Scarred road, alcohol, migration beset

Black Bush Polder

SEPTEMBER 22, 2010 BY SHABNA ULLAH 21 COMMENTS NEXT ARTICLE
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but regional chairman says major improvements made, more coming

Black Bush Polder (BBP), a farming community with a population of about 5,000
has been experiencing serious social problems and deteriorating roadways but
the government maintains that with its interventions, life seems more promising.

Jacqueline Johnson of the Mibicuri Community Developers.
The polder is made up of four main areas: Lesbeholden, Johanna, Mibicuri and
Yakusari. It stretches to a distance of 22 miles and is located about seven miles
away from the public road.
There are entrances at Adventure on the Corentyne which lead to Lesbeholden
and at Number 43 Village, which takes you to Yakusari.
Although the areas are dominated by Indo-Guyanese, a small village, Zambia,
nestled between Johanna and Mibicuri is made up of predominantly Afro-
Guyanese.
Driving through BBP recently, first to Yakusari and then to the connecting areas
felt like a never-ending trip, having to slow ever so often to manoeuvre around
the huge potholes.
The road also seemed to be a major concern for residents who
commented: this road terrible; when the rain fall it does get muddy and if people
dont know the area they can easily slip into the canal.
They said relatives have also refused to visit them until the road is fixed and that
this road damaging up we vehicles; some people even frighten fuh buy new
cars.

A blooming rice field in Black Bush Polder.
One man said that he had to pay about $30,000 to replace the damaged CV-joint
on his car. His tyres are also being destroyed and he has to pay almost $4,000 to
replace one each time.
The residents said too that life in Black Bush was sweet, but not now. They
[government officials] keep promising to fix the main access road and up to now
dem cant do it.
Earlier this year President Bharrat Jagdeo had announced that US$7 million
would be spent on rehabilitating the BBP road and residents can hardly wait for
that to happen.
Major problem
In an interview with Stabroek News, Regional Chairman of Region Six, Zulfikar
Mustapha acknowledged that the access road is a major problem for residents
and said soon their problems would be over.
He said the contract was awarded to BK International and that the company is
doing the final survey and the work was expected to commence shortly.

Bushes on both sides of the Yakusari access road.
Apart from the main road, residents said many of the streets were also in
deplorable conditions and that contractors who were hired to fix them did
substandard work.
They said that a few months ago a contractor was paid to fix a street with
crusher run but he just grade it and put sand. Then when the rain fall the sand
wash out
The residents are also unable to access the potholed street with their vehicles
and are inconvenienced when they have to park out on the main road.
That is not right; we need we vehicles to go home and park in we yard because
people can vandalize them
Mustapha agreed that the contractors had done shoddy work on some of the
streets. He said the region has condemned those roads and the contractors
were not paid. They have to do remedial work before they are paid.
The region has rehabilitated 12 community roads so far for the year.
There is also a system where the community gets involved during the signing of
the contracts so as to ensure that the work is done according to specifications.
Residents were also concerned about the bush on both sides of the Yakusari
access road, saying it is dangerous and they want it to be cleared.

Farming
Most of the residents in the area are involved in either large or small-scale rice
farming while others are engaged in cash crop farming and livestock rearing.
Rice is the main crop produced in the area and Mustapha said that at present out
of the 18,000 acres of rice land available in BBP about 17,000 acres is under
cultivation because of the work done by the region over the years.
He pointed out that the polder is currently in the middle of a massive rehab
process where the Ministry of Agriculture is rehabilitating all of the drainage
structures and canals at Yakusari and Johanna.

Farmers liming at a snackette at Yakusari.
Then the process would continue to the other two polders.
When this newspaper visited the area last month, farmers said their gardens
were inundated due to heavy rainfall and that they had lost their crops.
They were waiting for the rainy weather to be over to start planting again.
Mustapha said government has also provided BBP with a permanent excavator
to work round the clock to maintain the drainage trenches to assist the cash crop
farmers.
According to him there has been better production in terms of cash crop and rice
and that BBP is returning to its former glory to be the bread basket of Guyana.
He enthused that agriculture is definitely expanding; almost all of the available
land is taken up and 85% of the land available for cash crop farming has been
occupied.
He noted that the area was experiencing a lot of flooding but said residents now
have more confidence in the drainage and infrastructure systems.

