B UXTON -F RIENDSHIP H ERITAGE F UND , I NC .,
B UXTON -F RIENDSHIP
EXPRESS
E DUCATION M ONTH
The month of September welcomed the
start of the 2011-2012 school year. The
doors opened on the fifth of the month and
several young ones in the community went
off to school for the first time. Following
remarkable performances by students at the
National Grade 6 Assessment and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams this year, the community is poised for
continuing success in the years ahead.
The month of September also ushered in
Education Month, which is being observed
from 1st September through 5th October.
The theme for this year’s observance is
“Transforming Guyana through Science
and Technology in Education”, under
which the Education Ministry has planned
a programme of activities that the government agency is hoping “will aid in advancing the efforts of the ministry in ensuring
productive citizens with the ability to aid
the country’s modernization thrust”.
“Transforming Guyana
through
S EPTEMBER 2011
T O P S TO RIES

Former
Education
Minister
Malcolm
Parris Speaks on the
importance of Education and the role of
parents

Young
Scholar
shares success story

Dr.
Bacchus
expresses joy & pride
over recent academic
successes

Rennie Parris offers
kudos to teachers &
students

Call
for
AfricanGuyanese to practise
“Inter-generational
Preparation”
Science and Technology
in Education.”
Some of the 33 new pupils at Company
Road Nursery. Teacher Shivonne Todd
I N SIDE TH IS ISSUE :
(left) and Headmistress Vanessa Phillips
are seen standing in the background.
C OMMIT TO E XCELLENCE 2
3
IT S KILLS T RAINING
P ROGRAMME
Some of the 150 attendees, including
incoming students and their parents,
at this year’s Orientation Seminar
held by Buxton Secondary School
AT
PIC
N O L IMIT TO S UCCESS
G ONE H OME
QB C OLUMN
4
7
8
B OOKBAGS FOR K IDS
R ENNIE P ARRIS P IECE
9
10
D EVELOPMENT P ILLARS
12
T HE Z EPHYR F AMILY
14
C UMMUNITY E VENTS
15
Nothing but happy smiles on the faces of these
E VENTS C ALENDAR
new pupils at Company Road Primary
G ENERAL I NFO
16
B UXTON -F RIENDSHIP EXPRESS
P AGE 2
C OMMIT
Former Education Minister, Mr. Malcolm
Parris, addressing the
gathering at Buxton Secondary School’s 20112012 Orientation Exercise.
H EADMISTRESS , M R S .
A U S TIN ,
C HA R I S
O UTLINED :
T HE 5- AND 6YEAR PR OGRAMMES
P RE &
PO ST TESTS
FOR PRO GR ESS
 CLASSES AT THE
P RACTICAL
I NSTR UCTION
C ENTER IN
T ECHNICAL
D RAWING , H O ME
E CO NO MICS AND
A GRICUL TURAL
S CIENCE .
S HE AL SO EXPLAINED
THE GENERAL R ULES
OF
THE
SCHOOL ,
S U C H
A S
P U N C T U A L I T Y ,
R ESTR ICTION
ON
CELL
PHONES,
SCHO OL BADGE AS A
CO MPUL SO RY
PART
OF
THE
UNIFOR M
AND
RESPECT
FOR
SCHO OL PREFECTS .
TO
S USTAINING E XCELLENCE
Speaking to the intake of
students for the 2011-2012
school year and their parents at Buxton Secondary
School, Mr. Malcolm
Parris stressed the need to
appreciate the relationship
that has to be forged
among student, parent and
teacher.
He asked the students to be
ever mindful of the opportunities available to them.
Buxton has always been
proud of its progress
through education. In the
early days, the Trade
School provided training
to scores of students who
developed into foremen,
charge hands and managers in the nearby sugar
factories, the Demerara
Foundry as well as in the
furniture manufacture.
Some of these graduates
ventured into the building
trades as small contractors
themselves pr oviding
training and employment
for youngsters in the village and nearby communities.
The achievements in academics have been outstanding. The early win-
ners of the Buxton Scholarships have blazed a trail
which has been diligently
followed. The village
boasts renowned professionals in every field of
endeavor.
The concepts which guide
the manner and systems in
which children are taught
are under constant review.
Emphasis change today;
the role of the parent and
parental participation in
the child’s education is the
most important element of
the student. For this reason, he was glad to see that
every child was accompanied by a parent. He had
invited himself to the orientation exercise because
of some concerns. Both
last year and this year he
had been approached by a
number of parents for assistance in obtaining transfers to other schools. This
signals an unfortunate lack
of confidence in the
school. Buxton Secondary
S cho o l t r a dit i o na ll y
boasted of the annual turnout of sound students some
of whom are holding their
own in the United States of
America in various fields
of endeavor.
Returning to the issue of
the role of the Parents in
the school system, Mr.
Parris noted that the importance of the body is
reflected in the fact that
certain aspects of each
school’s administration are
placed under the authority
of the Parent Teachers’
Association. The vibrancy
of the school’s PTA significantly determines the
all-round success of the
school. This cannot be refuted. The PTA serves as a
sounding board for the
school’s efforts to enhance
delivery of instruction and
information which maintains discipline and cohesiveness in the institution
and coordinates the interaction between the parents
as a body and the school’s
administration.
Increasingly, PTAs have
been contributing to the
maintenance of the school
building and furnishings.
Many have spread their net
into the Diaspora for assistance in improving the environment in which their
children are taught. Parents who have committed
themselves to these responsibilities have been
handsomely rewarded.
