US-based Guyanese plan mass invasion for next year’s Independence celebrations

Jun 21, 2015 News

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With the memories of a successful Victory Rally fresh in their minds, Brooklyn, USA- based Guyanese plan to invade these shores next year to join their local brothers and sisters for the celebration of Guyana’s 50th year

as an independent nation.
With a sense of renewed pride in their country, those committed to returning home next year are also planning to bring along their friends from other parts of the world to experience the legendary Guyanese hospitality.
And from all indications, the Guyanese are not only coming to have a good time partying, they are also planning to invest and help the land of their birth in whatever way they can.
Their positions stem from an appeal by newly appointed Minister of Tourism Cathy Hughes last Sunday during a large rally in Brooklyn to belatedly celebrate Guyana’s 49th year of independence and the election victory by the multi–party coalition.
Hughes told the thousands of Guyanese who made the trip to Brooklyn from several other states in the USA and even as far north as Canada, that the new administration would welcome all the help it can get from the diaspora and it is putting in measures to ensure that it can maximize the

anticipated help.
She disclosed that for the first time in Guyana the government has established a department for the diaspora, to support those Guyanese who want to make contributions locally.
“Because we want you to invest in your own country, just as we want investments from any other nation of this world,” Hughes said.
She used the opportunity to remind her countrymen about what Guyana has to offer in the form of tourists attractions and implored them to sell the country to every foreigner they come into contact with.
“We want you to bring your children and your grandchildren and let them re-discover our country and our history and our beautiful buildings and be a part of this new time,” the tourism Minister said.
Her words were not lost on Denise Beaton a Canarsie-based Guyanese, who can hardly wait for the month of May to come around again.
Beaton, who was one of the thousands who attended last Sunday’s rally, left these shores more

than 20 years ago, just after the People’s Progressive Party/Civic came into office.
“Oh boy, I was so proud. Even before that rally, I felt this sense of, oh my God, I can’t even express this feeling in words.”
She gave up church to be at the Brooklyn rally.
Beaton’s sense of patriotic pride was triggered when news of the widespread changes taking place in her homeland began circulating about a month ago.
In fact she made no bones about her patriotism; has adorned her house with the Guyana flag and wears t-shirts emblazoned with everything Guyanese.
Although there are four other Guyanese on her block, her house stands with the Golden Arrowhead proudly displayed at the front.
She told this newspaper that she had goose bumps when she saw photos on the internet of the recently refurbished independence arch and the massive clean-up campaign that is sweeping across Guyana.
“I remember working at Telecoms (GT&T) and going to that arch. It looked so refreshing and it make me want to like, ‘yes, I wanna come back home because before then, we used to hear about Georgetown, the city was so dirty, I told myself I’m not going back home, but now, I am ready right now,” Beaton told this newspaper.
She like many other Guyanese would welcome cheaper airfares to Guyana which would certainly encourage persons to return home more often.
“I am planning to come regardless of the fares but that would be a bonus.”
Beaton also plans to bring along a few friends when she travels to Guyana next year.  She laughed when she ruled out coming with her husband Colin who was in Guyana earlier this year.
They both indicated that traveling together to Guyana would “hamper their individual movements”. Of course they will let nothing stand in their way of having a good time.
Beaton would have loved to be in Guyana right now, since she has been hearing a lot of good things from her mother, who is still here, having returned for a holiday just before last month’s General Elections.
As for Marjorie Gibson, who left Guyana back in the late 1980s, nothing will prevent her from coming to Guyana for the May 26, 2016 celebrations.
Although she has been coming to Guyana regularly, she is more excited about the prospects of coming home next year.
She recently returned for a vacation and to her, the vibes she got are completely different from those of her previous trips and augur well for future visits.
For one, there is a coalition government which she feels is truly representative of the entire Guyana and one that was needed to heal the wounds that were created over the past two decades.
She said that there were times when she visited Guyana previously and was very apprehensive about going out; now that has all changed.
“I feel I can walk the streets freely, everyone greeting me, and you know, it was kind of a more welcome visit,” Gibson said.
The fact that she landed in Guyana just around election time is testament to her patriotism, since according to her, she had to endure many deterring advice from other relatives and friends in New York.
“I came with a positive mind and it was a positive outcome.”
Gibson was able to take in a few elections campaign rallies, the subsequent inauguration of President David Granger and was captivated by the level of nationalism on display.
“I have the pictures on my phone and they are memories, memories that will never be erased,” Gibson declared.
“Now, I can tell anyone, come to Guyana, there is life, there is hope, there’s everything. I am planning to come back for the fiftieth anniversary…not only myself, but other friends of mine. We’re all planning to come back as a group.”
Oswald Harper is another Guyanese who has renewed hope in his homeland. He too recently travelled to Guyana and is re-establishing his base with the aim of spending more time here in the future.
He is impressed with the way most Guyanese are trying to enhance their surroundings and coming originally from North Ruimveldt, he is very conscious of the problems that can occur if the surroundings are not taken care of.
But he said that there is still a lot more work to be done in the area of drainage and expressed dismay that the communities in South Georgetown, especially, were allowed to deteriorate for so long.
“It was just years of neglect…I don’t know what the government before was doing for twenty something years. But I am encouraged by what I’m seeing because the people are now more open and willing to work together,” Harper said.
He too will encourage his folks back in New York to visit Guyana so that they can see for themselves what Guyana is really all about.
He acknowledged that many Guyanese in the disapora previously preferred to go on cruises for their holidays, since they get opportunities to see different countries. But he posited that now that Guyana appears to be on track with a coalition government, many of his countrymen are reconsidering their options.
“Some people might see it differently but to me, I see that Guyanese will make it,” Harper said, adding that a reduction in the airline fares will be a boost to kick-starting an improvement in Guyana’s tourism quest.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who also attended last Sunday’s Brooklyn Rally, had announced that the Government is planning a big bash for next year’s 50th Independence anniversary, and urged Guyanese to return home.
He promised that the Government will work to bring down airfares, a major bugbear especially for thousands of Guyanese living in the Tri-State area of the US.

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