An abandoned house in Black Bush Polder.
The chairman continues his meetings in BBP on Wednesdays where on-the-
spot decisions are made. We also have rangers in all the polders manning the
systems on a daily basis.
During his weekly trips to BBP he is accompanied by a team that deals with the
issues raised by the residents. The team comprises representatives from the
Guyana Power & Light, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), the education,
health and human services departments and the police.

Millers owing farmers
While the farmers were happy that they were producing better rice, they were
worried about the future of this venture because the millers were not paying for
their paddy.
Most of the farmers take their paddy to the Mahaicony Rice Mill located at
Johanna and while the price is attractive, they were not being paid or would
sometimes receive bounce cheques.
One farmer who is owed millions of dollars said he was forced to take seed-
paddy, fertilizer and items on credit.

Residents liming at a bus shed at Lesbeholden.
He had also taken a loan from the bank to reinvest in his crop and to purchase a
tractor. The farmer was distressed about how he would be able to repay his debt
and maintain his children and was afraid too that his tractor would be seized.
The chairman noted the concerns of the farmers who have not been paid by the
millers and said the Guyana Rice Development Board and the Rice Producers
Association are addressing the problem. He hoped that the farmers would not
have to wait much longer for their money.
Further, residents pointed out that they have to incur additional expenses to
purchase drugs to get rid of paddy bugs that have been affecting their crops.
According to them, the genuine drugs that they purchase do not work and we
have to buy the cheap drugs from Suriname because it is a better quality and it
does work better.
The farmers are aware though, of the consequences involved in using the illegal
drugs and called on the government to ensure that the right type is imported.
Meanwhile this newspaper was told that many residents had migrated either
through the backtrack system to escape the economic situations or through
sponsorship by relatives.
Many of the houses were left abandoned while some were sold or left in the care
of persons.
Mustapha pointed out that because of the great scope now in terms of agriculture
in BBP some people were returning and were taking up old land
However, due to a lack of job opportunities, many youths who had performed
well academically and do not want to venture into farming have still been
relocating.
The Mibicuri Community Developers (MCD), a non-governmental organization
which was established 10 years ago has implemented innovative agricultural
practices in cash crop farming to attract the youths, though.
Head of the MCD, Jacqueline Cummings-Johnson told Stabroek News that they
have been spearheading a number of different agricultural and social projects
aimed at maximizing financial returns.
She reiterated that apart from farming the community has no form of employment
for youths who lacked the motivation to farm.
On that note, she said that 100 youths would be empowered through agricultural
training including, organic farming, crop rotation, planting in confined spaces,
accessing good marketing strategies and executing correct methods of farming.
Alcohol
Johnson told this newspaper too that many youths have been involved in
negative activities such as alcohol consumption.
This, she said accounted for the large number of suicides, domestic issues and
many other social problems in the community.
The BBP area was known for having a high incidence of suicide with persons
choosing to end their lives for various reasons such as financial and domestic
problems and for not getting to marry the persons of their choice.
They would mostly consume poison as a way out of their problems because it
would always be at hand for agricultural purposes while a few would hang
themselves.
Miriam Jainarine of the MCD had told this newspaper recently that the rate of
suicide was very high in BBP because persons did not know who to turn to in
terms of problems.
She said they felt desperate and alone and believed that no one would be able to
understand or help them with their problems.
But that was before they sought the services of the MCD which also deals with
social problems. The non-governmental organisation is also helping with
community development and empowerment.
According to Jainarine, they would first conduct house to house visits to inform
persons about our services. She said they provide counselling and if they
cannot handle the case we would refer them to our collaborating partner; the
Saint Francis Community Developers or to other agencies.
Some farmers told this newspaper that they take loans from the banks to invest
in their crops and admitted that when they are unable to honour their debts they
become frustrated and turn to alcohol.
Stabroek News caught up with a few farmers who were liming at a snackette at
the corner of Yakusari and they gladly highlighted some of the problems in the
area.
The snackette which was known to enjoy a thriving business in the past barely
had a few items scattered on the shelves. The owner had gone out for a while
and no one was tending to the business at the time.
But as was customary, residents would gather there for a gaff because they
had nothing else to do.
They pointed out that there are a lot of rum shops at Yakusari and no food
shop. The only Chinese restaurant is located at Lesbeholden and that also sells
alcohol.
The farmers quite frankly admitted that they consume a lot of alcohol as a
solution to their financial problems.
When we dont get the money to go back to the land we dont gat nothing else to
do but drink rum. Is better we drink rum than hang weself or drink poison, they
said.
Asked whether they attend their places of worship and turn to God with their
problems, they responded, We does go to mandirs yes and although we does
pray that dont help with de problems; we have to drink.
They pointed out that they pass the rum shops to get to the mandirs and on their
way home they would stop in for a drink.
With regard to where they get the money from for the alcohol, they said they
would purchase it on credit.
One man even jokingly admitted that he was hiding from a rum shop owner
because he did not have the money to pay his debt.
They said too that the issue of money had resulted in domestic problems with
their wives who also have to take groceries from the shops on credit.
According to a shop owner, some customers owe her over $300,000 but she
could not pressure them to pay because she knows that they were waiting on
their payment from the millers.
Over at Lesbeholden, another group of men were liming at a bus-shed but they
told this newspaper that although they would consume alcohol it is just for
enjoyment and not because of problems.
Meanwhile, Mustapha said there has been development in terms of education
and that all of the schools in BBP have been rehabilitated and benefited from
additional teachers.
He said the Black Bush Polder Secondary at Mibicuri has performed well at the
recent Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examination with 11 persons
gaining over five subjects.
Repairs are also being done to the Mibicuri Hospital which has also been
equipped with ambulance for the past three years. The hospital now has a
permanent doctor while health workers conduct regular visits to the polders.
Also located at Mibicuri is a police station, an abandoned magistrates court
building, a post office and the office of the Black Bush Polder Neighbourhood
Democratic Council.
