Both parent and teachers
have agreed on the basics
to enable and maintain
harmonious relationships.
We always have to remember that the objective
of the PTA is to support
the school in its efforts to
impact knowledge and
create moral and spiritual
values, concepts of justice,
equality and fair-play.
Mr. Parris closed by reminding the children that
they were embarking on
yet another journey of
preparation for adulthood
and that they are guaranteed support as they sojourn.
S EPTEMBER 2011
P AGE 3
N EW IT T RAINING P ROGRAM
In keeping with the push
to transform Guyana
through Science & Technology in Education, a
new Information Technology Skills Training Programme is being launched
this month at the Buxton
Practical Instruction Centre. The programme will
run for six weeks, starting
26th September and ending
11th November, 2011.
The stated objective of
the programmes is: “To
provide young adults of
Buxton-Friendship the opportunity to obtain basic
information technology
training. In addition to
self-empowerment, these
new IT skills and soft
skills will enable them to
perform effectively in various working sectors of
Guyana, while simultaneously strengthening their
communities.”
The main components of
the programme are:
 Office Ethics
 Communication
 Time Management
 Telephone Ethics
 Positive Management
 Introduction to Computers
 Microsoft Office
 Word—word processing application
 Excel—spr eadsheet
creation
 P o w e r
Point—
presentation layout
 A c c e s s — d a t a b a s e
management
 Publisher — des ktop
publishing
 O u t lo o k— p er s ona l
information management
 Computer Repairs &
Networking—overview
of hardware components, diagnosing simple
problems, and replacing
and testing components.
The trainers are Fitzroy
“Rollo” Younge, Oveanne
Manswell and Renita
Stewart.
Classes will be held
daily, from 4:00 p.m. to
9:30 p.m. There will be a
30-minute break for
snacks, which will be
provided by the programme’s sponsor, Basic
Needs Trust Fund, a division of the Ministry of
Finance.
“T RANSFORMING
G UYANA
THROUGH
R EGION 4 S ALUTES
S CIENCE &
T ECHNOLOGY IN
E DUCATION ”
E DUCATION M ONTH
As part of Education
Month, the Education Department of Region 4 hosted
a convention at regional
headquarters, located at Triumph, ECD.
In the photo at left, are several
students representing various
secondary schools in the region
on a march to the Triumph office. The procession took off
from the Lusignan Tarmac.
In above photo, Education Officer Barbara Andrews is seated at extreme left.
B UXTON -F RIENDSHIP EXPRESS
P AGE 4
N O L IMIT
Shebiki Beaton is one of several
highly successful performers from
Buxton at this year’s Caribbean
Secondary Education Certificate
examination. She wrote thirteen
(13) subjects and passed all of them,
gaining eleven (11) Grades 1—nine
of them with distinction—and two
Grades 2. She excelled in Science
and is the only one (of those who
came forward) to have passed Information Technology. So, in living
up to this year’s theme of Education
Month, this Science enthusiast and
aspiring cardiologist was asked to
share her thoughts on the goal of the
Education Ministry.
“Transforming
Guyana
through Science and Technology in Education is
most apt. I can attest to the
fact that in today’s world,
especially at the secondary
school and university levels, technology is no longer
optional. Almost everything is done electronically. It can also impact
your grades greatly. The
computer provides access
to millions of books, answers to various questions, and videos to help
you better understand concepts. I have always loved
science but did not appreciate the importance of
technology until now. I
struggled to pass the subject [IT] but I eventually
succeeded, moving
up
from 63% to earning a
Grade I at CXC. This
proves that no matter how
difficult something may
seem, there is no limit on
how hard you should try to
succeed.”
TO
S UCCESS ...
Sixteen year-old Shebiki Beaton is
the older of two children born to
Clarence and Bonieta Beaton of
Buxton. Her father, a mason/tiler by
profession, was born and raised, for
most of his childhood, in Mahaicony, ECD. He later spent some in
Wales, WBD, then moved to Buxton, residing in the vicinity of Ogle
Street and Brusche Dam. Her
mother, Bonieta is Buxton-born and
teaches at Friendship Primary
School. Bonieta’s parents (Shebiki’s
grandparents) are Winston Headley
and Joyce (Uranie) PhillipsHeadley.
Shebiki related that she grew up
like a typical child in the village. At
the age of three, she commenced
school at the New Friendship Nursery School. Though she preferred
going over to Granny’s house to
play with her cousins, picking green
dunks and monkey-apples, or trapping dragon flies on pointers coated
with glamour-cherry glue, she did
enjoy her time at the school. She
fondly reminisced on the love and
attention showered on her and her
classmates by Teacher Paula Gulliver, who even introduced her to a
KFC treat. But she later came to
discover that her nursery school
years were like a vacation when
compared to the work she later encountered in primary school.
Her primary school years were
spent at Friendship Primary School
(Roman). During the six years she
was there, she worked hard to gain
high marks to ensure she never fell
below third place at the end of each
school term. She disclosed that this
accomplishment was not an easy
task, since she faced stiff competition from classmates Tishana Arthur
and Donelle Phillips, who both also
performed exceedingly well at this
Written by Lorna Campbell
year’s CXC exams (See August 2011
Express for details). To supplement
her school work, she took afterschool lessons from 5:00--8:30 p.m.
from Mr. Arifali Khan at Lusignan,
two miles away from her home.
