“Guyana is indeed a place like no other”

Feb 25, 2018 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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(Remarks by Minister Cathy Hughes to Region 3 residents on the observance of Guyana’s 48th Independence Anniversary)

“This year, Guyana celebrates its 48th anniversary as a nation with Republican status, and I say Happy Anniversary to every Guyanese, especially to you, our citizens in Region 3 – Essequibo Islands/West Demerara.
As I stand here I am reminded very vividly of why we all love West Demerara.  I feel it every time I cross the river … that difference in the atmosphere, the fresh smells from rich fertile agricultural lands under cultivation; the spirit of friendship and camaraderie despite diversity; the familiar way you greet and interact with each other.  It’s different, and it’s good, and I like it!
Today is one more day when we give thanks because we woke up this morning alive and well in this beautiful country.  There are no wars around us, no ravaged lands from a hurricane or volcano.  Every way you turn it, you see Guyana as a truly blessed country, the home of magnificent rivers, majestic waterfalls, pristine rainforests;  you live in a country that has been described by visitors as “A breathtaking landscape where indigenous peoples and the descendants of Africans, Indians, Chinese, and Europeans all live, work and aspire together to develop”.
Guyana is indeed a place like no other, and we draw strength from our capacity for real unity, diverse cultures living as one people, one nation with one destiny.
Today we have another big reason to celebrate.  We are witnessing the birth of a new Guyana, a different Guyana that will cater well for us all and for our children.  Everything that is happening at this time, everything that the people who know tell us will happen, gives us a feeling of excitement about our immediate future.
I have a dream that our people, our most precious assets, will take this country to new heights.  We will, but the young ones with all their verve and vivacity are the ones who will have the most advantages of the opportunities that we can grasp now – the opportunities to start new businesses connected to the emerging Oil and Gas sector.  We (adults) now have the ability to become business partners with large businesses in countries near and far, to market our home-grown products and to take our manufacturing to the next levels.
A friend of mine in the Pomeroon is packaging over 4000 bottles of fresh coconut water a day, and most of it goes to hotels and retailers around the Caribbean.  Her clients are asking for more so she has to constantly find ways to increase production to satisfy those demands.
Then there is another friend who can’t get a break these days because her requests for more guava cheese and tamarind balls … yes tamarind balls … from people living in Canada, the USA and France keep going up.  These are the opportunities I’m talking about that could come to you when you put your plans into action.
We have yet another advantage … we’ve heard of a pending world shortage of food in the next 24 years, but this is Guyana, we don’t run out of food!  Our soils are arable; there is bountiful land for planting, animal rearing, and almost any other agricultural endeavour/business. The question is, are we getting ourselves ready to become the breadbasket of the Caribbean, to fulfill our true potential in Region 3?
I’d like to remind you that the only constant in life is change.  Commodity prices go up and down.  Today the world wants one product, but tomorrow they will discover something new.  We then are obliged to re-train our people for these new demands and to adapt to the changes that are taking place.
Forty years ago Guyanese had good reason to believe that there was oil somewhere beneath our feet, and under the Atlantic Ocean.  Today, we know for sure that there are billions of barrels of oil out there … and we’re certain that Guyanese are on the verge of earning well from it.
It has always been said that Guyana is a blessed country, a rich country.  Some of us didn’t believe it because the riches for the most part, remained out of reach.  Let me just remind you of a few of those riches: oil and gas, gold and diamonds, timber, bauxite, rare earths (that contain minerals used in the manufacture of parts for cell phones and other digital gadgets, magnets, loud speakers, etc.), friendly people, natural food in abundance, abundant lands and rich soils even for planting coffee, onions and carrots.
These are real blessings, my friends.  In addition, we don’t get hurricanes or tsunamis; we don’t get mud slides, and Guyana is situated near the equator so it’s hot or warm all year round – excellent weather conditions.
I worry that too often we criticize our own country, maybe because we take its beauty and benefits for granted. We constantly beat ourselves up in the media; we cut corners; we are not prepared to pay our taxes; we throw garbage anywhere; we disobey traffic regulations; we disrespect children and authority figures … and then we wonder why things are not as they used to be.
One man who came to Guyana on business said to me recently that this is the first place he has come to where the people are so friendly.  So I said, “Yes, that is Guyana’s reputation”, very matter-of-factly.  He didn’t think I understood where he was coming from so he felt he had to explain, saying something like this:
“This country is an unusual place.  People smile at me in the street for no reason, or they say Sorry, Man, and mean it when they brush past me in a hurry.  It’s amazing!”
I told him that’s how we treat people, both local and foreign, but he was not finished.  He said, “In the three days I’ve been here, I’ve said ‘Good Morning’ about 103 times, and I was greeted with ‘Goodnight’ about 8 times in 10 minutes last night”.  He said that he felt special … imagine that! I had to tell him that this is one of Guyana’s many resources – our kind and friendly people.
That man believes that Guyana is a blessed nation!  I believe that Guyana is a blessed nation, and I’m asking you to remember what you already know.
My friends, we complete 48 years as a Co-operative Republic. I assure you these are exciting times and great success awaits us. “Let your own dreams be your only boundaries.”

 

 

 

 

 

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