Suicide Should be
Declared a Public
Health Problem

Georgetown, Guyana: Suicide, one of the leading causes of death particularly among
young males in Guyana, should be announced as a public health problem since it takes
as much lives as AIDS, a study conducted by the Centre for Economic and Social
Research (CESRA) has recommended.
The study, titled 'The Shadow of Death - a recent study of suicides in Guyana -
Incidence, Causes and Solutions', was commissioned by clinical and forensic
psychiatrist, Dr Frank Beckles.
The study has listed 23 recommendation made by senior government officials,
medical personnel, police and prison officials, teachers, religious leaders, politicians,
local government functionaries and other community leaders in focus interviews.
The study, conducted during the latter half of last year, has found that suicide is one of
the leading causes of death particularly among young people, males, East Indians and
Hindus in Guyana,
Recommending that suicide be announced as public health problem, the study has said
that because it was not treated as a public health problem there were no major plans in
place to reduce the incidence in spite of the dramatic increase in recent years. The
study also feels that the Ministry of Health should devote adequate resources to deal
with the problem. The lack of finance has in the past deterred work being done on
suicide.
According to the study the suicide rate for 1999 was 2.3 deaths for every 10,000
members of the Guyanese population and between 1995 and 1999 the suicide rate had
increased by 128.3%. It found that eight out of every 10 suicide deaths are males;
three out of every four suicide deaths are East Indians; the suicide rates are higher in
Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) and Region Six (East Berbice Corentyne); 52.7%
of all suicide cases occur in Berbice; two of every three persons who commit suicide
in Guyana are young persons below the age of 35; and young adults 20 to 24 years are
over represented among those who commit suicide.
In addition to focus interviews among others interviewed for the study were persons
who attempted suicide, relatives and friends of persons who committed and attempted
suicide and other persons selected at random
The study speaks of suicide as "a constant threat to society" as "everyday in Guyana
people are attempting suicide...a spirit... a shadow that hangs over the Guyana society
presenting an unknown and absolute option for the individual who feels there can be
no other." Alcoholic spirits copiously utilised in Guyanese communities does not ease
the pain and frustration but instead liberate their expression in which death sometimes
becomes preferable to life, the study summaries. It appears to be seasonal and is
especially noticeable during the months of August, September and October
Persons who attempt suicide, the study said, "embrace this act of ultimate personal
intimacy to escape a pained existence occasioned by hopelessness, depression and
uncontrollable anger. Women and youth are trapped in their homes by a culture of
chauvinist control, some subject to emotional and physical abuse and incest."
Men, who commit suicide, are described as victims of unfulfilled aspirations, a loss of
face, of control over their lives.
Apart from these `stolen lives' there are also those living with permanent mental if not
also physical scars from unsuccessful attempts.
Focus interviewees have said that there is need for counselling services throughout
Guyana; for counselling services to assist surviving family members; for research
before preventative strategies are adopted and for viable community centres to be
established.
On the issue of counselling and public awareness they also feel that young Indians
need more counselling on love relationships; that Indian males be re-socialised to