While Shebiki was prepared to handle the competition at school, she
was in no way ready to deal with the
(Continued on page 5)
Shebiki Beaton
S EPTEMBER 2011
P AGE 5
N O L IMIT
(Continued from page 4)
violence that engulfed the
village (2002-2008). “This
was a trying time for me. I
was scared for my safety,
and often woke up to gunshots in my ears or to Joint
Services’ officers at our
doorstep.” Coming home
from after-school lessons,
she related, “Many times,
when I returned to my village, I would find members of the Guyana Defence Force lining the
streets to my home.”
She disclosed that she
woke up at 4:00 a.m. every
day to prepare for the Secondary School Entrance
Examination (SSEE) in
2006. She placed 37th nationally and topped Region
4 in qualifying for a place
at the nation’s premier secondary school, Queens
College. She credits teachers, Ms. Yolanda Stoby,
Ms. Colleen Grant-Bailey
and Ms. Faith Victorine
(now deceased) for their
extraordinary guidance
and assistance.
When she ent er ed
Queen’s College, she remembered herself as a shy
young country girl. She
was also aware that Buxton was infamous at the
time. But, she revealed,
“My village was of no embarrassment to me. I was
fully aware of the support
which radiated from my
fellow villagers and of
their wish for me to excel.”
TO
At Queen’s College, she
described her time there as
exciting, despite having to
cope with a heavy academic curriculum. She
distinctly remembered a
dramatic increase in the
study load when she entered Third Form. Here,
she was introduced to a
core of new subjects—
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography and Information Technology (IT).
Having no prior exposure
to computers, she found IT
especially challenging.
Outside of school, she is
forced to go to her aunt,
Shelly Headley’s home to
gain use of a computer. At
this point, she felt that she
was at a disadvantage,
which caused her parents
to employ extra tutoring.
This kept her out until 7
o’clock at night.
Describing her preparation for CXC, Shebiki reveled that she employed an
army of support, including
her parents, family members, close friends, classmates and teachers. Her
Chief-in-Command was
“The Most High.” She
added: “I must admit that I
was not prepared for the
typhoon C.X.C brought
into my life. This was my
fault however, for I disregarded the advice of my
predecessors and neglected
to start my studying at an
earlier time. The candle
now had to be burnt at
both ends. I learnt that in
fighting the battle called
S UCCESS ...
Shebiki Beaton, as she enjoys a moment
of relaxation
C.X.C, it is important to be
determined. One should set
the goal as high as possible
and be determined to achieve
it. The advice of those who
excelled before you should
always be considered, and
your preparation must include every reading material
possible for each subject you
are about to write. Also, one
should only write the subjects one is passionate about
or, as in the case of I.T. and
I, the subjects which are vital
to your choice of future career.”
Shebiki wants to become a
cardiologist, specializing in
diseases and abnormalities
of the heart. She is in her
first year of study at the University of Guyana doing a
course in biology. She intends to transfer to the Medicine programme in her second year. She expressed having a deep interest in human
physiology, and marvels at
the opportunity to fulfill her
Christian obligation, that is,
helping
one’s
neighbours while pursuing one’s passion.
She chose to pursue
the field of cardiology
after a laboratory experiment at school
where she dissected
the heart of a pig. She
found the exercise
very interesting.
While at QC, Shebiki
also excelled at Track
events, winning titles
such as: Victrix Ludorium, Under-16
Champion Girl and
Beast All-Round Athlete in 2009. She was
also selected to represent Queen’s College
at the 2010 Barbados
Relay Fair, where she
anchored her team to a
respectable bronze
finish.
H er
ot her
cocurricular activities are
affiliated with her
chur ch,
St.
(Continued on page 6)
B UXTON -F RIENDSHIP EXPRESS
P AGE 6
N O L IMIT
TO
Shebiki Beaton obtained 13 passes at CXC with 11
Grades 1 and 2 Grades 2. She also got 9 distinctions
(Continued from page 5)
Written by
Lorna Campbell
Augustine’s Anglican Church.
There, she is the Assistant Secretary of the Rock of Christ
Youth Group. She is also an
active usher and Bible Lessons
reader.
For recreation, she enjoys
listening to music, reading science fiction novels and biology
books and catching up with old
friends. As time allows, she
also enjoys participating in
track meets.
Shebiki has a brother who is
two years younger than she.
His name is Okeme Beaton.
He is also a product of Friendship Primary School and
topped the village at Grade 6
Assessment in 2008. He is
now in Fourth Form at St.
Stanislaus College.
Her love and patriotism for
Buxton are very strong. She
took the opportunity to share
S UCCESS ...
her thoughts on her hometown.
“Buxton is a historic village. The people have been
determined in their struggle even from slavery to
where they are now. Buxtonians recognize that they
have a voice and persevere
through all obstacles to
ensure that that voice is
heard. I will always remember the story my
mother told me about the
brave women of Buxton
who stopped a moving
train many years ago. This
has inspired me to always
speak up for what I know
is right regardless of how
many persons might oppose me. I realize that determination does not mean
being stubborn or narrow
minded, but even if it
were, I would rather be
like my ancestors who
paved the way for my education and my future due
to their ‘stubbornness’.
I love to boast about my
village having the most
friendly and supportive
people. Lately, I have been
asked, many times, the
question of how it feels to
be a Buxtonian, especially
one who went through the
trials brought on by activities of recent years. I simply answer that I feel exceptionally blessed to be a
Buxtonian. I know the
Lord placed me here for a
reason, and the Buxton
experience has only made
me stronger. I value the
opportunities and the per-
sons who provided them
even more. This is a message I want to send to the
youths of this village. Nothing you have experienced
thus far has been as trying
as what your forefathers
went through to get you to
where you are today, so
there should be nothing in
your future that will deter
you from creating a better
future for the next generation. Be obedient to your
parents. There is much joy
to be gained from success
and an even greater one
which comes from knowing
that what you have done is
acceptable to the Lord, and
approved by the ones who
care for you. To you, the
parents of studying children, be supportive and active in their learning. It may
not always be possible, but
do your best to provide everything that would aid in
their education. Do not allow your children to live in
an abusive environment but
surround them with love
and encouragement.”
