Desired results could only emerge from positive action by courageous, dedicated people on the spot

Feb 09, 2013 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
Indeed, let us all “eagerly look forward to the Joe Singh Initiative” in taking Guyana forward to a better future, as advised in Mr. Mervin’s recent letter.
I strongly believe that desired results could only emerge from positive action by courageous, dedicated people on the spot. Our UK contacts who attempted to resettle and help Guyana in the 1990s all eventually had to give up and return, most of them with tails tucked.
I can speak of my personal experiences between 1994 and 1999 (at age 60+), and the frustration caused in trying to get along on my own without a domestic telephone, hoping nothing ghastly happened to me during the night. Friends from other Caribbean islands later told me that, as returnees, they got home-phones within a week, to help them resettle quickly, as their cash was needed to boost the economy.
Then, as an ‘innocent’, the gross overcharging for services, e.g. G$64,000 for a dental job that should have cost no more than G$5,000; G$100,000 to repair a leak in the (new) roof that should have cost between G$2,000/G$3,000; charged a commission of G$2 twice by a commercial bank for the same transaction, through an oversight on their part. A greedy and unprincipled culture.I sent the receipts for the dental and roof repair bills to the GRA and closed my savings account with the bank.
The worst experience, however, was voluntarily lending a young qualified, experienced electrician G$200,000 to help him start an electrical business. He dithered about repaying the loan and, through an attorney, I eventually got back the equivalent of about G$10,000.
As a would-be entrepreneur, overnight he acquired ‘the look’ and, no doubt, lifestyle – long black trousers, long-sleeved white shirt, mobile phone, etc., and he was able to send the mother of his children on a cake decorating course. At least she should be able to help the family in the long term. I am glad about that.
Well-intentioned, capable people, used to an ordered way of life, hearing of such experiences, are unlikely to uproot themselves and return to help clear up a mess of at least four decades.
So, until the locals come up with a solution among themselves, the most that we outsiders may be able – and prepared – to do would be to confine ourselves to “ideas and mere clichés”.”Once bitten……………”
Sorry about that.
Geralda Dennison

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