change orientation to life; that workshops be conducted in communities to sensitise
residents; that there should be radio and television programmes to deal with the
problem; that films on how people cope with stress should be shown.
This problem they felt needs to be dealt with by all the social organisations in the
community and preventative mechanisms should be instituted by these institutions and
some facility should be provided to counsel and work with people with suicidal
tendencies.
It was also important, they felt that parents enjoy a good relationship with their
children with whom they should build a bond.
They feel that a telephone hotline should be set up to help suicide victims and
furthered that churches teach people the value of life, that suicide is sin and keep
young people busy; that people should be made to understand that membership and
participation in interactive social groups like clubs and churches can help with the
suicide problems. that more integration with religion is needed to help prevent suicide.
Government they feel should announce suicide as a public health problem as it takes
as much lives as AIDS; it should make playgrounds for recreation in rural
communities such as Black Bush Polder where the suicide rates is high; should
implement harsh laws and penalties to persons who have attempted suicide; should
`put its foot down' or implement policies to reduce the amount of alcohol on the
market; and there should be legal enforcement to avoid domestic abuse which leads to
suicide.
The study looked at the incidence of suicide in Guyana, incidence of attempted
suicide in Guyana; a demographic characteristic of sample; suicide precipitants;
general health; sexual abuse and physical abuse; exposure to sexually transmitted
infections, HIV/AIDS infections; social integration and he has looked at other
personal opinions and issues and focus interviews.
It concludes that there is no one factor, social or psychological that can explain
suicide in Guyana.
The study, which attempts to find answers to a number of questions, has concluded
that they require further empirical investigations. These questions include, "Why do
males commit or attempt suicide than females? Why do more East Indians commit or
attempt suicide than other ethnic groups? Why do Hindus commit or attempt suicide
than persons from other religions? Why is suicide more prevalent in rural farming
communities than other areas" and Why do more young people, ages 10 to 35 year
commit or attempt suicide than other persons."
The study has listed about 31 perceived reasons why persons commit suicide among
which are family conflicts, alcohol and drug abuse; it is easier to commit under the
influence of alcohol; the dramatic increase in suicide among East Indians is attributed
to differences in culture and socialisation; East Indian girls who get pregnant outside
of marriage may want to commit suicide because of societal pressures; and Indian
movies portray suicidal influences.
Among other reasons given are lack of education, domestic violence, the fact that
many East Indian communities are without recreational facilities. Men and youths
resort to the rum shops for recreation and start drinking due to peer influence; East
Indians in rural communities tend to live in extended families and overcrowding may
lead to tensions and pressures by in-laws to conform to certain ways.
Suicide it says can also result from criticism by the community, catastrophic loss,
opposition to love affairs, mental disorders, HIV/AIDS infection, murder and suicide
itself. Attempted suicides, the study said may be an effort of the victim to get
attention. (Reprinted from Guyana's Stabroek News)





















Suicide rate in Berbice still rising
JANUARY 11, 2014 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