“I wish to thank everyone
who kept me in their
prayers and assisted me in
making not only myself
proud but, also, my family
and all my supporters.
Thank you!” concluded
Shebiki.
Best wishes to Shebiki
Beaton in her future endeavours. May God continue to bless you with
health, kindness and wisdom!
S EPTEMBER 2011
P AGE 7
G ONE H OME
News of the untimely
passing of Barbara Newton-Okpei was received
with shock and sadness.
She died in Ontario,
Canada on Saturday
evening of September
24, 2011. She was 60
years old.
Mrs. Newton-Okpei
was the first-born child
of Mrs. Ermilinda (Ena)
Newton and Mr. Eugene
Newton (now deceased).
She was born and raised
at Ogle Street, Friend-
ship; attended Friendship Methodist Primary
School (now Company
Road Primary) and,
later, Tutorial High
School. She emigrated
to Canada in 1968 to
further her studies, and
resided there until her
death.
Barbara was also the
sister of Charis (Bridget)
Newton-Thompson, Hazel Newton-Azore, Carol
Newton, John Newton,
Murphy Newton-Henry,
Allison Tinny, and Aggrey
Newton (deceased).
In addition to her
mother and siblings, she
also leaves to mourn her
husband, two children,
aunts, uncles, nieces,
nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law and a host of
loving friends.
Our sincere condolences
to the bereaved family.
May her dear soul rest in
eternal peace!
Mark the Time!
April 9 —- April 14, 2012
Church Services
Kite-flying
Sightseeing Tour
Children’s Party
Seniors’ Banquet
Concert, Dance ...
B UXTON -F RIENDSHIP EXPRESS
P AGE 8
S UCCESS C OMES N OT B Y W ISHING
B UT B Y H ARD W ORK B RAVELY D ONE
By Dr. Clayton Quintin Bacchus
I was on cloud nine when I saw
those pictures of young Buxtonians who excelled at the CXC.
That feeling of academic euphoria
has escaped me since I left Buxton many years ago. These children really made me proud.
Reading about these incredible
scholars gave me goose bumps. I
can only exclaim in the voice of
my mother, “pickney ah yuh
prappa mek mi prud!” I must say,
it has been quite awhile since a
large number of young Buxtonians has done so well at such a
big examination. Just imagine,
amidst all the adversities that
plagued Buxton, just a few years
ago, these children were still able
to perform at this high level.
This remarkable accomplishment was not only mind-blowing
but refreshing. How can these
children do so well with so little?
Already, many Buxtonians have
posited many theories to answer
that question. But clearly, these
children did not get to this high
point by doing the minimum.
They had to be disciplined, dedicated and daring. I just wish that
some children who are living
overseas could learn from these
children in Buxton that the key to
academic excellence is not based
on affluence, but an unceasing
commitment to persevere.
From time to time, Buxtonians
would let the world know that
Buxton is not only known for its
people stopping train, but it is
also venerated for academic excellence. It must be noted, Buxton was always blessed with an
educational pipeline that produced scholars after scholars.
Making that point, in no way
diminishes the superb effort of
these young people as they
continue to fortify our illustrious education tradition.
My perspective of these
youngsters’ outstanding performance was jolted into clarity when I discovered that
most of these high performing
students came from humble
backgrounds. I am convinced
more than ever that academic
success comes with enduring
effort and hard work. It has
little or nothing to do with
one’s station in life. “You
have to plough deep while
sluggards sleep”. The profound motto of my Alma mater comes to mind: Success
comes not by wishing, but by
hard work bravely done.
It is with great pleasure I
welcome this troupe of high
academic achievers to the rich
educational legacy of Buxton.
In retrospect Buxton was
always the envy for its great
schools and teachers. It was
no surprise that students from
as far as Plaisance and Mahaica attended schools in Buxton. Students from other villages needed that intellectual
stimulation - the rigors of
transportation fatigue did not
stop them. They felt that that
scholastic excellence and brilliance would rub off on them.
But seriously, many scholars
are born in Buxton because of
the tremendous value the ancestors placed on education.
The profusion of cerebral heft
by these youths is a direct
result of the educational template designed by the ancestors.
The success stories that are
coming out of Buxton are
predicated on individuals and
groups that embrace progress.
There has been success upon
success since Buxtonians
have moved into serious action to better themselves. In
every case these successes are
directly linked to positive action rather than negative reaction. I have argued all along
that these young people can
do wonders if they are availed
with the appropriate milieu
and opportunity. And, I always challenge the view that
this generation of young people is less inclined to academia as compare to their
predecessors.
Those individuals and
groups that have helped to
bring about these successes
must be applauded. Those
parents who were inspirational and instrumental in
steering these children to success must be commended.
Most of all, those teachers
must be celebrated for the
hard work they have carried
out so ingeniously.
Right now, a new sense of
empowerment engulfs every
young Buxtonian as progress
pervades the village. It is
high time Buxtonians seized
on this moment and invested
in these young people in tangible ways. Yes, we owe it to
them!
