can sometimes come at a cost!! Even when you have billions and billions from taxes you haven’t paid to shell out to the minions hovering around like flies around horseshit!! Sanction Man was slapped with a suit filed by GuySuCo’s CEO for accusations he made about the fella being “corrupt in securing roadbuilding contracts”!!
Well, accusations of this type have been flowing fast and furious from Sanction Man – who’s ironically sanctioned by the US for CRIMINAL fraud!! – About Pressie’s “friends and family”!! Let’s hope the courts will move with alacrity on this suit since it has to do with urgent matters in the eyes of the Guyanese people!! We now have a chance for Sanction Man to offer PROOF on his accusations – or face the music!!
The Guysuco CEO’s not only a large-scale cane farmer of long standing – but also a fella with long corporate experience – and an ACCA degree to boot!!
He’ll have kept meticulous records!!

…with cricket
Now that we’re becoming “Quatar with cricket” – we’ve got a chance to enjoy the latter with the CPL delivering some really exciting games so far in the season. Tonight there’s the Trini Knightriders facing off the Antigua Falcons!!

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