The sui ci de rate i n Berbi ce conti nues to ri se and the authori ti es seem i ncapabl e of doi ng
anythi ng to stop the rot.
Al though a comprehensi ve report f or the enti re county was not avai l abl e, New Amsterdam
Hospi tal al one recorded 114 cases of attempted sui ci de i n 2013 wi th 62 bei ng f emal es and 52
mal es. Of the total f i gure, 10 of those persons di ed.
Al though the authori ti es are not too keen to rel ease f i gures, Kai eteur News was rel i abl y
i nf ormed that f or the f i rst ni ne days of 2014 there have been 11 reported cases i n Regi on Si x
so f ar. Si x of those persons have di ed. Seven of the cases were reported at the Regi onal
Hospi tal al one, wi th two succumbi ng.
Ni neteen-year -ol d Tonei sha Edwards, a publ i c management student at the uni versi ty s
Turkeyen Campus, di ed af ter bei ng rushed to the medi cal i nsti tuti on on New Year s Day where
she remai ned a pati ent unti l she di ed on the 6th af ter consumi ng Gramoxone.
On Wednesday 8th January, Hemwatti e Bi ssember, 15, of Bush Lot, Corentyne, Berbi ce,
succumbed at the same i nsti tuti on, al so af ter i ngesti ng the deadl y poi son.
Among those hospi tal i sed i s a 19-year-ol d f ormer student of JC Chandi si ngh Secondary School
who graduated i n November and i s an empl oyee at a bank.
One case has been reported at the Skel don Hospi tal where 32 - year -ol d Nandrani e Oudi t of
Number 68 Vi l l age, Corentyne, Berbi ce, reportedl y drank poi son
Three cases have al so been reported i n the Johanna Bl ack Bush Area .
(Samuel Whyte)

The Mi ni stry of Heal th recentl y hel d a `gate keeper f or sui ci de preventi on workshop i n Regi on
Si x.

In a press rel ease the mi ni stry sai d i t was trai ni ng 110 persons i ncl udi ng rel i gi ous l eaders,
teachers, f armers, pol i ce of f i cers, communi ty workers and agri cul ture workers. The sessi ons
were hel d at the Al bi on Communi ty Centre, Mi bi curi Communi ty Devel opers and the
Corri verton Ci vi c Centre.
These sessi ons were f aci l i tated by three persons the mi ni stry had trai ned as sui ci de
preventi on gatekeepers i n March. The sessi ons were conducted by Presi dent of the
Internati onal Associ ati on f or Sui ci de Preventi on Dr Bri an Mi shara.

Sui ci de i s a seri ous publ i c heal th i ssue i n Guyana whi ch averaged f rom 150 to 200 sui ci des per
year f rom 2003-2007, the rel ease sai d.
There were 946 reported sui ci de deaths i n Guyana whi ch transl ates to a sui ci de rate of 25 per
100,000 persons, i t added. Ei ghty per cent of these deaths were mal es. Si xty per cent of al l
sui ci de deaths are attri butabl e to pesti ci de poi soni ng .
Sui ci de i s the l eadi ng cause of death among youth ages 15-24 and the thi rd l eadi ng cause of
death among persons 25-44. Among youth, ages 15-19 i t i s the l eadi ng cause of death among
f emal es and the second l eadi ng cause of death among mal es.
The mi ni stry sai d the hi ghest numbers of sui ci des are consi stentl y f ound i n regi ons f our and
si x, compared wi th the rest of the country. Sui ci de rates are consi stentl y hi gh i n Regi on Si x
wi th 50 sui ci de deaths per 100,000 persons f ol l owed by Regi on Two wi th 36 sui ci de deaths per
100,000 persons. In Regi on Three the rate i s 24 per 100,000 persons f ol l owed cl osel y by
Regi on Fi ve wi th 22 per 100,000 and Regi on Four wi th 20 sui ci de deaths per 100,000 persons.

I wonder what has traumati zed our young. At l ease these f el l ows had damage to thei r cerebral
cortex wi th excessi ve f l oodi ng of adrenal i ne and l i ved i n an hyper -anxi ous state f or a l ong
ti me.

We are now f i ndi ng out how much trauma i s caused by bei ng i n a hyperacti ve state f or
extended peri od and the hope i s there can be a sol uti on that l essen the numbers here. I t i s
not f or l ack of tryi ng here.