S EPTEMBER 2011
P AGE 9
US G ROUP D ONATES B OOK B AGS
All God’s Little Children
Inc., Buxton, a non- governmental organization
started hosting weekly Saturday School sessions
since August, 2010. These
sessions aim at enhancing
the literacy levels of the
community’s children by
teaching them Christian
principles; while simultaneously creating alternative constructive activities
for them. September 3,
2011 marked an inaugural
and significant event in the
life of the group’s work.
Some sixty-three (63) children from the BuxtonFriendship area, aged four
to fourteen, in keeping
with the soon-to-be-reopened school term, were
proud recipients of school
supplies. Inclusive of bagpacks, stationery, books
and calculators, their packages came as a result of
continuous and strenuous
efforts made by Brother
Weygand Gardner, Executive Director of the organi-
zation, and a committed
team of volunteers who
strive to maintain and encourage literacy and education in the community.
The team strongly believes in the potential of
these youths and, despite
many challenges, is often
reminded of the unstable
and influential factors to
which these children are
s o met i mes ex p os ed.
Against that, with the continued help of God, they
plan on continuing their
efforts by touching the
lives of as many children
as possible in the said area.
All God’s Little Children, Buxton, on this day
also celebrated the receipt
of an award which was
received by one of its volunteers, Ms. Danita Cato.
She is the recipient of a
one-year scholarship to
pursue a Degree in Business Management at the
University of Guyana. The
scholarship was humbly
donated by the Claude
September 3, 2011—”All God’s Little Children” distribution of 63 book bags to schoolchildren.
Harvey Foundation and
sourced by All God’s Little Children Inc. Danita is
the 3rd volunteer of the
group to receive such
scholarships to date, since
the establishment of the
sessions in 2010.
Upcoming major events
include distribution of
more school supplies and
testaments, Garage Sale
Christmas Concert and
continued weekly meetings.
U p c o m i n g
major
events
include:
 distri bu tio n
of
more
s c h o o l
supplies and
testaments
 Garage Sale
 C h r i s t m a s
Concert
 w e e k l y
meetings.
In this Rollo Younge photo are volunteers (L > R): Donnette Williams, Natasha London, Yonel Armstrong, Weygand Gardner (founder/director),
Oleta Williams, Danita Cato &
Damiana Armstrong.
All God’s Little Children is an Atlantabased Group headed by Weygand
Gardner of Buxton.
B UXTON -F RIENDSHIP EXPRESS
P AGE 10
K UDOS
TO
This is Education Month in Guyana. The period of special observance extends from September 01,
2011 through October 05, 2011.
The theme is “Transforming
T EACHERS & S TUDENTS
By Rennie Parris
“T EACHING IS AN EMOTIONALLY RICH,
INTELLECTUALLY CHALLENGING , AND
DEEPLY REWARDING VOCATION . A
TEACHER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
Guyana through Science
and Technology in Educa- LIVES OF OTHER PEOPLE ’ S CHILDREN.
tion.” As the country holds spe- T EACHERS OFFER YOUNG PEOPLE WAYS
cial events and activities to mark
Education Month, we should celebrate and adore our students and
teachers in Buxton.
As I read August 2011 BuxtonFriendship Express, lots of issues
jumped out as matters for discussion. I was amused by the timely
response by several young scholars
who raised their hands and declared that they were honoring the
educational component of the
Emancipation Covenant. Additionally, the article entitled, “Teacher
Extraordinaire,” provided a myriad
of issues that could engender decades of debates.
For starters, special commendation must be extended to the cohort
of young scholars who performed
exceptionally well at the Caribbean
Examinations Council (CXC) 2011
Secondary Education Certification
Examination. Tishana Arthur, Shebiki Beaton, Lisa Bacchus, Kwadjo
Garnett, Jevin Kellman, Donelle
Phillips, Imani Carmichael, and
others must be recognized and
celebrated for their worth and extraordinary performances.
Tishana Arthus, our 2011 outstanding scholar deserves celebrity
status, at least for the current academic year. Her performance may
be classified as recordingbreaking. She has sent us deep into
the education archive to compare
her performance. She could be the
first Buxtonian to rank among the
top ten performers in Guyana at
the Caribbean Examinations Coun-
TO DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF
THE WORLD IN WHICH THEY LIVE AND
ACT CONSCIOUSLY AND ETHICALLY TO
CHANGE THE WORLD .”
cil Ordinary Level Examinations.
This student may be the first Buxtonian to be top student of a senior
secondary school in Georgetown.
She has shifted the educational
equilibrium in Buxton by demonstrating that apart from mangoes
and coconuts, scholars can come
from “backdam side.”
While these young scholars have
taken center stage with their performances, we need to heap praises
on the back stage performers – the
teachers. As we read the Principal’s report given by Ms. Leslie
Luke, we were reminded of the dire
circumstances under which teachers work. She informed us that the
Buxton-Friendship Community has
some excellent and caring teachers
at all levels. They make things happen with very little or no support
from the parents of their students.
In addition, we must be mindful of
the significant impact that poverty,
inappropriate and inadequate nutrition, excessive media exposure,
abuse and neglect have on attention
and learning. Finally, Ms. Luke’s
discourse points to the need for
greater investment in early childhood education and after school
programmes.
I salute and applaud all teachers
and educators in Guyana during
Education Month, particularly the
teachers who work in the BuxtonFriendship Community. Teaching
is a lifelong commitment to learning. It is an emotionally rich, intellectually challenging, and deeply
rewarding vocation. A teacher is
responsible for the lives of other
people’s children. Teachers offer
young people ways to deepen their
understanding of the world in
which they live and act consciously and ethically to change
the world. We struggle to develop
nurturing relationships with our
youths and strive to nourish them
with our knowledge, wisdom, experience and compassion.
Teaching requires that teachers
remain on the cutting-edge of
knowledge in their areas of specialization and pedagogy. We need
to research aggressively to keep
current with developments in the
field of education. This will enable
us to understand the effects of the
digital brain, poverty, transient
hunger, abuse and neglect, class
size, noise level and lighting,
learning styles, and emotions on
attention and learning. The knowledge of these factors is critical for
structuring classroom instructions.
S EPTEMBER 2011
P AGE 11
XÇ}Éç t ZÄÉÜ|Éâá TâàâÅÇ XäxÇ|Çz Éy
featuring
Steel & Brass Orchestra
performing Gospel, Classical, Folk & Pop renditions
Interpretive Dancing & More
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Starting at 4:00 p.m.
Catherine McAuley High School Auditorium
710 East 37th Street, Brooklyn, NY
Ticket Donation
$25—Adult
$20—Child (under 12)
Snacks & Refreshments on Sale
For Ticket Reservation
Errol & Vashti Cockfield: 718-843-3690 / Shawn Adams: 917-648-8383
Wilbert Hope: 718-510-2687 / John Massay: 347-228-6939
Monica Sandiford: 718-284-0911
S YMPATHY
We extend sincere condolence to Simba Mwanza
(Basil Blair) and his wife,
Cherryl Telford-Blair, on the
passing of Simba’s mom,
Mrs. Cordelia Aileen Blair.
She died on 18th September,
2011, in North Carolina, USA
and is scheduled to be laid to
rest on 24th September in
Charlotte, NC.
Simba and Cherryl, please
know that our deepest sympathies are with you and
your family at this time of
grieving.
B UXTON -F RIENDSHIP EXPRESS
P AGE 12
P ILLARS OF D EVELOPMENT IN A FRICAN C OMMUNITIES
E DUCATION , S ELF -R ELIANCE
& B USINESS I NVESTMENT
Presentation by
Aubrey Norton, MP
Buxton Heritage
Week Symposium
July 2011
‘W E MIGHT NOT
BE ABLE TO AFFORD FREE EDUCATION , BUT I
DON ’ T KNOW WE
CAN AFFORD I GNORANCE .’
L.F.S. B URNHAM
( DECEASED )
E MPOWERMENT :
“W HEREBY
INDIVIDUALS ,
COMMUNITIES AND
NATIONS SEEK TO
ENSURE THAT
THEY HAVE AT
THEIR DISPOSAL
THE REQUIRED
POWER TO
ACHIEVE THE
OBJECTIVES THEY
SET FOR
THEMSELVES .”
Written by
Lorna Campbell
In a captivating presentation at the Symposium organised by Buxton Restoration Committee, as part
of this year’s Heritage
Week observance, Mr.
Aubrey Norton, PNCR
Member of Parliament and
former University of Guyana lecturer in Political
Science, called on AfricanGuyanese to practise
“Intergenerational Preparation” in order to achieve
self-reliance and empowerment.
He noted that
much of the problem faced
today by Guyanese of African descent is rooted in
the group’s lack of power
to achieve necessary objectives. He called on the
community to develop
bases for self-reliance and
empowerment through
sustained education, prudent economic management and prioritization of
interests.
He defined empowerment as a means by which
“individuals, communities
and nations seek to ensure
that they have at their disposal the required power
to achieve the objectives
they set for themselves.”
He, however, cautioned:
“If we are going to empower ourselves, we have
to have a broad vision of
what we set out to
achieve.”
Mr. Norton emphasized
that the attainment of selfreliance and empowerment
rests on having a clear vision of what each person
would like to achieve as an
individual, and also as part
of a family, a community
and a nation. “What we
want to do, where we want
to go and how we intend to
get there are some of the
questions around which we
must formulate a necessary
plan,” he said.
In getting there, he suggested that parents first try
to educate themselves then
take steps to ensure that
their children are also
properly educated. He
shared a response by the
late President L.F.S. Burnham to a question on
whether Guyana could
afford free education,
which was fully implemented in 1976. Mr. Burnham reportedly said: ‘We
might not be able to afford
free education, but I don’t
know we can afford Ignorance.’ Mr. Norton expressed the view that when
parents attend to their children’s education, they are
preparing to take them out
of ignorance and thus begin the first basis of empowerment. This, he said,
must be done, and is based
on a principle he described
as “Inter gener ational
Preparation”.
In Explaining this princi-
ple, he said that, in African
communities, parents must
commit to preparing their
children to experience a
better life than they themselves enjoyed. They must
also inculcate in their children a similar commitment
whereby this principle
would be passed on to succeeding generations. “In
other words,” he summed,
“you are preparing the next
generation to be better than
your generation.” He
warned that failure to implement and maintain such
a system could result in
generational retrogression,
which would lead to decay.
Speaking on the importance of Economics, Mr.
Norton suggested that parents start teaching their
children sound economic
management from an early
age. He seized the opportunity to censure those who
engage in spending beyond
their means, citing a popular old saying: “We like to
hang our hats where our
hands cannot reach.” This,
he said, restrains our ability
to build up a savings account. He further remarked
that saving diligently
should not be unfamiliar to
African-Guyanese since
their ancestors bought villages through this practice.
“We have a history of saving; what we have done is
(Continued on page 13)
S EPTEMBER 2011
P AGE 13
P ILLARS OF D EVELOPMENT
IN A FRICAN C OMMUNITIES
(Continued from page 12)
to have lost our way,” he
bemoaned. He implored
the community to adhere
to this discipline to
achieve self-reliance and
empowerment. This practice, he also advised, lends
to the development of a
history with a bank which
helps in accessing loans
from financial institutions.