But l ook at t he data "The raw numbers of sui ci des are r el at i vel y smal l : t he 350 act i ve -dut y sui ci des l ast year
occur red i n a t ot al act i ve -dut y f orce of 1. 4 mi l l i on. Even t he est i mat ed 8, 000 vet eran sui ci des a year i s a s mal l
percent of t he 22. 3 mi l l i on Ameri can vet erans"

Compare wi th the data for guyana "Regi on Si x wi t h 50 sui ci de deat hs per 100, 000 persons f ol l owed by Regi on
Two wi t h 36 sui ci de deat hs per 100, 000 persons. I n Regi on Three t he rat e i s 24 per 100, 000 per sons f ol l owed
cl osel y by Regi on Fi ve wi t h 22 per 100, 000 and Regi on Four wi t h 20 sui ci de deat hs per 100, 000 persons. "

We ought to i nvesti gate everyone of these cases so we can understand why i t happens.

















During the month following Marilyn Monroes controversial death of acute barbiturate poisoning in August of 1962, the rate of suicide
rose by as much as 12 percent. This suicide cluster when multiple self-destructive behaviors and suicides occur within an accelerated
time frame is commonly viewed as resulting from a so-called suicidal contagion. Perhaps this well-known phenomenon could explain,
at least in part, the disheartening estimates from the most recent World Health Organization report, which ranks Guyana as having the
highest suicide rate in the world: four times higher, in fact, than the global average.
Surprisingly, in its article about the South American countrys suicide phenomenon, The Associated Press refers to any number of
reasons that might explain the suicidal tendencies of this nations citizens, including deep rural poverty, alcohol abuse, and easy access to
poisonous pesticides. However, AP neglects to mention suicide contagion. One reason this omission seems so odd is the fact that the
article focuses on both a family and a region with higher than average rates.
AP presents the disconsolate story of one Omadat Ramlackhan, whose younger brother died after swallowing pesticide. Ramlackhan is
clearly no stranger to grief resulting from suicide. His stepmother, Sharmilla Pooran, shares her experiences, which include a brother
who hanged himself, a nephew who attempted to follow his father to the grave, and a past history of contemplating death herself.
Recognition of the possibility of contagion seems necessary, even if other factors influence the lives of residents in this mainly rural
country at the northeastern tip of the continent.
In particular, the Pan-American Health Organization estimates that 19 to 24 percent of the population in the Americas suffer from a
mental disorder. In Guyana, this would translate to roughly 142,000 to 179,500 individuals in need of mental health services. However,
that country retains less than five full-time psychiatrists, less than 300 beds in the National Psychiatric Hospital, and no day treatment or
community residential facility. Is it any surprise, then, that Guyana has the highest rate of suicide in the world?
Years prior to the WHO report, Guyana's Ministry of Health developed strategies on its own to reduce the number of people who take
their own lives. In 2010, for instance, the government began to train priests, teachers, and police officers to help identify people at risk of
killing themselves in Berbice, a farmland area along a river shared with Suriname designated as the "suicide belt." (Importantly,
neighboring Suriname ranks fifth on WHOs top 10 list of countries with the highest suicide rates.)
In May, health authorities established a suicide-prevention hotline and now in response to the WHO report, the government has sought to
restrict access to deadly pesticides. The non-governmental organization, Guyana Foundation, which conducted a study of the suicide
problem in collaboration with a mental health researcher from Maastricht University, the Netherlands, cited rampant alcoholism as a
major factor and has launched a mental health initiative to address this and other issues.
While Guyana struggles, it is important to remember that WHO counts over 800,000 people as dying due to suicide every year. A full
three quarters of all global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries, with pesticide poisoning, hanging, and firearm
commonly used to accomplish the deed. And, while twice as many women than men attempt suicide, men are almost four times more
likely to die by their own hand.
Though the statistics are discouraging, even sadder is the fact that the necessary care is lacking for many people, even those living in
countries far wealthier than Guyana. One reason for poor care is stigma, which is associated with mental illness worldwide. A recent
study found many people believe interacting with someone with certain mental disorders might cause them to catch that persons
mental illness.
Our findings suggest the importance of understanding contagion beliefs, noted the authors in their conclusion. Considering suicide
clusters, is it far off the mark to suggest we are first and foremost social creatures whose behavior affects all others?