Mr. Norton went on to
state that he had observed
that some persons, once
they obtained a loan, decided that they were not
going to repay their debt.
“You do not develop like
that,” he chided. “You develop when you develop
credibility, and people
[lenders] can be assured
that you will repay over
the long term. As you progress, you will do better.”
According to Norton,
another important factor in
the drive towards empowerment is the prioritization
of interests. “We need to
develop a sense of responsibility which seeks to determine what things are in
our own best interests as
well as those of our children. Our next step should
be to pursue those interests
in a structured way.”
Moving on to the subject
of Self-Development, he
warned that, unless the
community developed an
investment/economic culture, it would remain in
serious trouble. This new
culture, he stressed, was
necessary in order to
achieve empowerment and
self-development.
Mr. Norton also urged
individuals to embark on a
culture where they aspire
to work for themselves “It
is time we got into Business,” he said. “Look
around the world; most of
those who achieve are people who work for themselves. We have got to focus on creating an AfricanGuyanese entrepreneurial
class.” He then identified
some successful AfroGuyanese entrepreneurs.
Continuing, he remarked,
“Unless we develop an
entrepreneurial class that
has wealth independent of
the State, we will be dependent.”
Norton next addressed
the issue of property ownership by Afro-Guyanese.
He noted that propertyowners were not utilizing
the equity in their homes
to acquire capital for entrepreneurial investments, or
for improvement in their
own lives. He considered
this an inefficient use of
financial resources, and
lamented that it was a serious misconception on the
part of Afro-Guyanese
property-owners. He challenged them to change this
perception. “When we acquire property, we need to
treat it as an investment
that will serve as a basis of
capital appreciation, which
can increase empowerment
and self-reliance.”
In concluding his presentation, Mr. Norton restated the
key principles the community should embrace to attain
self-reliance and empowerment. He reiterated the importance of education in selfdevelopment and that for the
children. He also encouraged
the development of an investment culture. These approaches must fit within the
individual’s vision of where
he wants to take himself, his
children, his community, his
country. “Anyone who does
not have a clear vision of
where he wants to go will go
anywhere (even to the madhouse),” he warned.
“You should want a structured approach in which to
empower yourself. When
you become old, you must
be satisfied that you did everything to prepare a basis for
your children to get up in
life.” He expressed concern
that some parents view their
children as assets. “In a
sense they develop their children to mind them.” He admonished such parents to
maintain their own independence and thus avoid
being a source of burden to
their children. He was however quick to add that an
understanding must be developed whereby children
are prepared to take over in
case their parents were no
longer able to function normally.
Written by
Lorna Campbell
“I T IS TIME WE
GOT INTO
BUSINESS . L OOK
AROUND THE
WORLD , MOST OF
THOSE WHO
ACHIEVE ARE
PEOPLE WHO WORK
FOR THEMSELVES .
W E HAVE GOT TO
FOCUS ON
CREATING AN
A FRICAN G UYANESE
ENTREPRENEURIAL
CLASS .”
B UXTON -F RIENDSHIP EXPRESS
P AGE 14
T HE Z EPHYR F AMILY
As we join in the celebrations and festivities of our
pride in this great village
of Buxton, we simultaneously have to reflect and
bask in our pride of the
Zephyr Family. We celebrate and honor our ancestors for their foresight and
comradery when they decided to use their initiatives, resources, cooperative skills and will power
to purchase this great land
and name it Buxton.
Over the years, the Zephyr
name had been well
known in the village of
Buxton. Though most of
the members of our family
have migrated to the New
York area, our hearts and
pride have never left Buxton. Twelve years ago, we
decided to form an organization which, throughout
the years, has grown
stronger and closer. The
ultimate goal was, and still
is, for members of the
family to know each other,
respect and love each
other, and cement an unbr eakable bond. To
achieve this, we plan several annual activities,
which are usually well
attended.
Most importantly, this
family recognizes the Omnipotent power, the presence and the many blessings bestowed on each of
us by the Almighty Father.
Therefore, quite appropriately, we choose one Sunday to all worship together. Even though we
belong to different de-
nominations, we congregate under one roof to
praise and honor Him.
This is how we begin each
year’s activities.
During Spring, we choose
one day to have Family
Fun on a bus ride. Every
Summer, we choose a city
park, and we have our Fun
Day Picnic. This is our big
day–our special day. We
play games together. We
eat, drink and have fun
together for an entire day.
On this special day, we
recognize, motivate and
encourage our younger
members. We acknowledge their academic
achievements and progress
made during the school
year by distributing
MERIT AWARDS to
them. Since the young
people are our future, we
must continue to lead and
inspire them to dream big
and to have high goals. If
your mind can conceive it
and your heart can believe
it you can surely achieve
it. The sky is the limit!
We compliment them and
challenge them to believe
in themselves and to always strive to go forward;
never backward.
Two years ago, we started
a Walk-a-Thon through a
park. The intent is to encourage us all to live and
practise healthy life styles.
During the morning’s activity, we also remember,
honour and pay tribute to
our elders who have
passed on. We end this
with a Family Brunch. At
Christmas time, we get
together one evening to
enjoy our traditional
Christmas celebration. We
are planning more activities so we can be together
and bond more often during the year.
The older members have
seen five generations of
this family. Our family
pride continues to grow
lovingly in strength, unity
and harmony. Recently,
the younger members of
our family decided to form
a junior organization and
plan their own ageappropriate activities. We
support and encourage the
youth group and want
them all to know and
honor their family history
and enjoy that legacy.
Of course, the Zephyr family has its roots in Buxton,
the focus of our pride at
this time. Our family tree
started when one “Mamie”
Liverpool married a
Zephyr gentleman. Her
sister was married to a
Seaforth. These two family
lines grew and grew in
Buxton. The union of
“Mamie” Liverpool and
James Zephyr produced
four sons and one daughter. The brothers were Gershon- Uncle Gershon,
known affectionately in his
time as “Bitter Tally.” He
was recognized for his famous and well-liked
mauby. His sons were
George, Sam, Fred, Lawrence and daughter, Elsa.
These siblings together
created a very large and
proud dynasty. His brother
Donald, known as Uncle
Don, had Maude, twins–
Henry and Harry, Wilbert,
who recently departed at
age 91, and a younger
da u g ht er , Sa ys il et t a
Zephyr-Thomas. Cousin
Wilbert and Cousin Saysi
also built a dynasty. The
other brother, James, had
Walter and Ivy, who had a
smaller group. Cousin Ivy
recently celebrated her 90th
birthday in Guyana. She is
now the oldest living family member. The fourth
brother was Cassey. Their
only sister, Eva Priscilla,
known as Aunt Eva, married to Robinson. Aunt
Eva’s children were
George, Charles, Harry,
Millicent and Rose Robinson-James. They produced
another large loving dynasty of the Robinsons’
and the James’.
It was well known that
three of these Zephyr
brothers were married to
three ladies-two sisters and
a cousin from the Joseph
family. The Joseph family
name was also very well
known in Buxton.
We encourage other families who have not yet embarked on a similar group
movement to get together
during each year, love and
enjoy each other and bask
in the pride of their family.
Whatever We Achieve or
Whoever We May Become, We Owe It All to
The Family.
…by Sylvia Anetha Zephyr
S EPTEMBER 2011
P AGE 15
You are invited
The
Zephyr Family
Saturday, October 1, 2011
from 9:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m.
Catherine McAuley Dining Hall
1377 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203
(near Foster Avenue)
Sumptuous Breakfast & Delightful Entertainment
Ticket Donation: $25—Adult / $20—Child
For more information
Vashti Cockfield
Jean Zephyr-Andries
Lorraine Glasgow
& reservation, call:
718--843—3690
347—425—0576
718—258—5977
CIMBUX, Inc.
Presents A
Saturday, November 19, 2011
5:00 p.m.— 10:00 p.m.
Margaret Schweinhaut Center
1000 Forest Glen Road
Silver Spring, MD 20901
African Drumming, Drama, Poetry, Music & Dance
Plus Delicious Country Cuisine
Ticket Donation: $15
(Free admission for Children)
C
I
M
B
U
X
For Ticket / More Information
George Hinds:
Jude Green:
Horace Azore:
Keith Easton:
Gladstone Marcus:
240-381-5190
240-988-4941
240-508-6388
240-601-3892
240-486-6341
B UXTON -F RIENDSHIP E XPRESS
S EPTEMBER 2011
2011 Community Calendar
DAY & DATE
EVENT
Sunday
9th October
FOOD FAYRE
2:00 — 7:00 p.m.
DANCE
7:00—10:00 p.m.
Saturday
An
Autumn Splendour
Catherine
McAuley H.S.
Gospel & Steel
Concert
710 East 37th St
Brooklyn, NY
11203
corner of Foster Ave
29th October
from 5:00 p.m.
PLACE
DETAILS
PROMOTER(S)
St. Augustine’s
Music by
BAFUKA
Church Hall GT Promotion (Buxton and FriendBroadway Road Adult: L 3
ship UK Association)
Tooting SW17
London, England Child: Free
Auditorium
Chronicle Atlantic
Steel & Brass
Orchestra
& More
Adult—$25
Child—$20
Besac, inc.
(Buxtonians for the
Educational & Social
Advancement of the
Community)
CONTACT INFO
0795-153-0102
0208-885-2393
0793-064-7724
0790-326-8590
0798-524-3397
718-843-3690
347-228-6939
917-648-8383
718-284-0911
718-510-2687
2012 Community Calendar
WHEN
WHAT
Sunday
1st January KWA
New Year’s Day
NZAA
from 4:00 p.m.
SOIREE
Mon—Sat
9th April
—
14th April
EASTER
FEST
Writers/Editors
Phone
Lorna Campbell
Rollo Younge
Dr. C. Quintin Bacchus
Rennie Parris
718-342-0040
592-639-9035
202-538-1261
347-863-6121
Photographers
Fitzroy “Rollo” Younge
Mboya Wood
WHERE
HAPPENINGS
“A Celebration of
Family, Community
& Culture”
African Libation,
Music, Poetry,
Fashion & Cuisine
BuxtonFriendship
GUYANA
Kite-flying
Sightseeing Tour
Children’s Party
Seniors’ Banquet
Concert, Dance ...
E-mail Address
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
BY WHOM
MORE INFO
Buxton-Friendship To be Announced
Heritage Group
Buxton-Friendship
Restoration Group
&
Heritage Group
E-mail us at:
[email protected]
For past issues & more
Visit us on the web @
592-639-9035
646-727-5937
[email protected]
[email protected]
B UXTON -F RI ENDSHIP H ERITAGE F UND , I NC .,
www.buxtonguyana.net
454 Vermont Street, Brooklyn, NY 11207, USA
SUSTAINING OUR HERITAGE; EMPOWERING OUR COMMUNITY